Collection Full View
Records of the Office of the Director: General Files (1920 - 2000)
Collection IDDO.GEN
Size35.5 linear feet (71 boxes)
Collection Description
The General Files subgroup of the Records of the Office of the Director of the Institute for Advanced Study contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, printed materials, and other documentation generated by or sent to the Director's Office. While it is perhaps strongest for the tenures of Abraham Flexner, Frank Aydelotte, J. Robert Oppenheimer and Harry Woolf, six of the Institute's seven Directors, along with many members of their staffs, are represented to some degree. There is only a small amount of material from the tenures of Marvin Goldberger and Phillip Griffiths, and none from the present [2014] Director, Peter Goddard.
Collection Contents
The collection documents the Institute's development in many areas, and its interactions with a wide variety of individuals and organizations. The contents include correspondence, memoranda, reports, printed materials, and other documentation generated by, or sent to, the Director's Office. The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject. Files from the 1930s-1950s contain much evidence of the relations between Institute officials and its founders, Louis Bamberger and Caroline (Carrie) Bamberger Fuld, and their families and representatives. After that period the connection with Newark weakens. NOTE: Selected files from this collection, including much of the early correspondence, are available online in pdf format through links in the online finding-aid (see the url below).
Some examples of Newark- or Bamberger-related material in the collection are as follows:
Box 7: contains correspondence to and from Abraham Flexner and Frank Aydelotte, with scholars regarding fellowships, visits, etc.; a 6 pp. draft of a manuscript about the Institute (1933); correspondence re: staff and faculty positions at the Institute, often accompanied by cv's (1930-1985). Newark-related contents of some individual files in Box 7, are:
"General correspondence, Ba-Bh": a letter from Dorothy Simpson of the Bach Society of New Jersey, located at the Newark Museum, offering students of the Institute the opportunity to attend a performance to be held at the Mosque Theatre, and a flyer for the program (1942)
"Bamberger, C. Lavinia" ( d. 1955, sister of Louis and Caroline Bamberger Fuld): correspondence regarding photographs of Louis and Carrie, a possible portrait of Carrie by Henry L. Wolff, a gift of books from the library of Louis and Carrie, and a commemorative plaque, etc. (1933-1955)
"Bamberger Plaque," correspondence to and from Walter H. Farrier, Louis Bamberger's secretary, regarding a bronze plaque erected at the Newark Museum in Bamberger's honor, and an additional plaque to be commissioned by the Institute (1941)
"Bamberger Memorial Lake": bills (1949)
"Bamberger-Fuld Memorial Walk," dedicated October 20, 1950: list of invitees, etc. No one from Newark was invited, although Walter Farrier, who lived in Maplewood, was on the list. (1949-1951)
Box 15, "Corner Stone Laying -- Fuld Hall": On May 22, 1939, the day of the laying of the cornerstone, both Louis and Caroline were "indisposed," and therefore not present at the ceremony. It had been their wish, however, since the announcement of the ceremony, that their sistser Lavina would be the official "mason" of the day. Contents of the corner stone included, among other items, photographs of Felix Fuld, Caroline Fuld, and Louis and Lavinia Bamberger. The file contains lists of invitees, copies of the remarks of those involved, acceptances and regrets, etc.
Box 21, Folder 3: correspondence to and from Walter H. Farrier, Frank Aydelotte, and Institute Secretary Esther Bailey, largely regarding the estate of Mrs. Carolyn B. Fuld, and the disposition of items from her estate in South Orange, particularly a tractor, garden tools, furniture, a grandfather clock, and a radio (1944-1945); earlier general correspondence regarding contributions; discussions of the Fuld Hall plaque; and correspondence re: IAS by-laws and certificate of incorporation, etc. (1930)
Box 32: contains 2 large files of Abraham Flexner correspondence (incoming and outgoing) regarding plans for the establishment and development of the Institute for Advanced Study, canvassing scholars and university administrators as to the ideal location and structure of the new institution, etc. (1931-1938)
Box 46: National Newark and Essex County Banking Company, routine correspondence regarding IAS documents and procedures including, seals, signatures of officers, lists of members of the finance committee, etc. (1938-1956)
Box 48, Folder 7: correspondence between Frank Aydelotte and Alexander N. Sloan, Jr. of the Newark Sunday Call, on IAS publicity in general and regarding Sloan's articles on the Institute, published in the Call in March 1941 and September of 1943. Sloan explains that, "Because of the part played in the founding of the Institute by Louis Bamberger, Newark merchant prince, we like to use material in our paper from time to time on the work and program of the Institute," and summarizes his qualifications and 14-year career at The Call. A letter from Sloan requests that staff photographer Harry Dorer be allowed to photograph the interior and exterior of Fuld Hall, and take a photograph of Dr. Einstein; the response agrees to photography of Fuld Hall, but adds "... it will not be possible for us to arrange for pictures of any of our professors at this time." (1939).
Box 56, Folder 6: notes from three phone conversations with Jerome Aumente regarding Aumente's request to write an article for the Newark Evening News Sunday Magazine on the Institute (1962-1963)
Box 70: "Wolff, Henry L.," correspondence regarding negotiations for a portrait of Louis Bamberger, and the artist's later request for a photograph of the portrait (1944-1949)
Some examples of Newark- or Bamberger-related material in the collection are as follows:
Box 7: contains correspondence to and from Abraham Flexner and Frank Aydelotte, with scholars regarding fellowships, visits, etc.; a 6 pp. draft of a manuscript about the Institute (1933); correspondence re: staff and faculty positions at the Institute, often accompanied by cv's (1930-1985). Newark-related contents of some individual files in Box 7, are:
"General correspondence, Ba-Bh": a letter from Dorothy Simpson of the Bach Society of New Jersey, located at the Newark Museum, offering students of the Institute the opportunity to attend a performance to be held at the Mosque Theatre, and a flyer for the program (1942)
"Bamberger, C. Lavinia" ( d. 1955, sister of Louis and Caroline Bamberger Fuld): correspondence regarding photographs of Louis and Carrie, a possible portrait of Carrie by Henry L. Wolff, a gift of books from the library of Louis and Carrie, and a commemorative plaque, etc. (1933-1955)
"Bamberger Plaque," correspondence to and from Walter H. Farrier, Louis Bamberger's secretary, regarding a bronze plaque erected at the Newark Museum in Bamberger's honor, and an additional plaque to be commissioned by the Institute (1941)
"Bamberger Memorial Lake": bills (1949)
"Bamberger-Fuld Memorial Walk," dedicated October 20, 1950: list of invitees, etc. No one from Newark was invited, although Walter Farrier, who lived in Maplewood, was on the list. (1949-1951)
Box 15, "Corner Stone Laying -- Fuld Hall": On May 22, 1939, the day of the laying of the cornerstone, both Louis and Caroline were "indisposed," and therefore not present at the ceremony. It had been their wish, however, since the announcement of the ceremony, that their sistser Lavina would be the official "mason" of the day. Contents of the corner stone included, among other items, photographs of Felix Fuld, Caroline Fuld, and Louis and Lavinia Bamberger. The file contains lists of invitees, copies of the remarks of those involved, acceptances and regrets, etc.
Box 21, Folder 3: correspondence to and from Walter H. Farrier, Frank Aydelotte, and Institute Secretary Esther Bailey, largely regarding the estate of Mrs. Carolyn B. Fuld, and the disposition of items from her estate in South Orange, particularly a tractor, garden tools, furniture, a grandfather clock, and a radio (1944-1945); earlier general correspondence regarding contributions; discussions of the Fuld Hall plaque; and correspondence re: IAS by-laws and certificate of incorporation, etc. (1930)
Box 32: contains 2 large files of Abraham Flexner correspondence (incoming and outgoing) regarding plans for the establishment and development of the Institute for Advanced Study, canvassing scholars and university administrators as to the ideal location and structure of the new institution, etc. (1931-1938)
Box 46: National Newark and Essex County Banking Company, routine correspondence regarding IAS documents and procedures including, seals, signatures of officers, lists of members of the finance committee, etc. (1938-1956)
Box 48, Folder 7: correspondence between Frank Aydelotte and Alexander N. Sloan, Jr. of the Newark Sunday Call, on IAS publicity in general and regarding Sloan's articles on the Institute, published in the Call in March 1941 and September of 1943. Sloan explains that, "Because of the part played in the founding of the Institute by Louis Bamberger, Newark merchant prince, we like to use material in our paper from time to time on the work and program of the Institute," and summarizes his qualifications and 14-year career at The Call. A letter from Sloan requests that staff photographer Harry Dorer be allowed to photograph the interior and exterior of Fuld Hall, and take a photograph of Dr. Einstein; the response agrees to photography of Fuld Hall, but adds "... it will not be possible for us to arrange for pictures of any of our professors at this time." (1939).
Box 56, Folder 6: notes from three phone conversations with Jerome Aumente regarding Aumente's request to write an article for the Newark Evening News Sunday Magazine on the Institute (1962-1963)
Box 70: "Wolff, Henry L.," correspondence regarding negotiations for a portrait of Louis Bamberger, and the artist's later request for a photograph of the portrait (1944-1949)
FormatsDigital materials; Textual materials
SubjectEducation
Time Period20th Century
LanguagesEnglish; French; German
Access policyOpen for research