Papers, 1921-1967 1930-1939.

ArchivalResource

Papers, 1921-1967 1930-1939.

This part of the collection offers an in depth look at the despair of many during the depression. Greenfield's files are filled with requests for financial aid, not only from organizations but from individuals. People who never met Greenfield were writing and asking him for handouts. He did not comply with the requests but didi take the time to answer each letter. It was also during this time that Greenfield began to receive written death threats from angry bank depositors. Many believed Greenfield knew of the Bankers Trust failure in advance and removed his personal deposits at the expense of others. Moses Annenberg later capitalized upon this misconception and started a publicity war with Greenfield. There is correspondence, clippings, and legal documents relating to the "war" in this section of Greenfield's files. Greenfield switched political parties in 1936 to support Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 1920's contained some material relating to Greenfield's rol within the Republican party and a legal brief relating to the William S. Vare 1926 election controversy, but nothing more. In this decade, he really became active in politics and politically charged groups, such as Committee for the Nation. Greenfield was instrumental in luring the Democratic National Committee to Philadelphia for the 1936 convention. His files contain convention ephemera, such as minutes, seating plans, tickets, invitations, transportation maps, programs, etc. Greenfield was invited to Roosevelt's inauguration and the invitation and program are contained within. New major business acquisitions accounted for during the 1930's include Bonwit Teller & Company, City Stores Company and the radio station WFIL, which he acquired through Lit Brothers. His interests continued in the hotel and motion picture industries, he retained daily financial records on individual hotels and theaters. He also became interested in and acquired a large amount of information regarding the Kentucky Home Life Insurance Company, the Commonwealth Casualty Company and Brookly & Manhattan Transit. Greenfield's local interests were evident by files maintained on the Philadelphia Business Fund, the City Planning Commission, the Pennsylvania Committee for State Constitutional Revision, Philadelphia Advisory Finance Commission, the Pennsylvania Constitutional Commemoration Commission and Temple University. His membership continued in the Chamber of Commerce and he retained material relating to the Convention Hall (Civic Center) and the group's Health & Hospital survey. It was also not until this time that Greenfield's files began to document his role in the Philadelphia Record and his relationship with publisher J. David Stern. Contributions to charitable organizations continued as well. The late 1930's saw an increase in literature from various Jewish groups informing Americans of the atrocities German Jews were subjected too. Greenfield also became involved with the Bureau for Colored Children. Personally, Greenfield's first marriage to Edna Kraus ended in divorce when she left him and her children to marry a New Yorker in 1935. Greenfield married the former Etelka Joseph Schamberg in 1937. There is little correspondence between Greenfield and his first wife during their marriage, but becomes heavier after their divorce. Greenfield continued to provide for her financially and most of her letters are requests for money. Greenfield's second wife Etelka, travelled due to health reasons and often wrote him from her destination.

53 boxes.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6774761

Related Entities

There are 23 Entities related to this resource.

Bureau for Colored Children.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65j881p (corporateBody)

The Bureau for Colored Children, founded in 1927, was one of the largest childcare institutions in Pennsylvania. The agency operated a shelter at 321 North 41st Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for dependent and neglected African American children; provided a foster care program for these children; and operated a farm and vocational school for boys in Pomeroy, Chester County, Pennsylvania. In 1963, the agency underwent major administrative changes after the State Dep...

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61s7dgz (person)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York. He was the son of James (lawyer, financier) and Sara (Delano) Roosevelt. He married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt on March 17, 1905, and had six children: Anna, James, Franklin, Elliott, Franklin Jr., John. He received his B.A. from Harvard in 1904 and later attended Columbia University Law School. Roosevelt was admitted to the Bar in 1907 and worked for the Carter, Ledyard, and Milburn firm in New York City from 1907 to 19...

Greenfield, Etelka Joseph, 1887-1949.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65q92j1 (person)

New York. Brooklyn and Manhattan Transit.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63v6784 (corporateBody)

Commonwealth Casualty Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6z38pfp (corporateBody)

Pennsylvania Committee for State Constitutional Revision.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pk76bh (corporateBody)

Temple University

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60s3d19 (corporateBody)

In 1961, Temple University awarded Carl Zigrosser an honorary Doctorate of Letters. From the description of Correspondence with Carl Zigrosser, 1961. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155899492 ...

Philadelphia Record (Philadelphia, Pa.).

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wq6tsn (corporateBody)

Vare, William S., 1867-1934.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62g18j4 (person)

Annenberg, Moses Louis, 1878-1942

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c57szp (person)

Greenfield, Edna Kraus.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61567m3 (person)

WFIL (Radio station : Philadelphia, Pa.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c02wz9 (corporateBody)

Kentucky Home Life Insurance Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c891d6 (corporateBody)

Greenfield, Albert M., 1887-1967

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65h7dnp (person)

Albert M. Greenfield was a real estate broker, banker, and philanthropist of Philadelphia. He had many business interests among which were: Albert M. Greenfield & Co. (real estate), Bankers Securities Corporation, City Stores Co. (a chain of department stores), Bankers Bond & Mortgage Co., the Philadelphia Transportation Co., and its predecessor, the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company. Politically, Greenfield provided financial and other support to candidates for...

Philadelphia Business Fund.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v7682g (corporateBody)

Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64f758v (corporateBody)

The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia was formed by the 1915 merger of the Trades League of Philadelphia and the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, and followed by the 1942 merger with the Philadelphia Board of Trade. The Chamber of Commerce is an independent organization for the promotion and improvement of local commerce, business, and manufacturing interests. From the description of Records, 1891-1968. (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 12258...

City Stores Company

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67m5q4k (corporateBody)

Pennsylvania Constitutional Commemoration Committee, 1938.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ht9ctg (corporateBody)

Philadelphia City Planning Commission

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j71bb6 (corporateBody)

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission is a municipal agency established in 1929. During the period of this collection the Commission was composed of twelve mayoral appointees, two members of City Council, and one of the Commissioners of Fairmount Park. The duties of the Commission were to make recommendations to City Council concerning proposed changes in the city plan or any new public facilities. Its reports, correspondence, plans, minutes, and scrapbooks from 1929 to the present are found...

Bonwit Teller & Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63c2q2w (corporateBody)

Stern, J. David

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63r50sj (person)

Democratic National Convention 1948 Philadelphia, Pa.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fr4n52 (corporateBody)

Committee for the Nation

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6285fz1 (corporateBody)

Organized in 1932 as the Committee for the Nation to Rebuild Prices and Purchasing Power by businessmen with the cooperation of organized agriculture to study and influence U.S. monetary policy. From the description of [Committee for the Nation publications]. [1933-1937] (Harvard Business School). WorldCat record id: 298213467 ...