Vergil D. Reed and Lubertus Smilde papers, 1944-1960.

ArchivalResource

J. Walter Thompson Company. Vergil D. Reed and Lubertus Smilde papers, 1944-1960.

Vergil D. Reed and Lubertus Smilde papers, 1944-1960.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/67838459

Vergil Reed was director of the U.S Bureau of the Census (1940s), Director of Research and an economist with J. Walter Thompson Company (1940s-1950s), as well as a professor of marketing and foreign trade at Michigan State, Columbia and Boston Universities. Lubertus Smilde was Reed's colleague and successor in the Market Research Department at JWT. Collection includes correspondence, memoranda, office files, client files, reports, speeches, and newspaper clippings, as well as some advertisements. The material forms the body of extant records for Reed's work as Director of Research for JWT; however, a substantial portion of the collection originated in the office of Reed's colleague and successor, Lubertus Smilde. Topics include analysis of population trends and their influence on various markets; views of the private enterprise system; how research findings might be applicable to JWT clients; and work on JWT's World Markets series. Correspondents include Arno Johnson, Samuel Meek, and Norman Strouse. The papers depict Reed, as well as Smilde, as a trained economist leading JWT's Research Department. In a letter to Stanley Resor, written on October 11, 1945 by Paul H. Nystrom, a professor at Columbia University's School of Business, Reed's strength as an economist is mentioned (in the Correspondence Series). Nystrom suggests Reed's role at JWT, recommending to Resor that Reed continue the study of population trends and to apply their meaning to business. This is reflected in materials in the collection, which contains a numerous documents showing the analysis of population trends and the illustration of their influence to the various markets, especially those of the foreign nations. The information was compiled by Reed and later by Smilde and was distributed to the JWT personnel and clients. In a memorandum written by Reed on May 1, 1958 to Robert Berry, for example, Reed provides facts on population trends and his interpretations of them to be included in Norman Strouse's speech (in the New York Office folder in the JWT Office Series). The papers also include market analysis compiled by other JWT offices. For instance, the JWT Office Series contains a report prepared by the Tokyo Office on Japanese dairy product market. Many materials throughout the collection include reference to the World Markets Books, a series prepared and published by JWT. The papers, especially those in the folder titled World Markets Books (1958) in the Subject Files Series, indicate that Reed had an important role for the project. The Series did not see the completion at the time of Reed's retirement. In a letter written to Howard Kohl on April 16, 1958, Reed suggests Smilde to be his successor (in the Correspondence Series). Subsequently, the Smilde papers, dated mostly from 1960, frequently mentions the World Markets books.

1000 items 1.3 lin. ft.

Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library