Ms Coll/SPC
Society for the Prevention of Crime
Records, 1878-1973
31 linear ft. (66 boxes & 8 oversize volumes and folders)
History: The Society for the Prevention of Crime was founded in 1877 in New York City. It has worked,
successively for the promotion of temperance for judicial and legislative reform and for public and
legal education. During its most active periods the Society brought about the formation of the
Lexow Committee to investigate the New York City Police in 1894 contributed to the Albany Crime
Commission during the 1930s and broadcast popular radio programs on criminal behavior 19461948. In 1948 the Society absorbed the Vocational Foundation Bureau a job placement agency for
parolees. Since 1956 the Society's only activity has been its annual grant to Columbia Law School
for research in penology.
Summary: Papers of the Society, including correspondence among the officers and directors of the
Society, memoranda, reports, legal papers, minutes, financial records, radio scripts, clippings,
scrapbooks, comic books, and a subject file of pamphlets and clippings on all aspects of crime
prevention. Also, an extensive history of the Society.
Finding Aids: Contents list, 21 pages
Restrictions on Access: Available for faculty, students, and researchers engaged in scholarly or
publication projects.
Restrictions on Use: Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Librarian for
Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Provenance: Gift of the Society, 1980
Processing History: Processed by Henry Rowen, September 1980
Microfilm Information: No material on microfilm
Physical Location: In sequence
RLIN ID: NYCR89-A828
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 2
ORGANIZATION OF THE RECORDS
PAGE:
CATALOGED CORRESPONDENCE
3
GENERAL FILES
6
ADMINISTRATION
6
ESSAY CONTEST
8
FINANCIAL
8
PARKHURST, C. H. 1824-1933
8
PUBLICITY
9
RADIO PROGRAMS
9
SCRAPBOOKS
10
SUBJECTS
10
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
19
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 3
CATALOGED CORRESPONDENCE
Box
1
Allen, Frederick Lewis
Box
1
Baldwin, Roger Nash
Box
1
Battle, George Gordon
Box
1
Belmont, Eleanor Robson
Box
1
Bernays, Edward L.
Box
1
Biddle, Francis
Box
1
Blanshard, Paul
Box
1
Bliss, Cornelius Newton, Jr.
Box
1
Braden, Spruille
Box
1
Burlingham, Charles Culp
Box
1
Caniff, Milton
Box
1
Canner, Carl Lamson
Box
1
Choate, Joseph Hodges, Jr.
Box
1
Cortelyou, George Bruce
Box
1
Crowther, Bosley
Box
1
Damrosch, Walter
Box
1
Davis, Noah
Box
1
Dewey, Thomas Edward
Box
1
du Pont, Pierre Samuel
Box
1
Ellin, Stanley
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 4
Box
1
Farrar, John Chipman
Box
1
Field, Marshall
Box
1
Finley, John Huston
Box
1
Flagler, Harry Harkness
Box
1
Fosdick, Harry Emerson
Box
1
Harlan, John
Box
1
Hogan, Frank Smithwick
Box
1
Holmes, John Haynes
Box
1
Holt, Hamilton
Box
1
Hoover, John Edgar
Box
1
Howe, Louis McHenry
Box
1
Impellitteri, Vincent H.
Box
1
Isaacs, Stanley Myer
Box
1
Jerome, William Travers
Box
1
Johnson, Alvin Saunders
Box
1
Kinsey, Alfred Charles
Box
1
Kirchwey, George Washington
Box
1
La Guardia, Fiorello Henry
Box
1
Lehman, Herbert Henry
Box
1
Lewisohn, Sam A.
Box
1
Lexow, Clarence
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 5
Box
1
Lukas, Paul
Box
1
McAneny, George
Box
1
McCall, Edward Everett
Box
1
McCay, Winsor Zenic
Box
1
Mannes, Marya
Box
1
Manning, William Thomas
Box
1
Markel, Lester
Box
1
Marshall, Margaret
Box
1
Morgenthau, Henry
Box
1
Moses, Robert
Box
1
Odell, Benjamin Barker
Box
1
Parkhurst, Charles Henry
Box
1
Parsons, Herbert
Box
1
Prendergast, William A.
Box
1
Pulitzer, Ralph
Box
1
Riis, Jacob August
Box
1
Rockefeller, John Davison, 3d.
Box
1
Rustin, Bayard
Box
1
Schieffelin, William Jay
Box
1
Schwab, Charles M.
Box
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 6
1
Shulman, Irving
Box
1
Slicer, Thomas Roberts
Box
1
Smith, Alfred Emanuel
Box
1
Straus, Nathan
Box
1
Sulzberger, Arthur Hays
Box
1
Van Doren, Irita Bradford
Box
1
Wald, Lillian D.
Box
1
White, Horace
GENERAL FILES
Box
2-5
Letters to Frank Moss, 1890-1902
Correspondence between Samuel Marcus and Howard Clark Barker, and others,
1913-1920
Correspondence of Howard M. Bassett, George Drew Egbert, George F.
Hammond, Henry N. Pringle, Samuel Marcus, Harry Sussman and others;
reports, clippings, etc., 1923-1940
Correspondence of Paul Bianshard, Benjamin M. Day, Edwin J. Lukas, and
others; reports, press releases, etc., 1941-1950
Box
6-9
File of Bernhard K. Schaefer: correspondence, reports, accounts, etc. (including
the Vocational Foundation Bureau and "A history of the Society for the
Prevention of Crime." [1969] by Paul W. Rishell & Albert E. Roraback, 113
ADMINISTRATION
Box
10
Annual reports
1920-1949
Box
10
Board of Directors; Board of Trustees. Correspondence
1937-1953
Box
11
Certificate of incorporation - typescript copies
Box
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 7
11
Committees
1946-1951
Box
11
Constitution and by-laws
1923-1942
Box
11
Dexter bequest - correspondence
1914-1936
Note: Henry Dexter, 1813-1910, philanthropist and President of the American
News Company, made a bequest to the Society in his will which was contested
on behalf of his daughter - legal papers, 1910-1936
Box
12
Dexter bequest - printed legal briefs and other documents
1910--1936
Box
12
Executive Committee
1945-1951
Box
12
Expansion plans
1941-1949
Box
13
Minutes
1909-1934
Box
14
Minutes
1924-1952
Box
15
Minutes
1942-1952
Box
16
Minutes
--The City Vigilance League of New York
--Board of Trustees
--Executive Committee
--General Committee
1895-1898
Box
17
Plan and Scope Committee
1933-1941
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 8
Box
17
Staff applications
1937-1950
Oversize no. 6
Whitney, David J.
Memorial Volume
1892
ESSAY CONTEST
Box
17
"The best program of practicable steps to reduce law-breaking in New York City"
1926
FINANCIAL
Box
18
Account books
1877-1946
Box
Oversize no. 2
Account book
1935-1941
Box
19
Account book, 193l-19
Accounts, 1922-1935
Auditor's reports, 1912-1954
Box
20
Banks, 1941-1954
Budget, 1951
Insurance record, 1935-1939
Investment Committee, 1925-1953
--Green, Ellis & Anderson, 1936-1945
--J. & W. Seligman & Co., 1943-1953
Receipts, 1938-1940
S.P.C.. Holding Company, 1905-1953
Stock certificates (blank book), 1932
Taxes, 1936-1955
Treasurer's reports, 1946-1954
Misc., l928-1944
PARKHURST, C. H. 1824-1933
Pastor of the Madison Square Presbyterian Church, was President of the Society from 1891 to
1908 and a leader in the reform movement in New York City politics. A memorial to him was
proposed for Madison Square but was never built
Box
21
Parkhurst Testimonial
1894
Box
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 9
21
Parkhurst Luncheon
1922
Box
21
Parkhurst Memorial - correspondence, reports, clippings, photos, etc.
1928-1936
Box
22
Parkhurst Memorial - correspondence, etc.
1935-1941
Box
22
The New Yorker articles on Parkhurst
1955
PUBLICITY
Box
22
Fund raising
1940-1951
Box
22
Projects
1945-1949
Box
22
Radio promotions
1948-1950
Box
22
Releases
l943-1949
RADIO PROGRAMS
Box
23
Crime--causes and prevention
12 September 1946
Box
23
Criminal casebook
1948
Box
23
American Broadcasting Company
1945-1949
Box
23
Convict releases
1945-1949
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 10
Box
23
Critical comments
1945-1949
Box
24
Criminal casebook
--Prospects
--Publicity
--Requests for aid
--Scripts 1-10 & 13
--Sources - criminal & psychiatrist
1948
Box
25
I was a convict
--Correspondence with convicts, releases, case histories, scripts, etc.; A - G
1945-1949
Box
26
I was a convict: Correspondence, etc.: H
Box
27
I was a convict:
--Correspondence, etc.: P - W
--Maxwell, Robert, Associates (Producer)
--Miscellaneous
--Publicity
--Receipts
--Scripts, Jan. - March 1946 & [n.d.]
Box
28
I was a convict
--Scripts: April 1946 - June 1947
--Sponsors
SCRAPBOOKS
Oversize no. 3
Compiled by Edwin Jay Lukas
1888-1948
Oversize no. 4
Compiled by Edwin Jay Lukas
1941-1947
Oversize no. 5
Compiled by Edwin Jay Lukas
1947-1950
SUBJECTS
Box
29
Acceptance of offenders by the armed forces
1940-1942
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 11
Box
29
Adolescent girls
1939-1947
Box
29
Adolescent treatment clinic
1941-1948
Box
29
Alcoholism
1938-1950
Box
29
Alien enemy material
1941-1942
Box
29
Armed forces. See: Acceptance of offenders by the armed forces
Box
29
Armed services criminality
1944-1946
Box
30
Albany Crime Conference
1931-1938
Box
31
Behavior problems & children's institutions
1946-1950
Box
31
Bail
1941
Box
31
Bibliographies
1944-1951
Box
31
Brownsville Boys Club
1943-1949
Box
32
Capital punishment. See: Murderers & capital punishment Cartoons
Oversize no. 7
Cartoons
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 12
Box
32
Cases; A - R
1896-1951
Box
33
Cases: S - Y & misc.
1932-1950
Box
34
Child adoption legislation
1939-1951
Box
35
Child labor
1942-1949
Box
35
Children. See: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Box
35
Children. See; War & children
Box
35
Children's Court
1938-1949
Box
35
Children's institutions. See: Behavior problems & children's Inst.
Box
35
Civil Service
1941-1944
Box
35
Civil rights
1949
Box
35
Civil rights. See also: Race
Box
35
Comic books. See: Motion pictures, magazines
Box
35
Correction & penal institutions (1)
1932-1945
Box
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 13
36
Correction & penal institutions (2)
1946-1950
Box
36
Court interpretations. See: Legislation & court interpretations
Box
36
Courts
1941-1951
Box
36
Courts. See: Children's Court
Box
36
Courts. See: Youth Court
Box
36
Courts; Brooklyn County Clerk's Office - annual report (County Court)
1940
Box
37
Crime & delinquency
1932-1951
Box
37
Crime & delinquency: other countries
1933-l949
Box
37
Crime causation. See: Popular concepts of crime causation
Box
37
Crime statistics. See; Delinquency & crime statistics
Box
37
Criminology
1934-1949
Box
37
Delinquency. See; Crime & delinquency
Box
37
Delinquency & crime statistics
l939-l946
Box
39
Delinquency & crime statistics (2)
1947-1951
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 14
Box
40
Delinquency, unofficial (non-statistical)
1943
Box
40
Detention
l939-1950
Box
41
Detention facilities (1)
1938-1946
Box
42
Detention facilities (2)
1947-1951
Box
42
Drugs
1936-1939
Box
42
Education (1)
1938-1944
Box
43
Education (2)
1945-1950
Box
44
Egbert, George Drew
Sermons
1935-1936
Note: G.D. Egbert was President of the Society from 1933 to 1940 and Pastor of
the First Congregational Church, Flushing, NY
Box
44
Foster home care
1946-1949
Box
44
Foundations
1943
Box
44
Gambling (1)
1906-1934
Box
45
Gambling (2)
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 15
1935-1955
Box
45
Gang activities
1943-1951
Box
46
Government
1931-1939
Box
46
Guidance clinics
1949
Box
47
Health
1943-1949
Box
47
Housing
1937-1950
Box
48
Legislation & court interpretations
1941-1951
Box
49
Lexow Committee: Minutes, Vol. 2 & Vol. 1
-- "Investigations of the Police Department and other departments of the
City of New York by a committee of the Senate; 1894; Vol. II; Frank
Moss of Counsel for Committee"
-- "Lexow Committee's original minutes; Vol. IV; 1894"
Box
50
Marriage and divorce
1947-1950
Box
50
Mental deficiency
1938-1950
Box
50
Miscellaneous
1901-1950
Box
50
Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics in relation to delinquency
(includes many comic books)
1938-1948
Box
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 16
51
Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics (2)
1947 & 1948
Box
52
Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics (3)
(includes the censorship trial of The Amboy Dukes by Irving Shuinan)
1949-1950
Box
52
Murderers & capital punishment
1939-1949
Box
52
Narcotics
1938-1951
Box
52
New York City. Juvenile Aid Bureau. See: "Politics and children"
Box
52
New York State. See: Albany Crime Conference
Box
52
New York State. Legislature. Senate. Committee on the Police Department of the
City of New York. See: Lexow Committee
Box
52
Pari-mutual legislation
l938-1940
Box
52
Parole. See: Probation & parole
Box
52
Parolees. See: Problems of prisoners & parolees
Box
52
Penal institutions. See: Correction & penal institutions
Box
52
Planned parenthood
1941-1946
Box
53
Police
1945-1951
Box
53
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 17
Police. See also: Lexow Committee "Police and children"
-a study of New York City's Juvenile Aid Bureau
1949
Box
53
Popular concepts of crime causation
1946-1949
Box
53
Population statistics
1939-1948
Box
53
Post war planning
1942-1951
Box
54
Preventive measures
1942-1951
Box
55
Probation & parole
1936-1951
Box
55
Problems of prisoners & parolees
1942-1949
Box
56
Prostitution
1923-1951
Box
57
Psychiatric cases & notes (1)
1928-1945
Box
58
Psychiatric cases & notes (2)
1946-1950
Box
59
Race discrimination amendment
1944-1950
Box
59
Race prejudice (l)
1941-1947
Box
60
Race prejudice (2)
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 18
1948-1950
Box
60
Race prejudice. See also: Civil rights
Box
60
Rackets
1933
Box
60
Radio
1944-1948
Box
60
Radio. See also: Motion pictures, magazines, radio
Box
61
Recreation & nursery care
1940-1949
Box
61
Religion
1940-1949
Box
61
Sex education
1943-1949
Box
61
Sex offenders (1)
1935-1946
Box
62
Sex offenders (2)
l947-1950
Box
62
Shulman, Irving
The Amboy Dukes See: Motion pictures
Box
62
Social action
1941-1950
Box
62
Social work (1)
1935-1947
Box
63
Social work (2)
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 19
1948-1949
Box
63
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
1900-1942
Box
63
Treatment programs
1939-1951
Box
63
Venereal disease
l939-l948
Box
64
Vocational education
1935-1948
Box
64
War & children
1942-1944
Box
64
War criminals
1942-1949
Box
64
Welfare societies
1937 & 1938
Box
64
Youth
1940-1949
Box
65
Youth correction authority
1940-1949
Box
65
Youth Court (1)
1919-1941
Box
66
Youth Court (2)
1942-1951
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Original order of the subject headings:
1. Crime & delinquency - general
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 20
2. Crime & delinquency - other countries
3. War criminals
4. Armed services criminality
5. Murderers & capital punishment
6. Gang activities
7. Adolescent girls
8. Prostitution
9. Sex deviates (sex offenders)
10. Alien enemy material
11. Gambling
12. War & children
12-A. Youth
12-B. Child labor
13. Unofficial delinquency
14. Narcotics
15. Alcoholism
16. Health
17. Venereal disease
18. Mental deficiency
19. Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics in relation to
delinquency
20. Race prejudice
21. Race discrimination amendment
22. Religion
23. Preventive measures
24. Treatment programs
25. Education
26. Sex education
27. Vocational education
28 Planned parenthood
29. Recreation & nursery care
30. Housing
31. Social work
32. Foster home care
33. Radio
34. Foundations
35. Post war planning
36. Youth correction authority
37. Courts
38. Youth Court
39. Children's Court
40.
41. Correctional & penal institutions
42. Detention
43. Detention facilities
44. Probation & parole
45. Problems of prisoners & parolees
46. Behavior problems & children's institutions
47. Bail
48. Criminology - general
49. Psychiatric cases & notes
50. Civil Service
51. Population statistics
52. Delinquency & crime statistics
53. Popular concepts of crime causation
54. Police
55. Social action
56. Civil rights
57. Marriage and divorce
58. Miscellaneous
59. Guidance clinics
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME 21
Some officers of the Society who appear in the correspondence:
Frank Moss [Counsel 1887-1908; President 1908-1909]
Charles Henry Parkhurst [President 1891-1908]
Samuel Marcus [Counsel 1908-1936]
Charles E. Bruce [President 1909-1921]
S. Edward Young [President 1921-1927]
Howard Clark Barber [Superintendent -1932; Director 1925-1932,
1936-1939]
William Jay Schieffelin [President 1927-1933]
Albert E. Roraback [Vice-President 1926-]
Howard M. Bassett
George P. Hammond [Superintendent 1932-1935]
George Drew Egbert [President 1933-1940]
Henry N. Pringle [Investigator; Superintendent]
Harry Sussman [Investigator]
Lionel J. Freeman [Superintendent 1935-1937]
J. Edward Lumbard [Counsel 1937-]
Benjamin M. Day [President 1940-1942]
Paul Blanshard [Ex Secretary 1941/1942]
George H. Sibley President 1942-1948]
Edwin Jay Lukas [Ex Secretary 1943-1950; Ex Director 1950]
Clarence O. Dimmock [Counsel 1943-]
Bernhard K. Schaefer [President 1948-]
K. Brent Woodruff [Ex Director, 1950/1951]