J. Walter Thompson Company. Treasurer's Office records, 1929-1952

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Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke...
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Summary

Creator:
J. Walter Thompson Company
Extent:
4 Linear Feet
circa 3,000 Items
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00755

Background

Scope and content:

Treasurer's Office Records span the years from 1928-1952, although the bulk of the material dates from 1928 to the 1940s. The collection documents the financial operations of JWT offices around the world and to a lesser extent in the United States. The materials consist of correspondence, financial records, and legal documents relating to the activities of JWT's Treasurer's Office. Correspondents include Earle Clark (Treasurer, 1921-39), Donald C. Foote, (Assistant Treasurer in charge of accounting and budgeting in JWT's international operations, 1937-52), Luther O. Lemon (Assistant Treasurer and Comptroller, 1937-46; Treasurer, 1946-57), and Sam Meek (Vice President in charge of International Operations 1930-64); senior staff members in domestic and international offices; JWT's legal counsel; and representatives from numerous financial institutions. Multinational clients represented in the International Offices Series are the Eastman Kodak Company, the Kellogg Company, the Gillette Company, RCA, and Reader's Digest. International offices well-documented include those in Antwerp, Berlin, Bombay, Bucharest, London, and Mexico City. Records for many of JWT's offices are not included in the Treasurer's Office Records, which indicates that the files in their present form may be incomplete.

The Domestic Offices Series focuses particularly on the New York, Detroit, and San Francisco offices. In addition to documenting routine matters relating to budgets, billing, and salaries, the records include material relating to the regulation of testimonial advertising by the Federal Trade Commission in 1929-1930.

The International Offices Series documents the complex relationship between the New York office and the several foreign offices of the company, especially offices in Antwerp, Berlin, Bombay, Bucharest, London, and Mexico City. A primary focus of the series is the legal and financial difficulties JWT faced as it attempted to expand abroad during a time of rising nationalism in many of the countries in which the company had offices. The impact of World War II on JWT especially the Bombay and Paris offices is documented, as well as the impact of the 1947 partition of India on JWT operations in India. The files also document JWT's efforts in the 1930s to develop radio advertising in Mexico, Belgium, and England. The series is divided into the following subseries: JWT International Corporation, Antwerp Office, Berlin Office, Bombay Office, Bucharest Office, London Office, and Mexico City Office.

Acquisition information:
J. Walter Thompson Company. Treasurer's Office Records were transferred to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library from the J. Walter Thompson Company in 1987. Processing of this collection was supported in part by gifts from the J. Walter Thompson Company Fund and the John and Kelly Hartman Foundation.
Processing information:

Processed by: Dave Daily

Completed December 1994

Encoded by Katherine Rose

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in the J. Walter Thompson Company. Treasurer's Office Records have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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