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The papers of Colin Dawkins, a former Vice President of the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising agency, span the years 1776 to 1986 with the bulk of the papers being dated between 1920 and 1981. The collection consists of Dawkins's research files, gathered for a proposed book on the history of the advertising business as it paralleled and was influenced by the growth and international development of JWT. These files contain correspondence, printed materials (including JWT newsletters), articles, clippings, speeches, writings, advertisements, reports, oral interview transcripts and cassette tapes. Clients represented in this collection include primarily the Ford Motor Company but also Kraft, Chesebrough-Ponds, Pan American, and Lever Brothers, and JWT executives represented include James Walter Thompson, Stanley Resor, Howard Kohl, Sam Meek, Helen Lansdowne Resor, Edward G. Wilson, Shirley Woodell, James Webb Young, and Dan Seymour. Much of the collection duplicates material found elsewhere in the extensive J. Walter Thompson Company Archives and many items are photocopies; however, the collection does contain unique material specifically in the Oral Interview Series and items thoughout the collection which Colin Dawkins collected.

The diaries of William James Carlton span the years 1862 to 1877; the biography dates to about 1964. There are transcripts of the diaries and a draft manuscript of a biography, A Portrait of William James Carlton, 1838-1902, by Frankie McKee Robins. The transcripts are slightly annotated. For the years from 1862 to November 1864 the diaries chronicle William James Carlton's participation in the United States Civil War. From 1864 to 1877, the diaries primarily describe family events and church-related activities. A December 1873 entry indicates that no diaries were kept for the years 1865 to 1872. The bulk of the biography describes the years from 1861 to 1862.

The papers of Howard Henderson, a J. Walter Thompson Co. advertising executive, span the years 1867 to 1978, although the bulk of the material dates from 1954 to 1960. The collection documents the history of the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT). In particular it illustrates changes in the company's advertising philosophy through 1960; JWT's marketing strategies (especially the use of new findings in the fields of psychology, sociology, and anthropology); historical company and client relationships; structural relations and internal policies; analyses of advertising media; the company's adaptation to the changed business situation during World War II; and the career of Henderson and his deep personal involvement with clients, colleagues, and contacts outside of advertising. The material consists of correspondence, office files, memoranda, notes, account histories, advertisements, reports, charts, scripts, clippings, and printed materials. Clients represented include Andrew Jergens, Chesebrough-Pond's (1930s and 1940s especially), Eastman Kodak International, General Cigar, U.S. Playing Card Company (1930s and 1940s especially), NATO, Union Central Life Insurance, Arbuckle, U.S. Brewers Foundation, and Standard Brands (Fleischmann Yeast).

The Sidney Ralph Bernstein Company History Files span the years 1873 to 1964, but the bulk of the material dates from 1963 to 1964. The collection consists primarily of research files containing transcripts of interviews; notes and excerpts copied from publications, facsimile copies, correspondence, and printed material; correspondence and memoranda; manuscripts; speeches; indexes; clippings; lists; and chronologies. The files were created by Sidney Ralph Bernstein and Marianne Keating, his research assistant, for a commemorative history of the J. Walter Thompson Company at the time of its centennial anniversary. The history was not published. The collection documents the history of J. Walter Thompson Company, especially through personal reminiscences, recollections, and evaluations of the company by its executives and other employees; advertising executives; women in the advertising industry; and J. Walter Thompson, founder of the company.

The Information Center Records span the years from the 1890s to 1987 with the bulk dating from the 1940s to 1987. Reports, memoranda, clippings, financial papers, and printed materials that relate to specific J. Walter Thompson Company accounts and offices and to advertising strategies comprise the majority of the collection and are found in the Vertical Files Series and Communications Committee Reports Series. The Information Center Records provide information about a wide variety of J. Walter Thompson accounts, specific details about its operation of domestic and international offices, and an in-depth view of how specific products were evaluated and promoted. The history of the J. Walter Thompson Company, the organization of multinational advertising agencies, and advertising research and marketing are also represented in this collection.

This collection (94-110) (27,000 items, 50 linear feet, dated 1908-1989) consists mostly of vertical files, including office newsletters, speeches and writings, publications, training and planning documents from Chicago and other JWT offices. There are also 78 reels of microfilm of Chicago office ads prior to 1970, as well as significant collections of proof files especially pertaining to major clients like Kraft, Quaker Oats, and Schlitz. In addition, the collection holds several hundred "Aber Reports" dating between 1950-1971, which were market research summations of various product categories. A container list for this accession follows below.

The papers of Wallace W. Elton span the years 1909 to 1990, although the bulk of the material dates from the 1940s to the 1960s. They consist of correspondence, memoranda, financial records, advertisements, military records, reports, photographs, drawings and other artwork, diaries, scrapbooks, memorabilia, printed material, and clippings. The collection documents the career of Elton; advertising history, especially agency management and the role of the creative director; and the automobile industry, especially advertising campaigns. Clients of the J. Walter Thompson Company represented in the collection include Chesebrough-Pond's, Ford Motor Company, and Pan American World Airways.

The Samuel W. Meek Papers span the years from 1917-1980, although the bulk of the material dates from 1945-1962 and a few items are undated. Samuel Meek served as Vice President in Charge of International Operations of the J. Walter Thompson Company from 1930 to 1964. Working out of the New York office as the head of the International Department, Meek established offices around the world, provided continuing support and advice to the heads of these international offices, made policy decisions related to international operations, and served as a consultant to a number of U.S. government and private agencies concerned with international relations and commerce. The Series arrangement created by the J. Walter Thompson archivist reflects Meek's activities and has been retained. Several categories of material are included: correspondence, market surveys and research reports, letters, official documents (such as the records of Meek's military service), and the transcripts of talks.

The papers of Lucile Turnbach Platt, former employee of the J. Walter Thompson Company's Personality Department, span the years 1926 to 1930; some Items are undated. The materials primarily document the creation of a testimonial advertising campaign for Simmons beds and boxsprings, and Beautyrest mattresses. The papers illustrate the selection of spokespersons, photographing of them and their home interiors, travel arrangements, delivery and removal of beds, and payment for their services. The materials chiefly consist of office memoranda and other correspondence among Platt, other JWT staff and product spokespersons. The collection also includes photographs and negatives, a few samples of advertisements, lists of women approached to participate, unsigned copies of contracts, and drafts of testimonials. Most of the files relate to soliciting very prominent American and foreign women to endorse Simmons products, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Mrs. Charles Crocker, Mrs. John Sargent Pillsbury, Mrs. Perry Tiffany, Mrs. Robert T. Vanderbilt, and Mrs. John W. Wanamaker III, among many others. Endorsers were paid between $1,000 and $5,000 for permission to use their names, photographs, and testimonials. Photographs of bedrooms were shot on location in the women's homes. The materials are arranged with miscellaneous Simmon's account files first, alphabetically by title, then files are arranged alphabetically by the spokesperson's name.

The James Webb Young Papers chiefly consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, and publications and span the years 1927-1984. These materials provide insights into Young's career as well as the operational aspects of the J. Walter Thompson Company, especially the early development of their international branch offices.

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.

Collection includes correspondence, reports, scripts, tear sheets and other printed materials; drawings, sketches, cartoons, paintings, storyboards and packaging designs; and audiovisual materials (phonograph records, videocassettes, audio tapes). Companies represented include Burger King, Champion, Eaton, Faygo, Foote Cone & Belding, Ford, Hawaii Express, Kawasaki, Liggett & Myers, Mazda, Monroe, Oscar Mayer, Parker Pen, Playboy, and Seven-Up. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.

The J. Walter Thompson Company World War II Advertising Collection documents the war-related activities of the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) advertising agency during 1940-1948, including a few post-war assessments. In particular, it shows JWT’s contributions to the war effort by its in-house documentation and work on government, civilian, and war-supporting charitable organization accounts. Materials include lists, memos, press releases, correspondence, notes, and advertisement tearsheets and proofs. Many of the materials in this collection are products of campaigns conducted under the auspices of the War Advertising Council, as well as those sponsored by civilian clients. These advertisements and pamphlets supported food rationing, fuel and rubber conservation, the purchase of War Bonds, the United Services Organization (USO), military recruitment, and women's employment in war-related jobs. Other advertisements arose from JWT's work in 1941 and 1942 for the Navy Relief Society. Items produced by the JWT London Office supported British War Relief (Ministry of Food, 1940-1941) and the Food Facts series (recipes and cooking tips for foods available despite rationing).

The papers of Shirley F. Woodell span the years 1943 to 1958. They consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, maps, notes, itineraries, and a photograph album. The collection documents the operations of the J. Walter Thompson Company in Mexico, the Caribbean area, and Latin America, primarily through correspondence and reports written by Woodell during and immediately after his business trips. The bulk of the collection consists of Woodell's accounts of his field trips written, often daily, to J. Walter Thompson Company executives and staff. There is also correspondence to representatives of some of the company's clients. The collection documents the process of marketing a wide variety of American products, from cosmetics to automotive parts, in an international market. Local uses of products and the ways in which competitive products affected the markets for clients' products were also described because local economic and cultural factors affected decisions about advertising and distribution.

Collection consists of subject files on a wide range of marketing topics used as reference by J. Walter Thompson Company staff. These topics range from financial information, legal perspectives, employment trends, awards, particular individuals in the industry, media, packaging, trademarks and research; all materials which further reflect the background work and research carried out by J. Walter Thompson Company in the usual course of business. Formats included are primarily newspaper clippings, articles, and pamphlets. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.

The Review Board Records, J. Walter Thompson Company's New York Office's primary mechanism for controlling the quality of its services, span the years 1947 and 1953-1976 (bulk 1956-1974). Senior-level creative, account, and management personnel composed the Review Board. It provided guidance to account teams, which were assigned to manage advertising for particular clients, and ensured that client campaigns reflected the cumulative wisdom of the Company's most experienced employees. Frequent changes in the Review Board system make a brief description of its operations impossible, but generally, five to eight creative, account, and management personnel comprised a Review Board for each advertising account. Clients' different brands might have a separate Review Board for each product. Individual Review Board members usually had responsibility for a dozen or more accounts. The procedures called for meetings at least once a year and every time account representatives considered a major campaign. The records consist of meeting minutes, correspondence, memoranda, and reports. Clients represented include Lever Brothers, Liggett and Myers, Scott Paper Company, Warner-Lambert, Standard Brands, Ford Motor Company, Chesebrough-Ponds, Eastman Kodak and a number of others.

Collection contains miscellaneous files from the Detroit office; tearsheets, client and competitive advertising. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising and Marketing History.

The Advertising Vertical File contains subject files on a wide range of advertising topics, and is primarily comprised of news clippings, articles, and pamphlets. Topics range from financial information, legal aspects of marketing, employment trends, awards, information on individuals in the industry, media, packaging, trademarks, and marketing research. The file was created and maintained as an internal reference file by the Information Center in JWT's New York Office. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.

Correspondence, memos, reports, speeches, and printed items relating to Stridsberg's career at the J. Walter Thompson Company. Documentation includes reports and pamphlets that address television advertising to men and children, brand advertising, public service campaigns, the role of research in advertising, tobacco marketing, JWT's international offices and clients. Also included are texts of speeches by Rena Bartos and other JWT officers, and Stridsberg's reminiscences of his years at J. Walter Thompson Company in the 1960s and 1970s, especially regarding Ralph Nader and the Ford Motor Company as well as international cigarette marketing. The printed material includes issues of a serial, Motivations (1956-1957), and other bulletins published by Ernest Dichter's Institute for Motivational Research. Audiovisual materials include radio compilation cassettes produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau and other entities; 16mm films Coca-Cola campaigns by McCann-Erickson agency (undated) and a 1976 reel from Dancer Fitzgerald Sample. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.

The J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Devine Papers span the years from 1952 to 1974 but primarily contain files from 1956 to 1970 documenting Devine's activities first as administrator of the Radio/Television Department (1954 to 1960) and then as a corporate executive in the New York office (1960 to 1970). As a whole, the collection provides a glimpse into media advertising operations during the period of transition from radio to television as the dominant medium for product-sponsored advertising and programming. In particular, the papers reveal Devine as an adept financial manager on the corporate level. As Department administrator, Devine was responsible for the development of television programming for specific clients, including Eastman Kodak Company (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Screen Directors Playhouse, and The Ed Sullivan Show), Ford Motor Company (Ford Theatre, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Suspicion), Kraft Foods Company (Kraft Television Theatre), and Lever Brothers Company (The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney and Lux Video Theatre), among others. Correspondence, memoranda, and reports indicate the rapid acceptance of television as the primary advertising medium and the concurrent development of specialized departments within JWT to serve the expanding needs of clients. The importance of market research to define product consumption patterns and to refine client advertising promotions is illustrated in research requests, correspondence, memoranda, and reports. The inception and growth of organized labor groups, including the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA), American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and Writers Guild of America (WGA), are also delineated in correspondence, memoranda, and reports. In addition to his employment at JWT, Devine was an advertising industry representative to negotiations between television networks and organized labor groups during the period from 1956 to 1960.

The Edgar Hatcher Papers, 1952-1992, document Hatcher's career as a copywriter and creative director for several major advertising agencies, including G.M. Basford Co.; Benton and Bowles; Ogilvy, Benson, and Mather; Kenyon and Eckhardt; Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn's San Francisco office; McCann-Erickson; and J. Walter Thompson Company. The collection provides an overview into oil company advertising and the development of advertising in several firms from the 1950s through the early 1990s. Materials include reports, correspondence, memoranda, scripts, storyboards, collateral literature, notes, photographs, audio and video tapes, films, and cassette recordings which document the creative development of print, radio and television advertising for various clients. Clients represented include General Electric, Air Reduction Co., Chemical Manufacturer's Association, IBM, Shell Oil, Maxim Freeze Dried Coffee, Ford and Lincoln Mercury, Chevron Oil, Exxon/Esso, Campbell's Soup, Advertising Council, National Council on Productivity and Quality of Working Life, Savings and Loan Foundation, Eastman Kodak, and Beechcraft.

The papers of Sidney A. Olson date to 1957. They consist of reports and artwork created during a trip to identify production locations in Asia and the Middle East for the Ford Motor Company television campaign, " Proved and Approved Around the World." The reports describe highlights of the areas visited and include observations of local political and social conditions.

The papers of Wilfried Henkel, former managing director (Geschäftsführer) at the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT), Frankfurt office, span the years 1957 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1975 to 1984. The collection consists of articles and presentations (typed or offprints) accompanied by charts and graphs, typed and handwritten correspondence, external and internal memoranda, as well as press clippings and other printed material, and documents Henkel's activities during his tenure at the Frankfurt office, where he was considered the "chief ideologist." Throughout his time in Frankfurt, Henkel worked on individual accounts, but more importantly he was one of the early proponents of corporate advertising, especially in the form of corporate identity and corporate communications. In addition, he worked extensively on JWT's corporate strategy, the T-Plan (target plan).

The Papers of Granger Tripp span the years 1958-1984. They chiefly consist of presentations and speeches, but also include correspondence, memoranda, publications, and clippings, as well as a manuscript score for the Kodak song "The Times of Your Life," photographs, and audiovisual material.