Society for the Prevention of Crime records, 1878-1973

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 10 series.

• Series I: Cataloged Correspondence
• Series II: General Files
• Series III: Administration
• Series IV: Essay Contest
• Series V: Financial
• Series VI: Parkhurst, C. H., 1892-1955
• Series VII: Publicity
• Series VIII: Radio Programs
• Series IX: Scrapbooks
• Series X: Subjects

Description

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.

• Series I: Cataloged Correspondence

• Series II: General Files

• Series III: Administration

• Series IV: Essay Contest

• Series V: Financial

• Series VI: Parkhurst, C. H., 1892-1955

• Series VII: Publicity

• Series VIII: Radio Programs

• Series IX: Scrapbooks

• Series X: Subjects

  Original order of the subject headings:-- 1. Crime & delinquency - general -- 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 defficiency -- 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 prisioners & 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 clinicsSome officers of the Societry 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-Presdident 1926-] -- Howard M. Bassett -- George P. Hammond [Superintendent 1932-1935] -- George Drew Egbert [President 1933-1940] -- Henry N. Pringle [Investihator; Superintentent] -- 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]

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Society for the Prevention of Crime records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Society for the Preveition of Crime. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1980. Accession number--M-80.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 09/--/89.

Revision Description

2010-03-11 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

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 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, 1946-1948. 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.