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 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.
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.
CATALOGED CORRESPONDENCE | |||
| 1 | Allen, Frederick Lewis | ||
| 1 | Baldwin, Roger Nash | ||
| 1 | Battle, George Gordon | ||
| 1 | Belmont, Eleanor Robson | ||
| 1 | Bernays, Edward L. | ||
| 1 | Biddle, Francis | ||
| 1 | Blanshard, Paul | ||
| 1 | Bliss, Cornelius Newton, Jr. | ||
| 1 | Braden, Spruille | ||
| 1 | Burlingham, Charles Culp | ||
| 1 | Caniff, Milton | ||
| 1 | Canner, Carl Lamson | ||
| 1 | Choate, Joseph Hodges, Jr. | ||
| 1 | Cortelyou, George Bruce | ||
| 1 | Crowther, Bosley | ||
| 1 | Damrosch, Walter | ||
| 1 | Davis, Noah | ||
| 1 | Dewey, Thomas Edward | ||
| 1 | du Pont, Pierre Samuel | ||
| 1 | Ellin, Stanley | ||
| 1 | Farrar, John Chipman | ||
| 1 | Field, Marshall | ||
| 1 | Finley, John Huston | ||
| 1 | Flagler, Harry Harkness | ||
| 1 | Fosdick, Harry Emerson | ||
| 1 | Harlan, John | ||
| 1 | Hogan, Frank Smithwick | ||
| 1 | Holmes, John Haynes | ||
| 1 | Holt, Hamilton | ||
| 1 | Hoover, John Edgar | ||
| 1 | Howe, Louis McHenry | ||
| 1 | Impellitteri, Vincent H. | ||
| 1 | Isaacs, Stanley Myer | ||
| 1 | Jerome, William Travers | ||
| 1 | Johnson, Alvin Saunders | ||
| 1 | Kinsey, Alfred Charles | ||
| 1 | Kirchwey, George Washington | ||
| 1 | La Guardia, Fiorello Henry | ||
| 1 | Lehman, Herbert Henry | ||
| 1 | Lewisohn, Sam A. | ||
| 1 | Lexow, Clarence | ||
| 1 | Lukas, Paul | ||
| 1 | McAneny, George | ||
| 1 | McCall, Edward Everett | ||
| 1 | McCay, Winsor Zenic | ||
| 1 | Mannes, Marya | ||
| 1 | Manning, William Thomas | ||
| 1 | Markel, Lester | ||
| 1 | Marshall, Margaret | ||
| 1 | Morgenthau, Henry | ||
| 1 | Moses, Robert | ||
| 1 | Odell, Benjamin Barker | ||
| 1 | Parkhurst, Charles Henry | ||
| 1 | Parsons, Herbert | ||
| 1 | Prendergast, William A. | ||
| 1 | Pulitzer, Ralph | ||
| 1 | Riis, Jacob August | ||
| 1 | Rockefeller, John Davison, 3d. | ||
| 1 | Rustin, Bayard | ||
| 1 | Schieffelin, William Jay | ||
| 1 | Schwab, Charles M. | ||
| 1 | Shulman, Irving | ||
| 1 | Slicer, Thomas Roberts | ||
| 1 | Smith, Alfred Emanuel | ||
| 1 | Straus, Nathan | ||
| 1 | Sulzberger, Arthur Hays | ||
| 1 | Van Doren, Irita Bradford | ||
| 1 | Wald, Lillian D. | ||
| 1 | White, Horace | ||
GENERAL FILES | |||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 10 | Annual reports 1920-1949 | ||
| 10 | Board of Directors; Board of Trustees. Correspondence 1937-1953 | ||
| 11 | Certificate of incorporation - typescript copies | ||
| 11 | Committees 1946-1951 | ||
| 11 | Constitution and by-laws 1923-1942 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 12 | Dexter bequest - printed legal briefs and other documents 1910--1936 | ||
| 12 | Executive Committee 1945-1951 | ||
| 12 | Expansion plans 1941-1949 | ||
| 13 | Minutes 1909-1934 | ||
| 14 | Minutes 1924-1952 | ||
| 15 | Minutes 1942-1952 | ||
| 16 | Minutes - The City Vigilance League of New York --Board of Trustees --Executive Committee --General Committee 1895-1898 | ||
| 17 | Plan and Scope Committee 1933-1941 | ||
| 17 | Staff applications 1937-1950 | ||
| Oversize no. 6 | Whitney, David J. Memorial Volume 1892 | ||
ESSAY CONTEST | |||
| 17 | "The best program of practicable steps to reduce law-breaking in New York City" 1926 | ||
FINANCIAL | |||
| 18 | Account books 1877-1946 | ||
| Oversize no. 2 | Account book 1935-1941 | ||
| 19 | Account book, 193l-19 Accounts, 1922-1935 Auditor's reports, 1912-1954 | ||
| 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. 1824-1933Note: 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 | |||
| 21 | Parkhurst Testimonial 1894 | ||
| 21 | Parkhurst Luncheon 1922 | ||
| 21 | Parkhurst Memorial - correspondence, reports, clippings, photos, etc. 1928-1936 | ||
| 22 | Parkhurst Memorial - correspondence, etc. 1935-1941 | ||
| 22 | The New Yorker articles on Parkhurst 1955 | ||
PUBLICITY | |||
| 22 | Fund raising 1940-1951 | ||
| 22 | Projects 1945-1949 | ||
| 22 | Radio promotions 1948-1950 | ||
| 22 | Releases l943-1949 | ||
RADIO PROGRAMS | |||
| 23 | Crime--causes and prevention 12 September 1946 | ||
| 23 | Criminal casebook 1948 | ||
| 23 | American Broadcasting Company 1945-1949 | ||
| 23 | Convict releases 1945-1949 | ||
| 23 | Critical comments 1945-1949 | ||
| 24 | Criminal casebook --Prospects --Publicity --Requests for aid --Scripts 1-10 & 13 --Sources - criminal & psychiatrist 1948 | ||
| 25 | I was a convict --Correspondence with convicts, releases, case histories, scripts, etc.; A - G 1945-1949 | ||
| 26 | I was a convict: Correspondence, etc.: H | ||
| 27 | I was a convict:
--Correspondence, etc.: P - W --Maxwell, Robert, Associates (Producer) --Miscellaneous --Publicity --Receipts --Scripts, Jan. - March 1946 & [n.d.] | ||
| 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 | |||
| 29 | Acceptance of offenders by the armed forces 1940-1942 | ||
| 29 | Adolescent girls 1939-1947 | ||
| 29 | Adolescent treatment clinic 1941-1948 | ||
| 29 | Alcoholism 1938-1950 | ||
| 29 | Alien enemy material 1941-1942 | ||
| 29 | Armed forces. See: Acceptance of offenders by the armed forces | ||
| 29 | Armed services criminality 1944-1946 | ||
| 30 | Albany Crime Conference 1931-1938 | ||
| 31 | Behavior problems & children's institutions 1946-1950 | ||
| 31 | Bail 1941 | ||
| 31 | Bibliographies 1944-1951 | ||
| 31 | Brownsville Boys Club 1943-1949 | ||
| 32 | Capital punishment. See: Murderers & capital punishment Cartoons | ||
| Oversize no. 7 | Cartoons | ||
| 32 | Cases; A - R 1896-1951 | ||
| 33 | Cases: S - Y & misc. 1932-1950 | ||
| 34 | Child adoption legislation 1939-1951 | ||
| 35 | Child labor 1942-1949 | ||
| 35 | Children. See: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children | ||
| 35 | Children. See; War & children | ||
| 35 | Children's Court 1938-1949 | ||
| 35 | Children's institutions. See: Behavior problems & children's Inst. | ||
| 35 | Civil Service 1941-1944 | ||
| 35 | Civil rights 1949 | ||
| 35 | Civil rights. See also: Race | ||
| 35 | Comic books. See: Motion pictures, magazines | ||
| 35 | Correction & penal institutions (1) 1932-1945 | ||
| 36 | Correction & penal institutions (2) 1946-1950 | ||
| 36 | Court interpretations. See: Legislation & court interpretations | ||
| 36 | Courts 1941-1951 | ||
| 36 | Courts. See: Children's Court | ||
| 36 | Courts. See: Youth Court | ||
| 36 | Courts; Brooklyn County Clerk's Office - annual report (County Court) 1940 | ||
| 37 | Crime & delinquency 1932-1951 | ||
| 37 | Crime & delinquency: other countries 1933-l949 | ||
| 37 | Crime causation. See: Popular concepts of crime causation | ||
| 37 | Crime statistics. See; Delinquency & crime statistics | ||
| 37 | Criminology 1934-1949 | ||
| 37 | Delinquency. See; Crime & delinquency | ||
| 37 | Delinquency & crime statistics l939-l946 | ||
| 39 | Delinquency & crime statistics (2) 1947-1951 | ||
| 40 | Delinquency, unofficial (non-statistical) 1943 | ||
| 40 | Detention l939-1950 | ||
| 41 | Detention facilities (1) 1938-1946 | ||
| 42 | Detention facilities (2) 1947-1951 | ||
| 42 | Drugs 1936-1939 | ||
| 42 | Education (1) 1938-1944 | ||
| 43 | Education (2) 1945-1950 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 44 | Foster home care 1946-1949 | ||
| 44 | Foundations 1943 | ||
| 44 | Gambling (1) 1906-1934 | ||
| 45 | Gambling (2) 1935-1955 | ||
| 45 | Gang activities 1943-1951 | ||
| 46 | Government 1931-1939 | ||
| 46 | Guidance clinics 1949 | ||
| 47 | Health 1943-1949 | ||
| 47 | Housing 1937-1950 | ||
| 48 | Legislation & court interpretations 1941-1951 | ||
| 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" | ||
| 50 | Marriage and divorce 1947-1950 | ||
| 50 | Mental deficiency 1938-1950 | ||
| 50 | Miscellaneous 1901-1950 | ||
| 50 | Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics in relation to delinquency (includes many comic books) 1938-1948 | ||
| 51 | Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics ... (2) 1947 & 1948 | ||
| 52 | Motion pictures, magazines, radio, comics (3) (includes the censorship trial of The Amboy Dukes by Irving Shulman) 1949-1950 | ||
| 52 | Murderers & capital punishment 1939-1949 | ||
| 52 | Narcotics 1938-1951 | ||
| 52 | New York City. Juvenile Aid Bureau. See: "Politics and children" | ||
| 52 | New York State. See: Albany Crime Conference | ||
| 52 | New York State. Legislature. Senate. Committee on the Police Department of the city of New York. See: Lexow Committee | ||
| 52 | Pari-mutual legislation l938-1940 | ||
| 52 | Parole. See: Probation & parole | ||
| 52 | Parolees. See: Problems of prisoners & parolees | ||
| 52 | Penal institutions. See: Correction & penal institutions | ||
| 52 | Planned parenthood 1941-1946 | ||
| 53 | Police 1945-1951 | ||
| 53 | Police. See also: Lexow Committee "Police and children" -a study of New York City's Juvenile Aid Bureau 1949 | ||
| 53 | Popular concepts of crime causation 1946-1949 | ||
| 53 | Population statistics 1939-1948 | ||
| 53 | Post war planning 1942-1951 | ||
| 54 | Preventive measures 1942-1951 | ||
| 55 | Probation & parole 1936-1951 | ||
| 55 | Problems of prisoners & parolees 1942-1949 | ||
| 56 | Prostitution 1923-1951 | ||
| 57 | Psychiatric cases & notes (1) 1928-1945 | ||
| 58 | Psychiatric cases & notes (2) 1946-1950 | ||
| 59 | Race discrimination amendment 1944-1950 | ||
| 59 | Race prejudice (l) 1941-1947 | ||
| 60 | Race prejudice (2) 1948-1950 | ||
| 60 | Race prejudice. See also: Civil rights | ||
| 60 | Rackets 1933 | ||
| 60 | Radio 1944-1948 | ||
| 60 | Radio. See also: Motion pictures, magazines, radio | ||
| 61 | Recreation & nursery care 1940-1949 | ||
| 61 | Religion 1940-1949 | ||
| 61 | Sex education 1943-1949 | ||
| 61 | Sex offenders (1) 1935-1946 | ||
| 62 | Sex offenders (2) l947-1950 | ||
| 62 | Shulman, Irving The Amboy Dukes See: Motion pictures | ||
| 62 | Social action 1941-1950 | ||
| 62 | Social work (1) 1935-1947 | ||
| 63 | Social work (2) 1948-1949 | ||
| 63 | Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children 1900-1942 | ||
| 63 | Treatment programs 1939-1951 | ||
| 63 | Venereal disease l939-l948 | ||
| 64 | Vocational education 1935-1948 | ||
| 64 | War & children 1942-1944 | ||
| 64 | War criminals 1942-1949 | ||
| 64 | Welfare societies 1937 & 1938 | ||
| 64 | Youth 1940-1949 | ||
| 65 | Youth correction authority 1940-1949 | ||
| 65 | Youth Court (1) 1919-1941 | ||
| 66 | Youth Court (2) 1942-1951 | ||
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | |||
| 1 | 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 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 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 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] | ||