Julius Edelstein papers, 1917-1961, bulk 1948-1958

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Series III: Correspondence, 1923-1960, bulk 1950-1960

Series III primarily consists of correspondence directly related to the office of Senator Lehman. The majority of letters address issues surrounding immigration laws in the United States. In November of 1953, Senator Lehman called a meeting where he invited outstanding leaders of various the religious and civic organizations which had expressed concern about the racist aspects of US immigration laws. The group which participated in the meeting set up a steering committee to follow through for the purpose to help organize a campaign with the goal toward educating US citizens about the un-American nature of the country's immigration policies as designated under the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act. The steering committee set up two subcommittees: one to prepare an outline of the structure and program, and the other to prepare a statement of the policies which the National Committee would adhere. Next, the committee prepared a letter to solicit membership. The letter was mailed in early 1955 to numerous individuals resulting in 350 people accepting membership on the National Committee. The National Committee was granted a charter of incorporation in the spring of 1955 under the New York State Education Law resulting in the formation of the National Committee on Immigration and Citizenship (NCIC). The incorporators were as follows; Spyros S. Skouras, Senator William Benton, F. Ernest Johnson, Philip B. Perlman, Thomas K. Finletter, Theodore R. McKeldin, Daniel Bell and Senator Herbert H. Lehman. In conjunction with the incorporators, the following individuals were on the first board of trustees; Francis B. Sayre, Jr., Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, John O'Grady, Walter P. Reuther, Roy Williams, Thomas A. Pappas, Jefferson B. Fordham and Jane M. Hoey. The chairman of the Board of Trustees, Spyros Skouras, was unable to devote a sufficient amount of time to the affairs of the Committee so Senator Lehman accepted the chairmanship.

Throughout all three subseries there is correspondence regarding the NCIC, ADA, American Jewish Congress and American Jewish Committee because of Lehman and Edelstein's affiliation with these organizations. Office memorandums are abundant, Lehman to Edelstein and the reverse. These are usually the method by which Edelstein briefs Lehman on current news concerning his Senatorial post. The original order of the series consisted of five subseries: two arranged alphabetically, one for the years 1954-1958, and a second for 1960, one chronologically, and two titled "personal correspondence". This has been maintained with the two alpha files under subseries III.1 and subseries III.3. It should be noted that Edelstein's personal correspondence can be found in all three subseries.


Subseries III.1: Alphabetical, 1954-1960

Contains letters and memoranda. Political topics addressed: immigration, power projects, campaigns, civil rights, McCarthyism, labor, health and housing. Names that frequently appear are Senator Lister Hill; Edward Marks, Executive Director of the US Committee for Refugees; Jefferson B. Fordham, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School; Michel Cieplinski of the Nationalities Division (Democratic National Committee); V.A. Marcantonio of the American Labor Party; O.R. Ewing, Administrator of the Federal Security Agency; and James T. Farrell, an American novelist.



Box 25 Folder 1 A, 1955-1958


Box 25 Folder 2 B, 1955-1957


Box 25 Folder 3 B1, 1955-1958


Box 25 Folder 4 to 5 C, 1955-1958, (2 folders)


Box 25 Folder 6 D, 1955-1958


Box 25 Folder 7 E, 1955-1958



Box 26 Folder 1 E, 1955-1958


Box 26 Folder 2 to 3 F, 1955-1958, (2 folders)


Box 26 Folder 4 to 5 G, 1955-1958, (2 folders)


Box 26 Folder 6 to 7 H, 1955-1958, (2 folders)


Box 26 Folder 8 I, 1955-1958


Box 26 Folder 9 J, 1956-1957



Box 27 Folder 1 K, 1955-1958


Box 27 Folder 2 to 3 L, 1954-1958, (2 folders)


Box 27 Folder 4 to 7 Lehman, Herbert H.--Memoranda, 1955-1958, (4 folders)


Box 27 Folder 8 M, 1957-1958



Box 28 Folder 1 M, 1955-1958


Box 28 Folder 2 N, 1955-1958


Box 28 Folder 3 O, 1956-1958


Box 28 Folder 4 P, 1956-1958


Box 28 Folder 5 Q, 1957


Box 28 Folder 6 to 7 R, 1955-1958, (2 folders)


Box 28 Folder 8 to 9 S, 1955-1957, (2 folders)



Box 29 Folder 1 to 2 S1, 1956-1958, (2 folders)


Box 29 Folder 3 T, 1955, 1957-1958, 1955, 1957-1958


Box 29 Folder 4 U through V, 1957


Box 29 Folder 5 W, 1955, 1957-1958, 1955, 1957-1958


Box 29 Folder 6 Y through Z, 1957-1958


Box 29 Folder 7 A, 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 8 B, 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 9 Backer, George and Evie, 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 10 Baumerder (Edelstein's Parents), 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 11 C, 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 12 Cieplinski, Michel, 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 13 Cohen (various), 1959-1960


Box 29 Folder 14 D, 1959-1960



Box 30 Folder 1 E, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 2 Edelstein, Rose, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 3 Engel, Irving, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 4 F, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 5 Fordham, Jefferson B., 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 6 G, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 7 H, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 8 Halpern, Gerald P., 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 9 Herzog, Yaacov and Penina, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 10 Hession, Anne and John, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 11 Hill, Lister, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 12 I, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 13 J, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 14 K, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 15 Kollek, Theodore, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 16 L, 1959-1960


Box 30 Folder 17 to 18 Lehman, Herbert H.--Memoranda to, 1959, (2 folders)



Box 31 Folder 1 Lehman, Herbert H.--Memoranda to, 1960


Box 31 Folder 2 Lehman, Herbert and Edith, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 3 M, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 4 Marks, Edward B., 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 5 Multiple Addressees, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 6 N, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 7 New York Committee for Democratic Voters, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 8 O, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 9 P, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 10 Publications--Julius Edelstein's Subscriptions, 1960


Box 31 Folder 11 Q, 1959


Box 31 Folder 12 R, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 13 S, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 14 Shultz, Lillie, 1958-1960


Box 31 Folder 15 Staff Memoranda, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 16 Stern, J. David, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 17 Sweeney, Esther E., 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 18 T, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 19 U through V, 1959-1960


Box 31 Folder 20 W, 1959-1960



Box 32 Folder 1 Y through Z, 1959-1960


Subseries III.2: Chronological, 1950-1960

Comprised of a large amount of material from constituents expressing concern on a political issue or asking for the Senator's help. As in all the other subseries in Series III, letters to and from various government officials are found throughout. The same political topics found in subseries III.1 are addressed with an emphasis on agriculture, civil rights and immigration.


Box 32 Folder 2 1950 April-December


Box 32 Folder 3 1951 January-October , December, 1951 January-October


Box 32 Folder 4 1952 Jenuary-December, 1952


Box 32 Folder 5 1953 January-July


Box 32 Folder 6 Telephone Notes, 1953 July-December


Box 32 Folder 7 to 8 1954 January-March, (2 folders)



Box 33 Folder 1 to 6 1954 April-September, (6 folders)



Box 34 Folder 1 to 3 1954 October-December, (3 folders)


Box 34 Folder 4 to 5 Telephone Notes, 1954 January-December, (2 folders)


Box 34 Folder 6 1955 June, August, 1955



Box 35 Folder 1 to 6 1955 August-December, (6 folders)



Box 36 Folder 1 1955 December


Box 36 Folder 2 to 3 Telephone Notes, 1955 January-December, (2 folders)


Box 36 Folder 4 to 5 1956 January, (2 folders)



Box 37 Folder 1 to 6 1956 February-April, (6 folders)



Box 38 Folder 1 to 7 1956 May-September, (7 folders)



Box 39 Folder 1 to 4 1956 October, (4 folders)


Box 39 Folder 5 to 7 Telephone Notes, 1956 January-October, (3 folders)



Box 40 Folder 1 to 7 1957 January-August, (7 folders)



Box 41 Folder 1 to 5 1957 September-December, (5 folders)


Box 41 Folder 6 to 9 1958 March-May, (4 folders)



Box 42 Folder 1 to 7 1958 June-December, (7 folders)


Box 42 Folder 8 1959 January



Box 43 Folder 1 to 8 1959 February-September, (8 folders)



Box 44 Folder 1 to 3 1959 October-December, (3 folders)


Box 44 Folder 4 to 11 1960 January-August, (8 folders)



Box 45 Folder 1 to 4 1960 September-December, (4 folders)


Subseries III.3: Personal, 1923-1959, bulk 1950-1959

includes both personal and professional correspondence. Many letters are with regard to Julius's wife, Rivka and her health. Much of the correspondence is between Edelstein and both his family and Rivka's parents in Israel. There is some material in Hebrew.


Box 45 Folder 5 A, 1950-1954


Box 45 Folder 6 Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), 1951-1955


Box 45 Folder 7 Alinsky, Saul, 1954


Box 45 Folder 8 B, 1948-1954


Box 45 Folder 9 Bensaude, Jose, 1950-1954


Box 45 Folder 10 C, 1950-1954


Box 45 Folder 11 Cieplinski, Michel, 1950-1954


Box 45 Folder 12 Cunningham, Charles E., 1950-1951


Box 45 Folder 13 D, 1950-1954


Box 45 Folder 14 E, 1951-1954


Box 45 Folder 15 F, 1950-1954



Box 46 Folder 1 Farrell, James T., 1950-1954


Box 46 Folder 2 Family, 1951-1954


Box 46 Folder 3 G, 1950-1955


Box 46 Folder 4 H, 1950-1954


Box 46 Folder 5 Hamburger, Phil, 1949-1954


Box 46 Folder 6 to 7 Hennings, Thomas C., 1949-1952, (2 folders)


Box 46 Folder 8 I through J, 1951-1954


Box 46 Folder 9 K, 1951-1955


Box 46 Folder 10 Katcher, David, 1951, 1954, 1951, 1954


Box 46 Folder 11 L, 1950-1954


Box 46 Folder 12 Lederer, Jules (Ann Landers), 1953-1954


Box 46 Folder 13 Liberal Caucus, 1955



Box 47 Folder 1 M, 1949-1955


Box 47 Folder 2 Mendelsohn, Morris, 1950-1954


Box 47 Folder 3 N, 1951-1955


Box 47 Folder 4 Naval Reserve--Edelstein, 1942, 1949-1952, 1942, 1949-1952


Box 47 Folder 5 O, 1950-1954


Box 47 Folder 6 P, 1952-1954


Box 47 Folder 7 Pending Invitations, 1955


Box 47 Folder 8 Perlman, Philip, 1954-1954


Box 47 Folder 9 Q through R, 1951-1954


Box 47 Folder 10 S, 1950-1955


Box 47 Folder 11 T, 1951-1954


Box 47 Folder 12 U through V, 1949-1954


Box 47 Folder 13 W through X, 1950-1954


Box 47 Folder 14 Y through Z, 1951-1954


Box 47 Folder 15 A, 1955-1956


Box 47 Folder 16 B, 1955-1956



Box 48 Folder 1 C through D, 1955-1956


Box 48 Folder 2 1955, 1957, 1955, 1957


Box 48 Folder 3 E through F, 1955-1956


Box 48 Folder 4 to 11 Edelstein, Rivka--Includes Photographs--Some material in Hebrew, 1923, 1952-1958, 1923, 1952-1958, (8 folders)



Box 49 Folder 1 to 5 Edelstein, Rivka--Includes letters of support, 1956-1957, (5 folders)


Box 49 Folder 6 Edelstein, Suzy--Birthday Acknowledgements, 1956-1959


Box 49 Folder 7 F, 1955-1957


Box 49 Folder 8 to 9 General, 1955-1958, (2 folders)


Box 49 Folder 10 G through H, 1955-1956


Box 49 Folder 11 I through K, 1955-1956



Box 50 Folder 1 L through N, 1955-1956, 1959, 1955-1956, 1959


Box 50 Folder 2 Messages to be Acknowledged, 1955


Box 50 Folder 3 O through Q, 1955-1956


Box 50 Folder 4 to 6 Parents, 1956-1958, (3 folders)


Box 50 Folder 7 R, 1955-1956


Box 50 Folder 8 Reply, 1955-1957



Box 51 Folder 1 S through T, 1955-1956


Box 51 Folder 2 U through Z, 1955-1956