The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Park House Records 1928-1996
© 2007 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Park House. Records |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1928-1996 |
| Size: | 13.5 linear feet (21 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | Park House was described as a "combination Bohemian rooming house, YMCA, and youth settlement house," located on Chicago’s Near North Side. Founded in 1934, the house was named after University of Chicago Sociologist Robert E. Park and run by Ruth and James B. Nobel. Park House was designed to provide community and entertainment for the many young people who had recently arrived in Chicago, leaving families and communities behind. Until its closure in 1944, activities at Park House included dancing, music, lectures, discussion groups, writing groups, research projects, performances, and shared meals. The Park House Records describe the activities of the house through correspondence, financial records, diaries, reports, surveys, newsletters, and writings by residents. The Records also included materials related to House sociology and sociological experiments, records about churches and religion on Chicago’s Near North Side, papers relating to Robert E. Park’s involvement with the House, and materials relating to the Park House Reunion in 1982. |
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When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Park House. Records, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
An accurate description of Park House is difficult to construct. One participant described the house as a "combination Bohemian rooming house, YMCA, and youth settlement house," located on Chicago’s Near North Side. However, while residents and participants conducted lengthy discussions about the nature of Park House, they often found it easier to define what the House was not.
Founded in 1934, the house was named after University of Chicago Sociologist Robert E. Park and run by Ruth and James B. Nobel. James Nobel conceived the idea for Park House while he was a graduate student at the University of Chicago. Park House was designed to provide community and entertainment for the many young people who had recently arrived in Chicago, leaving families and communities behind. It was distinctive in part because it sought to serve a population that was neither particularly wealthy nor particularly poor. Activities at Park House included dancing, music, lectures, discussion groups, writing groups, performances, and shared meals. Its founders also considered the House an experiment in sociology and social psychology. Residents of the House conducted several surveys of the surrounding neighborhood, including studies of local churches and ethnic groups. Participants were also encouraged to partake in Nobel’s "experiments in conversation," that sought to encourage both self-reflection and an expansive understanding of the world. At weekly events invited speakers and residents were invited to share their life stories with an audience that analyzed them. Speakers including Clifford Shaw, W. Lloyd Warner, and Robert E. Park reflected the sociological and academic orientation of Park House.
Park House residents prided themselves on their independence and diversity. While outsiders often linked the house with other institutional bodies like the University of Chicago and the New England Congregational Church, Park Housers were careful to note that these ties were never formalized. Most Park House residents and participants were white, and many were Midwesterners who struggled financially during the Depression. Despite these similarities, Park House participants came from varied religious, ethnic, religious, educational and class backgrounds. Outsiders often viewed Park House as a Communist or radical institutions; however, members described themselves as a group with a wide range of political views.
Park House struggled financially throughout its existence, receiving only limited funding from outside foundations. Park House closed in 1944, when the building was sold and turned into apartments. Many residents and participants remained close and a Park House reunion in 1982 attracted a significant percentage of people associated with the House. Many Park House alumni wrote to provide detailed accounts of their lives in the decades between the dissolution of Park House and the reunion.
The Park House Records consist of four Series. Series I contains the organizational materials of Park House including reports, minutes, and published and unpublished writings about Park House. Also included are James B. Nobel's extensive notebook diaries, which record day to day life at Park House between 1935 and 1932. Series II is made up of correspondence, primarily between Jim and Ruth Nobel and Park House resident and participants between the 1930s and 1940s. Series III consists of the financial records of Park House. Series IV includes subject files related to Park House including files about religion, Robert E. Park, the Illinois State Hospital at Elgin, the Park House reunion in 1982, and the University of Chicago.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/select.html
Series I: Organizational Materials and Writings |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Anniversary Dinner, 1941 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Announcements, 1941 |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Attendance, 1938-1940 |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Board Minutes, 1934-1940 |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Clippings, Chicago, 1941 |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Comments on Park House (False), 1934-1936 |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Defining Park House, n.d. |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Park House, Evening Conversations, 1938 |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Discussions on the Future of Park House, 1940 |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | Essays on Park House, 1937-1939 |
| Box 1 Folder 11 | Evaluation of Park House, 1937 |
| Box 1 Folder 12 | Events, Flyers and Posters, n.d. |
| Box 1 Folder 13 | Foundations, Application for Assistance, 1940 |
| Box 1 Folder 14 | Friday Evening Guests, 1937-1938 |
| Box 1 Folder 15 | Friday Evening Guests, 1938-1939 |
| Box 1 Folder 16 | Friday Evening Guests, 1939-1940 |
| Box 1 Folder 17 | Friday Evening Guests, 1940 |
| Box 1 Folder 18 | Park House, Friday Evening Guests, 1941 |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | House Journal, 1935 |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | The House that Jim and Ruth Built, Watercolor and Poem, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Leisure Foundation, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Music at Park House, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | Jim and Ruth Nobel, Documents and Notes, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | Paper on Park House, 1938 |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Papers on Park House, 1939 |
| Box 2 Folder 8 | Papers on Park House by James D. Nobel, 1936-1944 |
| Box 2 Folder 9 | Park House Photographs, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 10 | Plans and Early Reports, 1934-1937 |
| Box 2 Folder 11 | Questionnaire with Responses, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 12 | Quotes Regarding the Development of Park House, n.d. |
| Box 2 Folder 13 | Reports, 1934 |
| Box 2 Folder 14 | Reports, 1935 |
| Box 2 Folder 15 | Reports, 1935-1937 |
| Box 2 Folder 16 | Reports, 1937 |
| Box 2 Folder 17 | Research, 1940 |
| Box 2 Folder 18 | Residents Through 1939 |
| Box 2 Folder 19 | Schedule, 1939-1940 |
| Box 2 Folder 20 | Statements on Park House, 1937-1938 |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | "My First Adventure to Sea Aboard the Good Ship," 1939 |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | City Experience, Book Production and Sales, 1938-1940 |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | City Experience, Reactions To, 1938-1939 |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | Folk Dancing, n.d. |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Manuscripts, n.d. |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | J.D. Nobel, City Experience, 1938 |
| Box 3 Folder 7 | J.D. Nobel, City Experience, 1938 |
| Box 3 Folder 8 | J.D. Nobel, City Experience, 1938 |
| Box 3 Folder 9 | J.D. Nobel, Modern Trilogy, 1940 |
| Box 3 Folder 9 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1935 |
| Box 3 Folder 10 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1936 |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1937 |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1938-1939 |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1938-1939 |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1939-1940 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1940-1941 |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1941-1942 |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1942 |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | J.D. Nobel, Notebook, 1942 |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | Papers on Six Americans, n.d. |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Park House News, 1944 |
| Box 5 Folder 5 | Park House News, 1945 |
| Box 5 Folder 6 | Park House News, 1946 |
| Box 5 Folder 7 | "Park House: A Word to Those Who Have Participated Here," n.d. |
| Box 5 Folder 8 | My Philosophy of Life Essays, 1936 |
| Box 5 Folder 9 | "The Red Book," 1937 |
| Box 5 Folder 10 | "The Red Book," with Marginalia, n.d. |
| Box 5 Folder 11 | "The Red Book," with Marginalia, n.d. |
| Box 6 Folder 1 | Park House News, Complete Set, 1944-1946 |
Series II: Correspondence |
| Box 6 Folder 2 | Correspondence, B
|
| Box 6 Folder 3 | Baum, Mrs. William |
| Box 6 Folder 4 | Beliajus, V.F. |
| Box 6 Folder 5 | Blumer, A. |
| Box 6 Folder 6 | Correspondence, C
|
| Box 6 Folder 7 | Christmas Letters
|
| Box 6 Folder 8 | Correspondence, D-E
|
| Box 6 Folder 9 | England and Foreign Correspondence |
| Box 6 Folder 10 | Fisher, Lois |
| Box 6 Folder 11 | Freedel, Fred |
| Box 6 Folder 12 | Correspondence, F-G
|
| Box 6 Folder 13 | Gaziano, Manny |
| Box 6 Folder 14 | Gene, Mary Kent |
| Box 6 Folder 15 | Correspondence, H
|
| Box 7 Folder 1 | Hughes, Eleanor |
| Box 7 Folder 2 | Hume, Ted C. |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Kincheloe, S. C. |
| Box 7 Folder 4 | Korzybski, Count |
| Box 7 Folder 5 | Corespondence L
|
| Box 7 Folder 6 | Lindberg, Marcella |
| Box 7 Folder 7 | Correspondence, M
|
| Box 7 Folder 8 | McDade, Thomas |
| Box 7 Folder 9 | Marsh, Arlene |
| Box 7 Folder 10 | Manley, Helen (Czaja) |
| Box 7 Folder 11 | Miller, Henry |
| Box 7 Folder 12 | Modern Trilogy, Letters, Reaction, and Documents |
| Box 7 Folder 13 | Mott, Lawrence V. |
| Box 7 Folder 14 | Correspondence, N-R
|
| Box 7 Folder 15 | Out-of-Towners, Letters From |
| Box 7 Folder 16 | Park House Christmas Card |
| Box 8 Folder 1 | Correspondence, S
|
| Box 8 Folder 2 | Savers, Lionel |
| Box 8 Folder 3 | Sherwood, "Red" Warren George |
| Box 8 Folder 4 | Shuster, Phillip |
| Box 8 Folder 5 | Senther, Gerda and Ray |
| Box 8 Folder 6 | Spencer, Jack |
| Box 8 Folder 7 | Smith, Kenneth G. |
| Box 8 Folder 8 | Correspondence, T
|
| Box 8 Folder 9 | Correspondence U-Z
|
| Box 8 Folder 10 | Williamson, Burke |
| Box 8 Folder 11 | Woley, Virginia Lee |
| Box 8 Folder 12 | Woley, Virginia Lee |
| Box 8 Folder 13 | Correspondence, Summer 1938 |
| Box 8 Folder 14 | Correspondence, Summer 1939 |
| Box 8 Folder 15 | Correspondence, Summer 1939 |
Series III: Financial Records |
| Box 9 Folder 1 | Park House Lease, 1934, 1944 |
| Box 9 Folder 2 | Park House Fund, 1938-1944 |
| Box 9 Folder 3 | Park House Audits, 1936-1940 |
| Box 9 Folder 4 | Fiscal Statements, 1934-1936 |
| Box 9 Folder 5 | Fiscal Statements, 1937-1938 |
| Box 9 Folder 6 | Fiscal Statements, 1939-1940 |
| Box 9 Folder 7 | Fiscal Statements, 1934-1939 |
| Box 9 Folder 8 | Rent Accounts, 1935-1937 |
| Box 9 Folder 9 | Rent Accounts, 1937-1938 |
| Box 9 Folder 10 | Rent Accounts, 1938-1939 |
| Box 9 Folder 11 | Rent Accounts, 1940-1941 |
| Box 9 Folder 12 | Account Book, n.d. |
| Box 9 Folder 13 | Account Book, 1935-1936 |
| Box 9 Folder 14 | Account Book, 1936-1937 |
| Box 9 Folder 15 | Receipts and Bills, 1935-1936 |
Series IV: Subject Files |
Subseries 1: Subject Files, General |
| Box 10 Folder 1 | All Arts Scholarship Foundation Dance, 1938 |
| Box 10 Folder 2 | Anniversary Dinner, 1941 |
| Box 10 Folder 3 | Arts, Clippings and Photographs, 1936 |
| Box 10 Folder 4 | Arts, Clippings and Pamphlets, 1928, 1935-1936 |
| Box 10 Folder 5 | Arts, Clippings and Articles, 1937-1940 |
| Box 10 Folder 6 | Arts, Clippings and Articles, 1935-1938 |
| Box 10 Folder 7 | Arts, Clippings and Articles, 1940 |
| Box 10 Folder 8 | Ball Room Platform Plans, 1940 |
| Box 10 Folder 9 | Bauhaus, 1937-1940 |
| Box 10 Folder 10 | Beethoven, n.d. |
| Box 10 Folder 11 | Bibliography, Child Development, n.d. |
| Box 10 Folder 12 | Bibliography, Self-Help Books, 1936 |
| Box 10 Folder 13 | Bibliography, Social Conscience, 1932 |
| Box 10 Folder 14 | Black Mack Press, n.d. |
| Box 10 Folder 15 | Book Lists and Notes, 1935-1939 |
| Box 10 Folder 16 | Building Directory, Religious Organizations, n.d. |
| Box 10 Folder 17 | California, Agriculture and Labor, 1938-1939 |
| Box 11 Folder 1 | Chicago: A History in Block Prints, 1934 |
| Box 11 Folder 2 | Christmas on the Near North Side, n.d. |
| Box 11 Folder 3 | Chicago Diversion Calendar, 1938 |
| Box 11 Folder 4 | Chicago Maps, Clippings, and Observations, 1935-1938 |
| Box 11 Folder 5 | City Life, Activities and Observations, 1937-1940 |
| Box 11 Folder 8 | Crime and Criminals, Capone and Loeb Case, 1936 |
| Box 11 Folder 9 | Dance and Art Events, 1937-1938 |
| Box 11 Folder 10 | Dance Exhibit, n.d. |
| Box 11 Folder 11 | Drama, 1938-1939 |
| Box 11 Folder 12 | Ethnic Groups, Germans, n.d. |
| Box 11 Folder 13 | Ethnic Groups, Italians, 1934 |
| Box 12 Folder 1 | Ethnic Groups, Poles, 1934 |
| Box 12 Folder 2 | Ethnic Groups, Scandinavians, n.d |
| Box 12 Folder 3 | Experiments in Conversation, 1937 |
| Box 12 Folder 4 | Folk Dancing, 1935 |
| Box 12 Folder 5 | Folk Dancing, 1937-1940 |
| Box 12 Folder 6 | Forums, 1937-1937 |
| Box 12 Folder 7 | Forums, 1937-1939 |
| Box 12 Folder 8 | Games, Songs, and Conundrums, n.d. |
| Box 12 Folder 9 | The Gerontologist, 1996 |
| Box 12 Folder 10 | Harvest Festival, 1940 |
| Box 12 Folder 11 | Hull House, 1940 |
| Box 12 Folder 12 | Labor, 1940 |
| Box 12 Folder 13 | Lectures, 1937 |
| Box 12 Folder 14 | Literary Groups, 1935-1936 |
| Box 12 Folder 15 | Literature, Contemporary, n.d. |
| Box 13 Folder 1 | May Day, 1938 |
| Box 13 Folder 2 | Merom Institute, n.d. |
| Box 13 Folder 3 | Montaprnasse, 1936-1940 |
| Box 13 Folder 4 | Music, 1937-1938 |
| Box 13 Folder 5 | Music, 1940 |
| Box 13 Folder 6 | Music, Sunday Evening Program, 1937 |
| Box 13 Folder 7 | Music, Song Night Original Music, n.d. |
| Box 13 Folder 8 | Near Northside Materials, 1936-1937 |
| Box 13 Folder 9 | Near Northside Materials, 1937-1939 |
| Box 13 Folder 10 | Observations, 1938 |
| Box 13 Folder 11 | Observations and Notes, n.d. |
| Box 13 Folder 12 | Philosophies of Life, 1936 |
| Box 13 Folder 13 | Poetry, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 1 | Recreation Publications, 1936 |
| Box 14 Folder 2 | Research about Park House, Surveys, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 3 | Saugatck Summer School of Painting Exhibit, 1942 |
| Box 14 Folder 4 | School of Living, 1936-1937 |
| Box 14 Folder 5 | Reform Movements, 1937-1938 |
| Box 14 Folder 6 | Rethinking Chicago Project, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 7 | Rising Tide Magazine, About, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 8 | Script, "Story of a Street," 1941 |
| Box 14 Folder 9 | Slesinger, Leisure Time Study, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 10 | Smith, Mary, "The Search for Excitement Among the Young Adult Group on the Near North Side in Chicago," n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 11 | Social Integration, 1932 |
| Box 14 Folder 12 | Social Psychology, 1936-1937 |
| Box 14 Folder 13 | Social Psychology Group, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 14 | Society Events, 1935-1936 |
| Box 14 Folder 15 | Special Guests Lists, 1934-1942 |
| Box 14 Folder 16 | Stationary, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 17 | Van Amburgh Foundation, 1935 |
| Box 14 Folder 18 | Wolfe, Thomas, "A Prologue to America," Selection, n.d. |
| Box 14 Folder 19 | WMHQ Radio Address, 1936 |
| Box 14 Folder 20 | Year of Sundays, n.d. |
Subseries 2: Robert E. Park Materials |
| Box 14 Folder 21 | Birthday and Memorials Celebrations, 1943-1944 |
| Box 14 Folder 22 | Correspondence, 1936-1943 |
| Box 14 Folder 23 | Correspondence, University of Chicago Press, 1943-1980 |
| Box 14 Folder 24 | Conversations with Park about Park House, 1935-1944 |
| Box 15 Folder 1 | Papers on Robert E. Park, n.d.
|
| Box 15 Folder 2 | Sketches, n.d. |
| Box 15 Folder 3 | Park’s Papers on Park House, n.d. |
| Box 15 Folder 4 | Winfred Raushenbush Correspondence about Park Biography, 1978-1979 |
| Box 15 Folder 5 | Reunion at Roaring Brook, 1938 |
| Box 15 Folder 6 | Visit From Robert E. Park, 1937 |
| Box 15 Folder 7 | Writings by Robert E. Park, 1937-1938 |
Subseries 3: Religion |
| Box 15 Folder 8 | Articles and Talks, 1928-1940 |
| Box 15 Folder 9 | California, 1937-1938 |
| Box 15 Folder 10 | Clippings and Data, 1937 |
| Box 15 Folder 11 | College of Universal Truth, 1938 |
| Box 15 Folder 12 | Hinduism, 1933 |
| Box 15 Folder 13 | Moody Bible Institute, Missionary Workers, 1937 |
| Box 15 Folder 14 | Moody Bible Institute, 1937 |
| Box 15 Folder 15 | New England Congregational Church, 1939 |
| Box 15 Folder 16 | New England Congregational Church, Notes and Observations, 1933 |
| Box 15 Folder 17 | Nobel, J.B., "Cultural Factors in Northwest Study," 1934 |
| Box 15 Folder 18 | Nobel, J.B., Northwest Study Materials, 1933 |
| Box 16 Folder 1 | New England Congregational Church Roundtable, n.d. |
| Box 16 Folder 2 | Northwest Chicago, Religion and Culture, n.d. |
| Box 16 Folder 3 | Polish National Catholic Church, 1934 |
| Box 16 Folder 4 | Polish Catholics, Interviews and Notes, 1933 |
| Box 16 Folder 5 | Religion Interviews, 1933
|
| Box 16 Folder 6 | Religious Freedom Essay, J.D. Nobel, 1946 |
| Box 16 Folder 7 | Rosicrucian Fraternity, 1938 |
| Box 16 Folder 8 | Rosicrucian Fellowship Center, n.d. |
| Box 16 Folder 9 | Week of Work, 1935 |
Subseries 4: Reunion Files, 1982 |
| Box 16 Folder 10 | Correspondence, John and Ann Bick |
| Box 16 Folder 11 | Correspondence, B-D
|
| Box 16 Folder 12 | Correspondence, G-K
|
| Box 16 Folder 13 | Correspondence L
|
| Box 16 Folder 14 | Correspondence, M
|
| Box 16 Folder 15 | Correspondence, Nahigian, L. |
| Box 16 Folder 16 | Correspondence P
|
| Box 17 Folder 1 | Correspondence R
|
| Box 17 Folder 2 | Correspondence, Strojny, H.A. |
| Box 17 Folder 3 | Correspondence T
|
| Box 17 Folder 4 | Correspondence, V-Z
|
| Box 17 Folder 5 | Correspondence, Incomplete Names |
| Box 17 Folder 6 | Photographs, n.d. |
| Box 17 Folder 7 | Planning |
| Box 17 Folder 8 | Planning |
| Box 17 Folder 9 | Planning |
| Box 17 Folder 10 | Reflections on the Park House Reunion, 1982 |
| Box 17 Folder 11 | Park House Reunion Report and Yearbook, 1982 |
| Box 17 Folder 12 | Reunion Yearbook, 1982 |
Subseries 5: State Hospital at Elgin |
| Box 17 Folder 13 | Annual Reports
|
| Box 17 Folder 14 | Boisen, Anton T., Offprints and Articles, 1928-1933 |
| Box 17 Folder 15 | Boisen, Anton T., Offprints and Articles, 1937-1941, n.d. |
| Box 18 Folder 1 | Correspondence
|
| Box 18 Folder 2 | Case Notes, n.d. |
| Box 18 Folder 3 | Case Notes and Analysis, 1926, n.d. |
| Box 18 Folder 4 | Case Studies, 1933 |
| Box 18 Folder 5 | The Hospital Interpreter, 1933 |
| Box 18 Folder 6 | The Hospital Messenger, 1933 |
| Box 18 Folder 7 | Program, Forth of July Festivities, 1933
|
| Box 18 Folder 8 | The Alumni Bulletin: The University of Chicago, 1935-1940 |
| Box 18 Folder 9 | Clippings, 1935-1940 |
| Box 18 Folder 10 | Pamphlets and Publications, 1935-1941 |
| Box 18 Folder 11 | Pamphlets and Publications, 1935-1941 |
Series V: Oversized |
| Box 19 Folder 1 | Park House Scrapbook, 1930s |
| Box 19 Folder 2 | Scrapbook Enclosures, 1940s, 1996 |
| Box 20 | Park House Photograph Album, circa 1930s |
| Box 21 Folder 1 | Sketches, n.d. |
| Box 21 Folder 2 | Song Book, Chicago Songs Written at Park House, n.d. |
| Box 21 Folder 3 | Chicago Clippings, 1941 |
| Box 21 Folder 4 | Chicago Clippings, Gambling, 1939 |
| Box 21 Folder 5 | Park House Photographs, n.d. |
| Box 21 Folder 6 | Prints, n.d. |
| Box 21 Folder 7 | Display Panel with Watercolor Paintings, n.d. |
| Box 21 Folder 8 | Display Panel with Watercolor Paintings, n.d. |