The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the David Lee Shillinglaw Papers 1892-1971
© 2011 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Shillinglaw, David Lee. Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1892-1971 |
| Size: | 10.5 linear feet (15 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | David Lee Shillinglaw (b. June 6, 1889, d. February 13, 1976) was a World War I-veteran, American Legionnaire, investment banker, and a Chicago civic leader. The collection contains correspondence, diaries, appointment books, notes, manuscripts, typescripts, blueprints, reports, clippings, World War I-era ephemera and publications, photographs, audiotape reels, and scrapbooks. Materials date between 1892 and 1971, with the bulk of the material dating between 1917 and 1960. The papers primarily document Shillinglaw's service in the YMCA American Expeditionary Forces and the army during WWI, his public speaking engagements, his service in the American Legion, and his personal involvement in numerous political organizations and boards. |
The collection is open for research. Series V, Audio-Visual, does not include access copies for the audiotape reels. Researchers will need to consult with staff before requesting material from this series.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Shillinglaw, David Lee. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
David Lee Shillinglaw (b. June 6, 1889, d. February 13, 1976) was a World War I-veteran, American Legionnaire, investment banker, and a Chicago civic leader. Born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Shillinglaw was raised in Independence, Iowa and later Rowley, Iowa following the death of his father in 1900. He attended a country school until the age of thirteen, and then worked on the family farm until age eighteen.
Shillinglaw attended the Iowa State Teachers College for four years, majoring in History and Economics, and teaching courses in both subjects during the summer months. In 1911 he entered the University of Iowa as a Senior and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to earn his L.L.D. from the University of Iowa Law School in 1915. Following graduation, Shillinglaw practiced law in Waterloo, Iowa and organized several businesses.
When the United States declared war in 1917, Shillinglaw immediately applied for active service. He was rejected from the first training camp, but eventually found his way to Europe in September 1917 as a member of the YMCA American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). He was put in charge of the YMCA AEF's construction work in Europe, organizing the design, manufacture, and erection of all buildings used by the YMCA throughout France. He entered direct army service in July 1918 under the command of General Dawes in the engineer corps. Here, Shillinglaw was in charge of lumber supplies not produced in French forests. After the Armistice, he was asked to return to the YMCA AEF in January 1919 to lead the salvage and liquidation of YMCA properties throughout Europe. He secured 48,000,000 francs for the Perkins Commission, and returned to the United States in 1920.
Shillinglaw held various positions following the war. Returning first to Iowa he was founder of the First Radio Corporation in Iowa. He was an assistant sales manager of the Chicago branch of the Liquid Carbonic Company in 1922. He began work for investment bankers Forgan, Gray and Company in 1923 and was eventually made Vice President. In 1933 he founded his own investment firm, the David L. Shillinglaw Company, later Shillinglaw, Bolger and Company, Inc.
In addition to his leadership in numerous corporations throughout Chicago, Shillinglaw served in the American Legion. He joined the Legion in 1919, and was commander of the Advertising Men's Post in Chicago. He was President of the Cook County Council, and later a member of the National Defense Committee. Shillinglaw was elected the Illinois State Commander of the American Legion in 1928, and was made a member of the National Executive Committee in 1929.
Shillinglaw married Marie Schmidt of Chicago in 1930.
In addition to his business ventures and service in the American Legion, Shillinglaw was active in politics. He was a Republican precinct captain for twenty-five years, Chief Doorkeeper at the Republican Convention in Philadelphia in 1940, and Assistant State Director of Finance for Illinois from 1940 to 1944. He was active in many local and state campaigns. In 1953 Shillinglaw was sponsored by Everett Dirksen for an appointment to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. His appointment stalled, however, in the federal security check. At the height of the McCarthy era, the FBI questioned Shillinglaw's membership in the Institute of Pacific Relations. Shillinglaw was never appointed to the U.N.
Throughout his career, Shillinglaw lectured widely on finance, foreign relations, democracy, and civil liberties. A number of his addresses and articles were published in The New York Times, The Economist, and other leading newspapers. He was active in numerous educational and philanthropic organizations, including the board of governors of the International House at the University of Chicago, and the board of the Fulbright Scholarship. He established the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professorship at the University of Chicago in 1972. In 1971, the University of Chicago published Shillinglaw's book about his experience in World War I: An American in the Army and YMCA, 1917-1920: The Diary of David Lee Shillinglaw.
Mr. Shillinglaw died in Chicago at the age of 86.
The David Lee Shillinglaw Papers are organized into six series: Series I: Personal; Series II: Correspondence; Series III: Writings; Series IV: Professional; Series V: Audio-Visual; and Series VI: Oversize. The collection contains correspondence; diaries; appointment books; notes, manuscripts, and typescripts for speeches, published articles, and a book; blueprints; reports; clippings; World War I ephemera, publications, and artifacts; photographs; audiotape reels; and scrapbooks. Materials date between 1892 and 1971, with the bulk of the material dating between 1917 and 1960. The papers primarily document Shillinglaw's service in the YMCA American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and the army during WWI, his public speaking engagements, his career in the American Legion, and his personal involvement in numerous patriotic and political organizations.
Series I, Personal, contains ephemera such as invoices, receipts, and postcards; a family crest; material related to Shillinglaw's education; biographical information and clippings about Shillinglaw; diaries kept by Shillinglaw throughout WWI; appointment and address books; a notebook; and a copy of the New Testament carried by Shillinglaw during the war.
Series II, Correspondence, contains outgoing and incoming mail, arranged chronologically. Of particular note are letters written by Shillinglaw to family and friends from WWI-era France. Frequent correspondents include Shillinglaw's mother, Emma Todd Shillinglaw, Shillinglaw's fiancé, Lydia Eccher; and A.A. Zimmerman. This series contains both personal and professional correspondence.
Series III, Writings, consists of material related to the evolution of David Lee Shillinglaw's speeches, published articles, and book about his experience in WWI –An American in the Army and YMCA, 1917-1920 (The University of Chicago, 1971). The series is divided into three subseries: Research Files, Speeches and Articles, and Book. Subseries 1 contains clippings, pamphlets, government publications, serials, and article reprints gathered by Shillinglaw in the course of his writing. The bulk of the material is related to the McCarthy era and civil liberties. Subseries 2 contains a bibliography, notes, manuscript fragments, typescripts, and publicity for Shillinglaw's speeches and articles. Subseries 3 contains typescripts and photocopied typescripts of Shillinglaw's book. This subseries also contains transcriptions of Shillinglaw's diaries and correspondence used in the book.
Series IV, Professional, contains material documenting Shillinglaw's employment, service during WWI, membership in various organizations and boards, and political activities. The series is divided into two subseries:
Subseries 1, Employment, contains a small amount of material documenting Shillinglaw's various businesses in Waterloo, Iowa and Chicago, Illinois from 1911 to 1922. The bulk of the material in this subseries pertains to Shillinglaw's service in the YMCA AEF and the army in France from 1917 to 1919. This material includes a passenger list for the ship on which Shillinglaw sailed to France, official army permits, reports, blueprints and specifications for YMCA hut construction, and wartime publications. It also includes ephemera relevant to Shillinglaw's personal experience in wartime France, including postcards, ticket stubs, menus, programs, invitations, newspapers and magazines, a piece of glass from St-Gervais-et-St-Protais church (presumably following the tragic roof collapse during the German bombardment of Paris in 1918), and a piece of an airplane which fell on the Place de la Concorde on January 31, 1918. Finally, this subseries contains material documenting Shillinglaw's career in the American Legion following the war. This material includes pamphlets, newsletters, reports, and clippings. See Series V and VI for additional WWI and American Legion material.
Subseries 2, Organizations and Boards, contains material pertaining to Shillinglaw's membership activities in various service and political organizations, particularly his service as a board member of the American Institute of Pacific Relations and his service in the Illinois Republican Party. This subseries also includes clippings documenting Shillinglaw's failed candidature for the United Nations Economic and Social Council during the McCarthy era.
Series V, Audio-Visual, contains photographs of Shillinglaw, including studio portraits and candid photographs from childhood through adulthood. This series also contains photographs taken throughout Shillinglaw's service in Europe during WWI and in the American Legion. Also included are two 5-inch audiotape reels. One reel is labeled "Boyhood," suggesting that the tapes contain oral history interviews with Shillinglaw.
Series VI, Oversize, contains a variety of oversize items. Of particular note are two scrapbooks containing photographs and ephemera pertaining to Shillinglaw's WWI and American Legion experiences. This series also contains Shillinglaw's 1920 passport, article reprints and government documents related to his writings, reprints of Shillinglaw's speeches, posters, clippings, and other ephemera relevant to his service in WWI.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/select.html
Series I: Personal |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Personal ephemera, circa 1912-1937 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Biographical information, Undated |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Clippings about Shillinglaw, 1937-1966 |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Education, 1910-1917 |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Address books, notebook, and datebook, circa 1917-1920 |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Diary, September 4, 1917-February 12, 1918 |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Diary, February 14, 1918-July 6, 1918 |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Diary, July 17, 1918-October 28, 1918 |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Diary, October 30, 1918-May 13, 1919 |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | New Testament, 1917 |
Series II: Correspondence |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | Correspondence, 1911-1913 |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | Correspondence, 1914 |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1915 |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1916 |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1917 |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1917 |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Correspondence, 1917 |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | Correspondence, 1918 |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | Correspondence, 1918 |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1918 |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1919 |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1919 |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1919 |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | Correspondence, 1920-1924 |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | Correspondence, 1925-1952 |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1953 |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1954 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1955-1958 |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1960-1967 |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Correspondence, Undated |
Series III: Writings |
Subseries 1: Research Files |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | Research Files, 1924-1971 |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | Research Files, Dawes Plan, 1925-1928 |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Research Files, Lincoln, 1911-1959 |
| Box 5 Folder 5 | Research Files, McCarthyism and Civil Liberties, 1951-1959 |
| Box 5 Folder 6 | Research Files, McCarthyism and Civil Liberties, 1947-1960 |
| Box 6 Folder 1 | Research Files, McCarthyism and Civil Liberties, 1952-1960 |
Subseries 2: Speeches and Articles |
| Box 6 Folder 2 | Speeches and Articles, 1917-1927 |
| Box 6 Folder 3 | Speeches and Articles, 1928-1932 |
| Box 6 Folder 4 | Speeches and Articles, 1933-1945 |
| Box 6 Folder 5 | Speeches and Articles, 1950-1955 |
| Box 6 Folder 6 | Speeches and Articles, 1956-1967 |
| Box 7 Folder 1 | Speeches and Articles, Undated |
| Box 7 Folder 2 | Speeches and Articles, Undated |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Speeches and Articles, Notes and Fragments, Undated |
| Box 7 Folder 4 | Speeches and Articles, Notes and Fragments, Undated |
| Box 7 Folder 5 | Speeches and Articles, Publicity, 1929-1955 |
Subseries 3: Book |
| Box 7 Folder 6 | Typescript introduction to "The War Diary of David Lee Shillinglaw, 1917-1918," Undated |
| Box 7 Folder 7 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 1, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 1 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 2, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 2 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 3, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 3 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 4, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 4 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 5, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 5 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 6, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 6 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 7, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 7 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 8, Undated |
| Box 8 Folder 8 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 9, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 1 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 10, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 2 | Photocopied Typescript, An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 11, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 3 | Diary Transcriptions for An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 1, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 4 | Diary Transcriptions for An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 2, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 5 | Diary Transcriptions for An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 3, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 6 | Diary Transcriptions for An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 4, Undated |
| Box 9 Folder 7 | Diary Transcriptions for An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 5, Undated |
| Box 10 Folder 1 | Diary Transcriptions for An American in the Army and YMCA, pt. 6, Undated |
| Box 10 Folder 2 | Transcribed Correspondence for An American in the Amy and YMCA, pt. 2, Undated |
| Box 10 Folder 3 | Transcribed Correspondence for An American in the Amy and YMCA, pt. 3, Undated |
| Box 10 Folder 4 | Transcribed Correspondence for An American in the Amy and YMCA, pt. 4, Undated |
Series IV: Professional |
Subseries 1: Employment |
| Box 10 Folder 5 | Employment, circa 1911-1922 |
| Box 10 Folder 6 | YMCA AEF, Training and Voyage on La Touraine, 1917 |
| Box 10 Folder 7 | YMCA AEF and Army, Permits, 1917-1918 |
| Box 10 Folder 8 | YMCA AEF, Construction Department, 1917-1918 |
| Box 10 Folder 9 | YMCA AEF, Construction Blueprints and Specifications, 1917-1918 |
| Box 11 Folder 1 | Salvage Department, 1919 |
| Box 11 Folder 2 | YMCA AEF, Publications, 1917-1919 |
| Box 11 Folder 3 | Wartime Ephemera, 1917-1919 |
| Box 11 Folder 4 | Wartime Ephemera, 1917-1919 |
| Box 11 Folder 5 | Postcards, 1917-1919 |
| Box 11 Folder 6 | European Newspapers and Magazines, 1917-1919 |
| Box 11 Folder 7 | Wartime Artifacts, 1918 |
| Box 12 Folder 1 | American Legion, 1921-1960 |
| Box 12 Folder 2 | American Legion, Meeting Notices, 1925-1926 |
| Box 12 Folder 3 | American Legion, Clippings, 1928-1954 |
Subseries 2: Organizations and Boards |
| Box 12 Folder 4 | Organizations and Boards, 1916-1956 |
| Box 12 Folder 5 | American Institute of Pacific Relations, 1936-1960 |
| Box 12 Folder 6 | American Institute of Pacific Relations, 1950-1953 |
| Box 12 Folder 7 | American Institute of Pacific Relations, 1952-1960 |
| Box 12 Folder 8 | Political Activities, circa 1928-1960 |
| Box 12 Folder 9 | Political Activities, 1953 |
Series V: Audio-Visual |
| Box 13 Folder 1 | Photographs and Negatives, circa 1892-1970 |
| Box 13 Folder 2 | Photographs, 1917-1919 |
| Box 13 Folder 3 | Photographs, 1917-1919 |
| Box 13 Folder 4 | Audiotape Reels, Undated |
Series VI: Oversize |
| Box 14 | Item 1: Scrapbook, circa 1917-1919 |
| Box 14 | Item 2: Scrapbook, circa 1925-1929 |
| Box 15 Folder 1 | Passport, 1920 |
| Box 15 Folder 2 | Research Files, 1925-1938 |
| Box 15 Folder 3 | Speeches and Articles, circa 1930-1932 |
| Box 15 Folder 4 | Employment, 1917 |
| Box 15 Folder 5 | YMCA Ephemera, circa 1917-1919 |
| Box 15 Folder 6 | Wartime Ephemera, 1919 |