The papers are organized with respect to Leeds' ancestry and major activities. Therefore, the first two boxes contain genealogical information on the Leeds and Maule families, box 3 deals with the Maules (maternal relatives), box 4 contains correspondence of his brother, the naturalist Arthur Newlin Leeds, box 5 embraces correspondence of Morris Leeds and Hadassah Moore Leeds, his wife, box 6 houses Leeds' personal correspondence, including letters sent when he was a student at Haverford College, box 7 incorporates his correspondence as a member of the Board of Managers of Haverford College, box 8 holds business correspondence as dictated from his office at Leeds & Northrup and from his position on the Philadelphia Board of Education, box 9 yields speeches, studies and papers pertaining to clubs to which Morris Leeds belonged, box 10 contains miscellaneous papers, box 11 includes Leeds' awards, and box 12 contains condolences on his death, some biographical material and some photographs.
The following abbreviations are sometimes used: ANL=Arthur Newlin Leeds; MEL=Morris Evans Leeds; HL=Hadassah Leeds; L&N=Leeds & Northrup; MM=Monthly Meeting.
Nine books, including on Ernst Abbe and Carl Zeiss Stiftung; 5 copies of Maule family genealogy to pamphlet collection; by MEL to pamphlet collection: "The Employee Plan of L & N", "Democratic Organization in L & N", "L & N Plan for Stock Ownership & Transfer," "Stabilizing Employment", "Political Economy and the Industrialist", "Engineers & Economics", "A National Economic Council"; also to pamphlet collection - other information on Leeds & Northrup. To manuscript collection: an address to the graduating class at Westtown Boarding School, 1887 by Chas. Rhoads; correspondence of Albert Edmunds & Rendel Harris, 1917-18 (2 letters). To 910I: MEL's B.S. (1888) and honorary L.L.D. (1946) from Haverford College. To 989A: framed minute on the resignation of MEL from Philadelphia Board of Education, July, 1948.
Gift, 1977.
The finding aid which follows highlights letters containing information by or about Leeds and from noteworthy people.
Morris Evans Leeds (1869-1952) was born in Philadelphia, the son of Barclay R. Leeds and Mary Maule Leeds. He was educated at Westtown School and graduated from Haverford College in 1880. He studied at the University of Berlin from 1892-93. For a brief time, he taught at Westtown, then was employed by Queen & Company. Beginning in 1889 until 1903, Leeds was managing partner in Morris E. Leeds & Co. He became president of Leeds & Northrup in 1903. The company began its operations in 1899, was joined for a short time by Dr. Northrup, from which it derived its name, Leeds & Northrup. The company made strides not only in the field of precision instruments, but also under the direction of Leeds, in employee working conditions, relations between employees and management, and amelioration of unemployment. Some of his ideas for these developments came from a study of the Carl Zeiss Stiftung in Jena owned and controlled by Ernst Abbe. Leeds' business correspondence, primarily for the years 1950-52 presents an overall picture of the committees with which he was associated and causes with which he sympathized. In 1926, Leeds married Hadassah J. Moore. They had two daughters. From 1909-52, he was a member of the Corporation and Board of Haverford College, serving as President of the Board from 1928-45. Leeds was also active on the School Board of Philadelphia and was its president from 1938-48. Morris E. Leeds was interested in botany and was a member of many scientific and cultural societies. He was co-author of Toward Full Employment.
The researcher should know that the bulk of the Leeds and Northrup papers is domiciled at Eleutherian Mills, Hagley Foundation Library at Greenville, Del.; the greatest portion of Leeds' papers pertaining to the Philadelphia Board of Education and Haverford College Board of Managers is elsewhere.
See also collection no. 1014, primarily correspondence between M.E. Leeds and E. Tudor Gross in 1942 relating to the invention of the window envelope ca. 1861 by Lewis W. Leeds, and related information from 1862.
Further information on the Maules can be gleaned from Maule papers previously deposited at Haverford.
1127 - Leeds, Morris Evans. Papers, 1881-1952.
[re English ancestry of Leeds' and transcription of same]
[re Daniel Leeds and his almanac]
[re a trip west.]
[re legal ownership of an estate as result of will of Thomas Renard.
[re M.E.L.'s mother, Mary Maule Leeds] re Daniel Leeds and dealings of meetings at Burlington and Philadelphia with Daniel Leeds]
[meeting's dealings with Daniel Leeds, ending in disownment
[account of a visit to Philadelphia and Germantown]
[are sewing for freedmen; war news]
[re death of Margaret Maule]
[re character of Margaret Maule]
[re sale of Maulton [Farm]
[care of Maulton with the aging of the Maule sisters
[proposes plan by which he and Arthur will take over responsibility of running farm.]
[investments on behalf of Maule sisters]
[proposals for legal agreement between MEL and Maule sisters]
[business papers re investments for aunts]
[sends history of Wickersham farm which was original residence of Joel Baily in early 1700s, written by Hayes Taylor
[re possible discontinuance of London Grove M.M.]
[requests he represent his ancestor, Daniel Leeds, in costume for 250th anniversary of founding of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting]
[asks Leeds, a member of a committee to hang art work at Westtown School, to reconsider original list of proposed hangings]
[tells of her entomological club for boys and girls in the Sumney Town Hills; encloses a poem]
[his paper proposes reproducing primitive man by crossing the various races with the four living anthropoids]
[botanical comments]
[botanical notes and refers to their next trip to retrace routes of John and William Bartram through eastern Georgia]
[conditions of his employment as a partner in Leeds' Wabash Mills Co.]
[concerns pictures to be hung at Westtown School].
[about her "visions" on good and evil]
[encloses a poem composed at Fourway Lodge]
[tells of various trips he has taken]
[boy's chatty letter about daily events]
[comments on work at Maulton Farm]
[description of visit to Natural Bridge, Va.]
[on a geological trip with Westtown Boarding School; watched an electrical blast to loosen rock]
[re trip to N.Y. with family and friends.]
[description of his trip on the Susquehanna River.]
[hopes he will accept position with Red Cross at time of Mexican earthquake.]
[about a trip west, including seeing Indian mounds, etc.]
[botanical highlights of a trip.]
[states his plan to follow Bartram's trail through Georgia.]
[continues on Bartram's trail.]
[explains trail and guides by Bartram followed during his trip with Francis Harper.]
[agrees with Socialists in their criticism of our industrial society, but does not agree with their antidotes; responsibility of management with worker.]
[re his teaching of a Quaker history course.]
[in Washington at an instrument makers' conference.]
[heard Seebohm Rowntree on the compensation of of workers and ranks him just below Ernst Abbe.]
[will discuss shifts in organization at Leeds & Northrup with Redding and Cary.
[organizational changes at Leeds & Northrup]
[reports substantial orders and shipments at L & N]
[tells of attending Haverford Board of Managers meeting at which alumni representation to the board was discussed.]
[will send $500 for Washington Meetinghouse and subscribe $10,000 to Franklin Memorial]
[attended Haverford Board of Managers meeting at which subject of education student life was discussed.]
[Meeting's need to deal with problem of divorce.]
[tells of L & N sales for the month.]
[Spoke to a Bryn Mawr class.]
[Prospect of admitting non-Friends to Westtown to be discussed; enclosed is copy of an interview with MEL on the need for instituting overseers for all Quaker schools, rather than have each one individually run.]
[expresses concern for business situation.]
[reports on L & N sales for the month.]
[disbanding of Lloyd Committee as could not raise funds to deal with unemployment situation and must be dealt with by government appropriations rather than private charity.]
[more L & N statistics during depression days.]
[better sales prognosis for L & N for the fall.
[re taking on a new man at L & N.]
[mentions extensive wage and hour readjustments at L & N.]
[three committees to which he has been appointed dealing with employment.]
[re "code" to be used by L & N and Washington code representative.]
[re secret recorder paper manufacturing.]
[concerns call to come to the White House.]
[reports death of Margaret Maule.]
[has a hand in establishing provisions for unemployment on the social security bill.]
[re recreating a Philadelphia Labor Board.]
[as President of School Board of Philadelphia prevented discussion of move of Central High to Olney & Ogontz.]
[was at Haverford College commencement, gave a talk upon the presentation of William Wistar Comfort's portrait.]
[spoke with Felix Morley. "He seems close to my ideal of the man we want." (for president of Haverford College).]
[re proposal that Board of Education operate a City College.]
[is to attend a meeting with the mayor to discuss child care centers.]
[L & N meetings dealing with pensions, stock issues, etc.]
[hopes his grades will improve.]
[all on events at Westtown Boarding School]
[question as to whether Westtown Boarding School will continue in summer semester.]
[continues to tell of school days.]
[re visit to Marshallton]
[tells of his debate in the Everett Society; studies at Haverford.]
[reports new presidency of Isaac Sharpless and events of celebration]
[on taking a trip and studying the flora.
[on a stay at Maulton and benefits of a Westtown education.
[activities at Haverford]
[teaching (at Westtown) may not be his calling.]
[encourages him in his teaching career]
[tells of teaching responsibilities]
[about an impending trip south and a desire to resign from his teaching position.]
[will probably stay on at Westtown another year.]
[announces resignation from Westtown]
[about taking on position at Queen & Co.]
[writes from Germany, gives picture of daily living.]
[his opinions on present house at Maulton vs. possible alternatives.]
[description of MEL's and HML's wedding.]
[gratitude for new teacher's room in Friends' School, Atlantic City, N.J.]
[tells MEL he has won first prize in Forbes contest.]
[appreciates work he has done for school committee.]
["Social activities have interfered with my work on economics."]
[describes his trip west.]
[this letter and several following are condolences on the death of Arthur Newlin Leeds.]
[forwards copy of remarks made by Dr. Pennell on the life and work of AN Leeds.]
[re loss of Daniel Leeds' cane by fire in 1945.]
[resigns from Phila. Committee on Public Affairs.]
[Gift of $1,000 to Alumni Fund acknowledged.]
[Gift of 1,000 to Alumni Fund acknowledged.]
[Gift of $500 to Alumni Fund acknowledged.]
[Request from Board of Managers to Alumni for assistance in selection of a president.]
[request from Corporation of Haverford College that MEL accept nomination to continue for another 3-year term on the Board. MEL accepts.]
[Inquires why there are no women on Haverford's Board of Managers. MEL replies that "in the long run there would [not] be any advantage... there are some things for which women are better suited than men and vice versa."
[notes his (Leeds') gift of $55.000 to the college and its application.]
[expresses appreciation for Leeds' increased donation to campaign totaling $126,000.]
[requests on behalf of Board of Managers that Leeds stay on two committees of the Board. MEL responds affirmatively.]
[advises MEL that as an honorary Life Member of Library Associates he does not need to contribute for the year.]
[requests allocation of some part of Leeds gift for business office equipment. MEL acceeds.]
[sends notification of impending conferral of honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on MEL; requests allocation of part of Leeds gift for biology department equipment. MEL acceeds.]
[sends 250 participating shares of Leeds & Northrup stock.]
[sends 150 participating shares of L & N stock.]
[explains his reasons for decision to resign.]
[encourages Morley to stay on as president of Haverford.]
[re failings of the Atlantic Charter and need for a successful organization.]
[tells the direction in which the post-war college will move. Attached are letters of his conviction that he take a leave of absence, and for March 2, 1945, his view of the college's economic situation.]
[has decided to resign.]
[Comments on Board matters.]
[Maritime Commission honoring Haverford by naming a ship S.S. Haverford Victory. MEL responds questioning purpose of ship.]
[announcement of definite resignation of Felix Morley as president of Haverford and need for replacement.]
[concerned about use of atomic bomb.]
[on his piece concerning the atomic bomb for
[accepts nomination as Board president.]
[formal announcement of the election of Gilbert White as president of Haverford College.]
[thanks him for soundproofing of Founders dining area.]
[Is glad MEL can represent the college at the inauguration of Tom Jones as president of Earlham.]
[MEL thanked for his part in a discussion of the role of engineering at Haverford; report attached.]
[re MEL's contribution to 1947 Alumni Fund.]
[re further gift of 550 participating share of L & N stock to the college.]
[pleased with Strawbridge portrait of himself, much more than with that May painted.]
Tribute (bound in covers with Haverford seal) present to Morris Evans Leeds as president of the Corporation and chairman of the Board of Managers of Haverford College. Signed by John F. Gummere. (1945)
[congratulates him on nearly a half century with L & N.]
[re work of Bureau of Municipal Research.]
[election of Leeds to executive board of F.F.A.]
[tells of Haverford's successful endowment campaign and will of William Phyle Philips.]
[re purchase of Hamilton St. Bldg. (for L & N) and imminent removal of sections of the office.]
[notes that he received an honorary degree from P.I.B.]
[re production at L & N of radiosonde receiving equipment, and other equipment manufactured by L & N.]
[re training programs at L & N for management groups.]
["Manufacture of American goods as a means of ameliorating the economy]