Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Norman H.
Strouse Papers,
1916-1987
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Descriptive Summary
Title
J. Walter Thompson Company. Norman H. Strouse
Papers,
1916-1987
Creator
J. Walter Thompson Company.
Extent
2.8 Linear Feet
2100
Items
Repository
Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
Collections Library
Language
English.
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal
Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in
Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour
delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare
Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives
have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the
section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book,
Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Norman H.
Strouse Papers, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke
University.
Provenance
The Norman H. Strouse Papers were transferred to the Rare Book,
Manuscript, and Special Collections Library from the J. Walter Thompson Company
in 1987.
Processing Information
Processed by: Donna Longo DiMichele
Completed December 2, 1992
Encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller
Processing of this collection was supported in part by gifts from
the J. Walter Thompson Company Fund and the John and Kelly Hartman
Foundation.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note
1906, Nov. 4 | Born Olympia, Washington |
1925-1928 | Advertising Department, Post-Intelligencer, Seattle,
Washington |
1929-1936 | Employed as space buyer, San Francisco office, J. Walter
Thompson Company |
1936-1941 | Account Representative, San Francisco office, J. Walter
Thompson Company |
1942 | Account Supervisor and Assistant Pacific Coast Manager, San
Francisco office, J. Walter Thompson Company |
1942-1945 | Army Air Force; Executive Officer of Information and
Education, Special Staff Section in the Pacific |
1946-1947 | Account Supervisor, Ford Motor Company account, Detroit
office, J. Walter Thompson Company |
1946, Aug. 2 | Married Charlotte A. Holt |
1947 | Elected Vice President, J. Walter Thompson Company |
1948-1955 | Manager, Detroit office, J. Walter Thompson Company |
1952 | Elected Director, J. Walter Thompson Company |
1955 | Elected President, J. Walter Thompson Company |
1960-1967 | Elected Chief Executive Officer, J. Walter Thompson
Company |
1964-1968 | Elected Chairman of the Board, J. Walter Thompson
Company |
1968 | Retired from the J. Walter Thompson Company |
Norman H. Strouse was a member of the following advertising and
marketing organizations: the American Association of Advertising Agencies,
Chairman of the Board (1964-1965); the Marketing Science Institute, Trustee
(1962-); and the National Outdoor Advertising Bureau, Director and Board
Chairman (1964-1965).
Library or bibliographic-related organizations with which he was
involved include: the Bibliographical Society; the Book Club of California,
Board Member; the Friends of the Columbia Library, Advisory Council (1963-);
the Grolier Club, Council Member (1961-); the Manuscript Society; the National
Book Committee, Chairman (1962-1964); the National Library Week Steering
Committee (1958-1963); and the New York Public Library, Trustee (1963-).
For further biographical information, see the Biographical Information
series of the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives.
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Collection Overview
The papers of Norman H. Strouse span the years 1916 to 1987, although
the bulk of the material dates from the 1950s to the 1960s. They consist of
correspondence, office files and memoranda, reports, writings and speeches,
charts, client presentations, notes and notebooks, publications, clippings,
photographs, and scrapbooks. The collection documents the J. Walter Thompson
Company office in Detroit, Mich., especially the Ford Motor Company account;
corporate administration for the entire company; company history; and public
relations. The collection also partially documents Norman Strouse's
bibliographic interests.
The Detroit Series documents various aspects of Norman H. Strouse's
service in the Detroit office. Some aspects of his transition to the Presidency
of the J. Walter Thompson Company are documented in the series. The Office
Files Subseries includes information about general management concerns and
decisions regarding staff, including assignments and compensation; operating
expenses; and the succession of top management positions in the 1950s. Ford
Motor Company account information and comparisons between the J. Walter
Thompson Company and other advertising agencies are also in the subseries.
The Detroit Series, Ford Motor Company Subseries documents various
aspects of the Ford Motor Company account with the J. Walter Thompson Company
and, to a lesser extent, personal relationships that Norman H. Strouse had with
members of Ford management. The client presentations, including some to Henry
Ford II, include analyses of expenditures and annual budgets, sales and
marketing figures, and the results of a study authorized by the Ford Motor
Company. Outdoor billboard advertising was an important component of the Ford
account, and Norman Strouse was an innovator in this type of advertising. The
Baby Talk billboard developed for the Ford Motor Company Campaign of 1947 is
well documented in the subseries. There are comments from Ford dealers and
district managers, outdoor advertising companies, and other J. Walter Thompson
Company offices about the campaign. These groups also submitted, to the J.
Walter Thompson Company Detroit office, additional solicited and unsolicited
comments which they had received from the public or found in newspapers. The
Baby Talk Billboard Scrapbook, a portfolio presentation album assembled by
General Outdoor Advertising for Norman Strouse, also documents the campaign,
including the public's response.
When Norman H. Strouse succeeded Stanley B. Resor as President of the
J. Walter Thompson Company, Strouse was the key figure in changing the
organization into a management-run corporation, following the form by which he
had previously organized the Detroit office. The Corporate Administration
Series documents Mr. Strouse's transition to the Presidency and the management
reorganization of the New York office, including the establishment of the
Executive Team, the Administrative Committee, the Operations Committee, and the
Review Boards. Documentation of personnel issues is scattered throughout the
series, especially in regard to upper levels of management. There are also
descriptions of the responsibilities of various positions and the professional
relationships between various J. Walter Thompson Company staff members. Mr.
Strouse wrote numerous memoranda evaluating the course of management policies
and changes as well as future prospects for change, including those that would
occur as a result of retirements. Memoranda on various aspects of forward
planning are scattered throughout the series. The Corporate Administration
Series also includes information on the acquisition of new clients and the
satisfaction of current clients, trends in advertising, billings, profits, and
stock holdings. The series contains information about other advertising
companies, including comparisons of total billings, market distributions, and
evaluation of staff who were under consideration for recruitment to the J.
Walter Thompson Company. The correspondence documents general management
issues, responses to promotions and retirements, and Mr. Strouse's visits to
international offices. Some letters are personal, a number of which reflect Mr.
Strouse's bibliographic interests. The Company Image folder includes
information on the architectural and interior design of the New York offices as
well as discussions of the impressions of the company held by other companies
and the public.
Colin Dawkins, a writer for the J. Walter Thompson Company, collected
information for a history of the company. The J. Walter Thompson Company
History Series contains the correspondence between Mr. Dawkins and Norman
Strouse in regard to Mr. Dawkins's research. The correspondence includes
general information about the J. Walter Thompson Company, especially
management, as well as information specifically about Norman Strouse's
experiences in the company. The series includes copies of some early company
correspondence, including Mr. J. Walter Thompson's resignation; letters from
Stanley Resor to J. Walter Thompson Company employees Rae H. Smith and Loyd R.
Coleman; and to E.J. Copeland of Nash Motors regarding the Kelvinator. There is
a commentary by Lewis Mumford concerning the company library begun by Helen
Lansdowne Resor for employees. Some correspondence has notations referring to
materials in the Detroit Series, Ford Motor Company Subseries and the Corporate
Administration Series. "Basic Roots of the J. Walter Thompson Company" is an
historical overview of the company compiled by Vice President Howard Henderson.
It describes the J. Walter Thompson Company's driving principles and policies
and compares it with other agencies, including their standings in worldwide
competition. "Basic Roots" also includes case histories of some company clients
and their products for the period of about 1904 to the 1920s.
The Public Relations Series documents responses to two articles by
Arno H. Johnson of the J. Walter Thompson Company Research Department and a
third article, "1955-1961/The Best Advertisements from Reader's Digest," which
Mr. Strouse had mailed to members of Congress and other federal government
officials and some corporate leaders.
The Publications Series documents aspects of Norman H. Strouse's hand
press, the Silverado Press, and his bibliographic interests, especially the
work of Robert Louis Stevenson. Norman and Charlotte Strouse were instrumental
in the establishment of the Silverado Museum which focuses on Robert Louis
Stevenson. Some information about this museum is scattered in the Corporate
Administration, Correspondence Series. Reproductions from Norman and Charlotte
Strouse's collection of manuscripts and rare books are in the Christmas
Greeting Subseries.
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Subject Headings
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a
search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will
bring up other related research materials.
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Ford Motor Company.
-
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894.
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Silverado Press.
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Advertising--Automobiles--United States.
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Advertising agencies--Michigan--Detroit.
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Advertising agencies--New York.
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Advertising--Management.
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Advertising executives.
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Book collectors--United States.
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Advertising campaigns.
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John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising &
Marketing History.
 | List of Series in Collection |
 |  | Detroit Series,
1930-1979, undated(
bulk 1947-1950s). |
 |  | Corporate Administration,
1946-1987, undated(
bulk 1955-1969). |
 |  | J. Walter Thompson Company history,
1916-1981, undated(
bulk 1979). |
 |  |
American Association of Advertising Agencies,
1964, undated |
 |  | Public relations,
1962-1963. |
 |  | Publications Series,
1950-1986, undated |
 |  | Oversize Materials |
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Detailed Description of Collection
Detroit Series,
1930-1979, undated(
bulk 1947-1950s).
Office Files Subseries,
1948-1954.
Includes correspondence, memoranda, notes, and charts. See also
oversize materials. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1
Office files,
1948-1954
Ford Motor Company Subseries,
1930-1979, undated(
bulk 1947-1950s).
Includes correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, client
presentations and speeches, clippings, photographs, and scrapbooks. Some items
have a reference to a numbered letter (e.g., letter #9); these numbers refer to
letters in the J. Walter Thompson Company History Series Company History Series
. See also Oversize Materials . Arranged by type of material, then subject.
Correspondence,
1949-1979
Correspondence: personal, acknowledgements,
1951-1968, undated
Correspondence: personal, congratulatory,
1955
Client presentations and speeches,
1948-1966, undated
(2 folders)
Clippings,
1930-1979, undated
Outdoor advertising
"Baby Talk"
billboard, correspondence file,
1947
(3 folders)
Clippings,
1948-1951, undated
Photographs,
1940s
Corporate Administration,
1946-1987, undated(
bulk 1955-1969).
Includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, billing and
organizational charts, notebooks, clippings, and scrapbooks. See also oversize
materials. Arranged with correspondence and memoranda at the beginning,
followed by topical files in alphabetical order, and then clippings. All
folders are arranged chronologically therein.
Box 2
Correspondence,
1955-1987, undated
(3 folders)
Memoranda,
1949-1968, undated
(3 folders)
Client file,
1955-1960s, undated
(Clients:
Eastman-Kodak,
Ford Motor Co.,
Kraft,
Lever Brothers,
Pan American,
Standard Brands,
Scott Paper Co.,
Seven-Up, and
Quaker Oats)
Company image,
1946-1969, undated
Finance,
1945-1965, undated
Forward planning,
1962-1967
(Clients: P. Ballentine and Sons/"Mitch Miller Show,"
Nestle's Milk Products/Nescafe, and Seven-Up)
Box 3
Management planning (notebook),
1960-1967
Management transition,
1959-1979, undated
Organization,
1955-1964, undated
Personnel file,
1954-1968, undated
Planning for the Presidency,
1955
(Clients: E.F. Hutton and Co. and Scott Paper
Co./"Father Knows Best")
Reference notebook: personal,
1955-1966
Shareholder file,
1962-1969
Writings and speeches,
1950-1980, undated
Clippings,
1955-1969, undated
Box 4
Clippings scrapbook,
1956-1960
J. Walter Thompson Company history,
1916-1981, undated(
bulk 1979).
Correspondence, memoranda, and a report. Arranged by type of
material, then chronologically.
Correspondence: Colin Dawkins,
1916-1981, undated
(2 folders)
(Client:
Nash Motors/Kelvinator)
Correspondence:
Colin Dawkins, Resor Library,
1928 and 1979
"Some Basic Roots of
the J. Walter Thompson Company"
by
Howard Henderson,
1959
(2 folders)
(Clients:
Krohn, Fechheimer and Company/Red Cross
Shoes,
Breneman/Brenlin Window Shades,
Andrew Jergens Company/Woodbury's Fine
Facial Soap,
Arbuckle Brothers Company/Yuban Coffee,
Pond's Extract Company/Pond's Creams, and
Lever Brothers/Lux)
American Association of Advertising Agencies,
1964, undated
Correspondence, clippings, and notes from
Norman H. Strouse's term as chairman of the
organization. Arranged chronologically.
1964, undated
Public relations,
1962-1963.
Consists of correspondence. Arranged alphabetically by
correspondents' surnames.
A through Z,
1962-1963
(4 folders)
Publications Series,
1950-1986, undated
Divided into four subseries: Writings and Addresses by Norman H.
Strouse, Silverado Press, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Christmas Greetings.
Writings and Addresses by Norman H. Strouse Subseries,
1959-1968.
Essays, bibliographies, and other works that predominantly treat
either book collecting and bibliography or Robert Louis Stevenson. Arranged
alphabetically by title.
Box 5
How to Build a Poor
Man's Morgan Library, 1959 (2 copies)
The Contemptible
Horse, by John Ruskin, Introductory Essay by Norman H. Strouse,
1962
Ladies In My Library:
Books and Letters from the Collection of Norman H. Strouse, 1968 (2
copies)
The Lengthened Shadow,
an Address by Norman H. Strouse . . . at the Grolier Club,
1960
The Passionate
Pirate, 1964
The Pleasures of
Packing a Library (reprint), 1968
The Silverado
Episode, 1966 (2 copies)
Silverado Press Subseries,
1950-1961.
Pamphlets privately printed by
Norman H. Strouse. Arranged alphabetically
by title.
A Letter from T.J.
Cobden-Sanderson "To my dear Rbt.", 20 November 1914,
1950;photograph of
Emery Walker and T.J. Cobden-Sanderson,
undated
A Spirited
Enterprise, by Marshall E. Dimock,
1961(2 copies)
Robert Louis Stevenson Subseries,
1971, undated
Works by or about
Robert Louis Stevenson. Arranged
alphabetically by title.
The Silverado
Squatters by
Robert Louis Stevenson,
undated
The Silverado
Squatters: Robert Louis Stevenson by
Lawrence Clark Powell (reprint),
1971
Christmas Greetings Subseries,
1961-1986, undated
Privately printed cards and pamphlets with reproductions from
the collection of Norman and
Charlotte Strouse and reprints of essays by
Norman Strouse and others. Some include descriptions of the reproductions by
the Strouses and others. Several may have been issued by the
Silverado Museum. Arranged
chronologically.
1961-1986, undated
Oversize Materials
Office Files Subseries,
1950-1979
Oversize Box
1
In-house spoof of billboard advertisement,
ca. 1950
Relationships chart,
1979
Ford Motor Company Subseries,
1947
"Baby Talk"
billboard:
Scrapbook,
ca. 1947
Corporate Administration Series,
1955-1959
Organization,
1955
Oversize Box
2
Silver bowl,
ca. 1959
[Accession 2005-0039. Presented to Strouse by Helen and
Stanley Resor to commemorate Strouse's 30 years of service at JWT. Presentation
also marked Resor's retirement as CEO of JWT and Strouse's appointment to that
position. Bowl is an exact copy of one made by Paul Revere in 1768.]