Ivy Ledbetter Lee Papers

Lee, Ivy L. (Ivy Ledbetter) (1877-1934)

Ivy L. Lee was born in Cedartown, Georgia on July 16, 1877 of Emma Eufaula Ledbetter Lee and the Reverend Dr. James Wideman Lee, a well known Methodist clergyman in the South. Ivy Lee's childhood was spent in Atlanta, Georgia, except for his senior year in high school, spent in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Emory College in Atlanta for two years and then transferred to Princeton University, from which he graduated in 1898. While at Princeton, Lee was active on the college newspaper and won the Lynde debate prize.

Lee did post-graduate work at Harvard and Columbia Universities, but due to lack of funds, he entered newspaper work. He was a journalist at the New York American, the New York Times, and the New York World. He preferred to write about business and financial affairs. His first work in public relations came in 1903 as publicity manager for the Citizens' Union. He authored the textbook The Best Administration New York City Ever Had, used in Seth Low's unsuccessful mayoral campaign. Lee then took a press job with the Democratic National Committee.

Lee and George Parker, press agent for the Democratic National Committee, opened the pioneering public relations firm of Parker and Lee in 1905. Parker provided the connections and Lee the creativity in this venture. In an era of muckraking journalism, Lee saw the benefit public relations work could have for big business, believing that if people were presented with all the facts on both sides of an issue, they would not come down so harshly on business interests. Lee saw his role as interpreting the public to the industrialists and the industrialist to the people. To achieve this end, Lee believed in supplying the newspapers with as much information as possible. His "Declaration of Principles," drafted during the anthracite coal strike in the spring of 1906, explained the guiding precepts of his public relations theory. The main points of the Declaration were to guarantee the accuracy of facts and leave to the discretion of the newspaper editor whether an item was worth printing as news. The aim was to provide news, not advertising.

Another opportunity to practice Lee's principles came with work for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1906. The railroad had a policy of refusing reporters access to all accident sites and refusing to grant interviews. This policy led to reporters' mistrust of the railroad and in turn mistrust on the part of the general public. Lee immediately opened the lines of communication with frequent updates and arranged for reporters to travel to accident sites. In 1908 Lee joined the Pennsylvania Railroad full time, in charge of their publicity bureau.

In 1910 Lee and his young family sailed to Europe, where he arranged to open European offices for the investment firm of Harris, Winthrop, and Company. While in London, Lee delivered a series of lectures at the London School of Economics on railroads. On December 1, 1912 he became executive assistant to the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. This position gave Lee the opportunity to help influence policy, not just react to incidents at the railroad. Much of Lee's energy was spent in fighting the public clamor to lower freight rates. In 1914 the president of the railroad lent Lee to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to help counter negative press during strikes at the Colorado Fuel and Oil Company mines.

Lee's work for Rockefeller led to the acceptance of a position on the personal advisory staff of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. beginning January 1, 1915. About a year later, he ended his employ with the Rockefellers, determined to open an independent publicity firm (see below). During World War I, Lee served as publicity director and later as Assistant to the Chairman of the American Red Cross.

As the firm prospered, with T. J. Ross taking on more duties as day to day manager during the late 1920s and early 1930s, Lee turned his attention to international concerns. He turned his lifelong interest in Russia into a one-man campaign for recognition of the Soviet Union, believing that commerce and a free flow of ideas with the United States would "kill bolshevism." In 1926 he wrote a letter to the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing for recognition of the Soviet Union. Lee's letter eventually made front page headlines. Lee continued through the 1920s to push for United States recognition of the Soviet Union, leading to many false accusations that Lee was in the employ of the Soviet government as a propagandist. Present Day Russia (1928) outlined his observations of the Soviet Union made during a trip in 1927. At the time of Lee's death, he was again embroiled in controversy surrounding his consulting work for I. G. Farben Industries of Germany. Many individuals claimed he was in the employ of the Nazi government. No proof was ever found that this allegation was correct.

Lee married Cornelia Bartlett Bigelow in 1901. The couple had three children: Alice Lee (Cudlipp) in 1902, James Wideman Lee II in 1906, and Ivy Lee, Jr. in 1909. Ivy Lee died of a brain tumor on November 9, 1934; he was 57 years old.

Organizational History of Ivy Lee & Associates

The firm was opened on April 1, 1916 by Ivy Lee. Partners in the firm included W. W. Harris, a newspaper man, and James W. Lee, Jr, Ivy's brother, who had also done publicity work for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The firm was originally known as Lee, Harris and Lee. Later the name was changed to Ivy Lee and Associates. The firm took on many prominent clients, among them the Pennsylvania Railroad, John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and Jr., various investment houses, industrial organizations, and philanthropic institutions. T. J. Ross joined the firm in 1919.

In 1933 the name of the firm was changed to Ivy L. Lee and T. J. Ross. T. J. Ross became a senior partner and the other members of the staff junior partners. The junior partners in 1933 were Burnham Carter, Harcourt Parrish, Joseph Ripley, James W. Lee II, and Ivy L. Lee, Jr. At Ivy Lee's death, T J. Ross became the senior partner. In 1944 Ivy Lee, Jr. withdrew from the firm and opened his own office in San Francisco. In 1961, at James W. Lee II's retirement from the firm, its name was changed to T. J. Ross and Associates, Inc.

Princeton University

The College of New Jersey was initially chartered in 1746. The first classes were held in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in the parsonage of the president, the Reverend Jonathan Dickinson. Upon his death, the College moved to Newark, New Jersey, and was headed by the Reverend Aaron Burr, Sr. Since 1756, the College has been located in Princeton, New Jersey. For the first fifty years, nearly all College operations took place within Nassau Hall. Fires, fundraising difficulties, low student enrollment, and the Civil War challenged the vitality of the College in the early and middle nineteenth century, but the College grew vigorously under the leadership of President James McCosh, and it was renamed Princeton University in 1896. The Graduate School was established in 1900, although a limited graduate program had existed since the 1870s. Princeton enthusiastically supported the country (living up to its informal motto, "Princeton in the Nation's Service") during the First and Second World Wars, offering the expertise of faculty and campus space for training, as well as facilitating the early graduation of students so they could enlist. The post-World War II years brought dramatic changes to Princeton. The size and strength of the University's facilities and academic programs—especially for the applied sciences and public policy—were increased dramatically. Under President Robert Goheen, Princeton began to admit minority students in greater numbers in the 1960s and admitted women undergraduates in 1969. Today, Princeton is widely regarded as one of the top universities in the world.

Kahn, Otto H. (1867-1934)

Otto Kahn, international banker, philanthropist, and patron of the arts and music, was born in Mannheim, Germany, on February 21, 1867. He was the son of Bernhard, a banker, and Emma Kahn. His father took part in the German Revolution of 1848 and was condemned to death. He escaped to America and became a naturalized citizen. After ten years he returned to Germany and was able to marry Emma Eberstadt with the consent of her parents on the condition that he not return to America.

At the age of 17, Kahn finished his studies and began work as a junior clerk in a banking house in Karlsruhe. While learning the fundamental skills of banking, he continued his musical studies and attended lectures at the local university. Kahn then served in the military for a few years. Afterward he returned to banking and spent the next five years in London with Deutsche-Bank. Then in 1893 he accepted a position in the United States with the banking firm Speyer & Co.

Kahn married Addie Wolff in 1896 and together they had four children: Emily Maud, Margaret-Dorothy, Gilbert Wolff, and Roger Wolff. On January 1, 1897, Kahn entered the banking firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. as a partner. Kahn aided the reorganization of the Union Pacific and many other railroad companies making Kuhn, Loeb & Co. one of the top banking houses.

Kahn served as the director of both Equitable Trust Co. of New York and Los Angeles & Salt Lake R. R. Co., and as the chairman of the Finance and Currency Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. He was also a trustee of MIT, Rutgers College, and Carnegie Institute of Technology. Many universities, such as Michigan, George Washington, and Lincoln Memorial, have awarded him honorary degrees.

During World War I, Kahn played a very active role in aiding public services in various countries. The governments of France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain bestowed high honors on him for his philanthropic work. Kahn was a life-long patron of the arts and music, especially in New York City, and held various positions on the Board of the Metropolitan Opera House for over 25 years. He was responsible for bringing in Guilo Gatti-Casazza as director and Arturo Toscanini as principal conductor, as well as making many artistic and business reforms. Kahn also founded the Chicago Opera and served on the board of various other musical companies.

Otto Kahn died of a heart attack in his New York office on March 30, 1934. His family received hundreds of condolences due to his long banking career, involvement in the arts, and other philanthropic endeavors.

Lee, Ivy L. (Ivy Ledbetter) (1877-1934)

Ivy L. Lee was born in Cedartown, Georgia on July 16, 1877 of Emma Eufaula Ledbetter Lee and the Reverend Dr. James Wideman Lee, a well known Methodist clergyman in the South. Ivy Lee's childhood was spent in Atlanta, Georgia, except for his senior year in high school, spent in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Emory College in Atlanta for two years and then transferred to Princeton University, from which he graduated in 1898. While at Princeton, Lee was active on the college newspaper and won the Lynde debate prize.

Lee did post-graduate work at Harvard and Columbia Universities, but due to lack of funds, he entered newspaper work. He was a journalist at the New York American, the New York Times, and the New York World. He preferred to write about business and financial affairs. His first work in public relations came in 1903 as publicity manager for the Citizens' Union. He authored the textbook The Best Administration New York City Ever Had, used in Seth Low's unsuccessful mayoral campaign. Lee then took a press job with the Democratic National Committee.

Lee and George Parker, press agent for the Democratic National Committee, opened the pioneering public relations firm of Parker and Lee in 1905. Parker provided the connections and Lee the creativity in this venture. In an era of muckraking journalism, Lee saw the benefit public relations work could have for big business, believing that if people were presented with all the facts on both sides of an issue, they would not come down so harshly on business interests. Lee saw his role as interpreting the public to the industrialists and the industrialist to the people. To achieve this end, Lee believed in supplying the newspapers with as much information as possible. His "Declaration of Principles," drafted during the anthracite coal strike in the spring of 1906, explained the guiding precepts of his public relations theory. The main points of the Declaration were to guarantee the accuracy of facts and leave to the discretion of the newspaper editor whether an item was worth printing as news. The aim was to provide news, not advertising.

Another opportunity to practice Lee's principles came with work for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1906. The railroad had a policy of refusing reporters access to all accident sites and refusing to grant interviews. This policy led to reporters' mistrust of the railroad and in turn mistrust on the part of the general public. Lee immediately opened the lines of communication with frequent updates and arranged for reporters to travel to accident sites. In 1908 Lee joined the Pennsylvania Railroad full time, in charge of their publicity bureau.

In 1910 Lee and his young family sailed to Europe, where he arranged to open European offices for the investment firm of Harris, Winthrop, and Company. While in London, Lee delivered a series of lectures at the London School of Economics on railroads. On December 1, 1912 he became executive assistant to the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. This position gave Lee the opportunity to help influence policy, not just react to incidents at the railroad. Much of Lee's energy was spent in fighting the public clamor to lower freight rates. In 1914 the president of the railroad lent Lee to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to help counter negative press during strikes at the Colorado Fuel and Oil Company mines.

Lee's work for Rockefeller led to the acceptance of a position on the personal advisory staff of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. beginning January 1, 1915. About a year later, he ended his employ with the Rockefellers, determined to open an independent publicity firm (see below). During World War I, Lee served as publicity director and later as Assistant to the Chairman of the American Red Cross.

As the firm prospered, with T. J. Ross taking on more duties as day to day manager during the late 1920s and early 1930s, Lee turned his attention to international concerns. He turned his lifelong interest in Russia into a one-man campaign for recognition of the Soviet Union, believing that commerce and a free flow of ideas with the United States would "kill bolshevism." In 1926 he wrote a letter to the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing for recognition of the Soviet Union. Lee's letter eventually made front page headlines. Lee continued through the 1920s to push for United States recognition of the Soviet Union, leading to many false accusations that Lee was in the employ of the Soviet government as a propagandist. Present Day Russia (1928) outlined his observations of the Soviet Union made during a trip in 1927. At the time of Lee's death, he was again embroiled in controversy surrounding his consulting work for I. G. Farben Industries of Germany. Many individuals claimed he was in the employ of the Nazi government. No proof was ever found that this allegation was correct.

Lee married Cornelia Bartlett Bigelow in 1901. The couple had three children: Alice Lee (Cudlipp) in 1902, James Wideman Lee II in 1906, and Ivy Lee, Jr. in 1909. Ivy Lee died of a brain tumor on November 9, 1934; he was 57 years old.

Organizational History of Ivy Lee & Associates

The firm was opened on April 1, 1916 by Ivy Lee. Partners in the firm included W. W. Harris, a newspaper man, and James W. Lee, Jr, Ivy's brother, who had also done publicity work for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The firm was originally known as Lee, Harris and Lee. Later the name was changed to Ivy Lee and Associates. The firm took on many prominent clients, among them the Pennsylvania Railroad, John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and Jr., various investment houses, industrial organizations, and philanthropic institutions. T. J. Ross joined the firm in 1919.

In 1933 the name of the firm was changed to Ivy L. Lee and T. J. Ross. T. J. Ross became a senior partner and the other members of the staff junior partners. The junior partners in 1933 were Burnham Carter, Harcourt Parrish, Joseph Ripley, James W. Lee II, and Ivy L. Lee, Jr. At Ivy Lee's death, T J. Ross became the senior partner. In 1944 Ivy Lee, Jr. withdrew from the firm and opened his own office in San Francisco. In 1961, at James W. Lee II's retirement from the firm, its name was changed to T. J. Ross and Associates, Inc.

This collection consists of assorted material by and about Lee and his involvement in the history, development and practice of public relations work in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. The material includes correspondence, writings, and personal material on both Ivy Lee and his immediate family.

In addition, the corporate records of the public relations firm Ivy Lee & Associates are also included in the papers. The records cover the period 1916 through 1946. These records consist of materials used in various public relations campaigns. Some of the larger clients represented are John D. Rockefeller Sr. and Jr., the Pennsylvania Railroad, Armour Inc., Bethlehem Steel and Chrysler Corporation.

Digital images of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company "Subway Sun" and "Elevated Express" posters from 1918 to 1932 are available via the Digital PUL website.

The papers were given to the Princeton University in the late 1950s by the Lee family. Subsequently, public relations material (Matter Sent Out volumes) from Ivy Lee and Associates, was a gift of T. J. Ross and Associates in 1978. Over the last thirty years Ivy Lee's sons and daughter have on occasion donated additional papers to the Library.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by Paula Jabloner with the assistance of Katherine Couch and Shawn O'Neill in September 1992 to June 1993. Finding aid written by Paula Jabloner in September 1992 to June 1993.

Related Archival Material at Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library

Princeton University Scrapbooks

Princeton University Class of 1898

Princeton University Senior Theses on Ivy Lee

Atwater, Edward Sanford, IV, Practice or Principle: A Study of Ivy Lee (1967: History, 124 pp.)

Beckwith, Stephen Ross, Counsellor to Big Business: Ivy Lee and Business Reform, 1900-1930 (1964: Woodrow Wilson School, 143 pp.)

Berlin, Arnold Mark, Ivy Lee (1946: Woodrow Wilson School, 149 pp.)

Halsey, MacDonald Brooke, Ivy Lee and Russia (1966: History, 102 pp.)

Lyon, Peter Baker, Ivy L. Lee: Public Relations Theory and Practice (1968: History, 78 pp.)

Pendray, G. Edward, Papers

McAneny, George C., Papers (material on Interborough Rapid Transit)

Related Archival Material at Other Institutions

The Rockefeller Archives Center, Tarrytown, NY

Harcourt Parrish Papers, University of Virginia

Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE (Pennsylvania Railroad Collection)

Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, PA (Pennsylvania Railroad Collection)

Related Publications

Hiebert, Ray Eldon, Courtier to the Crowd: The Story of Ivy Lee and the Development of Public Relations (Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1966)

Lee, Ivy Ledbetter, The City for the People: The Best Administration New York Ever Had (New York: Citizens Union, 1903)

Lee, Ivy Ledbetter, Human Nature and Railroads (Philadelphia: E. S. Nash & Co., 1915)

Lee, Ivy Ledbetter, Memories of Uncle Remus: Joel Chandler Harris as Seen and Remembered by a Few of His Friends (New York: privately printed, 1908)

Lee, Ivy Ledbetter, Present-Day Russia (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1928)

Lee, Ivy Ledbetter, U.S.S.R.: A World Enigma (New York: privately printed, 1927)

No information about appraisal is available for this collection.

Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Ivy Ledbetter Lee Papers, Box and Folder Number; Public Policy Papers, Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Publisher

Public Policy Papers

Finding aids author

Paula Jabloner

Date

1997

Creator

Lee, Ivy L. (Ivy Ledbetter) (1877-1934)

Subject

Advertising -- United States -- 20th century

Anthracite coal industry -- Public relations

Fathers and sons -- 20th century -- Correspondence

Industrial publicity

Public relations -- United States -- Banks and banking -- 20th century

Public relations -- United States -- Industry -- 20th century

Public relations -- United States -- Petroleum industry -- 20th century

Public relations -- United States -- Railroads -- 20th century

Public relations -- United States -- 20th century

Public relations and politics -- United States -- 20th century

Public relations consultants -- United States -- 20th century -- Records and correspondence

Railroads -- United States -- Management -- 20th century

People

Kahn, Otto H. (1867-1934)

Lee, Ivy L. (Ivy Ledbetter) (1877-1934)

Lee, James W. (James Wideman) (1849-1919)

Rockefeller, John D. (John Davison) (1839-1937)

Rockefeller, John D., Jr. (John Davison) (1874-1960)

Organization

Chrysler corporation

Columbia Broadcasting System, inc.

Copper & Brass Research Association (U.S.)

Cotton-Textile Institute.

Bankers Trust Company (New York, N.Y.)

Bethlehem Steel Corporation

Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics

Dominick & Dominick

Allied Liquor Industries

American Red Cross

American Tobacco Company

Western Union Telegraph Company

T. J. Ross and Associates, Inc

Socony Mobil oil company

Standard Oil Company

Interborough Rapid Transit Company of New York

National Board of Fire Underwriters

New York Trust Company

Pennsylvania railroad

Princeton University

Princeton University. Class of 1898.

Place

New York (N.Y.) -- Politics and government -- 1898-1951

Language

English

Form

Correspondence

Diaries

Files.