Otto H. Kahn Papers

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Call Number:

TC032

Repository:

Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division

Extent:

469 boxes
928 items
191.2 linear feet

Language:

English, French, Hungarian, German, and Italian

Preferred Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Otto H. Kahn Papers, Box and Folder Number; Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Date:

1908-1934 (inclusive) and 1920-1933 (bulk)

Creator:

Kahn, Otto H., 1867-1934

Form:

Correspondence. and Pamphlets.

Abstract:

The Otto H. Kahn Papers consists primarily of the correspondence of Otto H. Kahn (1867-1934), international banker, philanthropist, and patron of the arts and music, but also includes printed copies of addresses, talks, opinions, and speeches that Kahn gave on a variety of political and fiscal topics, as well as press clippings, letterbooks, and some photographs.

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.

The collection consists primarily of correspondence (over 400 boxes) of Kahn during the last twenty-five years of his life when he was prominent as an international banker (with Kuhn, Loeb & Co.), a philanthropist, and a leader in the cultural life of both New York City and the nation. Much of the collection is related to Kahn's business interests in the financial community and in the arts, such as the Metropolitan Opera House where he was chairman of the board. The correspondence reflects not only his generosity as a philanthropist but also the active interest he took in the many groups he supported by serving on administrative and policy-making boards. The scope of Kahn's influence can be seen in the many letters, telegrams, and statements of sympathy from all over the world expressed at his death. As a patron of the arts and an international banking figure, he was often called upon to speak, and the collection contains many pamphlet copies of such public addresses and published opinions, as well as 25 bound volumes of correspondence and clippings regarding them. There is also material assembled by John Kobler while preparing his biography Otto the Magnificent: The Life of Otto Kahn (1988), with the manuscript of his text.

Included among Kahn's correspondents are the world leaders Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Winston Churchill; and the well-known composers and performers Cleofonte Campanini, Enrico Caruso, George Gershwin, Alma Gluck, Lee Shubert, Jacob J. Shubert, and Arturo Toscanini.

Organized into the following series:

On Site: Boxes 1-313; ReCap (off-site): Boxes A1-XYZ2

Some correspondence in the collection was published in Otto the Magnificent: The Life of Otto Kahn, edited by John Kobler (New York: Scribner's Sons, 1988).

The collection was a gift from Gilbert W. Kahn in 1951.

This collection was processed by Sharon Strulowitz in 2002. Finding aid written by Sharon Strulowitz in 2002.

No appraisal information is available.

People

Kahn, Otto H., 1867-1934

Organization

Metropolitan opera New York, N.Y.

Subject

Publisher: Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Author: Sharon Strulowitz
Finding Aid Date: 2002
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research use.
Use Restrictions: Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Consists of Kahn's major correspondence with his friends, family, colleagues, and business associates, and concerns his main interests. The folders are arranged in alphabetical order by name of person, organization, or topic. Some of the folders also contain business documents, photographs, and press clippings. Included among the correspondents are such significant political figures as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Winston Churchill, and the well-known composers and performers Cleofonte Campanini, Enrico Caruso, George Gershwin, Alma Gluck, Lee Shubert, Jacob J. Shubert, and Arturo Toscanini. There is a broad range of files pertaining to the arts, political organizations, and businesses, such as the Metropolitan Opera House, other major opera companies, the Council on Foreign Relations, and railroad organizations. In addition, there is great amount of family correspondence and real estate files dealing with Kahn=s estates. See also VI. General Correspondence for additional, miscellaneous letters. "See X" and "see also X" references are given to provide additional links to related correspondence. If the reference (i.e, the "X folder") is not found in Series I, the user should try Series VI.

General finance and railroads folders, such as "K Finance" and "L Railroads", are filed in the alphabet as if their headings contained no spaces (i.e., "K Finance", "L Railroads" are filed as if they were "KFinance" and "LRailroads"). The same is true with such personal names as "de Mille."

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Physical Description

294 boxes

Aarons, A. A, 1926-1930. 1 folder.

Scope and Contents

See also Alton Productions, 1929;Arley Productions, 1929; Alvin Productions, 1929; Freelex Productions, 1933

Physical Description

1 folder

Abbey Theatre, 1927. 1 folder.

Scope and Contents

Main content

Notifications

Overview and metadata sections

Collection Overview

Biography/History

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Bibliography

Acquisition Information

Processing Information

Appraisal

Name and Subject Headings

People

Organization

Subject

Administrative Information

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Correspondence, 1908-1934. 294 boxes.