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George Willis Johnson Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Johnson, George Willis, 1880-1953.
Title: George Willis Johnson Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1916-1956
Quantity: 24 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American business executive. President of Endicott-Johnson Corporation, 1930-1949. Correspondence, incoming and outgoing (1916-1954); corporate mimeographed and printed notices to employees (1925-1949); clippings (1931-1947); photographs, articles, and speeches relating to the shoe manufacturer.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

George Willis Johnson (1880-1953) was an American businessman. Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts to George F. and Lucie (Willis) Johnson, he grew up in Johnson City, New York, where he attended public schools. He also attended Worcester Academy and Dean Academy in Massachusettes. In 1900 he married Lula Seagers, and they had three children; Marion Young, Frank A. and Wilma M. Smith. George Johnson was active in community affairs, and an enthusiastic athlete, interested in baseball, golf, bowling, hunting, and fishing.

At the age of 18 George Johnson started working as a packer in the Endicott-Johnson Company, and later on he worked most of his life in the tanneries doing various jobs. In 1919 when Endicott-Johnson was incorporated, he was elected to the Board of Directors. He served as president of the corporation from 1930 to 1949.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The George W. Johnson Papers consist of correspondence, writings, photographs, and clippings, arranged in eight series.

Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing, followed by correspondence of others. Subject files consists of published material and correspondence, and includes correspondence with both individuals and businesses as well as legal documents, press copy, reports, and various employee benefit information (wages, homes, pensions, etc).

Manuscripts consists of speeches, statements, and poems of George W. Johnson, George F. Johnson, and others.

Mimeographed and printed notices includes communications from the Johnsons or other members of the corporation to workers and other personnel.

Photographs include as subjects Endicott-Johnson officers, workers, and plant, as well as George F. Johnson and other individuals

Workers pages consists of clippings of pages from the Binghamton Sun. This page was published daily and contained news about and of special interest to Endicott-Johnson workers.

Published material includes articles, brochures, bulletin-board notices, magazines, newsletters and newspaper clippings.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Incoming correspondence is arranged alphabetically by author; outgoing is arranged chronologically. Subject files and Photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject. Mimeographed and printed notices are arranged chronologically. Published material is arranged alphabetically by type; bulletin-board notices are arranged chronologically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Johnson, George Willis, 1880-1953 -- Archives.

Corporate Bodies

Endicott-Johnson Corporation -- Employees.
Endicott-Johnson Corporation -- History -- Sources.

Subjects

Executives -- New York (State)
Footwear industry -- New York (State)
Industrial relations -- United States.
Manufactures -- United States.
Shoe industry -- Employees.
Shoe industry -- New York (State)

Places

Endicott (N.Y.) -- Industries.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Speeches (documents)

Occupations

Executives.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

George Willis Johnson Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: -
Date: Nov 1967
Revision history: 18 Apr 2008 - converted to EAD (AMCon); 26 Oct 2012 - extent revised (MBD)

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Inventory

Biographical material
Box 1 Biographical material
Correspondence
Incoming
Box 1 A 1941, 1951-1953
Box 1 American Cancer Society 1951, 1952
Box 1 B 1932, 1937, 1941-1948, 1950-1953
Box 1 Berk, Ben 1939
Box 1 C 1940-1942, 1949-1953
Box 1 Canadian International Paper Co. 1951, 1952
Box 1 Chestnut Canoe Co. 1952
Box 1 Clark, Ralph B. 1950-1953
Box 1 Clay, Ryburn 1934, 1938-1940, 1945-1947, 1951
Box 1 Clay, Zaida Willis 1940, 1941, 1945, undated
Box 1 Cordiner, Ralph J. 1951
Box 1 D 1921, 1937, 1945, 1951-1953
Box 1 Durham, J. Edward Jr. 1951, undated
Box 1 E 1937, 1938, 1942, 1948, 1950-1953
Box 1 Endicott Leather Works Union 1943-1945
Box 1 F, G 1916, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1944-1946, 1948, 1950-1953
Box 2 Georgia-Hanks Co. 1947, 1948, 1951
Box 2 Goldman, Sacks and Co. 1945, 1946, 1950, 1952
Box 2 Gurley, Mirabel 1948, 1949, 1952, undated
Box 2 H, I 1941, 1944-1946, 1948, 1950-1953
Box 2 Head, Clarence C. 1951
Box 2 Hill, William 1951, 1952
Box 2 Hinman, Howard and Kattel 1951, 1952
Box 2 J, K 1937, 1942-1946, 1948-1953
Box 2 Johnson, Charles Jr. 1941, 1942-1944, 1946, 1949-1953, undated
Box 2 Johnson, George F. 1916, 1930, 1935-1939, 1945, 1946
Box 2 Johnson, Lula 1938, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1950, 1951, undated
Box 2 L 1951-1953
Box 2 Laurentian Air Services, limited 1951
Box 2 A.C. Lawrence Leather Co. 1944, 1951, 1952
Box 2 Lehigh Portland Cement Co. 1938, 1941, 1945, 1948
Box 2 Leonhard, John 1950-1953
Box 3 Leonhard, Russell 1951-1953
Box 3 M 1937, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1951-1953
Box 3 MacLean, Charles Stuart 1951, 1952
Box 3 Merlean, J.O. 1951
Box 3 Mills, Leo E. 1938, 1946, 1949, 1952
Box 3 Morrissette, Wilbrod Mr. and Mrs. 1951, 1952
Box 3 N, O, P 1937, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1950-1953
Box 3 National War Labor Board 1943-1945
Box 3 O'Neil, Ruth 1949, 1950-1952, undated
Box 3 Poirier, J.H. and Sons 1949-1952
Box 3 Quebec Department of Fish and Game 1944, 1947, 1951, 1952
Box 3 Quebec Federation of Fish and Game Association 1951, 1952
Box 3 R 1938, 1943, 1945, 1948-1952
Box 3 Regan, Bertha 1946, 1949, 1951 - secretary to George F.
Box 3 Robertson, George 1949 - nephew
Box 3 Robertson, Zada 1939-1941, 1945, undated - sister
Box 3 Robertson, William 1945, 1946
Box 3 Ronnsefell, Dr. Clifford G. 1945
Box 3 S 1939, 1942, 1944, 1946-1953
Box 3 Stanford, Linda 1945, 1951-1953
Box 4 Swartwood, Howard A. 1938, 1939, 1941-1946, 1948, 1951-1953, undated
Box 4 T, U, W, Y 1936-1938, 1941-1945, 1948, 1949, 1951-1953
Box 4 Taber-Wheeler Co. Inc. 1933, 1938
Box 4 Tei, Frank 1951-1952
Box 4 Terboss, Margaret Cook 1943-1946, 1948-1953, undated - secretary
Box 4 Watson, Thomas J. 1943, 1951-1952
Box 4 Young, Joseph S. 1938-1943, 1945-1948, 1951, undated
Box 4 Young, Marion 1938, 1941, undated - daughter
Box 4 Young, William 1941, 1942, 1946, 1951, 1953, undated - grandson
Box 4 Workers, unidentified 1940, undated
Box 4 Not identified 1934, 1945, 1951, 1952, undated
Outgoing
Box 4 1924, 1931, 1932-1936
Box 4 1937-1939
Box 5 1940, 1941
Box 5 1942, 1943
Box 5 1944, 1945
Box 5 1946, 1947
Box 5 1948, 1949
Box 5 1950
1951
Box 5 Jan. - Feb.
Box 5 March, April
Box 5 May, June
Box 5 July, August
Box 6 Sept. - Oct.
Box 6 Nov., Dec.
1952
Box 6 Jan., Feb.
Box 6 March, April
Box 6 May, June
Box 6 July, Aug.
Box 6 Sept., Oct.
Box 6 Nov., Dec.
Box 6 1953
Box 6 undated
Correspondence of others
Box 6 Johnson, Frank 1938, 1952 - son
Box 6 Johnson, George F. 1946
Box 6 Johnson, Lula 1937, 1938, 1950, 1952, 1953, undated - wife
Box 6 Sweet, Lillian 1942, 1949 - sister
Box 6 Terboss, Margaret Cook 1937, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1947, 1951-1954, 1962 - secretary
Subject files
Box 7 Bata Shoe Co. undated
Box 7 Bills and receipts 1921, 1922, 1931, 1947-1953
Box 7 Blueprints 1923, 1942, 1945-1947, 1951, 1952
Box 7 Citation, Greater Endicott Chamber of Commerce 1946
Box 7 Company airplane 1951, 1952
Box 7 Drawing of George W. Johnson undated
Box 7 Endicott-Johnson Athletic Association 1951-1953
Box 7 Endicott-Johnson Workers' Band 1952
Box 8 Family history 1944
Box 8 Grumman airplane 1946
Box 8 Charles F. Johnson, Jr. 1936, 1953, undated
Box 8 George F. Johnson 1938, 1951
Box 8 Harry L. Johnson undated
Box 8 Labor Day 1951, 1952
Box 8 Legal department 1946
Box 8 Lists 1938, 1951-1952
Box 8 Legal documents 1938, 1942, 1953, undated
Box 8 Medical department 1944, 1948, 1949
Box 8 Meetings 1941, 1943, 1951-1953
Box 8 Merit Shoe Co. 1935, 1939
Box 8 National Labor Relations Board 1939, 1942
Box 8 Notes 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1951-1953
Box 8 Petawagama Lake 1941, 1945, 1950, 1951, undated
Box 9 Pensions and death benefits 1944, 1946, 1947
Box 9 Press copy 1941-1946
Box 9 Programs 1937, 1951, 1953, undated
Reports
Box 9 1934, 1936, 1938
Box 9 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945-1947, 1950-1951
Box 9 1952-1953
Box 9 Safety department
Box 9 Signature of George W. Johnson
Box 9 Sole leather setting department undated
Box 9 Tannery department 1943, 1951
Box 9 Tape G.W.J. funeral 5/28/53
Unions
Box 10 1938, 1939
Box 10 1940 - NLRB Election (correspondence)
Box 10 1941-1943
Box 10 1944
Box 10 1945
Box 10 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, undated
Box 10 Wages 1939-1944
Box 10 Workers' homes 1923, 1926
Manuscripts
Box 11 By 1936, 1944, 1949
Box 11 By George F. Johnson 1925, 1935
Box 11 Of others 1939, undated
Mimeographed and printed notices
Box 12 1921, 1931-1939
Box 12 1940, 1941
Box 12 1942
Box 12 1943
Box 12 1944
Box 12 1945
Box 12 1946
Box 12 1947
Box 12 1948
Box 12 1949
Box 12 1950
Box 12 1951
Box 12 1952
Box 12 1953
Box 12 undated
Photographs
Box 13 Airplane 1945
Box 13 Ralph B. Clark 1952
Box 13 Endicott-Johnson officers 1941
Box 13 Endicott-Johnson plant 1936
Box 13 Charles F. Johnson, Jr. 1947
Box 13 George F. Johnson undated
Box 13 Negative undated
Box 13 Self 1890, 1944, 1949
Box 13 Workers and miscellaneous 1943, undated
Oversize 1 Young Building undated
Workers' pages
Box 14 1931 (6 folders)
Box 14 1932 (6 folders)
Box 15 1933 (7 folders)
Box 15 1934, January-October (6 folders)
Box 16 1934, November-December
Box 16 1935 (8 folders)
Box 16 1936, January-March (3 folders)
Box 17 1936, April-December (9 folders)
Box 17 1937, January-September (5 folders)
Box 18 1937, October-December (2 folders)
Box 18 1938 (8 folders)
Box 18 1939, January-March (2 folders)
Box 19 1939, April-December (8 folders)
Box 19 1940 (7 folders)
Box 20 1941 (11 folders)
Box 20 1942, January-June (3 folders)
Box 21 1942, July-December (4 folders)
Box 21 1943 (7 folders)
Box 22 1944 (11 folders)
Box 22 1945, January-August (4 folders)
Box 23 1945, September-December (2 folders)
Box 23 1946 (11 folders)
Box 24 1947 (12 folders)
Published material
Articles by
Box 25 George W. Johnson 1936
Box 25 George F. Johnson 1922, 1931, 1934, 1937, undated
Box 25 Billy Young 1926 - grandson
Box 25 Articles by and about others 1921, 1922, 1937, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1950-1952, undated
Brochures
Box 25 Endicott-Johnson 1944, 1946, 1947, 1949, undated
Others
Box 25 1936, 1938, 1941, 1943-1947
Box 25 1950-1952
Box 25 undated
Bulletin board notices
Box 26 1939-1941, 1943
Box 26 1944
Box 26 1945, 1946
Box 26 1947, 1948
Box 27 1949, 1950
Magazines - E-J Workers Review
Box 27 1921 March
Box 27 1922 Nov.- Dec. (2 copies of November)
Box 27 1923 March, April, May, June, Aug.
Box 27 1924 June
Box 27 1925 Feb., March, April, May, Aug., Oct.
Newsletters
Box 27 The Morning Sun, published by E.J. Workers' Club, Communist Party 1951, 1952
Box 27 Various 1950-1953
Newspaper clippings
About George W
Box 27 1936-1953
Box 28 1956
Box 28 By 1940-1949
About others
Box 28 Charles F. Johnson, Jr. 1934, 1950, 1952, undated
Endicott-Johnson Corp.
Box 28 1938-1952 (3 folders)
Box 29 1952-1953, undated
Box 29 George F. Johnson 1940-1948, 1950-1956 (2 folders)
Box 29 Johnson family 1947, 1950-1952, 1956, undated
Box 29 By and about others 1943-1956 (2 folders)
Box 29 "Listen World" by Elsie Robinson 1945, 1946, 1948-1950

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