Call Number:

ARC MS 26

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Archives at the Library of the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Extent:

65 linear feet (129 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item], in the Cyrus Adler Collection, Library at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania ARC MS 26, [Location within collection].

Date:

1866-1942, 1907-1939 (bulk). (inclusive) and 1907-1939 (bulk)

Creator:

Adler, Cyrus

Form:

Notebooks, Manuscripts (documents), Certificates, Correspondence, and Photographs

Abstract:

Cyrus Adler was a prominent Jewish scholar and communal builder. Born in 1863, he had a tremendous role in shaping much of Jewish America by the time of his death in 1940. The collection contains Dr. Adler's business correspondence and personal papers and spans much of his multi-faceted career. It also contains many papers connected to the formation and day-to-day business of the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning. (See the Biography and Scope and Content Notes for a more detailed description of Adler's life and the collection.)

The following, brief sketch of the life of Cyrus Adler is necessarily limited in breadth and depth. It is intended to present only the most salient facts of his background, education and career, with particular reference to this collection of his papers. Some further details are provided in the Scope and Content Note and the Group and Series Descriptions. The researcher may wish to consult the Selected Bibliography for a listing of some of the more prominent, published biographical sources.

Early Life

Dr. Cyrus Adler was born during the Civil War, in Van Buren, Arkansas on September 13, 1863. His father, Samuel Adler, was a Free Mason who ran a general store in Van Buren, and also owned and managed a nearby cotton plantation. In his autobiography, Dr. Adler states that his father's family had come to the United States from Germany between 1830 and 1840, and settled in Arkansas for reasons unknown; he also notes that various relations surnamed Adler and Baer lived in the vicinity. His mother, Sarah (nee Sulzberger) was from Philadelphia. She was the daughter of Leopold and Zirlah (nee Einstein) Sulzberger. Cyrus Adler's two older sisters, Belle and Celia were also born in Van Buren, in 1859 and 1861, respectively.

Van Buren was occupied by the Union army in 1864, but because of Samuel Adler's failing health, the family was permitted to join Mrs. Adler's father in Philadelphia. Their youngest child, Milton, was born there in 1864. Shortly thereafter, the family relocated to New York City, where his father died in 1869. The family then moved back to Philadelphia, where his mother's brother David Sulzberger became their legal guardian.

Dr. Adler's close ties with the Sulzberger family became perhaps the most important formative influences in his life. In his autobiography, Adler states that it was his uncle David who first envisioned for him a life of scholarship and work, in which he would "give myself to the Jewish people as a sort of lay rabbi, with any additional duties that might arise." (1, page 12) There is ample testimony to the fulfillment of this vision, for Cyrus Adler was to become "one of the great civil servants in American Jewish history" (18, page xiii.)

The Sulzberger and Adler families belonged to the Mikveh Israel Synagogue, an important Sephardic congregation in Philadelphia (today known as Congregation Mikveh Israel.) During his youth, Adler took private instruction from the minister of the congregation, Sabato Morais, and later became his friend. He also became acquainted with other influential members of the congregation, and himself served as its President from 1911 to 1916. There were also close ties between this synagogue and the Dropsie College, where Adler was to serve as president for over 30 years.

Education and Early Career

Cyrus Adler was first educated at one of the parochial schools run by the Hebrew Education Society, and then at a public grammar school. Throughout most of his school years he also took private instruction in Hebrew and German. He attended Central High School, graduating in 1879. While still in high school, he did volunteer work in the library of the Young Men's Hebrew Association, where he cataloged the Isaac Leeser Library. He enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 1879, and graduated in 1883.

Because it was expected that he would become a lawyer, Adler spent the summer of 1883 working in the law office of his cousin, Judge Mayer Sulzberger, and studying for the Bar examination. On the basis of this brief legal apprenticeship, Adler was later to become executor of the estates of both Joseph and Mayer Sulzberger, as well as that of his associate Simon Muhr.

But Adler decided not to follow a legal career. Instead, he had hopes of becoming a Biblical archaeologist. He entered the new "Semitic Seminary" of the Johns Hopkins University in the fall of 1883, and became the first of its PhD graduates in 1887. While still enrolled at Johns Hopkins, he also obtained his Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1886. Throughout his later life Adler was to maintain membership in the alumni associations of both universities. In 1930, the University of Pennsylvania awarded him an honorary Doctorate.

Johns Hopkins appointed him Instructor in Semitics, and he taught from 1887 until 1890. While still a student there, be became a close friend and assistant to the head of the Semitics program, Professor Paul Haupt. During his years at Johns Hopkins, he became an active member in a number of scientific organizations (including the American Oriental Society, of which he later became President), and wrote numerous papers for publication. Also during that time he commuted to New York City to teach Biblical Archaeology at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS), which was led by his friend and mentor, Sabato Morais. Adler was to maintain a close relationship with JTS for the rest of his life.

United States National Museum

In 1888, Adler made the acquaintance of Dr. George B. Goode, Director of the U. S. National Museum, who made him Honorary Curator of the Department of Antiquities. He coordinated the government's exhibit of Biblical archaeology at the Cincinnati Exposition of 1888, an experience which led directly to his work for the World's Columbian Exposition. It was also through his friendship with Dr. Goode that he later came to work for the Smithsonian Institution. Adler retained his affiliation with the Museum throughout his years of work in Baltimore and Washington.

World's Columbian Exposition

In 1890, Adler was appointed Special Commissioner to Turkey, Egypt, Tunis, Algiers and Morocco for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For the next three years he traveled throughout Europe and the Near East soliciting the participation of those governments in the Exposition, which was held in 1893. He made a point of observing the Jewish communities in every country he visited, meeting many of their leaders. Among them, he became acquainted with important Jewish figures in England, including Israel Zangwill, Israel Abrahams, Joseph Jacobs and Solomon Schechter, with whom he was later to become closely associated.

Smithsonian Institution

As his duties for the Chicago Exposition were ending, Adler was offered a chance to direct what was later to become the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. But his friend George Goode at the National Museum made a counter-offer, and in 1892 Adler became the Librarian of the Smithsonian Institution. In doing so he ended his association with Johns Hopkins University, giving up both his academic and archaeological plans, and embarked on a what was to become a life-long and intensely active career as an administrator of cultural organizations.

Through his work as Librarian, Adler soon became a close friend of the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Samuel P. Langley. He gradually assumed many of Langley's administrative tasks, freeing him to spend time on his aeronautical research. In 1894, he accompanied Langley on the first of several trips to England and Europe. During one of these visits, in 1889, he served as the United States Delegate to the Conference on the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature in London.

In 1905 Adler was promoted to the position of Assistant Secretary, which he held until 1908. This post was one of greater political importance in that era than would be the case today, and Adler made the acquaintance of a number of highly-placed government officials, including President and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt.

Public and Private Life

From the mid-1880s onward, and particularly the 1890s and early 1900s, Adler became involved in numerous Jewish cultural organizations in Philadelphia and New York City. He was himself instrumental in forming and fostering several of them, including the American Jewish Historical Society, the Jewish Publication Society of America, and a discussion group known as The Wanderers, which later led to the formation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), of which he was a trustee. In 1911, with other members of the AJC, he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the Kishinev massacre.

He was also a trustee of the Gratz College in Philadelphia. And in 1901, he was asked to head the reorganized Board of Directors of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He personally arranged for Solomon Schechter to succeed Morais as President of the JTS. For the next four years Adler's work for the Seminary took him from Washington D. C. to New York City three days a week. During this time he also served on the editorial board of the Jewish Encyclopedia. Throughout his life, Adler maintained an active membership in these and many other organizations, frequently holding positions of leadership.

In 1905 he married Miss Racie Friedenwald, whom he had first met while he was a student at Johns Hopkins University. They had one daughter, Sarah, born in 1906, who later became Mrs. Wolfe Wolfinsohn.

Dropsie College

In 1908 Adler became President of the newly-formed Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning in Philadelphia. His cousin, Judge Mayer Sulzberger, was executor of the estate of Moses Aaron Dropsie, through whose bequest the College had been founded and in whose honor it was named. Mayer Sulzberger served as a Life Governor of the College until his death in 1923, and acted as its first president during the fledgling years 1905-1908, before students were admitted. It is because Adler began his tenure at the time when the College first opened its doors that he is widely credited as being Dropsie's "first" President.

Dr. Adler was to serve in this position, personally guiding the growth and development of the College in every one of its activities, until his death in 1940. Among his accomplishments, he oversaw the construction of the "new" building in 1912. Perhaps most notably, in 1909 he convinced the Board of the College to take on publication of the English periodical, the Jewish Quarterly Review (JQR). He became Editor-in-chief of this journal, and, as was his habit, managed all but the most minute details of publication until his death.

Jewish Theological Seminary

Upon the death of Solomon Schechter in 1915, Adler was asked to become the "temporary" president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. With the blessing of the Board of Dropsie College, he served in this capacity until 1924, when his title was altered simply to President, a position he held until his death. Among his achievements at JTS, Adler oversaw the financing and construction of its "new" buildings in 1929-1930. It would appear that he administered the Seminary in much the same, meticulous, hands-on manner as he did the Dropsie College (18, page xvi.)

Literary Works

Throughout his life, Adler wrote on a wide variety of subjects. These ranged from Oriental philology and archaeology to comparative religion, bibliography, and American Jewish history. In addition to articles written for scientific journals, he was a contributor to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, the Dictionary of American Biography and others, as well as those publications which he edited, including the Jewish American Year Book, the Jewish Quarterly Review, and the publications of the American Jewish Historical Society. He wrote several monographs, including the Catalog of the Leeser Library, Memorandum on the Western Wall, and his autobiography, I Have Considered the Days. Coleman and Reider's bibliography of Adler's printed works, published in 1933, lists 583 items (5.) It may be appropriate to mention here that he was also a prompt, exacting, and in some instances voluminous correspondent with his family, friends and colleagues.

Civic Leadership

While serving as President of both the Dropsie College and the Jewish Theological Seminary, Adler also helped to lead a large number of civic institutions, Jewish cultural organizations, and scientific and educational societies. The following list mentions only those which might be considered highlights of his career, and is not meant to be in any way comprehensive. Rather, these are some of the organizations to which he gave the greatest proportion of his time and energies.

Mention has already been made of Adler's involvement in a number of important Jewish cultural institutions. In addition to those, he was particularly active in the Federation of Jewish Charities of Philadelphia, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and the United Synagogue of America. He also founded and led the short-lived Philadelphia Kehilla, served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Free Library of Philadelphia from 1915 until 1939, and on the Philadelphia Board of Public Education from 1921 to 1925.

From the beginning of World War I onward, Adler became a tireless worker for charitable fund-raising efforts, notably on behalf of the American Jewish Relief Committee. He was largely responsible for creating what later became the Jewish Welfare Board, and was on the Council of the Jewish Agency for Palestine. He also served as the Delegate of the American Jewish Committee to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. And as World War II approached, and then began, he was active in an even wider array of organizations formed to deal specifically with that crisis.

The volume of work which he accomplished, and the level of detail at which he habitually worked, reveals a humbling order of dedication. After a lengthy illness, Cyrus Adler died at the age of 76, on April 7, 1940. It seems providential that his extremely valuable autobiography, I Have Considered the Days, was largely complete in 1939; it was published in 1941.

Short List of Affiliations

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

American Academy for Jewish Research

American Jewish Committee (Founder, President 1929-1940)

American Jewish Historical Society (Founder, Secretary 1892-1898, President 1898-1922)

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (Board)

American Jewish Relief Committee (Campaign Chairman)

American Oriental Society (President)

American Philological Association

American Philosophical Society (Councillor 1927-1930, 1932-1936)

Anthropological Society of Washington

Archaeological Institute of America

Boy Scouts of America (Executive Board)

Committee of Fifteen

Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.

Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning (President 1908-1940)

Federation of Jewish Charities of Philadelphia (Education Group Chairman)

Free Library of Philadelphia (President of Board 1925-1939)

Gratz College (Trustee)

Hebrew Union College (Honorary D.H.L., 1925)

Hebrew University (Board of Directors)

International Catalogue of Scientific Literature (Delegate, 1898)

Jewish Agency for Palestine (Co-chairman of Council)

The Jewish Encyclopedia (Editorial Board)

The Jewish Quarterly Review (Editor 1910-1940)

Jewish Publication Society of America (Founder, Trustee, Chairman of Publication Committee, Editor of The American Jewish Yearbook, Founder of the Hebrew Press)

Jewish Theological Seminary of America (President of Board 1902-1905, President 1915-1940)

Jewish Welfare Board (Founder)

Johns Hopkins University (PhD 1887, Instructor and Associate Professor of Semitics 1887-1892; University Club)

"Look Out" Scholarship Fund

Mikveh Israel Synagogue (President 1911-1916)

Oriental Club of Philadelphia

Pennsylvania, University of (BA 1883, MA 1886, Honorary D. Litt. 1930; Alumni Association)

Philadelphia Board of Public Education (1921-1925)

Philadelphia Kehilla (Founder, President 1911-1914)

Philobiblon Club, Philadelphia

Philosophical Society of Washington

Smithsonian Institution (Librarian 1892-1905; Assistant Secretary 1905-1908)

Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis

United States National Museum (Honorary and Assistant Curator of Oriental Antiquities, Archaeology, and Historic Religions, ca. 1888-1908)

United Synagogue of America (Founder, President 1914-1918)

Washington Academy of Sciences

World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago (Special Commissioner 1890-1893)

Selected Bibliography

(Note: Footnotes throughout this finding aid refer to the sources below, listing the source in bold print and the page number.)

Secondary Sources

1. Adler, Cyrus. I Have Considered the Days. New York: Burning Bush Press, 1941.

2. Adler, Cyrus. Lectures, Selected Papers, Addresses: Collected and published by his colleagues and friends on the occasion of his seventieth birthday September 13, 1933. Philadelphia: privately printed, 1933.

3. American Jewish Year Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. Volume I, 1899-1900 and Volume II, 1900-1901.

4. Ashton, Dianne. The Philadelphia Group: A Guide to Archival and Bibliographic Collections. Philadelphia: Center for American and Jewish History, 1993.

5. Coleman, Edward and Joseph Reider. A Bibliography of the Writings and Addresses of Cyrus Adler, 1882-1933. Philadelphia, privately printed, 1933.

6. Dalin, David G. Cyrus Adler and the Rescue of Jewish Refugee Scholars. American Jewish History, Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 351-362.

7. Davis, Moshe. "The Human Record: Cyrus Adler at the Peace Conference, 1919" in Essays in American Jewish History, with a forward by Nelson Glueck. Cincinnati: American Jewish Archives, 1958.

8. Dobkowski, Michael N., ed. Jewish American Voluntary Organizations. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986.

9. Gaustad, Edwin S. Response. American Jewish History, Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 395-398.

10. Kohut, George Alexander. "The Contribution of Cyrus Adler to American Jewish History", in Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, Volume 33. Baltimore: American Jewish Historical Society, 1934.

11. Morais, Henry Samuel. The Jews of Philadelphia: Their History from the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time. Philadelphia: The Levytype Company, 1894.

12. Parzen, Herbert. Architects of Conservative Judaism. New York: Jonathan David, 1964.

13. Neuman, Abraham. Cyrus Adler: A Biographical Sketch. New York: The American Jewish Committee, 1940; reprint, New York: American Jewish Year Book, 5701.

14. Neuman, Abraham. Cyrus Adler: A Biographical Sketch. New York: American Jewish Committee, 1942.

15. Neuman, Abraham. Obituary Notice: Cyrus Adler (1863-1940). Reprinted from the Year Book of the American Philosophical Society, 1940.

16. Reich, Nathaniel J. Review of Abraham Neuman's book Cyrus Adler, A Biographical Sketch. Journal of Jewish Bibliography, January-April, 1943, pp. 51-52.

17. Robinson, Ira. Cyrus Adler and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America: Image and Reality. American Jewish History, Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 363-381.

18. Robinson, Ira, ed. Cyrus Adler: Selected Letters, 2 vols. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1985.

19. Rosenfeldt, Henry H. This Thing of Giving. New York; Plymouth Press, 1924.

20. Sarna, Jonathan D. Cyrus Adler and the Development of the American Jewish Culture: The "Scholar-Doer" as a Jewish Communal Leader. American Jewish History, Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 382-394.

21. Sarna, Jonathan D. JPS: The Americanization of Jewish Culture. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1989.

22. Stern, Malcolm H., Comp. Americans of Jewish Descent: A Compendium of Genealogy. Cincinnati: Hebrew College Press, 1960.

23. Stern, Malcolm H., Comp. First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1988, Third Edition. Baltimore: Ottenheim Publishers, Inc., 1991.

Encyclopedias

24. Encyclopedia Judaica. Jerusalem, Keter Publishing House, Ltd., Volume I, pages 272-273.

25. Jewish Encyclopedia. New York, Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1907, Volume 1, page 193.

26. Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. New York, The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc., 1939-1943, Volume 1, pages 88-89.

Primary Sources

27. The Cyrus Adler Papers (MS 26). Library of the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

28. The Mayer Sulzberger Collection (MS 25). Library of the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

29. Minutes of the Board of Governors, 1905-1940. Dropsie College Archives (DC 1 A). Library of the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

The collection ranges in date from 1866 to 1942, with the bulk of it dating from 1907 to 1939. Although the material is divided into two distinct groups, business correspondence and personal papers, this division is somewhat artificial. The Correspondence Group is actually a "hybrid" of Dr. Adler's administrative and personal papers. This mixture reveals something of his own business methods, but speaks much more strongly to the tightly interwoven relationships between the many Jewish cultural institutions which he and his peers served in Philadelphia, and to a lesser extent, in New York City.

The Correspondence constitutes the great majority of the collection, and pertains largely to Dr. Adler's tenure as President of the Dropsie College from 1908 until his death in 1940. Due to the multitude of additional responsibilities which Dr. Adler accepted during those years, this material also includes much that has no direct (but often, indirect) bearing on the work of the College. Several files contain correspondence that pre-dates Adler's presidency of the College, usually with his close colleagues and friends. This Group is arranged in alphabetical order by name or subject; for more information about this arrangement, see the Processor's Note.

The relatively small Personal Papers Group contains the earliest-dated materials, particularly that series relating to the Adler family's ownership of land in Sevier County, Arkansas. This Group also contains an extensive series of notebooks and some other material relating to Dr. Adler's years at Johns Hopkins University (1883-1890), and some materials relating to his career in Washington, D.C. (1892-1908). The Personal Papers Group also contains numerous draft and typescript copies of his published and unpublished literary productions, as well as some certificates and photographs.

A more detailed analysis of the content of the collection follows. This description is organized topically, addressing the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning, various of Dr. Adler's other activities as represented in the collection, and important lacunae. The researcher is advised to remember that the bulk of the collection itself is not organized topically, but rather alphabetically.

Extensive Files

Most of the alphabetical files in the collection consist of no more than a single folder, and that frequently not a full one. But there are many instances of more extensive correspondence and other, related records. The collection contains two or more file folders of material pertaining to each of the individuals and organizations listed below. Where this material is especially important or extensive, further description is given under the subheadings: Dropsie College, and Significant Activities.

-- Individuals

William Chomsky; Mortimer J. Cohen; Samuel Edelman; Joshua Finkel; Louis Finkelstein; Simon Ginzburg; Elhanan Golomb; Robert Gordis; Solomon Grayzel; Julius Greenstone; Benzion Halper; Jacob Hoschander; Isaac Husik; Leo Jung; Moses Jung; Ephraim Lederer; Abraham J. Levy; Harry S. Linfield; Judah Magnes; Henry Malter; Jacob Mann; Max Leopold Margolis; Alexander Marx; H. Pereira Mendes; James A. Montgomery; Edward I. Nathan; Harry M. Orlinsky; Elias N. Rabinowitz; Nathaniel J. Reich; Joseph Reider; Bernard Revel; A. S. W. Rosenbach; Lessing J. Rosenwald; Frank J. Rubenstein; Abraham I. Schechter; Samuel Schulman; Solomon L. Skoss; members of the Solis-Cohen family; Ephraim A. Speiser; Horace Stern; Nathan I. Stone; Joseph Sulzberger; Mayer Sulzberger; Morris Wolf; Michael Zarchin; Solomon Zeitlin. There are also a number of files for persons surnamed Adler (including some relatives, but not those in Dr. Alder's immediate family.)

-- Organizations

American Academy for Jewish Research; American Council of Learned Societies; The American Hebrew; American Jewish Historical Society; American Jewish Relief Committee; American Schools for Oriental Research; Archaeological Institute of America; Bloch Publishing Company; B'nai Brith; Bureau of Jewish Social Research; Cahan Printing Company; University of Chicago; Columbia University; Committee of Fifteen; Federation of Jewish Charities of Philadelphia; Gustav Fock, Buchhandlung; Gratz College; Otto Harrassowitz, Buchhandlung; The Hebrew Press; Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society; Hebrew Union College; Karl W. Hiersmann, Buchhandlung; Horting and Snader; The Jewish Exponent; The Jewish Forum; Jewish Publication Society of America; Jewish Telegraphic Agency; Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Johns Hopkins University; Lehrfeld Printing Company; "Look Out" Scholarship Fund; Macmillan and Company; William Mann Company; The Menorah Journal; Mikveh Israel Synagogue; Simon Muhr Scholarship Fund; National Committee for Religion and Welfare Recovery; National Conference of Jews and Christians; National Council of Jewish Federations; National Council on Religion in Higher Education; New York Public Library; Oriental Club of Philadelphia; Oxford University Press; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania--Department of Public Instruction, and --State Emergency Relief Board; Pennsylvania State Education Society; University of Pennsylvania; City of Philadelphia--Board of Public Education; Philadelphia Council on Jewish Education; Sesqui-Centennial Exposition; Smithsonian Institution; G. E. Stechert and Company; Talmud Torah; Temple University; United States--Department of the Interior, Bureau of Education; United States--Library of Congress; United States--Post Office; United States--Works Progress Administration; United Synagogue of America; University Club; William Wesley & Son; Wolf Brothers; World Fellowship of Faiths; Yale University; Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association.

The Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning

Those who want information about virtually any aspect of the first thirty years of the College's existence are advised to consult the Adler Papers in addition to the other archival records of that time period. Indeed, in many instances these papers constitute the only record of certain of the College's activities.

The Correspondence Group ranges in scope throughout the years of Adler's presidency, and in several instances materials pre-date his tenure. Of special note, there is some important earlier correspondence with members of the Board of Governors of the College pertaining to Adler's acceptance of the presidency, and discussing the ways in which the newly-formed College should develop. An essential adjunct to this material is the Mayer Sulzberger Manuscript Collection. Together with the archives of the Board of Governors, the Adler and Sulzberger papers give a complete overview of the formation and earliest years of the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning.

Just as one might expect, there is relatively little material filed directly under the heading "Dropsie College." That material consists of a small amount of miscellaneous correspondence to do with routine College matters, one series relating to the Dedication of the new building in 1912, and another series of the addresses given by Dr. Adler at the annual Founder's Day exercises.

Because Dr. Adler personally attended to the most minute details of day-to-day management, much of this material is quite routine in nature. There are five archival record groups which significantly overlap his files in this regard: the records of the Board of Governors, the voluminous Treasurer's records, the records of the Registrar, those of the JQR, and those of the Library. All of these were found to be separately collected in the Archives of the College. The relationship between each of these groups and the Adler Papers is described in detail below.

Board of Governors (Archives Group DC 1)

Related records in the archives of the Board are the Minutes of meetings (including regular and special reports of the President) and some routine memoranda. Researchers should not overlook Adler's correspondence with individual members of the Board found within his Papers. The Mayer Sulzberger Manuscript Collection provides additional, important correspondence, constituting the records of the first President of the College.

Financial Records (Archives Group DC 5)

Adler's correspondence includes most, if not all of those vendors of goods and services with which (or in many instances, with whom) the College did regular business. These range in variety from musicians to gardeners, coal companies to department stores. Those researchers interested in the JQR should note that a good number of these firms were printers, publishers and stationers. Such files often contain invoices as well as correspondence.

The Correspondence also includes some material concerning bequests received, and investments made by the College. Much more, related material will be found in the Treasurer's archives, which include invoices, memoranda, reports and statements.

The only complete series of records to be removed from the Adler Papers during processing were those pertaining to the first fund-raising campaign: The Friends of Dropsie College. These were transferred to the Development archives (Group DC 8).

Library (Archives Group DC 7)

The first salaried librarian of the College, alumnus Dr. Joseph Reider, held that post from 1913 to 1959. But his title during his first decade in office, "Assistant Librarian," bespoke the fact that it was Dr. Adler who was the actual head of the library. Given Adler's life-long interest in Jewish libraries, and his previous appointment as Librarian of the Smithsonian Institution, it is understandable that he should have put so much of his energy into the library of the College. Indeed, the library acquired many of its most important rare books and manuscripts during Adler's tenure. Some of these were his own gifts, including a collection of fragments from the Cairo Genizah which he purchased during his travels in the early 1890s.

The collection is rich in correspondence with book and periodical publishers, rare book and antiquities dealers (particularly in Germany), shipping agents and individual collectors in the United States and abroad. These files also document the library's acquisition of many private book and manuscript collections, both by purchase and donation.

Related records in the archives of the Library are quarterly and annual reports, the earliest of these having been written by Adler himself, and some later correspondence files. There is some overlap between the archives of the Library and those of the JQR, which is explained below.

Jewish Quarterly Review (Archives Group DC 9)

A significant proportion of this collection concerns the JQR in some way, constituting the majority of the archival record during this time period. Additional financial records can also be found in the JQR archives.

Established in London in 1888, the JQR was "the only scientific magazine devoted to Jewish subjects in the English Language." (1, page 279) In 1909, Dr. Adler persuaded the Board of Dropsie College to take over this publication, and he became its chief Editor. For more information, the researcher should consult the Minutes of the Board of Governors.

There are numerous files relating to individual and corporate subscribers and sales agents, including libraries, vendors of books and periodicals, and subscription fulfillment houses. These subscriptions were often in the form of an exchange with other periodical publishers, many of them being Universities (i.e.: the JQR in exchange for another serial title published by that institution and collected by the Dropsie College library.) Frequently these items appear in the "Miscellaneous" files, but correspondence about subscriptions can also be found among many of the more extensive files.

Related files include extensive business correspondence with various printers and publishers, especially Macmillan and Company, the Oxford University Press, and the Hebrew Press. This correspondence often contains Dr. Adler's own detailed printing instructions and corrections. An important lacuna is the lack of related correspondence with the editors of the original London series (1888-1908), Israel Abrahams and Claude Montefiore.

Additional, frequent correspondence concerns Dr. Adler's editorial work. These files include his letters of request that individuals write articles or produce reviews for the journal. They also include critiques of the material submitted for publication; the latter may have been written by Adler himself, or by his assistants, Dr. Margolis and Dr. Zeitlin.

It was Dr. Adler's set policy either to return to the author all original manuscript material submitted to the JQR, or else to destroy it. Therefore, with only a few exceptions, there is virtually no such material in the Adler Papers, nor elsewhere in the archives of the JQR. The handful of exceptions appear to have been overlooked, rather than to have been retained deliberately. These are described under Removals.

Registrar (Archives Group DC 6)

-- Student Files

Many files relate to prospective and actual students of the Dropsie College. The apparent, original state of the collection makes clear that it was Dr. Adler's practice to include in his own files any material relating to those individuals and their association with the College. The researcher should note that files pertaining to prospective students who did not matriculate have been left undisturbed. However, all material which constitutes the official student record of any individual has been removed and placed in the archives of the Registrar's Office. For more information see Removals.

The majority of the Correspondence files on former students follow a regular pattern. Typically, they include correspondence relating to an alumnus' continued use of the library, contributions of reviews and articles to the JQR, as well as seasonal and birthday greetings to Dr. Adler. In some cases, these files also concern the revision and publication of the student's thesis some years after graduation. Correspondence of a more personal nature is less common, and frequently takes the form of announcements of such events as new jobs, marriages and births. Extensive correspondence with former students is rare in this collection, unless the individual maintained a close friendship with Adler, or an association with the College over a period of years.

-- Faculty Files

Unlike the Student records, the Registrar's archives has no separate files on Faculty members dating from Dr. Adler's tenure. For this reason, Correspondence files relating to actual or prospective members of the faculty have been left undisturbed. Typically, they contain correspondence relating to the faculty member's hire and periodic salary negotiations, memoranda concerning the routine events of the academic year, and correspondence relating to special activities (such as publications, travel abroad, purchases made on behalf of the library, etc.) For the most part, these files do not contain information about students. The files of those faculty members who had administrative as well as academic responsibilities often contain more substantive material about the business of the College.

NOTE: Faculty files and Student files are confidential records, and will be released for research only on a case-by-case basis. The Library reserves the right to refuse such requests, and to limit access to all sensitive materials.

Significant Activities

Cyrus Adler either led or participated in so many scientific and cultural institutions and activities, in addition to his presidency of the Dropsie College, that it is impossible even to provide an outline of them here. The following descriptions, therefore, relate only to those most significant organizations or activities which are represented in some way within these Papers.

The absence of such a description here does not mean that the collection has no related materials. The researcher should also note that such materials are frequently filed under other, perhaps unexpected, alphabetical headings. He or she is strongly advised to consult Adler's correspondence with those other individuals who may have been associated with the activity of interest. (See also: Important Lacunae and Series Descriptions.)

American Jewish Committee (AJC)

In the early 1900s Dr. Adler formed the original group ("the Wanderers") which later became the AJC. As he stated in his autobiography, the AJC "claimed a very considerable part of my active public Jewish life" (1, page 246-247). He served on its Executive Committee continuously for the remainder of his life, and from 1929 onward as its President. Dr. Adler represented the AJC at the first meeting of the American Jewish Congress in December 1918, and was selected to represent the Committee at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. But there is only a single folder in this collection under the direct heading AJC, containing relatively routine correspondence dated 1935-1939. (See also: American Jewish Congress, and American Jewish Relief Committee.)

American Jewish Congress

There is only one folder under the direct heading of the Congress in these papers, and while it dates from 1917 to 1933, it is quite slim in its contents.

American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS)

Adler is considered the Founder of the AJHS, and served as its President. But the related files in this collection are comparatively slim. Ranging in date from 1911 to 1939, these files include some drafts of his writings and/or addresses, correspondence regarding a monument to Haym Salomon, and meetings of the AJHS which were held at the Dropsie College.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee ("The Joint")

Adler was an active member of The Joint, and served on its Executive Committee from 1922 to 1940. But there is only one folder directly filed under the heading of The Joint; it consists of meeting minutes from 1920.

American Jewish Relief Committee (AJRC)

The AJRC was the WWI relief arm of the American Jewish Committee. These files constitute by far the largest single series of records in the collection, 6.5 linear feet in volume. Adler was deeply involved in relief work throughout the period of the War and in succeeding years, and led the AJRC's Philadelphia campaigns from 1914 into the 1920's.

The material in this collection primarily consists of the records of two major fund-raising efforts: the Jewish War Relief Campaign (1914-1921; bulk: 1919) and the American Jewish Relief Appeal (1921-1925; bulk: 1922). Most of this material relates specifically to fund-raising activities in the State of Pennsylvania, particularly in Philadelphia, although a few files relate to campaigns in other localities. When the current processing began, it was found that the records of the Appeal were often mingled with those of the Campaign; this confusion was very probably of recent origin. It has been difficult at best, and in many cases impossible to accurately distinguish between the two sets of records. Files dating from 1922 forward have been assumed to relate solely to the Appeal.

Chicago Exposition (1893):See World's Columbian Exposition

Committee of Fifteen

This group was "appointed" by Horace Stern during a meeting at his home on April 28, 1925. Adler himself was one of the fifteen men appointed. Two years later, the Committee advocated creating a new body, the Philadelphia Jewish Education Council.

Federation of Jewish Charities of Philadelphia

These files relate to matters concerning the Federation as a body, and its many constituent institutions. The material dates from 1908 to 1940, with the bulk of it dating from 1920 to 1929. It constitutes the second largest single series of records in the collection, comprising over 2.5 linear feet under the direct heading "Federation," and much more if all the related files are taken together. Materials pertaining to the Federation and its administration include some governance documents, minutes of meetings and budgetary statements. The most extensive material in this category relates to Dr. Adler's participation in that department of the Federation known as the "Education Group."

Organizations which appear with some frequency in the Federation files include: the Alliance Israelite, Associated Talmud Torahs, Big Sisters, Blaine Community Centre, Eagleville Sanitarium for Consumptives, Federated Loan Association, Hebrew Literature Society, Hebrew Sheltering Home, Jewish Convalescent Home, Jewish Hospital Association, Jewish Welfare Society, Juvenile Aid Society, Mount Sinai Hospital Association, National Farm School, Neighborhood Centre, Society of the United Hebrew Charities, United Synagogue of America, and the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association. There is some, but relatively little, correspondence relating to individual applicants for various types of aid.

See also: the Alliance Israelite, Committee of Fifteen, National Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, National Council of Jewish Women, Philadelphia Board of Public Education, Philadelphia Jewish Education Council, Talmud Torahs, United Synagogue, and the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association.

Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP)

Adler served as a member of the Board of Trustees from roughly 1915 onward, acting as its President from 1925 until his retirement from the Board in 1939. There is only one folder of correspondence in this collection. Although ranging in date from 1914 to 1938, the material is scanty, and pertains only to business conducted between FLP and the Dropsie College.

Gratz College

Adler served as a member of the Board of Gratz College. There was also a long and close relationship between that institution and the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning. The Adler Papers contain three folders of correspondence relating to Gratz College, dating from 1913 to 1940. While comparatively slim, and lacking information about Adler's early service on the Board, these files appear to be comprehensive regarding his term as president of Dropsie College. (See also: Mikveh Israel Synagogue.)

The Hebrew Press

Adler was instrumental in establishing the Hebrew Press as an arm of the Jewish Publication Society, in large part for the purpose of locally printing the JQR. There is extensive correspondence concerning the Press in this collection, dating from 1922 to 1939. (See also: Jewish Publication Society.)

Jewish Publication Society of America (JPS)

Adler was one of the founders of the JPS. He served as a Trustee and member of the Publication Committee from the formation of JPS in 1888 until his death in 1940, and as Chair of the Publication Committee from 1925 to 1934. He originated The American Jewish Yearbook, and was also instrumental in forwarding the 1917 translation of the Bible. There are two, slim, series of related files in this collection. The three folders in the Correspondence Group date from 1913 to 1939, and largely concern the relationship between JPS and the Dropsie College. The eight (very slight) folders in the Personal Papers Group date from 1887 to 1900, and primarily concern the "Preliminary List of Jewish Soldiers and Sailors who served in the Spanish American War," published in the 1900-1901 Yearbook. (See also: Hebrew Press.)

Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS)

Considering the importance of Dr. Adler's role in the Seminary's affairs, and the length of his association with the JTS, there is surprisingly little related material in this collection. Only three categories of material are filed under the direct heading JTS: invitations to and programs of events at the Seminary, such as annual commencements; holograph or type-script copies of addresses given by Dr. Adler at various JTS events; and records of the Philadelphia Branch of the Seminary.

All these files together are little more than one linear foot in extent. Related materials will be found filed as Adler himself filed them, under the names of individual correspondents and/or topics. Two important lacunae in the collection are the virtual lack of correspondence with Sabato Morais, Adler's mentor and the founder of the JTS; and the complete lack of any correspondence between Dr. Adler and his colleague and friend, Solomon Schechter, whom he helped to make President of JTS, and whom he succeeded in that office from 1915 onward.

Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Adler enrolled in the JHU "Semitic Seminary" in 1883, and became "the first person who received a Doctor of Philosophy in Semitics from an American university" in 1887 (1, page 64.) JHU appointed him Instructor in Semitic Languages, and he continued his association there until 1892. While still a student, Adler became a close friend of Professor Paul Haupt, and later became his assistant. An important lacuna in this collection is the complete lack of any correspondence with Dr. Haupt.

The Personal Papers Group contains a number of Adler's academic notebooks on such subjects as Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Ethiopic, and Semitics, mentioned in his autobiography (1, page 53.) This group also contains several of the papers and reviews he wrote for various societies and journals while associated with JHU. His diploma is in this collection, as are a large number of receipts from JHU and the University Club.

Mikveh Israel Synagogue (Congregation Mikveh Israel)

Cyrus Adler was affiliated with this influential, Sephardic synagogue from the time his family moved to Philadelphia in 1869, and served as its President from 1911 to 1916. As a youngster he took private lessons with the congregation's minister, Sabato Morais, and later became his friend. The building of the Dropsie College shared the corner of Broad and York Streets with Mikveh Israel and its educational affiliate, Gratz College. There are two folders of related correspondence in the Adler Papers, dating from 1909 to 1940.

Paris Peace Conference (1919): See: American Jewish Committee.

Philadelphia Board of Public Education

Dr. Adler was appointed to the Board in June, 1921, and resigned in 1925. He received numerous congratulatory messages upon this appointment from peers, friends, and well-wishers, including Simon Gratz, Morris Jastrow, and members of the Solis-Cohen family. Organizations frequently represented in these files include the Philadelphia Teachers' Association, Women Teachers' Organization (later Association) of Philadelphia, and the White-Williams Foundation. The material also includes correspondence from individual schools (chiefly invitations to events) and letters from school administrators and teachers.

Separate but related files in this collection include: Edwin C. Broome, Jr., the Citizen's Emergency Committee on Public Education, Committee of Fifteen, Education Aid Society, Federation of Jewish Charities of Philadelphia, National Education Association, Philadelphia Jewish Education Council, and Clinton Rogers Woodruff.

Sesqui-Centennial Exposition (Philadelphia)

Adler served as an active member of both the Education and Religion committees of the Exposition. There are five folders of related correspondence, dating from 1923 to 1926, which include various official invitations.

Smithsonian Institution

The 1846 act of Congress which created the Smithsonian Institution provided for a library and museum (later called the United States National Museum.) While a student at Johns Hopkins University, Adler visited the Museum in 1888, and made the acquaintance of the Director, Dr. George Goode. Later that year, Adler prepared the Museum's exhibit of Biblical archaeology at the "Cincinnati Exposition," and in 1890, through this association, he became a special commissioner for the "Chicago Exposition." Afterwards, he was offered the post of Librarian of the Smithsonian Institution, which he held from 1892 until 1905. From 1905 to 1908, he served as Assistant Secretary. While in these posts he became close friends with the Institution's Director, Samuel Langley, and in some regards acted virtually as the administrator of the Smithsonian.

There is one folder pertaining to Samuel Langley and another to the Smithsonian in the Correspondence Group of this collection. The Personal Papers Group contains the damaged draft of a letter from Adler to Langley, and one other folder pertaining to the Smithsonian; this Group also contains various other personal and professional correspondence and receipts dating from Adler's years in Washington, D.C. There is also one file under the direct heading of the United States National Museum in the Personal Papers. (See also: World's Columbian Exposition.)

United States National Museum: See Smithsonian Institution.

United Synagogue of America

Adler was one of the founders of the United Synagogue, and served as its President from 1914 to 1918. There are nine folders of related materials dating from 1915 to 1940, but they are relatively slim. There is a significant gap between 1924 and 1938, although there are some files relating to the addresses which Adler gave at meetings of the Women's League of the organization during those years.

University of Pennsylvania (U of P)

Cyrus Adler earned his Bachelor's degree from the U of P in 1883, and gave the class oration at graduation. While working toward his PhD at the Johns Hopkins University, he also took his Master's degree from the U of P in 1886, and again gave the class oration. He was granted an honorary Doctorate by the University of Pennsylvania in 1930. The collection contains both his Bachelor and Master of Arts diplomas, but no other materials relating to his academic work at the U of P. The files date from 1908 to 1940. For the most part, they comprise two types of materials: those concerning the reciprocal relationships between the U of P and the Dropsie College, and those pertaining to Adler's membership in the U of P alumni association.

World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago, 1893)

In 1890, Adler was appointed by a U. S. Congressional Committee to the post of Commissioner of the World's Columbian Exposition to Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Tunis and Morocco. From 1890 to 1893 he traveled throughout the Near East to solicit the participation of the governments and businessmen of those countries in the Exposition. The only materials in this collection which directly relate to his work for the Exposition are two large certificates, and a number of receipts (primarily from hotels, including Shepheard's in Cairo), which are filed in the Personal Papers Group.

Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM/WHA)

There is roughly one-half linear foot of related material in this collection, primarily concerning the Philadelphia YM/WHA, but including some files on the YM/WHAs in New York City and other towns in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. These files date from 1912 to 1940; the bulk of them date from 1920 to 1927, and much of the material concerns the "new" building at Broad and Pine Streets. (See also: Federation, above; and Leeser Library, below.)

IMPORTANT LACUNAE

In his autobiography, Adler stated that his "major Jewish duties" were his involvement with the Federation, the Jewish Publication Society, the College, and the Seminary. (1, page 329) In addition to the administrative papers of Dropsie College, this collection preserves important materials pertaining to Adler's work for most of the other institutions of which he was a leader. But these files do not in any way form a complete record of his relationship with those organizations (see the Scope and Content Note, above.)

Some surprising gaps also occur in the Adler Papers. Granted that the collection primarily pertains to Dr. Adler's work as President of the Dropsie College, yet there are numerous materials documenting his other, unrelated activities, as well as his relationships with friends and colleagues. So numerous are the inclusions, in fact, that the omissions noted below would appear to be deliberate. Whether such gaps represent an aspect of Dr. Adler's own filing system, or a later removal, cannot now be guessed with any certainty. The researcher is again advised to review Adler's correspondence with all those individuals who shared his interests and responsibilities.

Hebrew Education Society (HES)

Dr. Adler's uncle, David Sulzberger, was active in the HES.

As a youngster Adler attended one of the HES parochial schools in Philadelphia, and later became well acquainted with some of its leaders, including Sabato Morais and Moses Aaron Dropsie. As President of both the Dropsie College and JTS, Adler was also much involved in the Education Group of the Federation and a number of other Jewish educational organizations. But there is no file under the direct heading of the HES. (See also: Isaac Leeser Library, below.)

International Catalog of Scientific Literature

Adler represented the United States at an international conference on the cooperative cataloging of scientific literature, held in London in 1898. He is credited with making an important contribution toward the development of the Catalog. (1, pages 219-235) Adler's own copies of this publication have been removed from the Personal Papers Group and placed in the Archives Ephemera collection. (See also: Smithsonian Institution, above.)

Jewish Agency for Palestine

Adler was associated with this organization from its inception, and in 1929 he visited Palestine on behalf of the Agency. There is no file under the direct heading of the Jewish Agency in this collection. However, one file contained information about a variety of Palestinian organizations, many of them educational and charitable institutions, most of which contains material dating from the time of his visit to Palestine on behalf of the Agency in the late 1920s. This file has been divided and new files established for each of these organizations, with cross references in the container list.

Jewish Encyclopedia

This encyclopedia was published in twelve volumes from 1901 to 1906. Dr. Adler served on its editorial Board as head of the Departments of Post-Biblical Antiquities and Jews of America. There is no file for this publication in the collection. However, there is one file on the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, to which Adler contributed in the last years of his life.

Jewish Welfare Board

After the United States entered World War I, Adler called a conference of several organizations, which later became known as The Jewish Welfare Board. Among the achievements of the Board was the creation of the Union Prayerbook for the use of Jewish servicemen. (1, pages 300-303) This collection has no files under the direct heading of the Board, but a few items of correspondence may be found in the Federation files.

Kehillah

Although not a member of the Kehillah of New York City, Adler was an admirer of that organization and a close associate of several of its leaders. In his autobiography, he states that he "established a Kehillah in Philadelphia in 1911," and served as its first president until the outbreak of World War I. (1, page 292) There is no file in this collection under the direct heading of "Kehillah," but there are a very few items pertaining to that organization scattered throughout the Correspondence.

Isaac Leeser Library

While a student at Central High School, Adler worked as a volunteer to staff the library of the Young Men's Hebrew Association in the evenings. At that time, he cataloged the Isaac Leeser Library, which was "in its day one of the best Hebrew libraries in America," and which had been "deposited" in the YMHA by the executors of Leeser's estate. This catalog was printed in 1883. In 1913, as President of the Dropsie College, Adler "arranged for its [the Leeser Library's] permanent deposit there [at the College]." (1, pages 20-21) This collection has no files under the direct heading of "Leeser," nor does any related material appear in the files pertaining to the YM/WHA, although these are contemporaneous with the transfer of the Library to the College.

Adler and Sulzberger Families

The Adler Papers do not include personal correspondence between himself and the closest members of his family. Nevertheless, the most striking lacuna in the Adler Papers is the virtual lack of correspondence between Cyrus Adler and his older cousin, Mayer Sulzberger. Judge Sulzberger preceded Adler in office as President of the Dropsie College, and worked closely with him as a Governor of the College until his death in 1923.

The bulk of the relevant files in this collection concern the estates of Joseph and Mayer Sulzberger, for both of whom Dr. Adler acted as executor. Much of this material pertains to the contents and posthumous distribution of Mayer Sulzberger's famous library. Fortunately, many of Adler's letters to Mayer are preserved in the Mayer Sulzberger Manuscript Collection. More information concerning Adler's election as President of the College can be found in the archives of the Board of Governors.

Individuals

There are several important individuals with whom Cyrus Adler had close personal and/or professional contacts, yet for whom there are no files in this collection. These individuals include: members of his immediate family (although there are a few photographs in the Personal Papers), Moses Aaron Dropsie, most members of the Friedenwald family, Paul Haupt, Louis Marshall, Jacob and Mortimer Schiff, and Solomon Schechter.

A number of other individuals are represented in the collection by only one or two items of correspondence directly filed under their names. These include: Morris Jastrow, Sabato Morais, Mayer Sulzberger and other members of that family, and Felix Warburg. The researcher is reminded that additional correspondence with and about certain individuals may be found in other, usually topical, files.

The collection ranges in date from 1866 to 1942, with the bulk of it dating from 1907 to 1939. Although the material is divided into two distinct groups, business correspondence and personal papers, this division is somewhat artificial. The Correspondence Group is actually a "hybrid" of Dr. Adler's administrative and personal papers. This mixture reveals something of his own business methods, but speaks much more strongly to the tightly interwoven relationships between the many Jewish cultural institutions which he and his peers served in Philadelphia, and to a lesser extent, in New York City.

The Correspondence constitutes the great majority of the collection, and pertains largely to Dr. Adler's tenure as President of the Dropsie College from 1908 until his death in 1940. Due to the multitude of additional responsibilities which Dr. Adler accepted during those years, this material also includes much that has no direct (but often, indirect) bearing on the work of the College. Several files contain correspondence that pre-dates Adler's presidency of the College, usually with his close colleagues and friends. This Group is arranged in alphabetical order by name or subject.

The relatively small Personal Papers Group contains the earliest-dated materials, particularly that series relating to the Adler family's ownership of land in Sevier County, Arkansas. This Group also contains an extensive series of notebooks and some other material relating to Dr. Adler's years at Johns Hopkins University (1883-1890), and some materials relating to his career in Washington, D.C. (1892-1908). The Personal Papers Group also contains numerous draft and typescript copies of his published and unpublished literary productions, as well as some certificates and photographs.

The Cyrus Adler Papers are organized into two groups: I. Correspondence. II. Personal papers.