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COLLECTION Identifier: Mss:869 1919-1954 J65

John Price Jones Company records

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of selected records of the John Price Jones Company, dating from 1919 to 1969. The records include the corporation's financial records (1919-1944); subject files concerning the history of the firm and offundraising and philanthropy in general (1929-1969); and news releases and other company publications dating from the 1920s to the 1950s. A notable set ofrecords document the firm's internal policies and procedures (1920s-1950s.) Many of these innovative policies became standard practice for the entire fundraising profession.

The company's campaign files comprise the largest portion of the collection. There are files for one hundred and thirty-one fundraising campaigns that the John Price Jones Company undertook for various clients between 1919 and 1954. These records represent only a small portion of the firm's entire workload during this period. A small, representative sample of the campaign files was retained when the collection was donated to Baker Library in 1956. Each campaign file typically contains some or all of the following documentation: survey plan, questionnaires, basic data, client information, publicity and direct mail materials, potential and actual donor lists, meeting reports, financial records, and final reports. The campaign files are arranged chronologically.

Another significant component of the collection documents the work that John Price Jones and his company handled for Harvard University. The Harvard campaign files date from 1919 to 1952. Subject matter includes the Harvard Endowment Fund campaign of 1919, the Harvard Club of New York and Associated Harvard Clubs, and the Harvard University Tercentenary (1936). This material is arranged chronologically.

Dates

  • Creation: 1919-1954

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Campaign and client files closed for 80 years from date of creation pending review for personally identifiable information in the records. Contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu to request a review of specific volumes. This restriction will expire for the collection in 2034.

Collection is open for research. Materials stored offsite; access requires advance notice. Contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information.

Extent

79 linear feet (702 volumes, 12 cartons)

Biographical / Historical

The John Price Jones Company was an early pioneer in the field of fundraising for educational, civic, and charitable organizations. John Price Jones (1877-1964) was a 1902 graduate of Harvard College. Jones worked as a reporter and writer for several years before the First World War. In 1917, he joined the Liberty Loan Committee of New York from 1917. In 1919, Jones's successes with the Liberty Loan Committee resulted in his hiring as the general manager of Harvard University's endowment fund. He began a fundraising initiative and raised $14.2 million in less than a year.

Later in 1919, Jones and several of his associates relocated to New York City, where they founded the John Price Jones Company. The firm provided fundraising advice and assistance to colleges and universities, hospitals, museums, religious organizations, and other charities. The John Price Jones Company was profitable in its first year of business, and by the mid-l 920s it employed more than 100 staff members. The company raised relief funds during the Depression and raised funds for the American Red Cross and United Service Organizations (USO) during World War II.

The John Price Jones Company was known for its highly organized and meticulously planned fundraising campaigns. The firm was influential in the development of professional fundraising and philanthropy, as many of the practices and procedures it developed were adopted as industry standards. John Price Jones retired from the firm in 1955, when he sold his interest in the company. Jones's company continued to develop and grow after his departure. By 2003, it had become the international firm Brakeley Fundraising and Management Consultants.

Physical Location

MANU

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of John Price Jones, 1956, 1962, 1965.

Author
Baker Library
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
und
EAD ID
bak01123

Repository Details

Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository

Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.

Contact:
Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
Soldiers Field Road
Boston MA 01263 USA
(617) 495-6411