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COLLECTION Identifier: Mss:8993 1857-1938

Coolidge family business records

Overview

Records of the growth of investment of T. (Thomas) Jefferson Coolidge over the years, and of his estate (after 1920), and of various trusts. Includes ledgers, cashbooks, trial balances and valuations, and both incoming and outgoing letters. Also letterbooks, 1890-1911, of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, Jr.

Dates

  • Creation: 1857-1938

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Materials stored onsite. Please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information.

Extent

15.25 linear feet (74 volumes, 1 box)

The business records of the Coolidge family of Boston, from 1871 to 1938 contain the financial records for the Hart Trust, William Appleton Trust, and the trust accounts Thomas Jefferson Coolidge created for his children and grandchildren. The collection documents the controlled transfer of family capital through several generations of trusts, often with women as the beneficiaries. The records also include, more specifically, the 1901 executor's account of Hetty S. Coolidge's estate, as well as a list of her property.

Materials includes ledgers, cashbooks, trial balances and valuations, and both incoming and outgoing letters. Also letterbooks, 1890-1911, of T. Jefferson Coolidge, Jr. and incoming letters relating to Georgia delegates for Taft, 1908.

Biographical / Historical

T. Jefferson Coolidge (1831-1920): Boston merchant, financier and diplomat (Harvard, 1850) was treasurer of various New England textile mills, director of a number of banks, president of a railroad, delegate to international congresses, and minister to France (1892). His son T. Jefferson Coolidge (1863-1912) (Harvard, 1884) established the Old Colony Trust Company in 1890 and was its chief officer until his death. He served on the boards of directors of other banks and of transportation, utility, communications and textile companies.

Physical Location

MANU

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of T. Jefferson Coolidge, 1959, and of William A. Coolidge, 1959 and 1964.

Processing Information

Processed: January 2018 By: Baker Library Special Collections Staff

Author
Baker Library
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
und
EAD ID
bak00392

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:
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