Charles Whelan Cassidy diaries and photocopies
Overview
Charles Whelan Cassidy, advertising executive, was born on May 31, 1913 in East Orange, New Jersey, and died on June 5, 1994 in Florida; he received his Harvard AB in 1936. This collection is comprised of three diaries written by Charles Whelan Cassidy in 1936, during the second semester of his senior year at Harvard.
Dates
- Creation: January-June 1936 and 1980-1981
Creator
- Cassidy, Charles Whelan, 1913-1994. (Person)
Access
Series I of this collection is restricted due to fragility.
Series II of this collection is open for research.
Copyright
Copying of fragile materials may be limited.
Extent
0.31 cubic feet (1 half document box, 1 flat box)This collection is comprised of three diaries written by Charles Whelan Cassidy in 1936, during the second semester of his senior year at Harvard. Entries provide a detailed account of Cassidy’s daily activities and his personal views on religion, politics, and current events, including two brief mentions of Adolf Hitler. Descriptions include daily meals, reading preferences, English courses at Harvard, trips to the Fogg Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, nightly attendance at prayer services at St. Paul Church, final examinations, his dreams, and social activities with friends and roommates. Social activities include squash games, occasional smoking, concerts, movies at B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre (now the Boston Opera House) and the Paramount Theatre, and frequent trips to an establishment called Mike’s where Cassidy and his friends purchased frappes and magazines and played the dice game of chance. Entries dated January 20-February 3 were removed from the first volume, presumably by Cassidy.
The collection also includes photocopies of the diaries, created by Cassidy in 1980-1981.
Biographical Note
Charles Whelan Cassidy, advertising executive, was born on May 31, 1913 in East Orange, New Jersey. He received his Harvard AB in 1936. In 1941, he married model and columnist Katherine Donovan; they had four children. After leaving Harvard, Cassidy went into advertising, holding supervisory and management positions at a number of advertising agencies in the 1950s and 1960s, including Young & Rubicam (Y&R), Compton (now Saatchi & Saatchi), and Amerace Corporation. In the late 1960s or early 1970s, Cassidy began taking courses at Teachers College of Columbia University in New York City to become a teacher; he later worked in telecommunications with college students. He first retired in 1974 and moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he became the director of a few special projects at the University of Miami. Cassidy retired again in 1977, and died on June 5, 1994 in Florida.
Arrangement
The collection has been arranged into two series:
- Diaries, January-June 1936
- Photocopies, circa 1980-1981
Acquisition information
The collection (accession #9165) was donated to the Harvard University Archives by Charles Whelan Cassidy, December 1, 1980 - April 21, 1981.
Inventory update
This document last updated 2020 September 14.
Processing Information
The collection was processed in February 2014. Processing involved a collection survey, housing in appropriate archival folders and boxes, and the creation of this finding aid.
This finding aid was created by Natalie Johnson in February 2014.
Creator
- Cassidy, Charles Whelan, 1913-1994. (Person)
- Title
- Cassidy, Charles Whelan, 1913-1994. Charles Whelan Cassidy diaries and photocopies, January-June 1936 and circa 1980-1981 : an inventory
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua07014
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461
archives_reference@harvard.edu