The Haldeman-Julius Collection documents the business and personal life of Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, especially through the biographical information compiled by his second wife, Sue. Along with Emanuel, there is considerable information about Marcet (Emanuel's first wife) and her family, including her aunt Jane Addams (1931 Nobel Peace Prize winner), as well as several close friends and relatives. There is little correspondence in the collection, instead, the majority of the material consists of biographical information that Sue Haldeman-Julius created for a biography she was writing about Emanuel which included drafts of chapters.
Newspaper clippings of events that took place, many after Emanuel's death in the remembrance of him, as well as clippings on people he knew, are also included. Other contents of interest include the short stories and articles that were written by Emanuel, Marcet, or both. Several of the articles indicate that they were written for the Appeal to Reason, a socialist newsletter that Emanuel was editor and owner of.
The collection consists of five series: Contains essays and short stories written by Emanuel, Marcet, or were written by both of them together. There are 46 essays and short stories in this series. Contains family documents from family members on both the Haldeman and the Julius side. This series also includes newspaper clippings regarding social events, friends of the Haldeman-Julius', and also clippings that interested one of Emanuel's wives (such as health). Contains the biographical information compiled and typewritten by his second wife, Sue, for a biography she was writing; includes drafts on various topics and events.
Contains printed material that was published in Emanuel's personal magazine E. H-J. Magazine and other literary works by different authors. Contains photographs and art including two family photographs of the Addams family; one photograph of Jane Addams' casket being carried; one photograph of Emanuel; one-color print o the Haldeman-Julius home in Girard, KS (1942), and: an original pencil drawing of Abraham Walkowitz by Sue Haldeman-Julius; The Morse Department of Special Collections houses a comprehensive run of Haldeman-Julius publications ("Little Blue Books") and Emanuel's two autobiographies, My First 25 Years and My Second 25 Years.
Emanuel Julius was born July 30,1889 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Russian immigrants and upon arriving in the United States had to change their surname from Zalujetzski to Julius, which was easier to pronounce. Emanuel's father was a book binder but was unable to provide enough for the family thus, at age 13, Emanuel was forced to quit school in order to work. After he quit school Emanuel worked in a toy factory (a sweat shop) making only three dollars a week. After that he held many odd jobs including: usher in a theater; bellhop in a private school for girls in Terrytown, New York; and, occasionally, boxing.
Emanuel enjoyed school and he decided to enroll in night classes at Brown Prep School while working. However, due to trouble with algebra and Latin, he quit Brown and enrolled in night school at a local high school. Emanuel soon decided he wanted to publish books that were affordable for most people. This interest lead to jobs in the journalism industry. He worked for the Milwaukee Leader; Philadelphia Daily as a copy reader; Daily Leader as a feature writer and City Hall reporter in Milwaukee; Chicago Evening World as courtroom and police reporter until 1912; Western Comrade in Los Angeles as a copy writer; New York Call as Sunday editor and dramatic critic from 1914-1915; and Appeal to Reason as editor in 1918.
Emanuel's first publication, "Mark Twain-Radical," appeared in The International Social Review. He also had his own monthly publication called American Freedom as well as his own magazine, Life and Letters. He wrote two autobiographies, My First 25 Years (published in 1949), and My Second 25 Years (also published in 1949). On June 1, 1916, Emanuel married his first wife, Marcet Haldeman, and the two decided to legally combine their names to Haldeman-Julius, the name that Emanuel became famous under. The two bought the Appeal's printing factory and together their publishing industry flourished and many pieces they wrote were published by their company. Emanuel became famous for the books that he published. First called the "Appeal Pocket Series", then the "People's Pocket Series" and, finally, the "Little Blue Books", the name for which they are best known.
These books sold for five to twenty-five cents and were considered a university in writing owing to the classical literature printed within the pages of these pocket books. They enabled those with little money to afford such classics as Shakespeare and Voltaire which they might otherwise have not been able to read. The title of the first publication in the blue book series,"The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" was published in 1919. Emanuel's dream had been realized and, not only were these books popular in the United States, they had appeal throughout the world.
Emanuel died July 31, 1951 at his home in Girard, Kansas. He was found drowned in his own swimming pool by his second wife of nine years, Sue Haldeman-Julius. Suspicion surrounded his death and rumors of involvement by J. Edgar Hoover and the F.B.I. spread because of Emanuel's socialist beliefs and his dislike for Hoover and his "tyrannical tactics against perceived enemies". Biographical Information for this sketch was compiled from several Internet sources and the contents of this collection.
Marcet Haldeman-Julius (nee Anna Marcet Haldeman) was an American feminist, actress, playwright, civil rights advocate, editor, author, and bank president.
Marcet was born in Girard, Crawford, Kansas, on 18 Jun 1887, the daughter of physician Henry Winfield Haldeman and his wife Alice Addams. Alice was the sister of Jane Addams, 1931 Nobel Peace Prize Winner.
Marcet studied at the Rockford Seminary for Young Ladies and then the Dearborn Seminary in Chicago, until the death of her father in 1905, followed by Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. While at Bryn Mawr she became on of the closest friends and confidantes of the poet Marianne Moore. After three years she left the college to continue her stage acting, graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1910.
Marcet's parents ran the Bank of Girard. When her mother died in 1915, Marcet returned to her hometown where she took over managment of the bank. In 1916 she married activist and publisher Emanuel Julius. They both adopted the surname Haldeman-Julius. They wrote both separately and together.
They had two children, Alice (1917-1991) and Henry (1919-1990) and adopted a third, Josephine (b. 1910). Marcet and Emanuel separated in 1933. Marcet died of cancer on 13 Feb 1941.
Susan Haney was born 28 Jul 1907 in Cherokee county, Kansas, the daughter of Arthur C. and Lena (Burg) Haney. When she was young the family moved to Girard, Crawford, Kansas. Shortly thereafter, in 1918, her father died, leaving her mother to raise five children alone.
She began working for the Haldeman-Julius Publishing while a young woman. At 18, in 1925 she worked as a book binder. In 1930, she was a mailer in a book plant. and in 1940 she was a secretary in a publishing office.
In 1942, she married the recently widowed Emanuel Haldeman-Julius. He died in 1951. She died on 19 May 2003 in Pittsburg, Crawford, Kansas.