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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Detailed Description of the Collection
W. Paul Stillman papers
Collection Summary |
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| Creator: | Stillman, W. Paul, 1897-1989. |
| Title: | W. Paul Stillman papers |
| Dates: | 1800-1989 |
| Quantity: | 1/2 linear feet (1 box) |
| Identification: | Mss 11 |
| Repository: | Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections |
| Abstract: | Primarily original documents pertaining to land transactions in the early 1800s. Limited correspondence of Mr. Stillman's, and various Government banking proclamations. |
Biography of W. Paul Stillman
Born in Newark on September 17, 1897, Mr. Stillman was 16 when he became a messenger for the Hanover Trust Company in New York. He never went to college.
He headed two of the state's largest financial institutions. At 34 he became America's youngest bank president when he took the post at the National State Bank of Newark, a predecessor of First Fidelity Bank and, in 1938, he joined the board of directors of the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company of Newark and assumed the chairmanship eight years later.
At his death Mr. Stillman was also director emeritus of Tri-Continental Corporation of New York and honorary director of the Union Camp Corporation. He also served at various times as director of Food Fair Stores, Inc.; C.F. Mueller Co.; Becton, Dickinson & Co.; Public Service Electric & Gas Co.; Niagara Fire Insurance Co.; the Erie Lackawanna Railroad; Franklin Savings Bank and the Hospital Service Plan of New Jersey.
Mr. Stillman also served as the founder and past chairman of the New Jersey Heart Association, chairman of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, chairman of the United Hospitals Medical Center Foundation, trustee of New York University and honorary life member of the board of directors of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce.
Consumers can credit Mr. Stillman for the changes in banking law that allow them to shop at dozens of institutions for the best yields on their savings deposits and the lowest loan rates. Prior to 1969, banks were local operations, doing business in one town or county. Mr. Stillman was influential in helping to get a series of laws passed that eventually permitted banks to do business around the state, making it common for even small towns to have two or more banks.
In recognition of his accomplishments, and the contributions to Seton Hall University in South Orange made by Mr. Stillman, Mutual Benefit and First Fidelity, the university named its school of business after him in 1973.
"His real contribution, in my opinion, is that he was the epitome of the civic-minded businessman,"said Fred Kelly, the school's dean at that time. "His own personal standard was to make business profitable for shareholders, policyholders, and depositors. But he realized that his business was also an integral part of the society in which it was functioning, and that is why he was so active in city, state, and metropolitan affairs."
On April 30th, 1989, Mr. Stillman died at Mountainside Hospital in Glen Ridge. He was 91 years old.
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Scope and Content
The W. Paul Stillman collection contains books, correspondence, source documents, and photographs covering the period from 1800 until his death in 1989. This collection contains very little of Mr. Stillman's personal correspondence. It has several obituaries and correspondence centering on the banking crisis of the early 1930s. It also contains personal papers of Mrs. Cleveland (no apparent connection to Mr. Stillman) which has an excellent accounting of prices and expenses for various goods and services during the Civil War period, i.e. 1850s to 1860s.
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Arrangement of the Papers
The papers are arranged into 2 series.
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Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open to researchers at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center.
Advance appointments are required for the use of archival materials.
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Index Terms
Persons:
Cleveland family -- Archives.
Stillman, W. Paul, 1897-1989 -- Archives.
Subjects:
New Jersey -- History -- 1775-1865 -- Sources.
Stillman School of Business -- History -- Sources.
Document Types:
Account books.
Deeds.
Letters.
Newspaper clippings.
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Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
W. Paul Stillman family
Karen Boroff, Deand of the Stillman Business School.
Processing Information
Daniel H. Schoch, Sr., 2006
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Detailed Description of the Collection
| Series I: W. Paul Stillman papers, 1927-1989 | |||||||||||
| These items mostly document the professional life of Stillman. Only a few personal items are included. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Description | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence between J.S.Rippel and Co. (Dealers in Investment Securities) and E.E. Rhodes of Mutual Benefit Insurance Co., September 9-15, 1931 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Newspaper article drafts by Stillman, 1927-1932 | |||||||||
| Includes report of examination of stocks and bonds, a letter dated from J.S.Rippel to Securities Company of New Jersey explaining why it would be advisable to defer payment of dividends to stockholders due to the worldwide economic depression and copies of Collateral Trust Gold Bonds from 1927-1932. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Obituaries, 1989 | |||||||||
| First Fidelity Bancorporation "Internal Bulletin" from Mr. Robert R. Ferguson, Jr., Chairman of the Board, and CEO, to all employees announcing the death of Mr. Stillman, May 1, 1989 | |||||||||||
| Press clippings of obituaries, The Star Ledger and The New York Times, May 2-7, 1989 | |||||||||||
| Memorial Service brochure of Mr. Stillman at St. George-by-the-River Church, Rumson, N.J.; includes a list of service notes and details of the ceremony 1989 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Speech by Stillman to The Society of Certified Public Accountants of the State of New Jersey, December 10, 1931 | |||||||||
| Copy of the speech (11 pages); Stillman addresses the 'bad press' about the health of the American Banking System | |||||||||||
| CPA Bulletin, dated December 10, 1931 for the Sixth Annual Conference attended by Mr. Stillman, | |||||||||||
| Letter of thanks from Theodore Krohn, Secretary of the Society of Certified Public Accountants of the State of New Jersey for the speech. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Telegrams, 1933 | |||||||||
| Various telegrams from the Federal Government in Washington, D.C. to banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System regarding the closing of banks and the process for application to reopen. Letter of thanks and congratulations from Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau to Mr. Stillman regarding the positive response of holders of Fourth Liberty Bonds Issued. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 6 | U.S. Treasury Department documents 1933 | |||||||||
| Clearinghouse script forms for procedures regarding the Bank Holiday declared by President Roosevelt in 1933 | |||||||||||
| Copy of President Roosevelt's Proclamation to all banking institutions in the Second Reserve District declaring a National Bank Holiday due to the national emergency. Holiday to begin Monday, March 6, 1933 through Thursday, March 9, 1933. | |||||||||||
| Copy of the Act of Congress to all banking institutions in the Second Reserve District to provide relief in the existing national emergency in banking and for other purposes. | |||||||||||
| Document regarding Newark Clearinghouse Association's plan for issuance and use of Clearinghouse Certificates, dated March 6, 1933. Also copies of Application for Member for issuance of Clearinghouse Certificates. | |||||||||||
| Documents dated March 1933 from George L. Harrison, Governor, Federal Reserve Bank of New York to Banking Institutions in the Second Federal Reserve District regarding: 1) licenses to member banks, issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to reopen; 2) regarding regulations issued by the Secretary of the Treasury under the President's Proclamation declaring a Bank Holiday, numbered regulations: #22, #23, and #24; 3) numbered regulations: #25, #26, and #10, included are interpretations of regulation #10; 4) numbered regulations: #1 - #14, lettered regulations C, G, and H and a copy of the Presidential Proclamation (re: Bank Holiday); 5) numbered regulations with interpretations: #5, #6, and #10 and a copy of press release from the Secretary of the Treasury explaining the President's urging "he immediate enactment of legislation dealing with the existing banking situation"; 6) letter describing program for reopening banks 7) letter informing the banks that the subscription books are closed on U.S. Treasury Bills Series dated 8/15/1933 and series dated 12/15/1933 March 1933 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Photograph of Stillman home in Rumson, NJ, black & white, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | Books | ||||||||||
| Forty-Nine Feet on Broad. Newark: The National State Bank of Newark, . (21.5 x 286 cm) 1962 | |||||||||||
| The story of the first 150 years of the National State Bank of Newark, New Jersey. Introductory letter by Mr. W. Paul Stillman, Chairman of the Board. It details the bank's history in four time periods; I. 1812: A Time to Begin, II. 1815-1870: A Time to be Tested, III. 1871-1931, A Time to Stand Firm, IV. 1932-1962, A Time to Reach Far. Contains photographs and lithographs of Newark along with an accompanying text. | |||||||||||
| Graham, Benjamin, and Spencer B. Meredith. The Interpretations of Financial Statements. New York: Harper and Brothers, , 4th edition. (13 x 19.2 cm) 1937 | |||||||||||
| Divided into three parts. In Part 1, the authors give clear explanations of the various elements contained in Balance Sheets and Income Statements and their significance. Part 2 gives the reader mathematical formulae to use as a method of determining the financial health of a company, for investment purposes. Part 3 is a detailed glossary of financial terms and phrases along with, in many cases, examples. | |||||||||||
| Robert, General Henry M. Robert's Rules of Order. Chicago: Scott Foresman and Company, . (10.1 x 15.3 cm) 1915 | |||||||||||
| Series II: Cleveland family papers, 1800-1867 | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Description | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Accounting ledger pages; Moorehouse to Wade, September 1852 to 1862 | |||||||||
| Ledger pages detailing the debits and credits for services rendered Mrs. Electa Morehouse and Uzual Wade of Essex County, New Jersey. There is also a handwritten sheet of Mrs. Morehouse's bank statement with the Newark Savings Institution. The names Voorhees and Cleveland are contained in these documents. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Home insurance policy, Charles Erb, 1864-1867 | |||||||||
| Insurance policy #55919 taken out on March 17, 1864 by Charles Erb on the property he purchased from Julia Voorhees in Clinton Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is for the amount of $1500.00 and names Julia Voorhees as beneficiary in the event of loss. Signed by J. Woodhull, and S. G. Gould. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Letter from N.J. Secretary of State, 1867 | |||||||||
| Letter to an unidentified female (possibly Mrs. Cleveland) regarding a certificate for some property of hers that was destroyed. | |||||||||||
| Mortgages | |||||||||||
| 2 | Marsh to Cleveland, April 12, 1817 | ||||||||||
| Document dated April 12, 1817. Henry Marsh and his wife Mary are selling four acres, more or less, in the Township of Rahway, County of Essex, New Jersey to Benjamin Cleveland for $230.00 plus lawful interest over three years. Also details an additional financial agreement between the two parties regarding a bond for the penal sum of $460.00. The first side gives the surveying details of the property, i.e. degrees, minutes, feet, etc. The second side contains a statement written by Amos Morse saying that Mary Marsh is of lawful age and fully understands the details of this transaction and agrees to it without any coercion from her husband. Apparently she was unable to read or write because she had to make her "Mark, and 'X'" and it was witnessed by Amos Morse. Received in the office the 17th day of April, 1817 at Meridian and registered in Book 'M' of Mortgages for Essex County, pages 130 and 131. Signed: L. Whitehead. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Skinner to Niemcewicz, July 1, 1813 - June 20, 1816 | |||||||||
| Promissory Bond between Jonathan Skinner and Susan U. Niemcewicz, in Union Township, Borough of Elizabeth, County of Essex, New Jersey. Skinner is borrowing $500.00 from Niemcewicz. Skinner has agreed to pay Niemcewicz $250.00 plus lawful interest one year from the date of the bond, July 1, 1813. Reverse side shows bond being paid off by Benjamin Cleveland on June 20th, 1816 in the amount of $294.72. Witnessed by James Clark and Peter Kean. | |||||||||||
| 2 | Skinner to Willis, July 10, 1809 - August 12, 1812 | ||||||||||
| Judge Caleb Halsted (June') and Nancy Halsted, Silas Condit (Clerk'), L. Whitehead (Clerk') and partial signatures of Hinds and Harryman. Mortgage document dated July 10, 1809 detailing sale by Jonathan D. Skinner and his wife Rebecah of a ¼ acre of land in the Township of Elizabeth, County of Essex, New Jersey to Daniel Willis for $250.00. Willis has given them one dollar as a down payment and promises to pay the balance plus lawful interest one year from the date of this mortgage, by July 10th, 1810. On July 11th, 1809 Daniel Willis sold the property to Thomas (Morrell') for $250.00. The first side gives the surveying details of the property, along with the financial details of the agreement. The second side has a notation signed by Judge Caleb Halsted (June'), Judge on the Superior Court of Pleas, New Jersey, declaring that Rebecah Skinner has agreed to this sale of the property without any coercion from her husband. The second side also contains the details of the financial agreement between Mr. Willis and Mr. (Morrell'). There is one final note on the second side stating the record canceled on August 12th, 1812, and signed by L. Whitehead. Registered in Book 'H' of Mortgages for Essex County pages 801 and 802. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Halsted to Skinner, May 1, 1800 | |||||||||
| Mortgage deed between Caleb Halsted (June') and his wife Nancy Halsted, and Jonathan Davis Skinner. Halsted is selling a piece of land in the borough of Elizabethtown, in Essex county, New Jersey to Skinner for $150.00. The survey description includes the properties of Samuel Perrine and Joseph Willis that this parcel of land borders on. The document was witnessed by William Halsted and Robert Halsted. | |||||||||||
| 2 | Willis to Skinner, July 8, 1809 | ||||||||||
| Mortgage document for sale of property located in Elizabethtown, Essex county, New Jersey from Daniel Willis and his wife Ann to Jonathan Skinner for the amount of $250.00. Property measures approximately a ¼ acre in size and abuts along one of the county roads and left of the Public Highway by the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Congregation in Elizabethtown. Contains the actual surveying details, i.e. minutes, degrees, feet, etc. Witnessed by Judge Caleb Halsted ----' Superior Court of Common Pleas holden at Elizabethtown in and for the Borough of Elizabeth. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Skinner to Niemcewicz, July 1, 1813-June 20, 1816 | |||||||||
| Borough of Elizabeth, County of Essex, New Jersey, Township of Union. Mortgage deed and promissory note. Jonathan Skinner and his wife Rebeckah are selling 1/3 of an acre of land to Susan Niemcewicz and also borrowing $500.00 from her. The main body of the document describes the surveyor's details of the property, i.e. degrees, minutes, feet, etc. and the back page notates the loan being paid in full on June 20th, 1816 and witnessed by Peter Kean. It also has a note signed by Shepard Kollock explaining that the document needed to be altered to add Rebeckah Skinner. Jonathan D. Skinner, Rebeckah Skinner, Susan U. Niemcewicz, James M. Clark, Shepard Kollock, L. Whitehead, Peter Kean. Received in the office the 5th day of October, 1813 at 4:00pm and registered the same month in Book K of Mortgages for Essex County page #56243 by L. Whitehead. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Johnson & Martin to Voorhees, October 9, 1865-1866 | |||||||||
| Caleb P. Crockett/City of Newark, County of Essex, New Jersey This is a mortgage document of William Johnson and James L. Martin for sale of their property to Julia A.Voorhees for the sum of $1500.00. Witnessed by David A. Hayes. Received in the registrar's office 11th October, 1866, Recorded in Book #9 of Assignments of Mortgage, for Essex County, Pages 400, and 401. | |||||||||||
| 2 | Headley to Phoenix & Muir, June 4, 1810-May 28, 1811 | ||||||||||
| Lease agreement by way of mortgage in Newark, Essex county, New Jersey. Isaac Headley is leasing/selling his property in Newark to two New York City merchants, Daniel Phoenix, Jr. and Josiah Muir. Records $300.00 as a down payment and the final sum will be $2,205.02 if they exercise the full 19 year lease period. The property is located on Market Street and abuts a property owned by a George Price as well as a property owned by Benjamin Bloomfield. Includes details of the financial agreement and the surveying details of the properties. Witnessed by Francis Livingston and Joseph Hornblower and Silas Condit (Clerk). There is a small four page amendment on the inside of the document detailing the sale of the property from Daniel Phoenix, Jr. and Josiah Muir to Benjamin Cleveland, for the sum of $969.57. This was witnessed by Henry Mirritt. The last page is a statement from William Permington, Justice of the Supreme Court for the New Jersey, attesting to the fact that Francis Livingston is an attorney in the New Jersey. Received in County office, 4th of June, 1810 at 7 minutes past 3:00pm and registered the next day in Book 'I' of Mortgages for Essex County page 249. Hand drawn map with notations (26cm x 20.5cm) found separately but most likely a part of this transaction. | |||||||||||
| Promissory notes | |||||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Jonathan Skinner, July 10, 1809-July 10, 1812 | |||||||||
| Promissory bond for loan of $500.00 to Jonathan Skinner from Daniel Willis in the Borough of Elizabeth, County of Essex, New Jersey. On the first side of the document Skinner has agreed to pay Willis $250.00 plus lawful interest to Willis one year from the date of the bond; July 10,1810. The second side of the document is a listing of the annual interest payments made by Skinner to Willis and the signatures of the witnesses. Jonathan D. Skinner and Daniel Willis. Witnessed by Judge Caleb Halsted (June') and Nancy Halsted. Additional witnesses, Thomas Morrell, Mary Hinds, and Elizabeth Harryman. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Benjamin Cleveland, September 25, 1834 | |||||||||
| Pre-printed bond document, with information filled in, between Benjamin Cleveland and the Newark Mutual Fire Assurance Company for the sum of $200.00 plus lawful interest. It is witnessed by Sam B. Miller. Newark, County of Essex, New Jersey. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Benjamin Cleveland, 1826 | |||||||||
| Hand written bond document between Benjamin Cleveland and The Newark Mutual Fire Assurance Company for the sum of $1600.00 plus lawful interest. One side details the financial agreement of the transaction and the other side shows the actual payments made by Cleveland. The earlier payments are witnessed by Samuel Hayes and the latter payments are witnessed by A. Woodruff. The first payment is dated Dec. 18th, 1827 and the last payment is dated Nov. 6th, 1834. Benjamin Cleveland, Samuel Hayes, A. Woodruff, Aaron McCann('), The Newark Mutual Fire Assurance Company. Township of Newark, County of Essex, New Jersey. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Receipt for a pew at First Presbyterian Church, Newark, NJ for Benjamin Cleveland, January 1, 1807 | |||||||||
| Receipt for purchase. Cleveland paid Fifty Pounds lawful money of New-York to the church and agrees to pay dollars a year thereafter payable in four quarterly payments. | |||||||||||
| Stock certificates 1812 and 1866 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Benjamin Cleveland, January 1812 | |||||||||
| Stock certificate #74 issued to Benjamin Cleveland for 2 shares of the Essex and Middlesex Turnpike Company; no cost is identified. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Julia Voorhees, January 1, 1866 | |||||||||
| Stock certificate #11499 issued to Julia Voorhees for thirty-four shares of the Newark Mutual Fire Insurance Company for the cost of $120.00. | |||||||||||
| Title searches 1853-1866 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Jonathan Hayes, et al., Clinton, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, September 10, 1853-April 1, 1864 | |||||||||
| Several title searches done on the same property (two tracts, one 11 and 11/100 acres and the other 9 and 8/100 acres) by 3 different clerks. The property changed hands as follows: Joseph Hayes sold to Christopher Hebden, September 10, 1853; Christopher Hebden sold to Robert Van Arsdale, December 13, 1853; Robert Van Arsdale sold to Conrad Hollinger, November 1, 1855. These transactions were searched and witnessed by James J. Terhune (Clerk), March 5, 1858. Conrad Hollinger sold to Charles Erb, July 25, 1859; Charles Erb sold to Christian Mathis, August 6, 1862; Christian Mathis sold to Julia Voorhies (Voorheess'), March 15, 1864; Charles Erb extends a Mortgage to Adolph and Herman Schack. March 21, 1864. These transactions were searched and witnessed by Henry J. Wilk (Clerk). There was a final witness to the title searches by Charles P. Smith, Clerk of the Supreme Court of the New Jersey. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Gottlieb Hornung, February 10, 1854-September 21, 1866 | |||||||||
| Title search done for a property on the corner of Prince and Kinney Streets, no town or county given in New Jersey, by Charles P. Smith, Clerk of the Supreme Court for the New Jersey. Charles Parson and his wife sold the property to Gottlieb Hornung and his wife, February 10, 1854. Hornung sold to Julia Voorhees, September 21, 1866. | |||||||||||