Jacob M. Braude papers, 1932-1970

Finding Aid for the Collection at Chicago History Museum

By Freida Kraines, 1999; rev. by Jennifer Asimakopoulos, July 2005

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Please note: This finding aid provides unreliable description of box order. Collection is not processed yet.

Title: Jacob M. Braude papers

Main entry: Braude, Jacob Morton, 1896-1970.

Inclusive dates: 1932-1970

Size: 15.5 linear ft. (16 boxes and 6 v.)

Accession number: 1984.0155

This descriptive inventory contains

Brief history,

Description of the collection,

List of online catalog headings,

Provenance statement,

Storage designation,

Container list of box/folder numbers and titles.

Brief history

Jacob M. Braude, born in 1896, served as a judge of the Chicago Municipal Court, Chicago Boys' Court (ca. 1935-1954) and the Illinois Circuit Court (ca. 1956-1960). He used his resources to help many boys find jobs. Braude was also a speaker and author on humor, juvenile delinquency, social welfare, traffic safety, Jewish organizations, and Zionism. He died in Dec. 1970.

Summary description of the collection

Correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, speeches, pamphlets, and other papers of Jacob M. Braude, concerning his career as a judge of the Chicago Municipal Court, Chicago Boys' Court (ca. 1935-1954), and the Illinois Circuit Court (ca. 1956-60), and as a speaker and author on humor, juvenile delinquency, social welfare, traffic safety, and Jewish organizations and Zionism. Includes letters from boys asking for help in finding a job.

The collection includes scrapbooks containing correspondence, reports, pamphlets, news clippings, other information, and a few photographs relating to activities of Judge Braude, who was presiding judge of the Boys’ Court in Chicago (Ill.). Although the pages are numbered, the material is in no order, not chronological and not by subject. The majority of the correspondence is from boys asking for help in finding a job. Frequently a copy of Judge Braude’s answer (a form letter) is included. In many cases the boy tells something of himself and his condition. There are also letters asking that a sentence be mitigated and an occasional report from a social service agency on a specific boy. The papers include pamphlets on juvenile delinquency and about youths in general, news clippings on efforts to discourage sale of toy firearms, and anti-smoking material.

Volume 1:

In Volume 1, the Judge sent out 500 letters to both medium- and large-size businesses asking for their help in providing jobs (see sample letter 1-26-4) Most of the businessmen replied, but few had a positive answer. 1-247

Volume 1 also contains many letters to foreign legations asking for stamps. The Judge planned to interest boys in stamp collecting as a hobby in hopes of deterring them from crime.

Volumes 1 and 2 contain articles and clippings concerning the need to discourage the sale of toy firearms 1-86--1-102.

Volume 2 contains several pictures of Judge Braude, none of them dated.

Also in Volume 2 is literature from a private citizen on the evils of smoking.

Volumes 2, 3, 4,and 5 contain publications related to youth problems.

In Volumes 3 and 4 there are some reports on probation. (3-131, 154, 4-21a)

Volume 5 contains three letters commending Judge Braude for using lecturing as a form of punishment. 5-29, 31,33.

Volume 6 is composed entirely of letters from boys asking for help in finding a job, with the exception of one long letter from a mother asking for help in motivating her son to stay on a job.

Many letters asking for help in finding employment-major part of correspondence.

Many letters sending cancelled stamps to promote hobby for boys (13-a-b-c)

Letter Feb 1, 1937 on action of CYO (Catholic Youth Organization).

Letter on plans to help boys find work and constructive activities.

Crusade of PTA against toy guns

Trivia-meetings, luncheons, etc.

Created an Advisory Council for the Boys’ Court.

Vol. 1 1935-1937

The major part of the correspondence is from boys and/or their mothers asking for jobs and the Judge’s response. Occasionally there is a thank you letter from the boy (1-128 1-68) for getting him a job. The Judge sent out 500 letters to both medium and large size Chicago businesses asking for their help in providing jobs (see sample letter (p 1-264)). Most of these businesses replied, but few had a positive answer.

On pages 1-86 through 1-102 there are articles and clippings concerning the need to discourage the sale of “toy guns” by Woolworth’s and others. Additional letters are in other places.

Judge Braude wrote to various business and professional leaders asking them to cooperate with him in connection with his duties as Presiding Judge of the Boys’ Court. (See letter p. 1-125a, 1-127). Outside of a notice that a meeting of the Council would be held, there was no information on its activity.[What council?]

There are many letters to foreign legations asking them for stamps. The Judge planned to interest boys in stamp collecting as a hobby in hopes of detouring them from crime.

There are occasional letters from individuals giving suggestions for occupying the time of boys. (See p. 1-57 for sample.)

There are several pictures of Judge Braude in the front of the volume, but none of them are dated.

There are the usual letters asking for help in gaining employment, and some concerning cases, asking to have sentences mitigated.

Elected a member of Board of “True Americans” (p. 2ba-b)

Ruler for “Codebull” 2-13 b.

Newspaper clippings 2-13c about Indiana school and its training program

Article on the Bio-Chemical Basis of Crime 2-16c Simon W. Brownstein

Review of book “County People” by Ruth Suckow (life history of German family who settled in Iowa after coming over from Germany 2-43).

3 copies of “World Youth” newspaper 2-51-a-b

Copy of Boys’ Club News Bulletin 2-52.

History of Boys’ Court 2-53

Volume 2

Some correspondence and news clippings on toy firearms

Speaking engagements

Wentzel’s Code of Honor 2-89 put out by Ill. Congress of Parents, Teachers.

Copy of talk over radio station WENR, Apr 20 at 3:01 p.m. 2-96-6

Letters and clippings on the evils of smoking

Script of radio drama 2-105

Wentzel’s Code of Honor put out by the Illinois Congress of Parents & Teachers 2-89

Volume 3

This volume contains the usual correspondence on cases: mitigating sentences, seeking employment, etc.

In addition, it contains the following publications and printed material:

1. The Shofer, June 1936 3-35

2. Statement of policy and procedure for the Committee of Fifteen 3-30

3. World Youth in Action 3-45b

4. The Mosaic, The Hillel quarterly 3-73

5. The Chicago Builder 3-75

6. Excerpt from the Broadcast by Phil Friedlander, Feb 19, 1936 3-83

7. Adventures in Religion 3-91

8. Mental Health Bulletin 3-?3

There are also these reports:

1. Report of the Round Table on Probation and Supervision 3-131

2. Ninth anniversary of the Colored Big Brothers

3. Report of the Adult Probation Committee 3-154 (rest illegible)

See sheet after Vol. 6 for Vol. 4

Boys’ Court 1935-1937 Vol. 5

Letters on lacking (?) 5-29, 5-31, 5-33

In addition to the usual correspondence on individual cases there were

1. General Order No. 972 of the Municipal court 5-18c

2. An outline of the Juvenile Police Schools by Lt. Emily Storz 5-28c

3. List of Volunteer Public Defenders 5-64

4. Boys’ Court Statistics for Jan., 1935 5-65a

There also were these publications:

1. Right Readings for Children 5-6

2. World Youth 5-26

3. The Cause of Crime, by French Strother 5-39

Volume 4

The usual letters from boys asking for help in finding a job.

Report on “Probation” 4-21a

Several monthly reports on work of the Boys’ court, 1932-1935

Letters from social agencies concerning specific boys. 4-39, 4-40a

Report of the Social Service Dept. of the Municipal Court 1933-1934, 1932-1933

Reprint of article, “The Lie-Detector” 4-58

Reprint on “The Admissibility of Scientific Evidence in Criminal Cases, by Fred. E, Inbau (?) 6-60

24th annual Report of the Adult Probation Dept. of Cook County.

Volume 6

Entire volume is composed of letters from boys asking for help in finding a job. Copies of Judge Braude’s answer (a form letter) are included.

There is one long letter from a mother asking for help in motivating her son to keep working.

List of online catalog headings

The following entries were placed in the online catalog:

Main entry: Braude, Jacob Morton, 1896-

Subject entries:

Chicago Boys Court.

Illinois. Circuit Court. 1956-

Chicago (Ill.) Municipal Court 1934-1952.

Jews -- Illinois -- Chicago.

Judges -- Illinois -- Chicago.

Juvenile delinquency -- Illinois -- Chicago.

Traffic safety -- Illinois.

Wit and humor -- United States.

Judges -- Illinois -- Chicago. Icsh.

Form/genre:

Scrapbooks.

Speeches.

Added entry:

Zionist Organization of Chicago.

Provenance statement

The collection was a gift from Herbert Furse and was received via DePaul University Special Collections (A&M accession number 1984.0155).

Storage designation

Collections: Jacob M. Braude

Container list of box/folder numbers and titles

Boys Court (Boxes 1-4)

Box 1

Folders:

1 Correspondence 1932-1933

2 Correspondence 1934-Oct. 1935

3 Correspondence Nov 1935

4 Correspondence Dec 1-10 1935

5 Correspondence Dec 11-31 1935

6 Correspondence Jan 1936

7 Correspondence Feb 1936

8 Correspondence Mar 1936

Box 2

Folders:

1 Correspondence Apr 1936

2 Correspondence May 1936

3 Correspondence June 1936

4 Correspondence July-Aug 1936

5 Correspondence Sept.-Dec 1936

6 Acco (?) Binder 1935-1937

7 Correspondence Jan-Feb 1937

Box 3

Folders:

1 General correspondence 1937-1939

2 General correspondence 1940-1949

3 General correspondence 1950-1954

4 Radio Advertisements 1936-1946

5 Radio Program Title 1939

6 Reports 1932-1935

7 Speeches, undated (1950)

Box ??

Folders:

1 Newspaper Clippings 1934-1936

2 Newspaper Clippings 1936

3 Newspaper Clippings 1936-1937

8 Newspaper Clippings 1939-1940

Shelf 115-120

Traffic Court (Boxes 5-6)

Box 4

Folders:

1 Radio addresses 1937-1939

2 Safety Court Broadcast Fan mail 1937

3 Safety Court Broadcast Fan mail 1938 Jan-Mar

4 Safety Court Broadcast Fan mail 1938 Apr-June

5 Speeches, undated (1940)

Box ??

Folders:

6 Clippings 1937

7 Clippings 1937-1938

8 Clippings 1938

9 Clippings 1938

Shelf 97-102

Personal General Papers

Box 5

Folders:

1 Correspondence 1913-1915

2 Correspondence 1916

3 Correspondence 1917

4 Correspondence 1918-1919

5 Correspondence 1920

6 Correspondence 1921-1925

7 Correspondence 1926-1929

8 Correspondence 1930

9 Correspondence 1931

10 Correspondence 1932

11 Correspondence 1933-Jan-June

12 Correspondence 1933-July-Dec

Box 6

Folders:

1 Correspondence 1934-Jan-June

2 Correspondence 1934-July-Dec

3 Correspondence 1935-Jan-June

4 Correspondence 1935-July-Dec

5 Correspondence 1936-Jan-June

6 Correspondence 1936-July-Dec

7 Correspondence 1937

Box 9

Folders:

10 Clippings 1938-1939

11 Clippings 1947-1952

12 Clippings 1941-1943

13 Clippings 1945-1946

14 Clippings 1940-1941

15 Clippings 1943-1945

Box 10

Folders:

109-114

16 Scrapbook 1935-1938

21 Scrapbook 1952

Box 11

Folders:

24 Language class work 8th grade

19 Clippings 1952-1956

20 Clippings 1957-1959

22 Scrapbook 1957-1959

21 Clippings 1960-1070

Clippings Scrapbook 1952

22 Clippings 1932

23 Guest book 1952-1968

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Box 12

Folders:

16 Scrapbook 1950-1956

17 Scrapbook 1945-1949

18 Scrapbook 1950-1956

14 Scrapbook 1938

BOOK PUBLICITY

Box 14:

Folders:

19 Scrapbook 1956-1968

24 Scrapbook 1960

How to Become a Judge

Box 7

Volumes 1 & 2 1934

Box 9

Volume 3 1934

17 Clippings 1934