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Collection Data
- Description
- Dorothy Frooks was an American lawyer, author and publisher. The collection contains correspondence, writings, subject and organization files, photographs, and printed matter documenting her long and varied career including her involvement with the Murray Hill News, veterans' organizations, the anti-ERA movement, and the publication and promotion of her books and pamphlets.
- Names
- Frooks, Dorothy, 1899-1997 (Creator)
- Belil, Harry (Artist)
- Dates / Origin
- Date Created: 1913 - 1990
- Library locations
- Manuscripts and Archives Division
- Shelf locator: MssCol 1091
- Topics
- Authors
- Lawyers
- Publishers
- Equal rights amendments -- United States
- Law -- United States
- Newspaper publishing -- New York (State) -- New York
- Women -- Legal status, laws, etc -- United States
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Veterans -- United States
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Veterans -- United States
- Evening world (New York, N.Y.)
- Murray Hill news
- Genres
- Correspondence
- Photographs
- Ephemera
- Notes
- Biographical/historical: Dorothy Frooks, lawyer, author and publisher was born on February 12, 1899. She received her LL.B in 1918 and her LL.M the following year, both from Hamilton College. Frooks served as attorney for the Salvation Army from 1920 to 1921. She was a writer for the Evening World (New York) from 1920 to 1932 and publisher of The Murray Hill News beginning in 1952.
Frooks was active in public affairs throughout her life. She worked to institute the Small Claims Court in the 1920s and regularly presented her ideas at the conferences of the American Bar Association, the Inter-American Bar Association and the International Bar Association. In the 1970s Frooks worked to stop passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. She was also involved in working to establish a labor court. Her pamphlet, Labor Courts-Outlaw Strikes, was published in 1984. On the local level, she has served as president of the Murray Hill Association and regularly covered local issues in The Murray Hill News.
In addition to her stories in the Murray Hill News, Frooks has written both fiction and non-fiction. Her published works include: All in Love, Love's Law, The American Heart, The Olympic Torch, How To Use Small Claims Court, Over the Heads of Congress, Are You a Happy American?, and Lady Lawyer (her autobiography). As a veteran of both World War I (Navy) and World War II (Army- Judge Advocate's Office), Frooks was an active participant in veteran's organizations. She served as National Commander of the Women World War Veterans and worked with the Veterans of World War I and the Retreads, an organization for veterans who served in both world wars.
- Content: The paragraphs that follow describe boxes 1 - 4, which made up the original gift. The 1990 additions to the papers (boxes 5 - 7) have not been interfiled and are described below under the heading "Additions."
The papers of Dorothy Frooks include correspondence, writings, published pamphlets, subject and organization files and photographs.
The correspondence (1942-1987), most of which dates from the 1970s includes both business and personal letters and reflects Frooks's involvement with The Murray Hill News, veterans organizations, the anti-ERA movement, and the publication and promotion of her works. Additional correspondence may be found in the subject and organization files. Correspondence directly related to Frooks's writings is filed with the manuscripts.
Writings include manuscripts, published and unpublished, published pamphlets and resolutions on various legal issues and public policy matters, written by Frooks and presented at conferences and conventions. A few of the manuscripts were written for The Murray Hill News. Also included are files on First Ladies of the White House, written by Gertrude Z. Brooks and promoted by Frooks, and miscellaneous papers and correspondence relating to publications.
The Subjects and Organizations series includes files on various veterans organizations, the Murray Hill Association, the Equal Rights Amendment and the naming of Norman Thomas High School in New York City. Information on conventions and conferences attended by Frooks is also filed in this series. Most of the material dates from the 1960s and 1970s.
Photographs (c.1915-1985) include portraits of Frooks through the years. Many of these were taken at special events and include political figures and celebrities. These photos are mainly from the 1970's and many were published in The Murray Hill News. Also included are a few photographs of women veterans. Several drawings, made by Harry Bell for The Murray Hill News, are boxed with the photographs.
Additions:
Additions to the collection include correspondence, writings, photographs, clippings, miscellaneous papers and printed matter. The correspondence (1921-1990) relates to both personal and business matters. The bulk of the letters are from the 1980s and relate to The Murray Hill News and Frooks's promotion of her books and pamphlets.
The writings include manuscripts by Frooks and others, some of which may have been written for The Murray Hill News. The earliest item in the collection is a school speech written by Frooks in 1913. Also included is a scrapbook of Frooks' columns for The Evening World(1928-1929) and several radio broadcasts made by her (1930-1939).
The photographs (c.1915-1984) include portraits of Frooks and pictures of her at various events.
The clippings (c.1920-1989) include articles about Frooks, material from The Murray Hill News, and general items.
Miscellaneous files include information on conferences attended by Frooks, resolutions which she presented at various meetings and several files of mailings (mostly 1980s) from Republican fund raising organizations.
Printed matter is made up for the most part of programs, annual reports, and membership directories from organizations with which Frooks was affiliated.
- Acquisition: Gift of Dorothy Frooks, 1987; 1990
- Content: Processing information: Processed by Francesca Pitaro; machine-readable finding aid created by Melanie A. Yolles.
- Content: Related material: Published works by Frooks can be located in the General Research Division. Recent issues of The Murray Hill News are in the Periodicals Room. The bound issues are in the General Research Division. Original drawings by Edward Caswell for The Murray Hill News are in the Art Division. Several scrapbooks relating to Frooks are at the New-York Historical Society.
- Physical Description
- Extent: 5.5 linear feet (7 boxes)
- Type of Resource
- Text
- Still image
- Identifiers
- NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b11848384
- MSS Unit ID: 1091
- Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 555d8df0-a57c-013b-5315-0242ac110002
