Albert Mayer papers, (bulk )

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Albert Mayer papers, 1926-1980 (bulk 1945-1974)

Overview of the Collection

Creator Mayer, Albert Title Albert Mayer papers

Dates 1926-1980 (bulk 1945-1974) (inclusive) Date of Collection Date of Collection Quantity 52 cubic ft. (52 boxes)

Collection Number 05548

Summary Resource files, correspondence, and manuscripts of Albert Mayer, an architect and urban planner interested in the social aspects of planning and development of cities.

Repository University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center American Heritage Center

University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Ave.

Dept. 3924 Laramie, WY 82071

Telephone: 307-766-3756 [email protected]

Access Restrictions Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages English

Sponsor The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid has been made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.

Historical Note

Albert Mayer (1897-1981), an architect and city planner, co-founded the New York City firm of Mayer and Whittlesey (later Mayer, Whittlesey and Glass) in 1935. Mayer attended Columbia University, but graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in civil engineering in 1919. After spending several years as an engineer, he switched to architecture when he became more interested in the social aspects of design. An advocate of large-scale planned housing projects, he believed that cities should not grow naturally. Mayer was involved in the planning and development of several new cities in the U.S. and abroad. He served as a visiting professor of urban development at Columbia from 1967-1971, and was active in the field as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and as a Director of the National Housing Conference as well as the Regional Plan Association of New York. Mayer's contributions to the field were recognized professionally; he was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and won the Medal of Honor from the New York Chapter,

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Content Description

Collection contains files of correspondence, reports, notes, addresses, manuscripts, publications, notebooks, and printed materials related to housing and urban planning; Mayer's working library of housing and planning materials; an index to the files and books; biographical information; and miscellaneous other materials.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Administrative Information

Related Materials

There are two other known other archival collections created by Albert Mayer at the University of Chicago Library, Department of Special Collections and at the New York Public Library.

Acquisition Information

This material was received from Albert Mayer in 1974 and 1975 with accretions in 1977 and 1980.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Kathryn Brooks in May 2011.

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I. Resource files

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Contains files pertaining to projects undertaken by Mayer and his firm, Mayer, Whittlesey, and Glass.

Some files are organized in a system originally designed by Mayer's firm; guides for which can be found in the third series.

Container(s) Description Dates

Box

1 A Program for Planning - Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission

1968-1969

37 Africa misc. 1948-1974

4 Agriculture & Food Technology 1952-1969

50 Apartment & Housing Survey - Little Rock, Arkansas - Maumelle

1967

50 Arkansas - State Planning Inventory - Sections 1-11 1962-1964

1 Articles - India 1936-1945

3 Asia & Oceana misc. 1948-1966

3 Australia misc. 1951-1971

37 Austria 1967-1971

37 Belgian Congo Misc. 1954-1966

40 Bicentennial Civic Improvement Corporation St. Louis 1965-1970

37 Blue Hill Suburban Office Park - Rockland County, NY 1967-1968

34 Brazil misc. 1955-1971

3 Burma misc. 1953-1962

33 Canada - Misc. 1942-1972

34 Caribbean & Central America (Regional) 1952-1967

1 Catching Up with Housing by Carol Aronovici & Elizabeth McCalmont (cites Mayer)

1936

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39 Cayuga County-Auburn 1963-1974

3 Ceylon misc. 1959

3 China (COMMUNIST) misc. 1953-1961

3 China misc. 1958-1966

34 Cuba misc. 1959-1961

36 Denmark 1952-1966

38 East Harlem 1947-1974

3 Egypt misc. 1955-1963

35 England 1945-1980

36 England 1947-1970

34 Europe misc. 1951-1969

49 Fantus Report for Pulaski Co., Ark. Parts I & II 1966

37 Finland Misc. 1940, 1970

40 Forrest City, Arkansas 1967-1968

37 France Misc. 1960-1972

6 General - Transportation 1960

37 Germany Misc. 1932-1972

37 Ghana Misc. 1960-1963

50 Greenbelt Development Plans 1942-1966

12 Housing Policy & Legislation - U.S. 1937-1973

1 In the Minds of Men by Gardner Murphy 1953

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3 Indonesia misc. 1953-1961

33 International - General (Incl. U.N.) 1954-1968

33 International - Latin America Misc. 1955-1966

33 International - Mediterranean Area 1959

33 International - U.N. Regional 1958

3 Iran misc. 1960

2 Israel 1953-1974

3 Israel 1951-1975

37 Italy Miscellaneous 1960-1971

3 Japan Miscellaneous 1961-1968

37 Kenya 1961-1974

1 Land Use & Transportation Plan Policies for Action (Mayer planning consultant)

1970 May

34 Mexico - Economic & Social Develop. 1933-1961

40 Miami, Florida 1967-1971

37 Middle East & North Africa Regional (Misc.) 1949-1971

3 Morocco misc. 1954-1971

30 National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) - Greenbelt towns study

1936-1969

40 National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) - Greenbelt towns study

1938-1970

36 Netherlands 1932-1972

50 New Towns and Old Cities by Philip M. Klutznick (draft) 1966 October 26

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6 P&D Highways 1956-1960

3 Pakistan misc. 1950-1960

52 Park, Recreation, & Open Space Project of the Tri-State New York Metropolitan Region

1960

34 Peru misc. 1950, 1971

3 Philippines misc. 1948-1959

5 Planning & Development - special topics 1931-1970

6 Planning & Development - special topics 1947-1967

22 Planning & Development - U.S. - Community Development 1946-1972

23 Planning & Development - U.S. - Community Development 1961-1973

26 Planning & Development - U.S. - County Planning 1970-1971

28 Planning & Development - U.S. - Defense & Military Planning 1941-1952

23 Planning & Development - U.S. - Economic & Industrial Planning & Taxes

1956-1971

12 Planning & Development - U.S. - Housing 1932-1974

26 Planning & Development - U.S. - Metropolitan Planning, Misc. 1963-1966

30 Planning & Development - U.S. - National Planning, Misc. undated

28 Planning & Development - U.S. - New Towns, Misc. 1932-1974

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28 Planning & Development - U.S. - Planning for Beauty, Misc. 1955-1969

18 Planning & Development - U.S. - Public Facilities Planning 1930-1974

24 Planning & Development - U.S. - Regional Planning (Resource) 1936-1972

25 Planning & Development - U.S. - Regional Planning (Resource) 1938-1974

7 Planning & Development - U.S. - regional 1937-1975

20 Planning & Development - U.S. - Renewal 1933-1973

23 Planning & Development - U.S. - Resource Planning 1948-1972

26 Planning & Development - U.S. - Social Planning & Social Aspects of Planning

1960-1970

9 Planning & Development - U.S. - special topics 1928-1974

28 Planning & Development - U.S. - Specialized Planning undated

26 Planning & Development - U.S. - State Planning, Misc. 1926-1974

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16 Planning & Development - U.S. - Transportation and Utilities Planning

1938-1974

17 Planning & Development - U.S. - Transportation and Utilities Planning

1931-1973

26 Planning & Development - U.S. - Underlying Dynamics of Development

1964-1971

40 Plans - Typical Apt. Houses High Cost undated

34 Puerto Rico misc. 1947-1968

39 Puerto Rico Urban Renewal & Housing Corporation 1967-1970

40 Puerto Rico 1964-1969

1 Regional Plan Association - Community Leadership by Forbes B. Hays

1965

1 Regional Plan Association - Population, Economic, & Land Use Studies…for the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Survey

1956

1 Regional Plan Association - The Handling of Metropolitan Problems in Selected Regions

1958

1 Regional Plan Association misc. printed 1957, 1959

37 The Region's Growth - Regional Plan Association - A Report of the Second Regional Plan

1967 May

52 "Re-Housing America" by Henry Wright 1933 July

4 Resources & Technology 1936-1973

37 Russia Misc. 1960-1972

37 S. Africa & the Rhodesias 1959, 1963

31 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - Community, Group Action &

Participation & Social Adjustment

1962-1969

32 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - Economic Conditions 1958-1972

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31 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - Health, Education, & Culture 1938-1972

32 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - International Participation 1949-1969

31 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - Politics & Government (incl.

Federal)

1958-1973

32 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - Politics & Government (incl.

Federal)

1949-1968

31 Social-Economic-Political - U.S. - Social Organization 1958, 1960

4 Social-Economic-Political 1946-1971

27 Social-Economic-Political 1945-1973

2 Sociology, Economic, & Politics materials 1943-1967

2 Source material - climatology - India 1950-1958

34 South America misc. 1946-1966

34 Sweden 1939-1971

37 Switzerland Misc. 1931-1972

37 Tanganyika 1961-1963

2 Texas Engineering Experiment Station reports for Mayer, &

Whittlesey - India

1953 May 7

52 The Handling of Metropolitan Problems in Selected Regions 1958

3 Tunisia misc. 1959

3 Turkey misc. 1956-1961

37 Uganda 1959-1963

34 Venezuela misc. 1958-1961

49 Workbook - Committee on the Second Regional Plan 1966

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Contains correspondence with organizations and individuals.

Box

41 A 1950-1974

42 B-C 1949-1974

43 C-K 1951-1974

44 K-M 1937-1973

45 M-N 1948-1976

46 N-R 1949-1975

47 R-T 1947-1974

48 U-Z 1958-1973

52 Correspondence removed from publications 1938-1968,

undated

Series III. Manuscripts & personal

Contains original works by Mayer including published articles, speeches, lectures, biographical information, and documents pertaining to various work projects.

Box

52 4 Papers on Housing Design (featuring "What's the Matter with Our Site Plans" by Mayer)

1942 September

49 A. M. Library Index: International, India, Planning & Housing, Miscellaneous

undated

49 Albert Mayer Series - Projects & Special Interests (bound) undated

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49 Albert Mayer Series - Projects & Special Interests undated

1 Architectural Record articles by Mayer 1964-1965, 1969

49 Article and Report 1964, 1968

51 Articles by Mayer 1934-1970

49 Biographical & Miscellaneous 1962-1975

52 Book: Cities in the Motor Age (cites Mayer) 1959

52 Book: Life for Dead Spaces, The Development of the Lavanburg Commons (cites Mayer)

1963

52 Book: Town and Country Planning and Housing (with foreword by Mayer)

1971

52 Citizens' Housing Council of New York Reports &

Recommendations

1938 June

49 Commendations & Publicity 1944-1967

49 "Culture for the Sub-Cities" Albert Mayer interviewed by Dick Elman

undated

52 Elm Haven case study - consulting architect 1942 July

37 Fifth Ruberoid Architectural Design Competition Awards circa 1963

52 Hearing held before the Joint Committee on Washington Metropolitan Problems Mass Transportation Survey & Plan (featuring statement by Mayer)

1959 November 9

49 Job Numbers circa 1934-1967

1 Journal of Housing issues with letters from Mayer 1964, 1969

49 Journals 1962, 1967

50 Library -- Index & Instructions undated

49 Manuscripts, talks, & other works by Mayer 1943-1971

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51 Manuscripts, talks, & other works by Mayer 1934-1971

51 Mayer file information circa 1975

51 Memoranda to John R. Searles, Parts I-III The New Syracuse Dynamism

1962-1963

49 Miscellaneous 1963-1974

52 "New Homes for a New Deal" by Mayer, Henry Wright, & Lewis Mumford

undated

52 Preliminary Report & Recommendations of the Committee on City Planning & Zoning

1938 June

52 Proceedings -Housing & Building in Hot-Humid & Hot-Dry Climates (featuring Mayer)

1952 November

51 Publications & lectures 1944-1971

51 Published articles 1940-1968

52 Report & Recommendations of the Committee on Rehousing of Tenants of the Citizens' Council of New York

1938 June

51 Reviews of Albert Mayer's "The Urgent Future," 1938-1968

50 Source files (2) undated

49 Source files (bound) undated

52 Special Summer Program in City & Regional Planning session notes (featuring session by Mayer)

1964

51 Speeches & publications 1950-1969

52 Symposium proceedings: Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth (featuring Mayer)

1956

52 The Housing Yearbook 1967 featuring article by Mayer: "The Urgent Need for New Towns,"

1967

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Names and Subjects

Subject Terms :

Architects and community.

Architecture.

City planning.

Greenbelts.

Housing development.

Housing policy -- United States.

Housing.

New towns.

Planned communities.

Corporate Names :

Mayer, Whittlesey and Glass.

Occupations :

Architects and housing developers.

Processed by Kathryn Brooks 2011"