Series III: McKelvey, Blake, 1818-2000, bulk 1936-1980, bulk: bulk 1936-1980
Scope and Contents
This series consists of the records of Rochester City Historian, Blake McKelvey, The materials date between 1898 and 2000, with a bulk of the materials dated between 1936 and 1980. The materials consist of correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, research notes, and personal papers.
The correspondence covers many subjects such as genealogy reference questions, publishing correspondence, family correspondence, and general correspondence that occurred during the daily operations of the City Historians Office. The publishing correspondence is correspondence between Blake McKelvey and many publishers. The correspondence contains manuscript rejection letters, contract negotiations, manuscript editing, and layout and design of Blake McKelvey’s books.
This series contains the manuscripts of Blake McKelvey’s books. The books that have manuscripts in the collection are:
A Panoramic History of Rochester
Snow in the Cities
Business as a Profession
Rochester on the Genesee
The manuscripts consist of drafts that contain annotations and handwritten and typed edits. They also contain picture layouts and chapter photographs.
The research notes sub-series consists of 37 boxes of research notes organized by Blake McKelvey during his research for the books:
Rochester, the Water Power City 1812-1854
Rochester, the Flower City 1855-1890
Rochester, the Quest for Quality 1890-1925
Rochester, the Emerging Metropolis 1925-1961
The research notes contain handwritten transcriptions of newspaper articles, diaries, and journals. It also contains newspaper clippings, and typed articles. The research notes are organized by subject.
The personal papers sub-series consists of family correspondence, genealogy, newspaper clippings relating to the McKelvey family that were collected by Blake McKelvey’s mother. It also contains McKelvey’s many awards, certificates, and degrees. The sub-series consist of some files of subjects that interested McKelvey such as America’s prisons, housing, crime, industry, and employment. There are two scrapbooks that were put together by McKelvey and include newspaper clippings of current events from the late 1930’s to the early 1950’s and a scrapbook of the City in American History.
Dates
- Creation: 1818-2000, bulk 1936-1980
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1936-1980
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this collection.
Biographical Note
Blake McKelvey was born on June 10, 1903 to Rev. and Mrs. Elmer E. McKelvey in Centralia, Pennsylvania. He was one of seven children. McKelvey graduated from Syracuse University in 1925 and taught at Haverhill Massachusetts High School until 1928. He graduated with his Master’s Degree from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1929. From Worcester, Blake moved to Harvard for his Ph.D. and graduated in 1933. While at Harvard, McKelvey met Jean Trepp. They were married in 1934.
After receiving his Ph.D., McKelvey had brief stints as a researcher with the Chicago Project and as an editorial assistant with Encyclopedia Britannica. He was interviewed by City Historian, Dexter Perkins and became the assistant City Historian in June 1936. He remained assistant City Historian until Dr. Perkins retired in 1948. McKelvey was City Historian from 1948 to 1973.
During his time in the City Historian’s Office he edited dozens of volumes of the Rochester Historical Society Publications and twenty-three volumes of Rochester History. Throughout his career he authored twenty-five books, most of which were regarding Rochester History. He also penned landmark studies on American Prisons and Urbanization. His books, American Prisons: A History of Good Intentions and American Prisons: A Study in American Social History Prior to 1915 are considered classics and have been cited by other scholars. Dr. McKelvey spent over twenty years preparing to write the history of Rochester. The titles of his four volume collection are Rochester, the Water-Power City 1812 – 1854, Rochester, the Flower City 1855 – 1890, Rochester, the Quest for Quality 1890 – 1925, and Rochester, An Emerging Metropolis 1925 – 1961. His four volume history of Rochester is possibly the most comprehensive historical study of any city.
He was a founder and served for many years as chairman of the Urban History Group. The Urban History Group was born at the 68th annual American Historical Association meeting in Chicago in 1953. It was created at a luncheon during which the discussion, under the direction of Professor Bayrd Still of New York University, centered on the need for an agency to promote greater cooperation among students of urban history. The desire for an occasional program on urban history was expressed, and an exchange of news about the varied projects.
McKelvey was involved in many different Rochester social clubs. The three clubs that were most important to him were the Fortnightly Club, the Hungry Ones, and the Morons. The Fortnightly Club was a literary club formed in 1882. It was restricted to men in specific professions; physicians, lawyers, businessmen, journalists, and clergymen. These men gathered to discuss literary papers or topics of their choosing and hosted a dinner. The Hungry Ones was a monthly luncheon club comprised of directors of cultural agencies such as, museums, galleries, libraries, and city historians – past and present. The Moron’s was a bi-weekly luncheon group that met at the Chamber of Commerce. It was largely executives of social services plus directors of the museum, public librarians, and city historians.
Blake McKelvey was also involved in many different public history associations. He was a founder and served for many years as chairman of the Urban History Group. He also served as a member of the New York State Commission on the Year of History and as co-chairman of the Joint Commission of Rochester and Monroe County on the Commemoration of the Civil War Centennial.
McKelvey contributed to historical journals at the state, national, and international level. He wrote chapters published in several widely distributed books. He also authored four books on American Urban History. In innumerable talks before community groups, he developed a talent for presenting the flavor and gist of his subject with carefully documented historical anecdotes. His mastery of the city’s history prompted the Rochester Educational Television Corporation and Sibley, Lindsey, and Curr to join together to produce an hour-long bicentennial film entitled “Blake McKelvey’s Rochester.”
McKelvey was succeeded in 1973 by Joseph Barnes (1973-1987), Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck (1987-2006), and Christine Ridarsky (2008-Present). McKelvey continued to research and write even after his retirement until his death on September 13, 2000.
Extent
31.25 Cubic Feet (37 custom boxes, 37 clam shell document boxes, and 4 record cartons)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This series consists of the records of Rochester City Historian, Blake McKelvey, The materials date between 1898 and 2000, with a bulk of the materials dated between 1936 and 1980. The materials consist of correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, research notes, and personal papers.
Arrangement
This series consists of 76 boxes divided into 11 sub-series:
Sub-series A: Correspondence, General, 1944-1982
Sub-series B: Correspondence, Publishing, 1948-1973
Sub-series C: Correspondence, Urban History, 1940-1971
Sub-series D: Business as a Profession, 1978-2003
Sub-series E: Manuscripts, 1955-1994
Sub-series F: Panoramic History of Rochester, 1978-1981
Sub-series G: Personal Papers, 1898-2000, bulk 1930-1960
Sub-series H: Research notes, 1937-1970
Sub-series I: Snow in the Cities research files, 1921-1995
Sub-series J: WWII Service Records, 1941-1947
Sub-series K: Miscellaneous, 1818-2000
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This series was created during the daily operations of the Office of the City Historian.
Processing Information
This project was made possible by a grant from the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund.
Repository Details
Part of the Office of the City Historian Repository
115 South Ave.
Rochester 14604-1896 USA USA
585-428-8095
585-428-8353 (Fax)
christine.ridarsky@libraryweb.org