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Cooper and Levy families papers, 1890-1959

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Cooper family
Title
Cooper and Levy families papers
Dates
1890-1959 (inclusive)
Quantity
17.46 cubic feet (42 boxes)
Collection Number
2366 (Accession No. 2366-001)
Summary
Papers of two related pioneer Jewish families from Seattle, Washington.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The papers are open to all users.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

In 1892 Isaac Cooper and his wife's brother, Louis Levy, formed a partnership and established the firm of Cooper & Levy, a retail and mail order grocery, hardware, and woodenware business. They supplied most of the prospectors during the Alaska-Klondike gold rush and acquired a considerable fortune by the time they sold out ten years later to the Bon Marché department store.

In the same year, 1892, Esther Levy and her daughter, Lizzie Levy Cooper, organized Seattle's first Jewish welfare society, the Ladies' Hebrew Benevolent Society, to provide aid to needy families. Esther Levy became its first president, serving until 1900. Lizzie Levy Cooper was president from 1900 to1915. She was also president of the Seattle Council of Jewish Women, 1903-1906; vice president of the state council during the same period; and president of the Ladies Auxiliary to Temple De Hirsch, 1913-1914. She died in 1915.

Two of Lizzie Levy Cooper's brothers, Aubrey Levy, a lawyer, and Eugene Levy, a motion picture theater promoter, in partnership with Isaac Cooper (Lizzie Levy Cooper's husband) formed the Republic Operating Company and in 1927 built the Republic Building at Third Avenue and Pike Street. All of the income from this building was willed in 1945 and 1959 to three service organizations: the Jewish Welfare Society, the Caroline Kline Galland Home for the Aged, and the Seattle Children's Orthopedic Hospital of Seattle.

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Content Description

The Cooper and Levy families papers are the records of two pioneer Seattle Jewish families and include the records of Isaac Cooper; his wife, Lizzie Levy Cooper; her brothers Louis, Aubrey, and Eugene Levy; and their mother, Esther Levy. The papers contain correspondence, business records, financial records, legal documents, memorabilia, scrapbooks, and some photographs.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The creators' literary rights have not been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Preferred Citation

Cooper and Levy families papers, Accession No. 2366-001, University of Washington Libraries.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The papers have been arranged into 10 series:

  • General family papers
  • Isaac Cooper papers
  • Lizzie Levy Cooper papers
  • Aubrey Levy papers
  • Eugene Levy papers
  • Republic Operating Company records
  • Republic Building records
  • Henry Broderick, Inc. records
  • Bonham Galland papers
  • Visual and other materials

Separated Materials

339 photographs were relocated to the Cooper and Levy Families Photograph Collection, PH Coll. 722, in Special Collections in 1977, 1979, 1982, and 1987.

2 scrapbooks of Eugene Levy relating to theater in Seattle from 1917 to 1920 were relocated to the Special Collections' Pacific Northwest Scrapbook Collection in 1977.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Levy Memorial Trust, Bank of California, Seattle, November 14, 1974; and of Eugene Levy, Seattle, 1975.

Processing Note

Processing completed circa 1977-1979. Accession Nos. 2366-001 and 2366-002 were merged.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

  • General family papers

  • Isaac Cooper papers

    • Description: Incoming letters
      12 items
      Dates: 1913-1922
      Container: Box/Folder 5/1
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers
    • Description: Outgoing letters
      1 item
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 5/2
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers
    • Description: Letterpress copy book of Isaac Cooper
      598 pages
      Dates: 1907-1924
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers
    • Description: Financial records
      Dates: 1918-1946
      Container: Box/Folder 5/3-4
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers
    • Description: Tax records
      15 items
      Dates: 1939-1941
      Container: Box/Folder 5/5
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers
    • Description: Legal documents
      7 items
      Dates: 1912
      Container: Box/Folder 6/1
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers
    • Description: Estate of Isaac Cooper
      80 items
      Dates: 1945-1946
      Container: Box/Folder 6/2-4
      Location: Isaac Cooper papers

  • Lizzie Levy Cooper papers

  • Aubrey Levy papers

    • Description: Incoming letters
      5 items
      Dates: 1900-1921
      Container: Box/Folder 7/1
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Letterpress copy book of Aubrey Levy
      560 pages
      Dates: 1907-1914
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Miscellaneous financial records
      10 items
      Dates: 1916, 1945, 1947
      Container: Box/Folder 7/2
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Tax records
      8 items
      Dates: 1939-1944
      Container: Box/Folder 7/3
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Speech
      1 item
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 7/4
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Legal documents
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 7/5-6
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Court docket
      145 pages
      Dates: 1909-1920
      Container: Box/Folder 8/1
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Memorabilia
      4 items
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 8/2
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers
    • Description: Estate of Aubrey Levy
      100 items
      Dates: 1945-1946
      Container: Box/Folder 8/3-4
      Location: Aubrey Levy papers

  • Eugene Levy papers

    • Description: General correspondence
      300 items
      Dates: 1905-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 9/1-10/8
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Business correspondence and related papers

      This series contains not only the business correspondence of Eugene Levy, but correspondence concerning his charitable contributions.

      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Church
      Dates: 1948-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 11/1-4
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Estate charities
      200 items
      Dates: 1946-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 11/5-7
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Investments
      200 items
      Dates: 1945-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 12/1-3
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Jewish Family and Child Service
      300 items
      Dates: 1945-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 12/4-6
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: John Carefoot Charity
      30 items
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box/Folder 13/1
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Jonas and Bronson
      40 items
      Dates: 1947-1948
      Container: Box/Folder 13/2
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Preston, Thorgrimson, Horowitz and Turner
      30 items
      Dates: 1944-1948
      Container: Box/Folder 13/3
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Price Waterhouse and Company
      20 items
      Dates: 1946-1949
      Container: Box/Folder 13/4
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Seattle First National Bank
      300 items
      Dates: 1945-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 13/5-8
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Terry and Pike property
      400 items
      Dates: 1947-1954
      Container: Box/Folder 14/1-5
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Yates, Riley and MacDonald
      200 items
      Dates: 1946-1954
      Container: Box/Folder 15/1-3
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: 14th and East Madison property
      150 items
      Dates: 1948-1955
      Container: Box/Folder 15/4-5
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: 1704 14th Avenue property
      40 items
      Dates: 1944-1951
      Container: Box/Folder 15/6
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Tax records
      150 items
      Dates: 1939-1958
      Container: Box/Folder 16/1-3
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Writings
      5 items
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 16/4
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Radio broadcast transcripts
      30 items
      Dates: 1952-1953
      Container: Box/Folder 16/5
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Will of Eugene Levy
      1 item
      Dates: 1959
      Container: Box/Folder 17/1
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Newsletters
      100 items
      Dates: 1954-1958
      Container: Box/Folder 17/2-10
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Cards
      200 items
      Dates: 1948, undated
      Container: Box/Folder 18/1-19/2
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Lists
      8 items
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 19/3
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Memorabilia
      40 items
      Dates: 1949-1955
      Container: Box/Folder 19/4-20/2
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Scrapbook
      1 item
      Dates: 1907-1911
      Container: Box 20
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Scrapbooks
      Dates: 1912-1933, 1950-1957
      Container: Box 21
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Appointment, address, autograph books, and passport
      20 items
      Dates: 1950-1959
      Container: Box 22
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Notes
      30 items
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 22/1
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Clippings
      150 items
      Dates: 1901-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 22/2-23/4
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Programs
      30 items
      Dates: 1899-1918
      Container: Box/Folder 23/5-6
      Location: Eugene Levy papers
    • Description: Ephemera
      100 items
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 23/-24/1
      Location: Eugene Levy papers

  • Republic Operating Company records

  • Republic Building records

    • Description: General correspondence
      100 items
      Dates: 1942-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 26/1-2
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Financial records
      120 items
      Dates: 1947-1948, 1959
      Container: Box/Folder 26/3
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Payroll records
      14 items
      Dates: 1959
      Container: Box/Folder 26/4
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Tax records
      70 items
      Dates: 1948-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 26/5-7
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Agreements
      15 items
      Dates: 1943-1945
      Container: Box/Folder 26/8-10
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Vacate notices
      10 items
      Dates: 1943
      Container: Box/Folder 26/11
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Insurance analysis
      32 pages
      Dates: 1957
      Container: Box/Folder 26/12
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Lease between Cooper and Levys and Republic Building Company
      80 pages
      Dates: 1926
      Container: Box/Folder 26/13
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Mandatory wording and standard clauses of Republic Building leases
      7 items
      Dates: 1940, undated
      Container: Box/Folder 26/14
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Expired leases
      4 items
      Dates: 1957-1958
      Container: Box/Folder 27/1
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Leases
      60 items
      Dates: 1945-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 27/2 -28/6
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Newsletters: Building Owners and Managers Association
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 29/1-10
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Statements
      500 items
      Dates: 1943-1954, 1956
      Container: Box/Folder 30/1 -34/5
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Miscellaneous building management materials
      200 items
      Dates: 1950-1959
      Container: Box/Folder 35/1-36/7
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Clippings
      12 items
      Dates: 1909-1929
      Container: Box/Folder 37/1
      Location: Republic Building records
    • Description: Ephemera
      70 items
      Dates: 1955-1957
      Container: Box/Folder 37/2-4
      Location: Republic Building records
  • Description: Henry Broderick, Inc. papers
    150 items
    Dates: 1946-1959
    Container: Box/Folder 37/5-8

  • Bonham Galland papers

    The Bonham Galland papers are from the disposition of the estate of Bonham Galland. Galland was a Seattle pioneer and well-known Jewish philanthropist whose will established a trust for the construction and maintenance of an orphanage for homeless Jewish children. Isaac Cooper was executor and Aubrey Levy was the attorney for this trust.

    The papers, formerly housed in the Republic Building, were willed to the University of Washington by Eugene Levy.

    • Description: Incoming letters
      30 items
      Dates: 1915-1918
      Container: Box/Folder 38/1
      Location: Bonham Galland papers
    • Description: Outgoing letters
      1 item
      Dates: 1915
      Container: Box/Folder 38/2
      Location: Bonham Galland papers
    • Description: Financial records
      60 items
      Dates: 1907-1919
      Container: Box/Folder 38/3-7
      Location: Bonham Galland papers
    • Description: Legal documents
      50 items
      Dates: 1915-1917
      Container: Box/Folder 38/8-9
      Location: Bonham Galland papers
    • Description: Clippings
      1 item
      Dates: 1915
      Container: Box/Folder 38/10
      Location: Bonham Galland papers

  • Visual and other materials


2007 (Last modified: 1/10/2017)

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