Collection Summary
Mayer, Albert
Albert Mayer papers
1926-1980 (bulk 1945-1974)
05548
52 cubic ft. (52 boxes)
University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
English
Resource files, correspondence, and manuscripts of Albert Mayer, an architect and urban planner interested in the social aspects of planning and development of cities.
Biography of Albert Mayer
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, earned the Certificate of Merit of the Municipal Art Society
of New York, and the Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape
Architects.
Scope and Content
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.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the
collection is open to the public.
Copyright Information
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and
libel laws as they apply.
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 Information
The collection was processed by Kathryn Brooks in May 2011.
Preferred Citation
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number,
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Access Terms
Mayer, Whittlesey and Glass.
Housing.
Housing development.
Housing policy -- United States.
City planning.
New towns.
Planned communities.
Greenbelts.
Architects and community.
Architecture.
Architects and housing developers.
Politics, Government, and Law
City Planning
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Architecture
Container List
Series I. Resource files
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.
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
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
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
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
13
Planning & Development - U.S. - Housing
1931-1974
14
Planning & Development - U.S. - Housing
1938-1972
15
Planning & Development - U.S. - Housing
1940-1974
16
Planning & Development - U.S. - Housing
1961-1973
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
29
Planning & Development - U.S. - New Towns, Misc.
1935-1972
30
Planning & Development - U.S. - New Towns, Misc.
1962-1972
28
Planning & Development - U.S. - Planning for Beauty,
Misc.
1955-1969
18
Planning & Development - U.S. - Public Facilities
Planning
1930-1974
19
Planning & Development - U.S. - Public Facilities
Planning
1932-1971
20
Planning & Development - U.S. - Public Facilities
Planning
1945-1972
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
8
Planning & Development - U.S. - regional
1945-1974
9
Planning & Development - U.S. - regional
1938-1973
20
Planning & Development - U.S. - Renewal
1933-1973
21
Planning & Development - U.S. - Renewal
1941-1974
22
Planning & Development - U.S. - Renewal
1931-1972
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
10
Planning & Development - U.S. - special topics
1930-1974
11
Planning & Development - U.S. - special topics
1932-1975
28
Planning & Development - U.S. - Specialized
Planning
undated
26
Planning & Development - U.S. - State Planning,
Misc.
1926-1974
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
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
Series II. Correspondence
Contains correspondence with organizations and individuals.
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.
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
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
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