Biographical Note

Mary Zimmerman was born in autumn, 1869, the daughter of a Cairo, Illinois, businessman. She was graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1891, and received her M. A. degree from the University of Chicago in 1902. She was one of four original faculty members of John Marshall High School in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood (3250 W. Adams Street), which opened in 1895. For the next forty years, Miss Zimmerman taught Latin at Marshall, retiring in 1935. She was active in securing higher education scholarships for promising students, to whom she became known as "Aunt Mary."

Miss Zimmerman took an interest in the fortunes of The Hebrew University founded in Jerusalem in 1925. Her extensive fund-raising work on behalf of the University was acknowledged by that institution when it named the Mary Zimmerman Classics Room in her honor. On the occasion of her seventy-eighth birthday in 1947, many of her former students contributed to a fund which commissioned artist Benjamin S. Kanne to paint Miss Zimmerman's portrait. After being presented to the subject, it was ultimately sent to The Hebrew University to hang in the room named for her.

Although she taught school in East Garfield Park, Mary Zimmerman lived in Hyde Park. After her retirement, she continued to reside in Flamingo Hotel at 5520 South Shore Blvd. She died in Chicago, December 23, 1953, at the age of eighty-four. Her obituary appeared in newspapers nationwide, including the New York Times.

Scope and Content

The Zimmerman scrapbook appears to have been prompted by the presentation of the Kanne portrait in 1948, being a retrospective look at Miss Zimmerman's life. The book may have been put together by someone for Miss Zimmeramn, although the presence of many things which could have been supplied only by Miss Zimmerman herself seems to argue for at least her collaboration. A page-by-page descriptive inventory follows.

All items which found simply laid into the book or which had become unattached to the scrapbook pages, have been removed to folders in Box 2. See Contents List, below. The obituary (2:17) was obviously later laid into the volume by a thoughtful individual. Two 1954 Marshall High School newspapers, also laid into the scrapbook, have been removed to the East Garfield Park Community Collection.

All photographs in the scrapbook have been cataloged on photo file cards but are not separately inventoried in this Guide.

Separation Record:
The following items have been removed to the location given.

Marshall News, 1954 Apr 19 East Garfield Park Community Collection
1954 Sep 7 (EGP)-Schools-John Marshall High
School. EGP 16:4.

Access

The Mary Zimmerman Scrapbook is available to the public for research in the Special Collections and Preservation Division Reading Room on the 9th floor of the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 South State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60605. The collection does not circulate although photocopy and photoreproduction services are available depending upon the condition of the original materials. First time patrons to Special Collections must present a photo identification and complete a Reader Registration Form. Telephone inquiries on this collection and other Special Collections holdings can be directed to 312-747-4875.

Box and Folder Inventory

BOX 1

Scrapbook (see Contents Listing by Page below)

BOX 2

Items removed from various pages:

1. The Hebrew University (pp. 90-91)
2. Newsclips/greetings on 70th birthday; 1939 (pp. 96-97)
3. Lena Zimmerman, photo; ca. 1920 (p. 108)
4. A. P. Schoolman, mimeo letter; 1944 May 5 (p. 111)
5. Mary Zimmerman Classroom Project, The Hebrew University
6. Greetings on 75th birthday; 1944 (pp. 121-126)
7. Aunt Mary confers with the Rabbinical Association (p. 131)
8. 75th birthday guest book; 1944 Nov 6 (pp. 138-139)
9. University of Michigan (p.149)
10. Fund raising for portrait (p.160)
11. John Marshall High School class of 1898, 50th reunion (p.177)
12. Mary Zimmerman Classics Room Fund (pp. 180-181)
13. George F. Cassell (pp. 198-199)

Items found loose in scrapbook:

14. Jewish New Year cards
15. John Marshall High School-Miscellaneous
16. Miscellaneous
17. Obituary of Mary Zimmerman; 1953
18. Photo of portrait by Benjamin S. Kanne; 1948
19. Photos-Mary Zimmerman and one unidentified man

Scrapbook Contents Listing by Page

1 Photo of painting, with inscription by artist Benjamin S. Kanne
2 Invitation to Presentation Tea, 1948 Apr 17
3-5 Guests at Presentation Tea; newsclippings
6-7 Guests at spring meeting of Scopus, Friends of the Hebrew University Dept. Of Education, 1948 May 23
8 Program and notes, fall meeting of Scopus, 1947 Oct 19
9 Poem, "A Gift to Aunt Mary on Her 78th Birthday" by Ida D. Fogelson
10 Blank
11-13 Notes/clippings re Cairo, Illinois
13 Photograph of Mary Zimmerman in middle age, c. 1910
14 Two photographs of Mary Zimmerman, c. 1920
15 Three photo snapshots of painting presentation with artist Kanne
16 Photo of Louis J. Block
17 Photo of John Marshall High School, 1895; photo of first faculty
18 Photo of J. Raleigh Nelson, 1900 (JMHS teacher, 1894-1900)
19 News clippings, Zimmerman's trip to Europe, 1928; photo
20 Photo of Emma Brewster, JMHS class of 1898
21 News clippings, trip to Europe (Germany/Spain) from The Marshall News, 1928
22 Mary Zimmerman, ALS from Italy, 1928 Dec 28; postcard; photo
23 Mary Zimmerman, TLS from Italy, 1929 Mar 30
24 Mary Zimmerman Portrait Committee, mimeo letter, 1948 Jan 15
25 Unsigned birthday card
26 Photo of Hattie Callner, autographed
27-37 List of subscribers to portrait; notes re representation, 1948
39 The Hebrew University's Mary Zimmerman Classics Room
40 Reproduction of painting depicting opening of Hebrew University,1925 Apr 1
41 Leo Schwartz, TLS re American Friends of the Hebrew University, 1948 Jan 16
42-43 Herold C. Hunt (Chicago Supt. Of Schools), photo and TLS
44-45 George F. Cassell (First Asst. Supt. Of Schools), photo and ANsS
46 Blank
47 Poem, "Building a Temple"
48 Newsclippings re Zimmerman's retirement, 1935
49 Address of George F. Cassell at retirement dinner
50 Rabbi Joseph Stolz, ALS
51 Newsclippings about retirement; poem by Willis J. Peelle
52-53 Greetings on retirement
54 Photo of John Marshall High School, 1930s
55-71 Letters and telegrams at time of retirement, 1935
72-75 News clippings re retirement
76-77 Hull House brochure and postcard; newsprint photo of Jane Addams
78-79 Jane Addams (1860-1935), 4 ALsS to Mary Zimmerman; 1916 Jan 5, 1917 May 23, 1919 Dec 23, 1921 Dec 17
80 Mary Rose Potter, ALS, 1948 Apr 15
81 Photo of Jennie Franklin Purvin, autographed; postcard of The Chicago Public Library
82-83 Main Bocher: telegrams, ANS, photo
84-87 Main Bocher: cliippings and ALsS
89 Clippings re John Marshall High School reunions
90-91 The Hebrew University (Removed to separate folder)
92 Scopus issues, 1936-37
93 Covenant Club birthday dinner for Mary Zimmerman, 1939 Dec 6
94 A. P. Schoolman, TLS, 1939 Dec 4
95 Newsclippings from The Advocate re 70th birthday
96-99Newsclippings and greetings re birthday (part removed to separate folder)
100-105 Telegrams received at time of 70th birthday, 1939
106 Copy of James Roosevelt's TLS re The Hebrew University
107 Clippings/program, "A Century of Chicago Jewry," 1942 May 2
108 Photo of Lena Zimmerman Fund
109 Lena Zimmerman Memorial Fund
110 Articles by Anita L. Lebeson
111 Mimeo TL by A. P. Schoolman, 1944 May 5 (Removed to separate folder)
112 Eliezer Rieger, TLS re The Hebrew University
113 Photos of The Hebrew University
114 Mary Zimmerman Classics Room project (Removed to separate folder)
115 Invitations to 75th birthday, 1944 Nov 6
116-130 Greetings received on 75th birthday, including University of Michigan President Alexander G. Ruthven (Part removed to separate folder)
131 "Aunt Mary Confers with the Rabbinical Association" (Removed to separate folder)
132-137 75th birthday greetings
138-139 Guest book at 75th birthday (Removed to separate folder)
140 A. P. Schoolman, TLS, 1944 Dec 14
141 Reception at Blackstone Hotel, 1945 May 5
142 Two postcards, University of Chicago
143-145 University of Chicago-1945 recipients of Alumni Citations (including Mary Zimmerman)
146-147 U of C Citation
148 D. W. Senator, typed letter, 1946 Apr 25
149 University of Michigan (Removed to separate folder)
150 Copy of letter by Alexander M. Dushkin, 1947 June 17
151-157 Invitations/clippings/greetings re 78th birthday, 1947
158 In memoriam: Lt. Allan L. Davis, Pvt. David R. Lebeson
159 Anita Libman Lebeson, TLS, 1948 Apr 13
160-176 Fund-raising for Kanne portrait
163 Photo of Mary Bartleme
177 John Marshall High School class of 1898, 50th reunion (Part removed to separate folder)
178 Marion Talbot (1858-1948), obituary and AAUW tribute
180-181 Mary Zimmerman Classics Room fund (Part removed to separate folder)
182-185 The Hebrew University Department of Education
184 Death of Judah L. Magnes, president of Hebrew University
186 Blank
187 Clippings re Mary Zimmerman, University of Chicago Magazine
188 The Hebrew University
190-195 Newsclippings re Israel becoming a nation, 1948
196-199 George F. Cassell (Part removed to separate folder)