Wally Amos Papers

 

Dates: 1975-1996, undated
Size: 4 linear feet
Repository: Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature, 9525 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60628

Collection

Number:

1979/01
Provenance: Donated by the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corporation in September 1978 and Wally Amos in May 2000
Access: No restrictions
Citation:

When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is:

Wally Amos Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature

Processed by: Elizabeth Loch, Archival Specialist, April 2021

Biographical Note

Wallace Amos Jr., known as Wally Amos, was born July 1, 1936. Amos served in the United States Air Force before joining the William Morris Agency in New York City. Amos became the agency’s first African American talent agent. In 1975, Wally Amos founded and incorporated the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corporation. His new company expanded. Eventually, “Famous Amos” chocolate chip cookie bags were distributed nationwide. Amos went on to have guest star spots on a number of television sitcoms and author several books.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of materials related to Wally Amos and the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corporation. Materials include biographical and historical documents, manuscript drafts, photographs, memorabilia, and an audio recording. This collection includes handwritten manuscripts authored by Wally Amos. Also included are typed drafts of his autobiographical book, The Cookie Never Crumbles: The Wally “Famous!” Amos Story.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into three series by type of material; Series 1: Manuscripts, 1975-1996, undated; Series 2: Audiovisual Materials, 1978, undated; and Series 3: Awards and Memorabilia, 1975-1988, undated. Within each series, items are listed alphabetically by title.

Related Materials

Related materials at other institutions include:

Container List

Series 1: Manuscripts, 1975-1996, undated

Box 1 Folder 1 Articles and clippings about Wally Amos, 1978-1996, undated
Box 1 Folder 2 Articles of Incorporation of the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corporation, 1975 January
Box 1 Folder 3 Biographical statements on Wally Amos, undated
Box 1 Folder 4 Bound copy of The Reader newsletters [Literary Volunteers of America, Inc., Wally Amos National Spokesman], 1979-1984
Box 1 Folder 5 Correspondence between Famous Amos [company] and Sharon Scott [Chicago Public Library], 1978-1979
Box 1 Folder 6 Famous Amos official newsletters and event materials, 1980, undated
Box 1 Folder 7 Handwritten manuscripts by Wally Amos [autobiographical], 1980-1981
Box 1 Folder 8 Handwritten manuscripts by Wally Amos [autobiographical], undated
Box 1 Folder 9 Handwritten manuscripts by Wally Amos titled “You Can Go Home Again” and “Me and the Temps,” undated
Box 1 Folder 10 The Cookie Never Crumbles: The Wally “Famous!” Amos Story [by Wally Amos and Leroy Robinson] book outline and foreword [with handwritten edits], undated
Box 1 Folder 11 The Cookie Never Crumbles: The Wally “Famous!” Amos Story [by Wally Amos and Leroy Robinson] book chapters 1-6, undated
Box 2 Folder 1 The Cookie Never Crumbles: The Wally “Famous!” Amos Story [by Wally Amos and Leroy Robinson] book chapters 7-12, undated

Series 2: Audiovisual Materials, 1978, undated

Box 3 001 45 record titled “Wally’s Theme” by Brown Day Productions, 1978
Box 3 002 Photograph of a blue jean jacket with “the Chocolate Chip Cookie Man” embroidered on it, undated
Box 3 003 Press photograph of a Famous Amos cookie, William Morris Agency, undated
Box 3 004 Press photograph of Wally Amos, Roscia, Mulhern and Associates, Inc., undated

Series 3: Awards and Memorabilia, 1975-1988, undated

Box 4 Folder 1 Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs certificate for Wally Amos, 1982 April 14
Box 5 Folder 1 Baseball hat with Famous Amos logo, undated
Box 4 Folder 2 Famous Amos button, undated
Box 4 Folder 3 Famous Amos kazoo, undated
Box 4 Folder 4 Famous Amos matchbook, undated
Box 4 Folder 5 Famous Amos model kazoo [in original packaging], undated
Box 4 Folder 6 Famous Amos posters [picturing Wally Amos and a cookie], 1975
Box 4 Folder 7 Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year, Wally Amos, plaque, 1988
Box 4 Folder 8 International Reading Association and New Jersey Reading Association honor Wally Amos, certificate, 1984 April 5
Box 5 Folder 2 New Jersey Reading Association Literacy Award [bowl], 1984 April
Box 5 Folder 3 Pair of black shoes with watermelon designs [Amos wrote Watermelon Magic], undated
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