Timeline extended for launch of Wilson Library facilities work.

Collection Number: 05363

Collection Title: Fox and Simon Family Papers, 1862-1991

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


This collection was processed with support from the Watson-Brown Foundation.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size 7.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 3,000 items)
Abstract The Fox family of Cohasset and Springfield, Mass., and the Simon family of New York City, N.Y., were joined by the marriage of Edward Whiting Fox (1911-1996) and Elizabeth Simon in 1935. Edward, the only son of Agnes Whiting Fox and Philip Fox, was a prominent European history scholar. Elizabeth was the oldest daughter of real estate mogul Robert E. Simon (d. 1935) and Elsa Weil Simon (d. 1964). Edward and Elizabeth had three children: Elizabeth Ann Fox, Edward W. Fox, and Rebecca Fox. The collection consists of correspondence, photographs, and other papers documenting five generations of the Fox, Simon, Whiting, Cherrie, and McMillan families. The bulk of the correspondence relates to the Fox and Simon families and documents married life in the early and mid-20th century and intergenerational relationships, especially between parents and their adolescent and adult children. There is extensive correspondence, including love letters, between Agnes Whiting Fox and Philip Fox and between Elizabeth Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox. Topics include family news and domestic concerns; physical and mental health concerns; intellectual pursuits and higher education; boarding school and college experiences in Europe and the United States; the influenza epidemic of 1918; homefront life during World War I; civic activities of women; and New York City society during the 1930s. The earliest letters are of the McMillan and Cherrie families of Knoxville, Iowa, during the Civil War. Later Cherrie correspondence chiefly documents the expeditions of naturalist George Kruck Cherrie to various locales in Central and South America. Letters to Philip Fox illustrate the social and professional pursuits of young college men at the turn of the 20th century. Photographs are chiefly black-and-white portraits and candids of Fox, Simon, and Whiting family members. There are a few slides, negatives, tintypes, panotypes, and an ambrotype. Other papers include a few diaries of Betty Simon Fox; teaching materials and writings of Edward Whiting Fox; homemade valentines and cards; a Morgenthau-Simon family genealogical scrapbook; and miscellaneous clippings, writings, notes, sketches, and postcard scrapbooks of Fox family members.
Creator Fox family.

Simon family.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Fox and Simon Family Papers #5363, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from the estate of Elizabeth Fox-Genovese in March and October 2007 (Acc. 100793, 100802).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Nancy Kaiser and Amanda Ross, November 2007

Encoded by: Nancy Kaiser, November 2007

This collection was processed with support from the Watson-Brown Foundation.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Related Collections

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

The Fox family of Cohasset and Springfield, Mass., and the Simon family of New York City, N.Y., were joined by the marriage of Edward Whiting Fox (1911-1996) and Elizabeth Simon in 1935. Edward Whiting Fox ("Teddy" in his youth, "Ed" later on) was the only son of Agnes Whiting Fox, a teacher before she married, and Philip Fox, an engineer and later a director of a trade school. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Harvard University. A prominent European history scholar, Fox briefly served as an Assistant Secretary of State for policy analysis during the Truman administration before joining the history faculty at Cornell University where he spent most of his career teaching.

Edward's maternal grandparents were Millah Cherrie Whiting and Frank Whiting and maternal great-grandparents were Martin Cherrie, a captain in Company K of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry in the Union Army during the Civil War, and Agnes B. Cherrie of Knoxville, Iowa. Maternal great aunts and uncles included Mary Cherrie and George Kruck Cherrie (1865-1948), a naturalist and explorer, and his wife Stella Cherrie.

Elizabeth Simon ("Betty") was the oldest daughter of Robert E. Simon (d. 1935) and Elsa Weil Simon (d. 1964). Robert E. Simon, the son of Pauline Morgenthau and Edward S. Simon, was a real estate mogul in New York City. He purchased Carnegie Hall in 1925. The Simons' other children were Helen, Carol, and Robert E. Jr. Betty graduated from Vassar College in 1931 and received an M.A. from Harvard University in 1932.

Edward and Betty had three children: Elizabeth Ann ("Betsey" or "B. A."), Edward W. ("Teddy"), and Rebecca ("Becky"). Betsey Fox, like her father, was a prominent historian. She married Eugene Genovese in 1969.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection consists of correspondence, photographs, and other papers documenting five generations of the Fox, Simon, Whiting, Cherrie, and McMillan families of Cohasset, Mass., Springfield, Mass., and New York, N.Y. The bulk of the correspondence relates to the Fox and Simon families and documents married life in the early and mid-20th century and intergenerational relationships, especially between parents and their adolescent and adult children. There is extensive correspondence, including love letters, between Agnes Whiting Fox and Philip Fox and between Elizabeth Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox. Topics include family news and domestic concerns; physical and mental health concerns; intellectual pursuits and higher education; boarding school and college experiences in Europe and the United States; the influenza epidemic of 1918; homefront life during World War I; civic activities of women; and New York City society during the 1930s. The earliest letters are of the McMillan and Cherrie families of Knoxville, Iowa, during the Civil War. Later Cherrie correspondence chiefly documents the expeditions of naturalist George Kruck Cherrie to various locales in Central America and South America. Letters to Philip Fox illustrate the social and professional pursuits of young college men at the turn of the 20th century. Photographs are chiefly black-and-white portraits and candids of Fox, Simon, and Whiting family members. There are a few slides, negatives, tintypes, panotypes, and an ambrotype. Other papers include a few diaries of Betty Simon Fox; teaching materials and writings of Edward Whiting Fox; homemade valentines and cards; a Morgenthau-Simon family genealogical scrapbook; and miscellaneous clippings, writings, notes, sketches, and postcard scrapbooks of Fox family members.

Back to Top

Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1862-1991.

About 2,200 items.

Arrangement: by family name.

Correspondence of five generations of the Fox, Simon, Whiting, Cherrie, and McMillan families. The bulk of the correspondence relates to the Fox and Simon families and documents married life in the early and mid-20th century and intergenerational relationships, especially between parents and their adolescent and adult children. There is extensive correspondence, including love letters, between Agnes Whiting Fox and Philip Fox and between Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox. Topics include family news and domestic concerns; physical and mental health concerns; intellectual pursuits and higher education; boarding school and college experiences in Europe and the United States; the influenza epidemic of 1918; homefront life during World War I; Army Corps of Engineers work; civic activities of women; and New York City society during the 1930s. The earliest letters are of the McMillan and Cherrie families of Knoxville, Iowa, during the Civil War. Later Cherrie correspondence chiefly documents the expeditions of naturalist George Kruck Cherrie to various locales in Central and South America. Letters to Philip Fox illustrate the social and professional pursuits of young college men at the turn of the 20th century.

Folder 1

Cherrie Family, 1862

Folder 2

Cherrie Family, 1876-1889

Folder 3

Cherrie Family, 1890-1893

Folder 4

Cherrie Family, 1894-1899

Folder 5

Cherrie Family, 1901-1905

Folder 6

McMillan Family, 1862

Folder 7

Philip Fox, 1891-1897

Folder 8

Philip Fox, 1902

Folder 9

Philip Fox, 1903

Folder 10-11

Folder 10

Folder 11

Philip Fox, 1904

Folder 12

Philip Fox, 1905

Folder 13

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1908-1913

Folder 14-15

Folder 14

Folder 15

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1916

Folder 16

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1917

Folder 17

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1918

Folder 18

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1919-1920

Folder 19

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1921

Folder 20-21

Folder 20

Folder 21

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1922

Folder 22

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1923

Folder 23

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1924-1927

Folder 24

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1928

Folder 25-26

Folder 25

Folder 26

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1929

Folder 27

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1930-1934

Folder 28

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1935

Folder 29

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1936

Folder 30

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1937-1939

Folder 31

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1940-1948

Folder 32

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1950-1959

Folder 33

Agnes and Philip Fox, 1962-1964

Folder 34

Agnes and Philip Fox, undated

Folder 35

Agnes Whiting Fox, 1960-1967

Folder 36

Agnes Whiting Fox, 1964-1965 and undated

Folder 37

Betty Simon Fox, 1927-1928

Folder 38

Betty Simon Fox, 1929-1934

Folder 39

Betty Simon Fox, 1935-1945

Folder 40

Betty Simon Fox, 1947-1968

Folder 41-45

Folder 41

Folder 42

Folder 43

Folder 44

Folder 45

Betty Simon Fox, undated (from)

Folder 46

Betty Simon Fox, undated fragments (from)

Folder 47-48

Folder 47

Folder 48

Betty Simon Fox, undated (to)

Folder 49

Betty Simon Fox, undated fragments (to)

Folder 50

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1934

Folder 51

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1935

Folder 52

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1936-1937

Folder 53

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1938

Folder 54

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1939

Folder 55

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1940

Folder 56

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1944

Folder 57-61

Folder 57

Folder 58

Folder 59

Folder 60

Folder 61

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1945

Folder 62

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1946-1947

Folder 63-64

Folder 63

Folder 64

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1948

Folder 65

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1950

Folder 66

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1952

Folder 67

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1953

Folder 68

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1955

Folder 69

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1956-1964

Folder 70

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1965

Folder 71-72

Folder 71

Folder 72

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1966

Folder 73

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1967-1968

Folder 74

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, 1971-1974

Folder 75-79

Folder 75

Folder 76

Folder 77

Folder 78

Folder 79

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox, undated

Folder 80

Betty Kohl letters, 1946-1952 and undated

Folder 81

Betty Kohl letters, undated

Folder 82

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox: Other correspondence, 1948-1991 and undated

Folder 83

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox: Other correspondence, undated

Folder 84-86

Folder 84

Folder 85

Folder 86

Betty Simon Fox and Edward Whiting Fox: Christmas Cards

Folder 87

Becky Fox, 1950-1959

Folder 88

Becky Fox, 1961-1962

Folder 89

Becky Fox, 1964-1968 and undated

Folder 90

Betsey Fox, 1948-1954

Folder 91

Betsey Fox, 1955-1956

Folder 92

Betsey Fox, 1961-1963

Folder 93

Betsey Fox, 1965-1966

Folder 94

Betsey Fox, 1971 and undated

Folder 95

Teddy Fox, 1952-1965

Folder 96

Carol Simon Hodgson, 1939-1940, and undated

Folder 97

Elsa Simon, 1939-1949

Folder 98

Elsa Simon: condolence letters, 1964

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Photographs, 1860s-1980s.

About 400 items.

Arrangement: by family groups, then chronological, then special format.

Chiefly black-and-white portraits and candid photographs of Fox, Simon, Weil, and Whiting family members. There are a few negatives, tintypes, ambrotypes, and panotypes.

Image Folder PF-5363/1

Agnes Whiting Fox

Image Folder PF-5363/2

Philip Fox

Image Folder PF-5363/3

Edward Whiting Fox

Image Folder PF-5363/4

Betty Simon Fox

Image Folder PF-5363/5

Edward and Betty Fox

Image Folder PF-5363/6-9

PF-5363/6

PF-5363/7

PF-5363/8

PF-5363/9

Edward and Betty Fox family

Image Folder PF-5363/10

Elsa Simon

Image Folder PF-5363/11

Robert E. Simon

Image Folder PF-5363/12

Elsa and Robert Simon family, 1921

Image Folder PF-5363/13-14

PF-5363/13

PF-5363/14

Elsa and Robert Simon family

Image Folder PF-5363/15

Weil family

Image Folder PF-5363/16

Whiting family

Image Folder PF-5363/17

Family gatherings

Image Folder PF-5363/18

Family portraits

Image Folder PF-5363/19

Fox-Genovese wedding

Image Folder PF-5363/20

Houses

Image Folder PF-5363/21

1860s-1890s

Image Folder PF-5363/22

1900s-1910s

Image Folder PF-5363/23

1920s-1930s

Image Folder PF-5363/24-25

PF-5363/24

PF-5363/25

1940s-1950s

Image Folder PF-5363/26

1960s-1980s

Image Folder PF-5363/27

1960s-1980s color

Image Folder PF-5363/28

Miscellaneous

Oversize Image Folder OP-PF-5363/1

Photograph of more than 100 people in a field, some of whom are climbing a structure [similar to a barn raising], 1910s

Extra Oversize Image XOP-P-5363/1

Panorama photograph of 150th anniversary of Cohasset Pageant, 1921

Special Format Image SF-P-5363/1

Panotype of unidentified man, circa 1890s

Portrait of a man in formal suit

Special Format Image SF-P-5363/2

Panotype of unidentified woman, circa 1890s

Portrait of a woman in formal dress

Special Format Image SF-P-5363/3-4

SF-P-5363/3

SF-P-5363/4

Tintypes of unidentified boys, circa 1880s

Two portraits of two young boys seated in front of backdrop image of water's edge and lighthouse

Special Format Image SF-P-5363/5

Tintype of unidentified soldier, 1860s

Special Format Image SF-P-5363/6

Ambrotype of unidentified young girl, 1860s

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 3. Other Papers, 1898-1960s.

About 400 items.

Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

Materials include miscellaneous clippings; school and camp materials; history lecture notebooks, scrapbooks with postcards of France and art, and various files of Edward Whiting Fox, including reviews of L'autre France, travel expenses, and writings; homemade valentines and cards; a Morgenthau-Simon family genealogical scrapbook; and miscellaneous writings, notes, and sketches of Fox family members.

Folder 99-100

Folder 99

Folder 100

Clippings

Folder 101

Concord Academy Yearbook, 1957

Folder 102

Farm and Wilderness Camps, 1950

Folder 103

Agnes Whiting Fox: Teaching materials, 1898-1905, 1918-1919

Folder 104

Agnes Whiting Fox: Miscellaneous papers, 1900-1919, 1964

Folder 105

Betty Simon Fox: "My Life History"

Folder 106

Betty Simon Fox Travel Diary, 1922

Folder 107

Betty Simon Fox diary, London, 1952

Folder 108

Edward Whiting Fox: L'autre France reviews

Folder 109

Edward Whiting Fox: Travel Expenses, 1961

Folder 110-111

Folder 110

Folder 111

Edward Whiting Fox: Writings

Box 11

Fox, Edward Whiting: History teaching materials

Box 12

Fox, Edward Whiting: Postcard scrapbooks

Folder 112

Philip Fox: Miscellaneous Papers

Folder 113

Fox-Simon wedding, 1935

Folder 114

Horace Mannikin

Folder 115

Morgenthau-Simon Family Geneology

Folder 116

Robert Simon death

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5363/1

Memorial to Robert Simon

Folder 117

Valentines and other cards, 1950s-1960s

Folder 118-120

Folder 118

Folder 119

Folder 120

Miscellaneous Papers

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Items Separated

Back to Top