Finding aid for the Albert A. Woldman Papers


Title:
Albert A. Woldman Papers
Repository:
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722
http://www.wrhs.org
Creator:
Woldman, Albert A.
Dates:
1918-1969
Quantity:
2.20 linear feet (3 containers)
Abstract:
Albert A. Woldman was a Cleveland, Ohio, lawyer, author, teacher, speechwriter, administrator and judge who served in various state and local governmental positions during his professional career. Born in Vilna, Lithuania, his family emigrated from there in 1901 to Cleveland. After graduation from Ohio Northern University College of Law in 1919, Woldman began a private law practice and taught at John Marshall Law School. In 1941, he was appointed assistant law director for the city of Cleveland. He also was a speech writer for Mayor Frank Lausche. After Lausche was elected governor of Ohio in 1944, he appointed Woldman to chair the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. In 1949 Lausche appointed him director of the Department of Industrial Relations. In 1953, he was appointed to fill an unexpired term as judge of the Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County. He remained a judge until his retirement in 1968. Woldman was also active in several Jewish community organizations. He was founder and first president of the Cleveland Hebrew Young Men's and Women's Association in the 1920s. In the 1940s he served as president of B'nai B'rith District No. 2 in Cleveland. He also authored two books on Abraham Lincoln, Lawyer Lincoln and Lincoln and the Russians. He married Lydia Levin of Cleveland in 1921, and had three children; Dr. Robert, Stuart, and Phyllis Woldman Klein. The collection consists of correspondence, drafts of writings, addresses on the subjects of juvenile delinquency and Abraham Lincoln, articles concerning the Constitution of the United States, correspondence, minutes and reports concerning the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
Identification:
MS 4732
Location:
closed stacks
Language:
The records are in English

Biography of Albert A. Woldman

Albert Alexander Woldman (1897-1971) was a lawyer, author, teacher, speechwriter, administrator, and judge who served in various state and local governmental positions during his professional career. Woldman was born in Vilna, Lithuania, then part of the Russian Czarist empire. His family emigrated from there in 1901, settling in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduation from Ohio Northern University College of Law in 1919, Woldman began a private law practice and taught at John Marshall Law School. Outside of his practice, his love of his adopted nation and his reverence for Abraham Lincoln led to historical research, writing, and publication. He wrote several series on American history for The Plain Dealer and had articles in such publications as Harper's Magazine. He authored two books about Lincoln, Lawyer Lincoln and Lincoln and the Russians. In 1941 Mayor Frank Lausche of Cleveland appointed Woldman assistant law director. He also then become a speechwriter for Lausche on topics concerning the U. S. Constitution, Americanism, ethnic contributions to the United States, and Lincoln. After Lausche was elected governor of Ohio in 1944, he appointed Woldman to chair the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. In 1949 Lausche appointed him director of the Department of Industrial Relations. Woldman served as director until 1953 when Lausche appointed him to fill an unexpired term as judge of the Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County. He remained on the bench until his retirement in 1968.

Woldman was active in Jewish communal organizations. He was the founder and first president of the Cleveland Hebrew Young Men's and Women's Association in the 1920s. In the 1940s he served as president of B'nai B'rith District No. 2 in Cleveland. He was a frequent speaker concerning Jewish issues and wrote about those issues for various national Jewish periodicals.

Woldman married Lydia Levin (1902-1978) of Cleveland in 1921. Their children were Dr. Robert, Stuart, and Phyllis Woldman Klein.

Scope and Content

The Albert A. Woldman Papers, 1918-1969, consist primarily of correspondence, drafts of American history writings, addresses on the subjects of juvenile delinquency and Abraham Lincoln, articles about the Constitution of the United States, and correspondence, minutes, and reports concerning the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.

This collection is of value to researchers interested in the administration of and problems faced by juvenile courts in urban areas, especially the Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, in the 1950s and 1960s as juvenile crime increased. Researchers interested in American history, especially aspects of Lincoln, shall find extensive materials. Of special note are the clippings dealing with the founding and operation in the 1920s of the Cleveland Hebrew Young Men's and Women's Association. Significant individuals represented include Cleveland Mayor and Ohio Governor Frank J. Lausche and Cleveland Mayor Thomas A. Burke.

Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series. Series I: Professional Activities, Series II: American History Materials, and Series III: Miscellaneous, including Jewish communal activities and personal papers. Each series is arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each topic.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Separated Material: Separated Material

All photographs have been removed to the photograph and print collection.


Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Burke, Thomas A. (Thomas Aloysius), 1898-1971.
Cleveland Hebrew Young Men's and Women's Association.
Courts -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County.
Cuyahoga County (Ohio). Juvenile Court.
Jewish judges -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Jewish lawyers -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Jews -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Judges -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Juvenile courts -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County.
Juvenile delinquency -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County.
Lausche, Frank John, b. 1895
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Ohio Bureau of Unemployment Compensation.
Ohio. Dept. of Industrial Relations.
Welfare Federation of Cleveland.
Woldman, Albert A. (Albert Alexander), 1897-1971.
Youth -- Ohio -- Cleveland.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4732 Albert A. Woldman Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Mrs. Albert A. Woldman, 1972, 1974, and 1975

Processing Information

Processed by Stanley Lasky in 1995


Detailed Description of The Collection



Series I: Professional Activities, 1945-1969; undated

Box 1 / Folder 1
Bureau of Unemployment Compensation, bulletins, newspaper clippings, 1945-1946




Box 1 / Folder 1
Department of Industrial Relations, articles, newspaper clippings, correspondence, reports, 1949-1953




Box 1 / Folder 2
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, addresses, 1954-1963




Box 1 / Folder 3
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, convention programs, 1956-1964




Box 1 / Folder 4-8
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, correspondence, 1953-1969




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Committee to Repeal the "Motor Scooter" Law, 1959




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Community Action for Youth, 1964-1965




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Court-School Institute, 1966




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Cuyahoga County Employees, Local 1746, 1965




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Juvenile Court Citizens Advisory Board, 1955-1968




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Juvenile Court Committee, 1960-1962




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Mayor's Fact-Finding Committee on Juvenile Delinquency, 1953-1955




Box 1 / Folder 9
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges, 1957




Box 1 / Folder 10
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Welfare Federation, Children's Council, 1960-1966




Box 1 / Folder 10
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Committee on Public Welfare Policy, 1960-1962




Box 1 / Folder 10
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Committee on School-Community Agency Relationships, 1958-1960




Box 1 / Folder 10
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Committee, 1953-1957




Box 1 / Folder 11
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Welfare Federation, Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Committee, 1957-1960




Box 1 / Folder 12
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, 1960-1968




Box 1 / Folder 13
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Welfare Federation, Planning Committee, 1958-1965




Box 1 / Folder 13
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, minutes, Youth Service Planning Commission, 1962




Box 1 / Folder 14
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, publications, 1954-1966




Box 1 / Folder 15-20
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, reports, 1954-1968




Box 1 / Folder 21
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, statement drafts, 1967




Box 1 / Folder 22
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, miscellaneous, including announcements, newspaper clippings, 1952-1962




Box 2 / Folder 23
Juvenile Court of Cuyahoga County, miscellaneous, including announcements, newspaper clippings, 1962-1968





Series II: American History Materials, 1931-1962; undated

Box 2 / Folder 24
Addresses including speeches written for Mayor/Governor Frank J. Lausche and Mayor Thomas A. Burke, Jr., 1942-1961




Box 2 / Folder 25
Articles, 1935-ca. 1950




Box 2 / Folder 26-31
Chapter drafts, undated




Box 2 / Folder 32
Correspondence, 1935-1961




Box 2 / Folder 33
Lincoln addresses, 1941-1962




Box 2 / Folder 34
Lincoln articles, 1935-1960




Box 2 / Folder 35-36
Lincoln chapter drafts, 1935




Box 2 / Folder 37
Lincoln correspondence, 1931-ca. 1961




Box 2 / Folder 38
Lincoln, miscellaneous including book reviews, newspaper clippings, minutes of Ohio Lincoln Sesquicentennial Committee, Civil War Roundtable of Cleveland Roster, 1937-1961





Series III: Miscellaneous, 1918-1965; undated

Box 2 / Folder 39
Jewish communal activities including addresses, newspaper clippings, ca. 1953-1960




Box 2 / Folder 40
Jewish communal activities including correspondence, History Project Committee minutes, Jewish Community Federation, 1941-1965




Box 2 / Folder 41
Miscellaneous including high school commencement addresses, 1943-1960




Box 2 / Folder 41
Newsie, (newspaper for newsboys edited by Woldman), 1918-1960




Box 3 / Folder 42
Scrapbook including announcements, newspaper clippings, correspondence especially concerning the Cleveland Hebrew Young Men's and Women's Association, ca. 1919-1921