Thomas Nesbit Mathers papers, 1926-1972
A Guide to his Papers at the Indiana University Archives
Finding aid prepared by Rachel E. Hancock
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Mathers, Thomas Nesbit, 1914-2007
TitleThomas Nesbit Mathers papers, 1926-1972
Collection No.
C505
Extent
10 cubic feet (10 boxes)
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
Thomas Nesbit Mathers was the son of Frank
Curry Mathers, a distinguished Chemistry Professor at Indiana University, and Maud (Bowser)
Mathers. Thomas attended Bloomington High School in the late 1920s-early 1930s before
entering Indiana University where he graduated in 1936. Mathers went on to receive his law
degree from Indiana University in 1939 and Master of Business Administration from Harvard
University in 1941. He worked as an investment analyst throughout his career in the finance
industry. The collection consists of Thomas Mathers’ education related documents, notebooks,
textbooks, and various coursework completed both at Bloomington High School, Indiana
University, and at Harvard. This collection also contains a few journals kept by Mathers in
1931 as well as correspondence.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
Biographical Note
Thomas Nesbit Mathers was born on April 22, 1914 to Frank Curry Mathers, a distinguished
Chemistry Professor at Indiana University, and Maud (Bowser) Mathers. Thomas Mathers
attended Bloomington High School in the late 1920s-early 1930s before entering Indiana
University, earning his bachelor’s in 1936. Mathers went on to receive his law degree from
Indiana University in 1939 and a Master in Business Administration from Harvard University
in 1941.
Mathers married Helen N. Curtis on October 23, 1943 and entered the finance industry as an
investment analyst. He was described as a “counselor of high integrity, and a leader in the
movement to bring professionalism to the field of investments. Establishing the Mathers
Fund, he quickly gained the admiration and respect of this peers, in additions to the
individuals and organizations it served.” He was an active member of the Union League
Foundation for the Boys Club and the IU Alumni Club of Chicago. In 1979 he was the recipient
of the IU Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Thomas N. Mathers passed away on April 10,
2007. He was survived by his two daughters Mary Mathers Petelik and Abigail Mathers Wodock.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into three series: Biographical, Education and Correspondence. The
Education series is further organized into three sub-series: Bloomington High School,
Indiana University, and Harvard. Series and folders are filed alphabetically by folder
title; within the folders, items are arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
This collection is organized into three series: Biographical, Education and Correspondence.
The Biographical series (1927-1972) includes items related to Thomas Mathers’ childhood Boy
Scout Troop, high school varsity letter, and a wood carving done by Mathers in 1931. Also
included are several journals he kept as a teen and young adult which detail his studies at
Bloomington High School and Indiana University, local basketball games, his participation on
the IU swim team, dates, and family travels.
The Education series (1926-1953) consists of textbooks, notes on loose-leaf paper and bound
journals, course syllabi, papers, and various assignments, exams, and compositions. It is
further organized into three sub-series: Bloomington High School, Indiana University, and
Harvard; when possible, the coursework was separated by subject matter and/or course
title.
The final series, Correspondence (1928-1972), is arranged in most cases chronologically and
includes Tom’s exchanges with his parents regarding Bloomington events and the current
financial state of affairs in the United States (often Tom offers them advice on the state
of the stock market); extensive correspondence with his soon-to-be wife Helen Curtis, and
with former classmates such as Cecilia Hendricks Wahl (A.B. 1938).
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online catalog.
Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog
using these terms.
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Related Material
For personal papers: Additional publications and research materials may be accessed in
IUScholarworks.
Related photographs may be available in the
University Archives
Photographs Database
.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accession 0951 and 0916
Usage RestrictionsThe donor(s) of this collection have transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University
through a Deed of Gift. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for
non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility
for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials.
Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these
materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational
and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its
inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Thomas Nesbit Mathers papers, Collection C505, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Provenance
Given to I.U. Archives by Thomas N. Mathers on July 01, 2002.
Processing InformationProcessed by Rachel E. Hancock.
Completed in 2015
Container List
Series:
Box 1
Biographical, 1927-1972
Campbell Club, December 1940
Family Business – Mathers Company Investment Counsel, 1936-1972
High School Letter, 1930’s
Journal,
January 1931-April
1931
1931-1932
1935
Travelling through Tennessee, undated
Magazines, 1939-1958
Warranty deed – Thomas N. Mathers and William H. Mathers, 1936
Wood Carving by Tom Mathers, March 11, 1931
Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) of the University of Wisconsin,
1907-1935
Series:
Box 1
Education, 1926-1953
Subseries:
Box 1
Bloomington High School, 1926-1932
Absence Slips and P.E. Info, 1932
Notes – Math, 1931
Notes & Reports, 1926-1932
Report on birds, 1928
School Work, undated
School Work & Report Cards, 1930-1931
Subseries:
Box 1
Harvard, 1936-1953
Business School,
1939
1941
Business Statistics Exam, January
1940
Clippings, 1940
Correspondence, 1936-1953
Examinations, 1939-1940
Industrial Management – Exam, 1940
The Fireside Club, 1939-1940
Law Club, 1936
Law School, 1937-1942
Marketing Exam, 1940
Misc. Notes & Lectures, 1940
Misc. Pamphlets & Newsletters, 1940’s
Publications – “The Law Student” and “Case and Comment”, 1936-1937
Registration Information & Room Selections, 1940’s
Reports & Papers,
Bank Management, June 1941
Business School Work, April 1938
First Year, 2nd Semester Reports, 1940
Manufacturing Groups, November 1940
Second Year Reports, 1940’s
Statistics Lab, 1939
Selective Service, October 1940
Box 2
Textbooks & Notes,
1st Term Marketing Problems, September
1939
(2 folders)
Accounting,
General, June 1940
Laboratory Problems in Accounting, June
1940
Accounting Lab, 1939
Administrative Accounting, 1940
Administrative Accounting Readings, September
1940
Administrative Law, undated
Advanced Business Law, 1935-1936
Advanced Economics, 1935-1936
Bank Management, January 1941
Bound pamphlets for Charles E. Wright Company, Petitioner vs.
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Respondent, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for
the Ames Circuit, January 1937
BP II/Invest II, 1940
B.P. II, 1940
Business Economics, 1940
(3 folders)
Business & Government I, February
1940
(2 folders)
Business & Government I, June
1940
Business & Government, undated
Business Problem Analysis,
1937-1939
October 1939
Business Statistics, September 1939
(2 folders)
Codes, 1939
Criminal Law, 1940
Economic Problems of National Defense, September 1940
Economic Statistics, 1935-1936
Equity, undated
Evidence Summary, undated
Finance, 1939
(2 folders)
Industrial Management Vol. I, September
1939
Industrial Management, 1939-1940
Invest R, 1940
Investment Management, Vol. I, September
1940
(2 folders)
Box 4
Investment Management, Vol. II, February
1941
(3 folders)
Laboratory Manual of Physical Chemistry, undated
Questions and Exercises in Economics, undated
Speaking Effectively, undated
Stock Tabulations, 1941
(2 folders)
Stocks & Private Investments, 1941
Taxes, 1938
Torts, 1939
Torts II Summary, undated
Trusts, undated undated
U.S. Civil Service Commission, 1936-1941
Subseries:
Box 4
Indiana University, 1928-1941
Charles A. Geiss-Amateur Radio Report, 1932
Examinations, 1934-1936
Notes,
Chemistry, 1935-1936
(2 folders)
Creditor’s Rights (cases), 1930's
Criminal Law, 1936-1937
Box 5
Economics, 1935
English, 1931
Finance, undated
Freshman Composition, 1935
German, 1932-1933
Government notes & compositions, 1933-1934
Historical Geology, 1935
Insurance, 1939
Latin, 1928
Law,
Business Organization I, 1937-1938
Business Organization II,
1937-1938
Undated
Conflicts of Law, 1937-1938
Contracts,
KI Cases, undated
1937-1938
Contracts II, 1937-1938
Criminal Law, 1937-1938
Equity, 1937-1938
Evidence, undated
Future Interests, 1939
Indiana Law School, 1939-1941
Law Memorandum, Summer 1940
Notes (bound),
1935
Box 6
Undated
(2 folders)
Personal Property, undated
Sales, 1937-1938
School of Law, 1939
(2 folders)
Torts I,
Undated
1937
1937-1938
Vendor & Purchaser, undated
Vendor & Purchaser (Cases), 1937-1938
Notes & Exams, 1936-1938
Marketing, 1930-1931
Misc. Correspondence and School Information, 1939-1941
Misc. Notes and Pamphlets, 1930's
Misc. Pamphlets & Newsletters, 1930's
N.I.L., undated
Public Finance, 1933-1936
Public Speaking, 1934
(2 folders)
Box 7
Physics, undated
Pictures & Negatives, 1941
(Transferred to Photograph collection)
Reports & Papers, 1932
Science, undated
Securities, 1938
Textbooks – Constitutional Law, 1930's
Textbooks & Notes,
General, undated
Accounting, 1932
Series:
Box 7
Correspondence, 1928-1972
General
1928-1932
1933
1934-1935
1936
1937
1946
1972
1976-1978
Education, undated
Family Correspondence, 1939-1962
Ideas, Patents, etc, 1938
Marriage announcement and land contracts, 1941
Securities & Stock share receipts, 1941