Rumely mss., 1838-1965
Papers of Edward Aloysius Rumely at the Lilly Library, Indiana
University, Bloomington, Indiana
Electronic finding aid encoded by
Indiana University Libraries.
Summary Information
Repository
Lilly
Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Indiana University
1200 E. Seventh St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-5500
Phone: 812-855-2452
Fax: 812-855-3143
Email: liblilly@indiana.edu
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly
Creator
Rumely, Edward Aloysius, 1882-1964
TitleRumely mss., 1838-1965
Collection No.
LMC 1890
Extent
89 Boxes, Realia and Oversize items
Language
Materials are in
English.
Abstract
The Rumely mss., 1838-1965, are the papers of Edward Aloysius Rumely, 1882-1964,
physician, educator, and public relations man, and papers relating to his
ancestors. The papers consist of correspondence with prominent people both in Europe and the
United States; an autobiography; documents dealing with his arrest for perjury in
July, 1918, and the pardon by President Calvin Coolidge on January 19, 1925;
material on his many fields of interest; pictures, and printed matter.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Biographical Note
In 1906 Edward Aloysius Rumely, 1882-1964, founded the Interlaken School at Rolling Prairie, Indiana. It was a
college preparatory boarding school for boys between the ages of nine and
eighteen. The purpose of the school was "to train boys in worthy and self- reliant
character; to make them Sound and vigorous of body and soul, practical and skilful
in work, able to think clearly and express themselves cogently; to develop in them
truth, helpfulness, courage of will--in short to train the sons of the directing
classes of our civilization to become fit leaders of men in this industrial
Republic." The methods employed were similar to those used in European schools.
Chalk, blackboards, and books were not enough. Children needed the training of
their muscles as well as of their minds and they needed the training of their
minds through their muscles.
Rumely was also connected with the family agricultural implement business. He
developed the Rumely Oil Pull Farm Tractor and assisted in raising the company
sales considerably by 1913. At the age of thirty-two, he resigned as an officer of
the firm and moved to New York City where he lived until his retirement in 1959.
In 1915, Rumely became editor-in-chief and publisher of the New York Evening Mail.
Since he was a good friend of Theodore Roosevelt, he permitted him to use the
newspaper as his mouthpiece. Two other outstanding critics wrote articles for
Rumely's paper, Samuel Sidney McClure, 1857-1949, from 1915 to 1918, and Henry
Louis Mencken, 1880-1956, from 1917 to 1918. From 1923 to 1928 he was involved in
the introduction of vitamins to the retail market. In 1925, he organized the Super
Diesel Company, and from 1926 to 1930 he assisted farmers in obtaining loans
through the Agricultural Bond and Credit Company. From 1932 to 1959 Rumely's
interest centered around national political questions. During the New Deal he
served as executive secretary to both the Committee for the Nation and the
National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government. Early in 1941 he helped
establish the Committee for Constitutional Government. After returning to LaPorte
in 1959, he devoted his time and energy disseminating information on cancer.
See also "The Autobiography of Dr. Edward A. Rumely" edited by Philip Morehouse
McGarr, Indiana Magazine of History, LXVI, March, 1970, pp. 1-39; September, 1970,
pp. 197-237; and LXVII, March, 1971, pp. 1-44.
Note on Indexing Term - "World War, 1914-1918": S.S. McClure and H.L. Mencken were writing for the newspaper at
this time and the topic of the war is reflected in the collection.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into the following series: I. Correspondence, II. Subject Files, III. Printed, IV. United States
v. Rumely, V. Miscellaneous, VI. Oversize items
Scope and Content Note
Notable Correspondents Include Theodore Roosevelt. Subject Files include items related
to Vitamin Food Co., Inc., New York Evening Mail, and Interlaken School. United States
v. Rumely includes papers and correspondence related to case argued in 1952 and decided
in 1953. Miscellaneous includes notes from E.A. Rumely autobiography, articles related
to the
Evening News trial, and files, photographs related to the Interlaken School. Autobiography includes multiple drafts of chapters related
to the autobiography of Edward A. Rumely. Oversize & realia items include business ledgers,
scrapbooks, personal items, pictures.
Note on Indexing Term - "Art": Of interest is
correspondence of sculptor John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum and sculptor Isaumu Noguchi. Also
included is a bust of efficiency engineer Harrington Emerson by Noguchi.
Note on Indexing Term - "Travel": Rumely traveled in Europe during 1900-1906 and in the
collection there are letters home to his family describing his travels.
Related Material
See Rumely mss. II, Rumely, F.S. mss., and Rumely, F.S. mss. II, also located at the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Gift: 1994
Preferred Citation
[Item], Rumely mss., Lilly Library,
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Container List
Series:
I. Correspondence
Box 1
1884-1906
Includes Autobiographical, Biographical material
Box 2
1902-1911
Box 3
January 1912-October 23, 1912
Box 4
October 23, 1912-April 1913
Box 5
May 1913-1914
Box 6
1915
Box 7
January-September 1916
Box 8
October 1916-March 1917
Box 9
April-July 1917
Box 10
August-December 1917
Box 11
January-June 1918
Box 12
July 1918-March 1919
Box 13
April 1919-January 2020
Box 14
February-October 1920
Box 15
November 1920-January 1922
Box 16
February 1922-April 1923
Box 17
May-October 1923
Box 18
November 1923-February 15, 1924
Box 19
February 16, 1924-May 13, 1924
Box 20
May 14, 1924-August 09, 1924
Box 21
August 10, 1924-November 09, 1924
Box 22
November 10, 1924-February 19, 1925
Box 23
February 20, 1925-October 15, 1925
Box 24
October 16, 1925-March 31, 1926
Box 25
April-September 1926
Box 26
October 1926-May 1927
Box 27
June 1927-April 1928
Box 28
May-December 1928
Box 29
January-June 1929
Box 30
July-December 1929
Box 31
January-May 15, 1930
Box 32
May 16, 1930-October 10, 1930
Box 33
October 11, 1930-January 31, 1931
Box 34
February-July 1934
Box 35
August 1931-December 20, 1931
Box 36
December 21, 1931-April 1932
Box 37
May 1, 1932-August 20, 1932
Box 38
August 21, 1932-November 30, 1932
Box 39
1932-December 1933
Box 40
1934-1935
Box 41
1936-December 30, 1937
Box 42
December 31, 1937-August 1939
Box 43
September 1939-March 1941
Box 44
April 1941-November 1942
Box 45
December 1942-1952
Box 46
1953-1955
Box 47
1956-August 1958
Box 48
September 1958-1966
Series:
II. Subject Files & Topics
A-M, undated.
Box 49
N-Z, undated
Topics, A-Celite
Box 50
Topics, Co-I
Box 51
Topics, J-Rumely Statements
Box 52
Topics, J-Rumely Statements (continued)
Vitamin Foods
(9 folders)
Box 53
Vitamin Foods (continued), undated
Box 54
Evening Mail, undated
Also contains Miscellaneous
Box 55
Miscellaneous, undated
Series:
III. Printed
Printed, A
Box 56
Printed, A-E
Box 57
Printed, E-
Box 58
Committee-Evening Mail Trial
Box 59
Evening Mail Trial
Includes Copies of News Clippings, 1915-1918
Box 60
Miscellaneous Rumely Co.-Farming
Box 61
Farming-Interlaken School
Box 62
Interlaken School-Prominent Persons (A-G)
Box 63
Prominent Persons (H-Z)-Vitamin Food Co.
Includes realia; stamp
Box 64
Vitamin Food Co, Inc.
Box 65
Writings-Miscellaneous
Box 66
Miscellaneous
Box 67
Miscellaneous
Box 68
Miscellaneous-Pictures
Box 69
Pictures, Postcards
Box 70
Correspondence & Miscellaneous
Box 71
Shorthand Notebooks
Series:
IV. Subject Files, United States v. Rumely
Box 72
Legal Documents
Box 73
Romeike Clipping Co., Volumes 1-6
Box 74
Newspaper Clippings, Volumes 1-6
Foreign Dispositions
Motions and Exhibits
Box 75
Outline of Defense
Addendum to Main Statement
Witness Memoranda, Volumes 1-2
Witness Interviews, Volumes 1-2
Box 76
Correspondence, Volumes I-V
Box 77
Correspondence, Volumes VI-VIII
1917-1918
Stenographer's Minutes
Box 78
Statement of Rumely
Statements & Exhibits
Miscellaneous WWI, 1915-1918
Series:
V. Miscellaneous
Box 79
M. Rumely Catalogue, No.58
German Politics
Vitamin Food Co, Inc.
Super Diesel Corp. - Title Articles of Incorporation
Rumely Post Cards, Christmas Cards
E.A. Rumely Autobiography & Notes
Rural Progress Magazines, Vol. 1 & 2, 1934-1937
Box 80
Evening News Articles
Box 81
Autobiography & Related Correspondence
(24 folders)
Includes A/V Items: SoundScriber Discs
Interlaken - Photographs
Correspondence & Subject Files, Libel-Goshen Mining Co.
"Committee for the Nation" Part 1 & 2
Committee for Contsitutional Government
Interlaken School, 1918
Composition Books
(2 volumes)
Box 82
Interlaken School Student Accounts
Box 83
Interlaken School Student Records I.
Box 84
Interlaken School Student Records II.
Box 85
Wire Recordings for Autobiography, 1950
Series:
VI. Oversize & Realia
Map Case
Interlaken Drawings
Interlaken School Plans
Oversize
Noguchi bust of Harrington Emerson
Box 86
Scrapbook - Interlaken School
Box 87
Washington Indictment - United States v. Rumely, February-March 1920
Box 88-94
Letters, Regular Letters
(7 volumes)
Box 95-100
Records
(6 volumes)
Box 101
Form Book
Box 102
Personal Records Book - E.A.R.
Box 103
Scrap Book
From Rumely family member to E.A. Rumely, contains news articles related to family and friends deaths, marriages, and other
activities.
Box 104
Rumely Power Seed & Soil
Box 105
Interlaken School Records
Box 106-118
Ledgers
(13 volumes)
Box 119
Super Diesel Tractor Corp Records
Box 120
Evening Mail Syndicate, Inc.
Box 121-123
Interlaken School Certificates
(3 volumes)
Box 124
Photograph Scrap Book, Interlaken
Box 125
LaPorte Today, 1904
Box 126-127
Niles Rumely School Books1938-1940
(2 volumes)
Box 128
E.A.R. Autobiography, bound
Box 129
Portrait Book
Box 130
Scrapbook
Contains news articles related to Interlaken School.
Box 135
Interlaken blueprints
4 items
Box 136-137
Rolled (and one flattened) newspaper clippings
9 items
Box 138
"Purchase of original plot of land on which Rumely Hotel is now located"
Oversize
Realia, metal box
Contains glass photo slides.
Box 131
Box of Address Index Cards
Box 132
Oversize photographs of Rumely family and friends
Contains various family photographs. Also contains other miscellaneous photograph portraits gifted to E.A. Rumely, including
one from Theodore Roosevelt and several from the Niles family, the Scott family, the Patten family, and Charles Morgan-Webb.
Oversize photographs of Rumely Oil Pull Tractors
Box 133
Interlaken Certificate
Box 134
Medal from "foot race the length of Manhattan"
Includes explanatory note
