TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement Note

Conditions of Access and Use

Administrative Information

Search Terms

Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Articles and Columns 1948-1955, 1962

Series B. Manuscripts 1956-1964

Series C. Scrapbooks 1948-1966

A Finding Aid to the Harry Simonhoff Papers. 1948-1966.

Manuscript Collection No. 27


Introduction

Repository: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
Creator: Simonhoff, Harry, 1891-1966.
Title: Harry Simonhoff Papers.
Dates: 1948-1966
Quantity: 1.2 linear feet (3 Hollinger boxes)
Abstract: The Harry Simonhoff Papers consist of literary manuscripts, articles, newsclippings, nearprint, and letters of Simonhoff, a Miami, Florida attorney and author. The papers reflect Simonhoff's interest in American Jewish history and his activities within the Miami Jewish community.
Collection Number: MS-27
Language: Collection material in English.

Biographical Sketch

Harry Simonhoff was born in Lithuania (circa 1893), the son of Rabbi Jacob J. and Jennie (Shapiro) Simonhoff. In 1896 the Simonhoff family immigrated to the United States, settling first in Atlanta, Georgia and then in Charleston, South Carolina. At the age of twenty or twenty-one Simonhoff entered the College of Charleston by special examination since he had never attended high school. Simonhoff received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston in 1917. He went on to receive a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1919 and completed a special studies program at the Harvard University Law School in 1920.

After completing his studies, Simonhoff returned to Charleston to begin his private law practice. In 1921-1922 he served as a representative for two terms in the South Carolina State Legislature.

In 1925 Simonhoff moved to Miami, Florida in order to set up a law practice with his younger brother, Samuel. They participated in the Florida land speculation boom and, within two years, reportedly made and subsequently lost one million dollars. By the 1930s, however, the brothers had sufficiently recovered to build a hotel along Miami Beach.

In Miami, Simonhoff participated in many Jewish activities. He assisted in the founding of Miami's B'nai B'rith lodge, was a delegate to the American Jewish Conference in 1943, became a trustee of Miami's Mt. Sinai Hospital and was active in the Miami Zionist District and the Miami United Palestine Appeal.

After World War II, Simonhoff spent the majority of his time in literary and historical pursuits. In 1948 he began writing a weekly column, "I'll Say," for The Jewish Floridian, where he commented on contemporary and historical events. In July 1952 Simonhoff ended producing a regular weekly column but he continued "I'll Say" on a sporadic basis through 1955. In 1953 Simonhoff began writing another column for newspapers, "American Notables," where he presented biographical sketches of significant Jewish personalities. Simonhoff also published several books: Under Strange Skies (1953), Jewish Notables of America, 1776-1865 (1956), Saga of American Jewry, 1865-1914 (1959), (these latter two are the culmination of his "American Notables" column), Jewish Participants in the Civil War (1962), and The Chosen One (1963).

In 1953 Simonhoff married Ilse Danziger, who had immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1910. Harry Simonhoff died on October 4, 1966 in Miami Beach, Florida.


Scope and Content Note

The Harry Simonhoff Papers consist of four boxes of literary manuscripts, articles, newsclippings, nearprint, and letters of Simonhoff, a Miami, Florida attorney and author. The papers reflect Simonhoff's interest in American Jewish history and his activities within the Miami Jewish community. These papers span the years 1948-1966.


Arrangement Note

This collection is arranged in three (3) series:

Series A. Articles and columns.
Series B. Manuscripts.
Series C. Scrapbooks.

Conditions of Access and Use

Terms of Access

The collection is open for use; no restrictions apply.

Terms of Reproduction and Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce, with exceptions for fair use, may be obtained through the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please address queries to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information, see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Harry Simonhoff Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:

[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-27. Harry Simonhoff Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Provenance

The Harry Simonhoff Papers were received from Rachel Simonhoff, Miami, Florida, in 1977-1979.

Processing Information

Processed by M. Carolyn Dellenbach and Jeff Kahn, May 1978


Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Articles and Columns 1948-1955, 1962
Series A. Articles and Columns contains articles from Simonhoff's newspaper columns, including his regular columns "I'll Say" and "American Notables" from 1948-1955, 1962. The articles in this series did not appear in Jewish Notables of America or Saga of American Jewry. The articles with this series are arranged in chronological order within the appropriate column title. This series consists of five files.
Box Folder
1 1 Articles by Simonhoff undated
1 2 "American Notables" 1953-1954, 1962.
1 3 "I'll Say" column in The Jewish Floridian 1948-1955, undated
1 4 "I'll Say" column in The Jewish Floridian 1948-1955, undated
1 5 "I'll Say" column in The Jewish Floridian 1948-1955, undated
Series B. Manuscripts 1956-1964
Series B. Manuscripts consists of eleven files containing Simonhoff's manuscripts, 1956-1964.
Box Folder
1 6 "And Abraham Journeyed" undated
1 7 "And Abraham Journeyed" undated
1 8 The Chosen One 1964
1 9 The Chosen One 1964
Box Folder
2 1 Jewish Notables of America, 1776-1865 1956
2 2 Jewish Notables of America, 1776-1865 1956
2 3 "Jews in Fiction" undated
2 4 Saga of American Jewry, 1865-1914 1959
2 5 Saga of American Jewry, 1865-1914 1959
2 6 Saga of American Jewry, 1865-1914 1959
Box Folder
3 1 Under Strange Skies 1956
Series C. Scrapbooks 1948-1966
Series C. Scrapbooks includes articles and newsclippings regarding Simonhoff's activities and interests, announcements and reviews of Simonhoff's books, invitations, letters to Simonhoff, editorial letters by Simonhoff and by others in response to Simonhoff's writings. This series consists of one and a half boxes and spans the years 1948-1966.
Box Folder
3 4 Scrapbook 1948-1966
3 5 Scrapbook 1948-1966
Box Folder
4 1 Scrapbook 1948-1966
4 2 Scrapbook 1948-1966
4 3 Scrapbook 1948-1966
4 4 Scrapbook 1948-1966

Search Terms

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

Persons and Families

Simonhoff, Harry -- 1891-1966

Subjects

Jewish historians
Jews -- Florida -- Miami

Genres and Forms

Scrapbooks

Occupations

Lawyers, Jewish