Grover A. Whalen papers
Collection MSS0042 - MSS. MSS papers and collections
Abstract
Grover Aloysius Whalen, 1886-1962, was a public official and businessman whose professional life in New York City spanned over sixty years. He was best known for his long-held role as New York City's official greater that earned him the moniker "Mr. New York." The collection consists of materials documenting the various positions held by Grover Whalen, both in New York City government and in the private sector, from circa 1918-1957. The collection includes correspondence, invitations, photographs, scrapbooks, reports, minutes, ephemera, and memorabilia.
Extent
168 cubic feet
Dates
1852, 1871, circa 1895-1958, bulk 1919-1958
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Please contact us to arrange access.
Additional Description
Physical Location
Materials are stored at 31 Chambers Street in Manhattan.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was gifted from Grover Whalen (or his estate) to the New York City Municipal Archives between 1959-1962. It is comprised of the following accessions: ACC-1959-019, Mayor's Reception Committee photographs and clippings, 1918-1957; ACC-1959-020, Grover A. Whalen papers, circa 1917-1955; ACC-1961-015, Grover A. Whalen personal and professional papers, circa 1915-1955; ACC-1961-016, Grover A. Whalen phonograph records of speeches, receptions, and ceremonies, circa 1915-1955; ACC-1962-033, General correspondence on Certificates of Merit, 1954-1957; ACC-1962-034, Mayor's Reception Committee records on the Golden Anniversary and receptions to French dignitaries, 1947-1951; and ACC-1962-035, Silver Jubilee Celebration Committee and Mayor's Reception Committee letter books, circa 1920-1930.
Alternate Forms Available
Selections from this collection have been digitized. Please contact us to arrange access.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by staff archivist Alexandra M. Hilton, 2017-2022. Duplicates materials were discarded. An accession consisting of a personal library of Grover Whalen (ACC-1961-017) was deaccessioned.
Scope and Content Note
The collection consists of materials documenting the various positions held by Grover Whalen, both in New York City government and in the private sector, from circa 1918-1957. Most of the collection documents Whalen’s paid and unpaid appointments in New York City government. There is also a small amount of material documenting positions Whalen held in the private business sector. This is mainly found in Series 7.
The collection includes correspondence, invitations, photographs, scrapbooks, reports, minutes, ephemera, and memorabilia.
The collection includes correspondence, invitations, photographs, scrapbooks, reports, minutes, ephemera, and memorabilia.
Biographical/Historical Information
Grover Aloysius Whalen, 1886-1962, was a public official and businessman whose professional life in New York City spanned over sixty years. He was best known for his long-held role as New York City’s official greeter that earned him the moniker "Mr. New York."
Whalen was born in New York City on July 2, 1886 (some accounts list his birthyear as 1887 or 1888) to Michael and Esther Whalen. Michael Whalen immigrated to the United States from Ireland and Esther from Canada. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School and afterwards studied law at New York University (although he left before earning his degree to enter the contracting business). As a young man he began working at John Wanamaker's department store and remained either employed or associated with the store for a long time. He married Anna Delores Kelly in 1913.
Whalen entered the realm of politics during the 1918 New York City mayoral election, working on the campaign of John F. Hylan. He became secretary to Mayor Hylan (in office 1918-1925) and was then appointed as Commissioner of the Department of Plant and Structures (1919-1924); Chairman, Board of Purchase (1919-1924) which involved the organization of greeting ceremonies; member of the New York and New Jersey Bridge-Tunnel Commission (1919-1923); and Vice-Chairman of the Mayor's Committee for the Reception of Distinguished Guests (1919-1933). (The Mayor's Committee for the Reception of Distinguished Guests was first conceived as the Mayor's Committee of Welcome to the Homecoming Troops. The reception given to World War One veterans was so successful that it was continued under a succession of mayors as the Mayor's Committee for the Reception of Distinguished Guests, later shortened to Mayor’s Reception Committee). In 1922, Whalen proposed the creation of a city-owned and operated radio station called WNYC; it was approved and held its first broadcast in 1924.
Between 1924 and 1928, Whalen took a brief hiatus from public service. Rodman Wanamaker hired Whalen to help operate Wanamaker department stores as general manager. Shortly after, Wanamaker made him Vice President for the American Trans-Oceanic Company, a new airline that flew Curtiss seaplanes between New York and Florida.
In 1928, Mayor Jimmy Walker (in office 1926-1932) appointed Whalen as Commissioner of the New York Police Department. He held this position for less than two years when he was forced to resign following excessive use of force by the police on demonstrators during the International Unemployment Day march in 1930.
Whalen resumed his work representing New York City as its official greeter when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (in office 1934-1947) appointed him Chairman of the Mayor's Reception Committee. As New York City's official greeter Whalen planned and attended events, parades, and ceremonies for many guests of the City including: Prime Minister Winston Churchill; President Celâl Bayar of Turkey; President Harry S. Truman; Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan of Pakistan; the 1952 Olympic Committee and Olympic team; Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; President Miguel Alemán Valdés of Mexico; Douglas MacArthur, General of the United States Army; Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion of Israel; Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru of India; King Faisal II of Iraq; Ben Hogan, United States and British Open Golf Champion; and Ralph J. Bunche, United Nations Acting Mediator for Palestine. Whalen served in this role until 1953 when Mayor Robert F. Wagner took office and appointed someone else.
Between 1933 and the late 1950s, Whalen also served in the following government-related positions: Chairman, National Recovery Administration for the City of New York (1933-[1934?]); President, New York World's Fair (1935-1940); Civil Defense Volunteer's Office (1943-[1944?]; Chairman, Mayor's Committee on New York Fashion Center (1943-[1944?]); and Chairman of the Golden Anniversary (1948 celebration of the 50th year of the establishment of Greater New York). His private sector work during this time span included: Chairman of the Board, Schenley Products Corporation (1934-1937); Chairman of the Board, Coty (1941-?); President, Trans Continental Industries (1956-?); and President, Fifth Avenue Association (1957-?).
Grover Whalen died of a stroke on April 20, 1962 in New York City at the age of 75.
Whalen was born in New York City on July 2, 1886 (some accounts list his birthyear as 1887 or 1888) to Michael and Esther Whalen. Michael Whalen immigrated to the United States from Ireland and Esther from Canada. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School and afterwards studied law at New York University (although he left before earning his degree to enter the contracting business). As a young man he began working at John Wanamaker's department store and remained either employed or associated with the store for a long time. He married Anna Delores Kelly in 1913.
Whalen entered the realm of politics during the 1918 New York City mayoral election, working on the campaign of John F. Hylan. He became secretary to Mayor Hylan (in office 1918-1925) and was then appointed as Commissioner of the Department of Plant and Structures (1919-1924); Chairman, Board of Purchase (1919-1924) which involved the organization of greeting ceremonies; member of the New York and New Jersey Bridge-Tunnel Commission (1919-1923); and Vice-Chairman of the Mayor's Committee for the Reception of Distinguished Guests (1919-1933). (The Mayor's Committee for the Reception of Distinguished Guests was first conceived as the Mayor's Committee of Welcome to the Homecoming Troops. The reception given to World War One veterans was so successful that it was continued under a succession of mayors as the Mayor's Committee for the Reception of Distinguished Guests, later shortened to Mayor’s Reception Committee). In 1922, Whalen proposed the creation of a city-owned and operated radio station called WNYC; it was approved and held its first broadcast in 1924.
Between 1924 and 1928, Whalen took a brief hiatus from public service. Rodman Wanamaker hired Whalen to help operate Wanamaker department stores as general manager. Shortly after, Wanamaker made him Vice President for the American Trans-Oceanic Company, a new airline that flew Curtiss seaplanes between New York and Florida.
In 1928, Mayor Jimmy Walker (in office 1926-1932) appointed Whalen as Commissioner of the New York Police Department. He held this position for less than two years when he was forced to resign following excessive use of force by the police on demonstrators during the International Unemployment Day march in 1930.
Whalen resumed his work representing New York City as its official greeter when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (in office 1934-1947) appointed him Chairman of the Mayor's Reception Committee. As New York City's official greeter Whalen planned and attended events, parades, and ceremonies for many guests of the City including: Prime Minister Winston Churchill; President Celâl Bayar of Turkey; President Harry S. Truman; Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan of Pakistan; the 1952 Olympic Committee and Olympic team; Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; President Miguel Alemán Valdés of Mexico; Douglas MacArthur, General of the United States Army; Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion of Israel; Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru of India; King Faisal II of Iraq; Ben Hogan, United States and British Open Golf Champion; and Ralph J. Bunche, United Nations Acting Mediator for Palestine. Whalen served in this role until 1953 when Mayor Robert F. Wagner took office and appointed someone else.
Between 1933 and the late 1950s, Whalen also served in the following government-related positions: Chairman, National Recovery Administration for the City of New York (1933-[1934?]); President, New York World's Fair (1935-1940); Civil Defense Volunteer's Office (1943-[1944?]; Chairman, Mayor's Committee on New York Fashion Center (1943-[1944?]); and Chairman of the Golden Anniversary (1948 celebration of the 50th year of the establishment of Greater New York). His private sector work during this time span included: Chairman of the Board, Schenley Products Corporation (1934-1937); Chairman of the Board, Coty (1941-?); President, Trans Continental Industries (1956-?); and President, Fifth Avenue Association (1957-?).
Grover Whalen died of a stroke on April 20, 1962 in New York City at the age of 75.
Sources
- Mayor’s Reception Committee. Catalogue of historical pictorial review, 1918-1953. New York City. December 19, 1953.
- Department of Commerce. Report and recommendations concerning the Department of Commerce of the City of New York. New York City. 1946.
- Grover, Whalen A. In the Matter of the Charges Preferred Against Various Members of the Police Department, in Connection with the Shooting of Arnold Rothstein. New York: Police Department. 1930.
- Beggs, Donald. New York, the City That Belongs to the World. New York City: Department of Commerce and Public Events. 1956.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into eight series. Series 4: Golden Anniversary is further arranged into two subseries.
Series Outline
- Mayor's Committee on Receptions to Distinguished Guests, circa 1918-1933
- Mayor's Reception Committee, circa 1895-1905, 1918-1957
- Scrapbooks, 1919-1937
- Golden Anniversary, 1947-1949
- 1939 New York World's Fair
- Other appointments, 1919-1957
- Personal material, 1852, 1871, 1915-1957
- Memorabilia, 1946-1958
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title
- Guide to the Grover A. Whalen papers, 1852, 1871, circa 1895-1958, bulk 1918-1957
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Patricia Glowinski and Alexandra M. Hilton
- Date
- January 2024
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
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Subjects