Guide to the Papers of Gertrude Wolf (d. 1966), undated, 1899-1944

*P-27

- She's his secretary, and he writes her from Europe and places around the U.S. to ask her to do various things for him

- His tone is very congenial, teasing and even sarcastic at times

- In a letter to him, she calls him "Chief"

- He keeps joking about replacing her

- He often refers to her as "little Wolf"

- September 1923
- "My dear Dr. Wise, I herewith beg to offer my resignation as Secretary to the Rabbi of the Free Synagogue, such resignation to take effect immediately. I regret this, but have no alternative. I do no need to go into details. Anyone with any self-respect could not submit to the indignity which has been imposed upon one who has, she hopes, faithfully and competently served as secretary to you for so many years.
"With all good wishes, and asking that you do not make it necessary for me to discuss this matter any further, Sincerely yours,"

- His reply:

• - "Dear Miss Wolf,
  I cannot understand your note, but I can and do regret it, the misunderstanding which dictated it, the pain which prompted it. No indignity has been offered to you or will be, unless you conceive it to be an indignity to have my daughter who is an intelligent and efficient young person, come into my office and relieve me, not you, of some part of my work. She cannot master the art of office or administrative supervision, unless she be given the opportunity to do so. As a family friend you should welcome not resent her coming.
• "You must be very tired and nervous, or you would to have written as you did. There is no occasion for it, any more than there is question of your competence or faithfulness. I expect you to return to your post without delay, so that we may calmly ___ the matter which you have absurdly exaggerated and misunderstood."

- She replies:

• - " . . . I simply could not work under present conditions and therefore beg you to permit my resignation to stand..."

- Letter from Bella Straus, Chairman of the Religious School Committee, expressing her and the Committee's regret over Wolf's resignation

- Then further correspondence from him over the next few years. They remained friends, and she even helped him (with work?) from time to time.

- Friendly correspondence, largely personal

- Letter from Wolf to Fannie Hurst, July 10, 1934

- Wise is not going to his camp in Lake Placid for the summer, so she asks if Hurst wants to stay there instead - "I bring this to your attention because I should think that one who writes as you do would find it most attractive."

• - Handwritten note from Hurst on the back saying no (nicely)

- The same letter to a Mr. Cohen

1. From Jascha Heifetz, April 23, 1919, refusing invitation to play at Zionist fundraiser

2. From Richard Gottheil, March 7, 1921

- And a few others

1. "On the Way to Palestine, or Jewish Conditions in Western and Central Europe"
- Handwritten speech (in Wise's handwriting), 9 pp.

2. "The Undefeatable: a sermon by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise on Ludwig Lewisohn's novel "The Island Within"
- 6 page printed pamphlet put out by Harper and Brothers, who published Lewisohn's book
- Includes endorsements by other rabbis and by newspapers and Carl Van Doren

3. 3 page speech, untitled, written in Wise's handwriting

4. "The Dollar"
- Handwritten speech (in Wise's handwriting), 8 pp.

- Speeches by Stephen S. Wise, published by Beth Israel congregation, Portland, OR

- "Liberty and Democracy" September 1905

- "William Lloyd Garrison, A Centenary Address" January 1906

- "The Crapsey Heresy-Trial" June 1906

- "Minister and Congregation: A Farewell Sermon" September and October 1906

- Photographs and clippings of Wise

- Booklet: "Luncheon in celebration of the Sixtieth Birthday of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise arranged by Members and Friends of the Free Synagogue and Jewish Institute of Religion, Sunday March 18^th, 1934"

- Booklet: "Dinner tendered by The Citizens Committee in celebration of the 60^th Birthday of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Monday March 19, 1934"

- Seating arrangements for above two events

- Misc. pamphlets

She did part-time secretarial work for him

• - He writes articles on music for newspapers

- Includes some Christmas cards and a couple of postcards

- And letters from Elizabeth Gilman, his wife

- He is an artist, paints murals

- He writes to her because she's in charge of lectures he was supposed to give at NYU

- Includes a great deal of information about a mural he painted partially through the WPA, to go on the walls of a trade school, that depicted the good and evil possibilities of tools: the school board wanted to destroy it once it was completed because of the scenes of war and destruction and because it shows a bare-breasted woman. He protested such censorship.

- February 24, 1924: "I believe you might like the post of secretary to the head of the Fine Arts Department of New York University, with responsibility for editing its publications.

• - She takes the job

- He's the founder of the Fine Arts Program; goes on to direct the Pennsylvania Museum of Arts

- She asks him to help her get another job (at Rockefeller Center) because the new Dean is terrible

[good friend of Stephen Wise]

- Two letters, and a handwritten review of Mr. Emmanuel by Louis Golding

- Includes correspondence regarding her difficulties with Dean Bossange (about whom she complained to Kimball)

- Letter of recommendation from a professor of art that includes:

• - "Miss Wolf is no secretary in the ordinary sense of the term. Her present title is that of 'Executive Secretary,' and if she were a man she would long ago have been Director. For years she has fulfilled this function and her services are so invaluable that no one could replace her."

- He's a musician.

- He's a composer and conductor

- He worked at the College of Fine Arts at NYU

- Includes a whole series of letters from a woman named Edith.

- Three stenography notebooks, filled with stenography marks.

- Typewritten copy, in three folders.