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Balderston Family Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-RG5-299

Scope and Contents

C. Canby Balderston (1897-1979) was the son of John Lloyd Balderston (1849-1921) and Anna Elizabeth Marshall Balderston (1856-1925). John Lloyd Balderston was the son of Lloyd and Catherine Canby Balderston who married under the care of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting in 1843 and settled in Colora, Cecil County, Maryland. They had twelve children including Anne (1844-1934), a teacher; George (1847-1907); C. Canby (1847-1923), teacher at Westtown and businessman; John Lloyd (1849-1921); Jane (1851-1924); Charles (1852-1924); Catherine (1854-58); William (1856-1914); Ellwood (1858-1921); Mark (1860); Alice (1861-64); and Lloyd, Jr. (1863-1933). John L. Balderston married Anna Elizabeth Marshall under the care of New Garden Monthly Meeting in 1881, and both were active members in the Society of Friends. John L. Balderston served as an elder in Kennett Monthly Meeting. After his death, Anna Elizabeth lived with their son Robert W. Balderston in Media, Pennsylvania. John L. and Anna E. Balderston had two sons, Robert W. (1882-1940) and C. Canby Balderston (1897-1979). Robert was a farmer and active in the National Milk Association.

C. Canby Balderston attended Westtown School and earned his bachelor, masters and doctorate at University of Pennsylvania where he served on the faculty for more than 30 years. During WWI, he served with the Friends Relief Service and the Relief Commission for Belgium. A prominent Quaker and businessman, C. Canby Balderston served as Dean of the Wharton School and as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1954-1966 and authored many articles and books on management and banking. e was also active in many institutions including Friends Hospital, Westtown School, Sidwell School, Bryn Mawr College, and Elywn Institute. C. Canby Balderston received many awards including the Medal of Merit for his services during WWII and honorary degrees from University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College.

In 1922 he married Gertrude Emery (1902-1941), the daughter of Frederick R. Emery and Jeanne Thomson Balderston. They had two sons: Frederick Emery Balderston (1923-2007), who married Judith Braude in 1949; and Robert Walter Balderston (1924-2012), who married Dorothea Ellinson. Gertrude was hampered by a heart condition and died at the age of 39.

In 1942, C. Canby Balderston married second Ida Roberts Smedley (1896-1993). A long-time teacher, she was the widow of Walter Smedley, a prominent Philadelphia architect.

Both of C. Canby and Gertrude's son attended Westtown School and in September 1942 volunteered with the American Field Service as ambulance drivers. They served with the British 8th and 9th Armies in the Middle East, North Africa, Italy and Austria in 1943-1945. Frederick Emery Balderston was a professor of business administration in the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and a recognized authority on the savings and loan industry, university administration, and computer simulation research in banking and marketing.

In 1949 Frederick E. Balderston married Judith Braude (1926-1993), daughter of Paul and Anne Braude. She grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Swarthmore College in 1946 Judith Balderston earned her Ph.D. from University of California, Berkley, in 1982, and worked as a Research Associate at Berkley.

Dates

  • 1853-1949

Creator

Explore Digitized Content

Note that the bulk of C. Canby Balderston material dated 1917-1919 has been digitized and is available in our Digital Library. Explore this collection online.

Biographical / Historical

C. Canby Balderston (1897-1979) was the son of John Lloyd Balderston (1849-1921) and Anna Elizabeth Marshall Balderston (1856-1925). John Lloyd Balderston was the son of Lloyd and Catherine Canby Balderston who married under the care of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting in 1843 and settled in Colora, Cecil County, Maryland. They had twelve children including Anne (1844-1934), a teacher; George (1847-1907); C. Canby (1847-1923), teacher at Westtown and businessman; John Lloyd (1849-1921); Jane (1851-1924); Charles (1852-1924); Catherine (1854-58); William (1856-1914); Ellwood (1858-1921); Mark (1860); Alice (1861-64); and Lloyd, Jr. (1863-1933). John L. Balderston married Anna Elizabeth Marshall under the care of New Garden Monthly Meeting in 1881, and both were active members in the Society of Friends. John L. Balderston served as an elder in Kennett Monthly Meeting. After his death, Anna Elizabeth lived with their son Robert W. Balderston in Media, Pennsylvania. John L. and Anna E. Balderston had two sons, Robert W. (1882-1940) and C. Canby Balderston (1897-1979). Robert was a farmer and active in the National Milk Association.

C. Canby Balderston attended Westtown School and earned his bachelor, masters and doctorate at University of Pennsylvania where he served on the faculty for more than 30 years. During WWI, he served with the Friends Relief Service and the Relief Commission for Belgium. A prominent Quaker and businessman, C. Canby Balderston served as Dean of the Wharton School and as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1954-1966 and authored many articles and books on management and banking. e was also active in many institutions including Friends Hospital, Westtown School, Sidwell School, Bryn Mawr College, and Elywn Institute. C. Canby Balderston received many awards including the Medal of Merit for his services during WWII and honorary degrees from University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College.

In 1922 he married Gertrude Emery (1902-1941), the daughter of Frederick R. Emery and Jeanne Thomson Balderston. They had two sons: Frederick Emery Balderston (1923-2007), who married Judith Braude in 1949; and Robert Walter Balderston (1924-2012), who married Dorothea Ellinson. Gertrude was hampered by a heart condition and died at the age of 39.

In 1942, C. Canby Balderston married second Ida Roberts Smedley (1896-1993). A long-time teacher, she was the widow of Walter Smedley, a prominent Philadelphia architect.

Both of C. Canby and Gertrude's son attended Westtown School and in September 1942 volunteered with the American Field Service as ambulance drivers. They served with the British 8th and 9th Armies in the Middle East, North Africa, Italy and Austria in 1943-1945. Frederick Emery Balderston was a professor of business administration in the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and a recognized authority on the savings and loan industry, university administration, and computer simulation research in banking and marketing.

In 1949 Frederick E. Balderston married Judith Braude (1926-1993), daughter of Paul and Anne Braude. She grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Swarthmore College in 1946 Judith Balderston earned her Ph.D. from University of California, Berkley, in 1982, and worked as a Research Associate at Berkley.

Extent

2.92 Linear Feet : 8 boxes

Language

English

Overview

The collection contains correspondence of the family of C. Canby Balderston, a prominent Quaker and businessman. He served with the Friends Relief Service and the Relief Commission for Belgium during WWI and both of his sons, Frederick Emery Balderston and Robert W. Balderston, were COs in WWII, working as ambulance drivers. Frederick E. Balderston (1923-2007) married Judith Braude (1926-1993) in 1949. A significant part of the collection consists of her childhood and college correspondence with her parents. It particularly reflects details of Swarthmore College students life, 1942-1946. Of special interest are the letters that Canby Balderston sent to his mother from France and Belgium, 1917-1919. Also included in the collection is correspondence of C. Canby Balderston's parents, John Lloyd Balderston and Anna Elizabeth (Marshall) Balderston, Quakers of Kennett Square, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Arrangement

Arranged in three series.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Sara Balderston, Accession 2016.025 and 2018.012. She is the daughter of Frederick and Judith Braude Balderston.

Related Materials

Swarthmore College Archives, RG6

Smedley Family Papers, RG5/319

Processing Information

The original gift was received in four boxes which contained the letters of Judith Braude Balderston before her mariage and one suitcase containing papers concerning C. Canby Balderston and his family. The collection was sorted into series and processed as RG5/299. The plastic deteriorating wallet and unrelated business cards belonging to C. Canby Banderston were discarded. In 2018, the donor added family correspondence centered on C. Canby Balderston's parents which was added as a separate series.

Title
An Inventory of the Balderston Family Papers, 1917-1949
Status
Under Revision
Author
Susanna Morikawa
Date
2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library

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