Skip to main content

Laurence A. Crosby papers

 Collection
Identifier: M254

  • Staff Only
  • Please use the Collection Organization section below to place requests.

Scope and Content

Business and personal papers of Laurence A. Crosby (Bowdoin 1913).The bulk of the papers are business files documenting Crosby's involvement in American-owned Cuban sugar companies from the mid-1930's until circa 1960. Personal papers include Crosby's class essays and a scrapbook documenting student life at Bowdoin and as a Rhodes scholar, and a small bundle of personal correspondence (1950's-1960's) relating Cuban social, economic, and political events.

Dates

  • Creation: 1906-1969, undated, (bulk 1935-1960)
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1935 - 1960

Creator

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Biographical/Historical Note

Born in Bangor, Maine on December 20, 1892, Laurence Alden Crosby graduated from Bowdoin summa cum laude in 1913. He continued his education as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, receiving a Bachelor of Civil Law from Oxford in 1916 and a Master of Arts from Oxford in 1919. He also graduated from Columbia University Law School in 1917 and served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War I. After the war he practiced law in New York City until 1946, and from the mid-1930's until circa 1960 was involved with American-owned Cuban sugar companies. He was a former president of the Cuban Atlantic Sugar Co., Chairman of the U.S. Cuban Sugar Council from 1954 to 1960, and president of the American Chamber of Commerce of Cuba from 1949 to 1953.After retiring from the sugar business, Crosby moved to New Mexico in 1962. He died in Santa, Fe on January 28, 1980. At his death he was survived by two sons, James O. Crosby and John O. Crosby. His wife, Aileen O'Hea, to whom he was married in 1923, died in 1972.

Extent

7.2 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Business and personal papers of Laurence A. Crosby (Bowdoin 1913).The bulk of the papers are business files documenting Crosby's involvement in American-owned Cuban sugar companies from the mid-1930's until circa 1960.

Arrangement

Organized in nine series: Correspondence, 1918-1969, undated; Student Material, 1906-1926, undated.; Personal Finances, 1946-1965, undated.; Electoral Politics, 1948-1960; Sugar Legislation and Lobbying, 1938-1963,undated.; Business Records, 1916-1960, undated.; Clippings, 1921-1969, undated.; Photographs, undated.; and Ephemera, 1914-1929, undated.

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Laurence A Crosby Papers
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/index.shtml
Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288

Acknowledgment of non-neutrality

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.