Ernst family papers

Collection

Identifier: D.542

Staff Only

Biographical / Historical note

Louis Ernst (1825-1892) emigrated from Germany to Brighton, New York, with his family in 1831. He worked in the hardware business and was a partner in the company Ernst and Seifried. He served in the Union army as a lieutenant colonel during the Civil War. In 1869, he started another hardware company, which, after his son Louis J. Ernst joined him as a partner in 1880, became known as Louis Ernst and Son. Louis J. Ernst later became director of the company. The Ernsts were members of St. Joseph's Church, and Louis J. Ernst's wife, Josephine Diebolt Ernst, was active in Catholic charities in Rochester.

Louis J. and Josephine D. Ernst's son Joseph Louis Ernst was born on December 4, 1891, in Rochester. He attended East High School and received a bachelor's degree in General Science from the University of Rochester in 1913. While at the University, he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity and won the Alling Prize for Debating. He married Mabel Elizabeth Smyth in 1918. Ernst served in the United States army in World War I and World War II. He attended the Army Industrial College in 1941, received the Legion of Merit during World War II, and was promoted to colonel in 1949. After World War I, he worked at Louis Ernst and Sons for fifteen years. Later in his career, he was an assistant purchasing agent and then director of purchases and stores for the Rochester Board of Education. He served as the president of several organizations, including the Reserve Officers Association of Rochester, the New York State Association of School Business Officials, and the Purchasing Agents Association of Rochester, and as the director of the Rochester Historical Society. He was also involved in the Hoover Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government and contributed to, consulted on, and authored books and articles related to his areas of expertise. He taught purchasing at the Rochester Business Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, and as a guest lecturer at the University of Rochester, and he served as managing editor of the Genesee Valley Buyer. Ernst died on July 7, 1968.

Scope and Contents

The Ernst Family Papers, 1911-1963, consist of a scrapbook and a photograph album.

The scrapbook, compiled by Joseph Louis Ernst, records various aspects of his religious, academic, military, professional, civic, and social life. The articles, speeches, certificates, membership cards, and other items it contains are organized chronologically for the most part; they range from 1912 to 1963, with most items dating from 1915 to 1939. Ernst included material about St. Joseph's Church and his role as president of the church's Catholic Young Men’s Association; news about the University of Rochester, including alumni events; and his service in the United States army. He also collected articles about the Ernst family, including wedding announcements and obituaries. The scrapbook shows Ernst's involvement in Rochester and Monroe County politics as a member of the Democratic Party, including his campaigns for political offices. It also contains material about various organizations he belonged to, such as the New York State Retail Hardware Association, Rochester Historical Society, Reserve Officers Association, Ad Club, Knights of Columbus, Optimist Club, Quarterly Club, and University Club.

The photograph album (1911-1917) shows locations that members of the Ernst family visited in upstate New York, other parts of the United States, and Canada. Locations include Letchworth State Park, the Chenango Valley, Henderson Bay, Sackets Harbor, Otsego Lake, and Watertown in New York; Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River; Boston Harbor; and Arkansas. There are also photographs of Class Day at the University of Rochester in June 1913, with views of the Prince Street Campus and Joseph L. Ernst and his classmates; the Ernst family and Mattison family at Canandaigua Lake; the National Hardware Association Indianapolis Speedway; retreatants at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester; and the Jackson Sanatorium in Dansville, New York.

Prints are numbered (1548-1892) and sometimes dated. Captions identify locations as well as individuals such as Louis J. Ernst, Joseph L. Ernst, and Josephine Ernst ("Mrs. Ernst").

Creator

Ernst, Joseph Louis, 1891-1968 (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1911-1963

Language of Materials

English

Extent

0.65 cubic feet (2 containers)

Access

The Ernst Family Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.edu

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Photograph album purchased in 2013; scrapbook purchased in 2017.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Ernst Family Papers, D.542, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester