TABLE OF CONTENTS
Descriptive Summary of the Collection
Scope and Content of the Collection
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1955-1990
Series 2: Writings, 1956-1988, bulk 1964-1971
Series 3: Correspondence, 1962-1991, bulk 1965-1972
Series 4: College of Complexes, 1953-1972, bulk 1964-1972
Series 5: Culture Vulture, 1961-1962
Series 6: Legal Matters, 1960-1972, bulk 1960-1963
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Inventory of the Slim Brundage Papers, 1955-1991, bulk 1964-1972
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Brian Silbernagel, 2003. ©2003. |
Descriptive Summary of the Collection |
|
| Creator | Brundage, Slim, 1903-1990 |
| Title | Slim Brundage Papers |
| Dates | 1955-1991, |
| Dates | bulk 1964-1972 |
| Extent | 4.6 linear feet (11 boxes) |
| Abstract | Writings and correspondence of Slim Brundage, founder of the College of Complexes, which operated on and off out of several locations on Chicago’s Near North Side during the 1950's-1960's as a forum where speakers and the audience debated controversial topics and read poetry. The collection also includes a variety of documents relating to the College of Complexes itself, such as correspondence, press releases, speaker solicitations, and poetry written by the College’s “students.” |
| Language | Materials are in English. |
| Repository | Newberry Library, Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections |
| Collection Call Number | Midwest MS Brundage |
| Collection Stack Location | 3a 37 1 |
Administrative Information
Cite as
Slim Brundage Papers, The Newberry Library, Chicago.
Provenance
Gift of Slim Brundage, 1984, 1988; and Roy Alexander, 1991.
Processed by
Brian Silbernagel, 2003.
Acknowledgements
This inventory was created with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this inventory do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Access
The Slim Brundage Papers are open for research and available to users one box at a time in the Special Collections Reading Room. (Priority III)
Ownership and Literary Rights
The Slim Brundage Papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to either the Newberry Library or the applicable author or his or her heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.
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Biography of Slim Brundage
Myron Reed “Slim” Brundage typically described himself as a house painter, which was probably his most consistent source of income, but he was best-known as the founder and self-proclaimed “janitor” of the College of Complexes, which operated on and off out of several locations on Chicago’s Near North Side during the 1950's and 1960's and served as a forum where speakers and the audience would debate controversial topics and read poetry. Brundage was also a prolific, if ultimately unsuccessful, writer, authoring multiple books and numerous magazine and newspaper articles, as well as frequent letters to the editor on various topics. None of his books, however, and few of his articles, were ever published.
Brundage was born on November 29, 1903, in an insane asylum in Blackfoot, Idaho, where his mother was employed. He worked various jobs as a teenager before moving to Chicago in 1922, where he picked up house painting and joined the painters’ union in 1926. This was a trade he continued to ply on and off for most of his life, even offering to paint high floor exterior windows at the age of 69 if someone would supply him with a window-washer’s belt.
During the late 1920's, Brundage frequented the Dill Pickle Club, which was founded by former labor activist Jack Jones in 1916 and stood near the corner of Tooker Place and State Street in Chicago. The Dill Pickle Club served as a meeting place for radicals, students, intellectuals, and literary and academic figures such as Carl Sandburg, Sherwood Anderson, Ben Hecht, and Albert Michleson. Brundage also may have worked at the Dill Pickle Club for a time, although for how long and in what capacity is unclear. During this period, Brundage allegedly spent thirty days in jail after being arrested for procuring liquor for two Dill Pickle customers who turned out to be federal Prohibition agents.
Around the time of the Dill Pickle Club’s eventual demise in 1932, Brundage opened his own establishment, the first College of Complexes, at 1317 N. Clark Street. Brundage hoped to emulate the formula and early success of the Dill Pickle Club, but the College closed after only a few months. Brundage’s next venture was a “hobo college” called the Knowledge Box on West Madison Street, which he operated from 1936-1937. The Knowledge Box and other hobo colleges of the period put on speakers and acted as open discussion forums for the large numbers of men who were unemployed during the Great Depression. The rent was low, and the speakers spoke for free, but Brundage was not able to collect enough money from donations and special fund raising events such as the “Fiesta for Forgotten Men” to stay in business.
Brundage then went back to house painting, while writing on the side. In the late 1940's he visited New York to try to sell his first book, a novel entitled Mine be the Dust about union politics and corruption. Brundage never found a publisher, and while in New York he fell off of an elevated train platform and injured his back. He received an insurance settlement from this accident and used the money to open the second College of Complexes at 1651 N. Wells Street in 1951, sending out opening-night invitations to those on a mailing list supplied by Chicago novelist Jack Conroy, who also served as the College’s first speaker that night.
In 1955 Brundage moved the College to 862 N. State Street, very near where the old Dill Pickle Club had been. Brundage then opened a New York City branch of the College of Complexes in Greenwich Village in 1957, and also explored the idea of a San Francisco location as well. In 1959, Brundage purchased a building at 515 N. Clark Street and moved the Chicago College of Complexes there. By 1961, however, trouble with creditors, the Internal Revenue Service, and the City of Chicago led to the closure of both College of Complexes locations. Some claimed that the City’s increased scrutiny of the College, which resulted in allegations of numerous Building Code and other violations, was precipitated by Brundage’s decision to invite Nazi leader George Rockwell to speak at the College in 1960, a move which sparked stormy protests by Jewish groups.
In November, 1961, several months after the second demise of the College of Complexes, Brundage opened the “Culture Vulture” at 343 W. North Avenue. The Culture Vulture was an establishment very similar to the College of Complexes, and featured speakers and debates, poetry nights, and live music. Brundage and his partner soon had a falling out, however, and the Culture Vulture did not survive past the spring of 1962.
Brundage once again returned to house painting, but never gave up on the College of Complexes. In 1965 he reopened the College of Complexes for the third time, this time back at its old 862 N. State Street location. Some of his earlier problems with the City of Chicago apparently remained, however, and despite the best efforts of Brundage and his allies, the College was unable to obtain a liquor license and was thus forced to operate as a coffee shop rather than a tavern. This proved to be a serious set-back, and by 1966 the College of Complexes no longer had an independent location. Instead, it operated out of the back room of the St. Regis Restaurant at 105 W. Grand Avenue, and later at various other locations on Chicago’s North Side, one or two nights a week, with occasional interludes of complete inactivity. During this period Brundage worked to get the College of Complexes concept on the air as a radio or television program, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
By this time, Brundage had grown tired of the Chicago weather and he began spending winters in Guadalajara, Mexico. While he was away, friends such as Dorothy Beineke took over the responsibilities of running the College of Complexes, which at this point was really just a matter of lining up speakers and acting as a moderator. Brundage’s role at the College gradually decreased, and it appears that he was no longer actively involved with the College of Complexes at all after 1972. Nevertheless, meetings of the College of Complexes have continued to take place at various locations throughout Chicago since the 1970's. Currently (as of 2003), the group meets Saturday evenings at the Lincoln Restaurant, 4008 N. Lincoln Avenue.
Brundage apparently moved to California sometime in the mid-1970's, although he seems to have continued to regularly spend time in Chicago for the rest of his life. He last home was in El Centro, California, and it was there that he died on October 18, 1990, at the age of 86, reportedly of a brain hemorrhage he suffered while attending a senior citizens bingo party.
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Scope and Content of the Collection
The collection primarily consists of the writings and personal correspondence of Slim Brundage (1903-1990), as well as correspondence, press releases, speaker solicitations, and poetry relating to the College of Complexes. Two attempts at an autobiography, a novel about union politics and corruption, and a wide variety of published and unpublished magazine and newspaper articles and letters to the editor make up the bulk of Brundage’s writings. Most of the College of Complexes materials are general correspondence, speaker solicitations, press releases, and poetry written by attendees of the College. In addition to the foregoing, the collection also includes materials relating to the Culture Vulture, an institution similar to the College of Complexes which operated briefly from late-1961 to mid-1962, and documents pertaining to certain of Brundage’s financial and legal matters. Although the heyday of the College of Complexes was in the 1950's and early 1960's, most of the papers in the collection are from 1964-1972.
Also includes one reel-to-reel tape labeled "Madalyn Murry - Speech, Questions and Rebuttal" (no date). Currently, the tape is unavailable for research use due to its format. Please consult the curator for more information.
Narrative descriptions of the subject matter, types of material, and arrangement of each series are available through the Organization section of the finding aid.
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Organization
The Slim Brundage Papers are organized into the following series:
- Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1955-1990 . Box(es) 1
- Series 2: Writings, 1956-1988, . Box(es) 1-5
- Series 3: Correspondence, 1962-1991, . Box(es) 6
- Series 4: College of Complexes, 1953-1972, . Box(es) 7-10
- Series 5: Culture Vulture, 1961-1962 . Box(es) 11- 11
- Series 6: Legal Matters, 1960-1972, . Box(es) 11
- Series 7: Personal Financial Matters, 1968-1972 . Box(es) 11
- Series 8: Audiovisual, n.d.. Box(es) 11
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Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Newberry Library's public catalog. Researchers desiring additional materials on a particular topic should search the catalog using these headings.
Names
- Culture Vulture (Chicago, Ill.) -- Records and correspondence
- Alexander, Roy
- Brundage, Slim, 1903-1990
- College of Complexes (Chicago, Ill.)
- College of Complexes (Chicago, Ill.) -- Records and correspondence
- Culture Vulture (Chicago, Ill.)
- Dill Pickle Club (Chicago, Ill.)
- Henderson, Sam
- Jacobson, David
- Klamer, Alice
- Lachnovich, Margaret
- Mitchell, Nancy
- Murray, George
- Schopp, Edward
- Toerber, Meta
- Yount, Virgine
Subjects
- Bohemianism -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Freedom of speech -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Alternative Education -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Chicago (Ill.) -- Intellectual life -- 20th century
- Chicago (Ill.) -- Social life and customs
- Intellectual freedom -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- New Left -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Sound recordings -- 1951-2000
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Container List
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1955-1990 |
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| This series consists of materials pertaining to Brundage’s life which, for the most part, were created by persons other than Brundage. These materials include clippings of several newspaper articles about Brundage, as well as clippings of newspaper articles which mention Brundage, but do not discuss him in any depth. The “organizations” folders contain documents pertaining to organizations in which Brundage was active. “Tribute to a Man” is a list of words beginning with each of the letters of Brundage’s name which the author thought described Brundage and his ideals. | |||||||||||
| The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Items within each folder are arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Business Card, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Medical Records, Bills and Prescription, 1967-1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Newspaper Articles, 1965-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Newspaper Article Mentions, 1955-1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Obituary, 1990 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Organizations, Chicago Area Council of Senior Citizens, 1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Organizations, Seniors for McGovern, 1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Promotional Letters, 1966, 1981 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | "Tribute to a Man" (acrostic), 1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Who's Who in the Midwest Entry, 1966 | |||||||||
Series 2: Writings, 1956-1988, bulk 1964-1971 |
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| This series is the largest of the collection. It consists of a wide variety of materials authored by Brundage, the bulk of which are letters to the editor from 1956-1972, and drafts or clippings of articles that he wrote during the mid 1960's. In addition, this series also includes two attempts at an autobiography (Luckiest and The Luckiest Man Alive), and Mine be the Dust, a novel about union politics and corruption based upon Brundage’s personal experiences with the house painter’s union in Chicago. The final two folders of The Luckiest Man Alive include a few comments on the book made by Joan Evashuk, Brundage’s literary editor at the time. | |||||||||||
| Roy Alexander, a friend and sometime agent of Brundage, collaborated with Brundage on the unfinished book Learn to Complain Without Suffering, as well as the play “Sex Probe From Outer Space.” Learn to Complain Without Suffering is a collection of poems by various authors, together with commentary by Brundage about what each poem meant to him, or about an experience of his that the poem brought to mind. Most of the poems and commentaries were never organized by Brundage or Alexander into any particular order, but according to their book proposal they intended to ultimately assemble the poems into chapters, with each chapter relating to a different decade of the Twentieth Century. | |||||||||||
| None of Brundage’s longer works were ever published, but several of Brundage’s articles appeared in the National Informer, a tabloid for which Brundage served as a columnist for a time beginning in 1964. In addition, “But There Was a Hobo College,” and “Step High, Stoop Low,” were published in the “Panorama” section of the Chicago Daily News. The designation “pub. article” in the folder headings indicates that the article was published and is in the form of a clipping. | |||||||||||
| Brundage’s unpublished articles were probably submitted to the National Informer or other periodicals for consideration, although to whom exactly they were submitted, if anyone, is not readily apparent. Edited versions of some of the draft articles appear to have been published under different titles than the ones that Brundage originally used. For example, “Step High, Stoop Low” is a modified form of the draft Brundage titled “College of Complexes.” | |||||||||||
| Despite the title, “College of Complexes” and “Step High, Stoop Low” are actually about the Dill Pickle Club and Bughouse Square. “My College Saloon” and “Name Dropping,” however, are about the College of Complexes. The poetry commentaries are Brundage’s thoughts on a collection of poems that he assembled, although these commentaries are generally shorter (in most cases only a couple of sentences, and some of poems are not commented upon at all), than those found in Learn to Complain Without Suffering. | |||||||||||
| In Brundage’s longer works (i.e., Luckiest, The Luckiest Man Alive, and Mine be the Dust), there are several pagination errors caused by page numbers occasionally being repeated or skipped. Furthermore, the first page of Luckiest is missing, and the final sections of Mine be the Dust are paginated differently than the earlier sections. Therefore, the final folders of Mine be the Dust have been listed by chapter number rather than page number to avoid confusion. (Note also that there is no chapter 32.) It is possible that some pages are missing from this work as well, as the transition from the last page in the first numbered sequence to the first page of the second numbering scheme is awkward. | |||||||||||
| The series is arranged alphabetically by title or type of material. Letters to the editor are separated into those letters that were published and those that were not, and then filed chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Addresses of Potential Purchasers of Articles, 1970-1971, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | "All Gringos Are Rich" (article), c.a. 1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | “All Poets Ain’t Pansies” (article), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Autobiographical Sketch, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | “Before You Buy on Credit . . .” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | “Blame Greedy, Lazy Members for Crooked Unions” (pub. article), 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | “But There Was a Hobo College” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | "Cepts" (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | "Chicago Job Racket" (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | "Chicago Transit Authority Not Communistic” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | "College of Complexes" (article/memoir), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | “Compulsives” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | “Crusade to Let Teens Have the Right to Vote” (pub. article), 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | “Crystal Ball Radio Station Weather Report” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 25 | “Democracy at Work” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | “Doc” (notes), ca. 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | “Expose Labor Racket in Unfriendly Chicago” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 28 | “Fling Report” (short story/article), 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 29 | “Free Speech” (speech), 1987 | |||||||||
| 1 | 30 | “Garbage Man Run For President” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 31 | “Get my Mill Back” (article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 32 | “The Gringo and the Handy Gadget” (short story/article), ca. 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 33 | “The Gringo and the Handy Gadget” (article) (diff. from above), ca. 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 34 | “Gringo in Guadalajara” (article), ca. 1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 35 | “Gringo in Guadalajara” (article) (diff. from above), ca. 1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 36 | “Handy Gadget” (short story/article), ca. 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 37 | “Hobo Colleges” (article/memoir), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 1 | 38 | “Hobohemia” (article/memoir), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 39 | “Honesty is the Worst Policy” (play outline), n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 40 | “Honesty is the Worst Policy” (play), n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 41 | “Housepainting” (article), 1968 | |||||||||
| 1 | 42 | “How to Deal With Mental Problems?” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 43 | “How to Deliver a Louzy [sic] Lecture” (speech), n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 44 | “How to Grow Old Disgracefully” (speech), 1988 | |||||||||
| 1 | 45 | “I’m for Pacifism, Marxism, and Polygamy” (pub. article), 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 46 | “I’m Kind of Dumb” (article), ca. 1968 | |||||||||
| 1 | 47 | “Incomes Without Work” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 48 | Instructions for Police Observers, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 49 | Jokes, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 50 | “Kewpie Doll” (play synopsis), n.d. | |||||||||
| 2 | 51 | “Laissez Faire Economy” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 2 | 52 | “Learn to Complain Without Suffering” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 2 | 53 | Learn to Complain Without Suffering (book proposal), 1986 | |||||||||
| 2 | 54 | Learn to Complain Without Suffering (sample chapters), 1986 | |||||||||
| 2 | 55 | Learn to Complain Without Suffering (draft sample chapters), 1986 | |||||||||
| 2 | 56-60 | Learn to Complain Without Suffering (poems and commentary), 1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 61 | Letters to the Editor, Published, 1956-1972 | |||||||||
| 2 | 62 | Letters to the Editor, Published, n.d. | |||||||||
| 2 | 63 | Letters to the Editor, 1961 | |||||||||
| 2 | 64 | Letters to the Editor, 1964 | |||||||||
| 2 | 65 | Letters to the Editor, 1965 | |||||||||
| 2 | 66 | Letters to the Editor, 1966 | |||||||||
| 2 | 67 | Letters to the Editor, 1967 | |||||||||
| 2 | 68 | Letters to the Editor, 1968 | |||||||||
| 2 | 69 | Letters to the Editor, 1969 | |||||||||
| 2 | 70 | Letters to the Editor, 1970 | |||||||||
| 2 | 71 | Letters to the Editor, 1971 | |||||||||
| 2 | 72 | Letters to the Editor, 1972 | |||||||||
| 2 | 73 | Letters to the Editor, n.d. | |||||||||
| 3 | 74-102 | Luckiest, pp. 2-1450, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 103-112 | The Luckiest Man Alive, pp. 1-500, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 113 | The Luckiest Man Alive, pp. 501-550 (w/ J. Evashuk notes at p. 513), n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 114 | The Luckiest Man Alive, pp. 551-603 (w/ Evashuk notes at 552, 567), n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 115 | “The Luckiest Man Alive” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 116 | “Lyndon Johnson” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 117 | “Makes Wacky Ward for Opposing Viet Nam War” (article), ca. 1964-65 | |||||||||
| 4 | 118-124 | Mine be the Dust, pp. 1-336, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 125 | Mine be the Dust, chapters 28-31, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 126 | Mine be the Dust, chapters 33-37, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 127 | Mine be the Dust, chapters 38-41, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 128 | Miscellaneous Notes, n.d. | |||||||||
| 4 | 129 | “Most Labor Unions Have Elections Like Russia” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 4 | 130 | “My College Saloon” (pub. article), 1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 131 | “Name Dropping” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 132 | “Not Against War; Just Against Being Killed” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 5 | 133 | “One Fine Day in the Month of May” (limerick), ca. 1971 | |||||||||
| 5 | 134 | “An Open Letter to Hippies, Youths, Students” (article), 1968 | |||||||||
| 5 | 135 | “Phony Liberals” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 136 | Poems, n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 137 | Poetry Commentary, n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 138 | “Poets Are Bums” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 139 | “Poor Little Wich [sic] Ridow [sic]” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 140 | “Power to the People” (notes), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 141 | “Ravings” (essay), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 142 | “Riots” (notes/speech(?)), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 143 | “Second Cities of the Americas” (article), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 5 | 144 | “The Secondary Sex” (article), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 5 | 145 | “Sermon in the Suburbs” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 146 | “Sex Probe From Outer Space” (play), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 147 | “State of the Union” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 148 | “Step High, Stoop Low” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 5 | 149 | “Strictly Premeditated” (play), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 150 | “Synopsis of Synopsis of ‘Games People Play’” (notes), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 151 | “Take the Votes Back From Women” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 152 | “This Country Needs a Good Depression” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 153 | “Tramping : A Lost Catharsis” (article/memoir), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 154 | “Tramping : A Lost Tradition” (article/memoir), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 155 | “Trip to Mexico” (essay/memoir), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 5 | 156 | “Violence is as American as Cherry Pie” (article), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 5 | 157 | “War Against Poverty . . .” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 5 | 158 | “What Education Ain’t” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 159 | “What’s Wrong With Your Hometown Newspaper” (pub. article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 5 | 160 | “What the Bar Beast Doesn’t Know About Booze” (article), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 5 | 161 | “Who Said That” (commentary on various topics), 1971 | |||||||||
| 5 | 162 | “Why Hardhats Hammer Hippies” (article), n.d. | |||||||||
| 5 | 163 | “Why I Keep Two Studs in My Stable” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 164 | “Why Unions Are Bad” (article), 1964 | |||||||||
| 5 | 165 | “Woman Claims That Chicago Teachers Are Overpaid” (pub. art.), 1964 | |||||||||
| 5 | 166 | “Women at Work” (article), ca. 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 5 | 167 | “18 Year Olds for 23rd Amendment” (article), ca. 1960's | |||||||||
Series 3: Correspondence, 1962-1991, bulk 1965-1972 |
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| Brundage’s personal incoming and outgoing correspondence is arranged in this series. Correspondence primarily relating to the College of Complexes or Culture Vulture is filed in Series 4 or Series 5, respectively. Series 6 also contains some pieces of correspondence pertaining to Brundage’s legal disputes. | |||||||||||
| The correspondence in this series covers a wide range of topics, from requests for information about health insurance, to scheduling a holiday party. A fair amount of the correspondence consists of cover letters for unsolicited articles, or ideas for articles, sent to various magazines for publication consideration, together with rejection letters from these same magazines. In addition, there is also a substantial amount of correspondence relating to Brundage’s efforts to find work as a painter in 1965 and 1972, and his dealings with the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and Chicago Painters and Decorators Union and Welfare Fund about his taxes and entitlement to benefits. The folder in this series labeled “Newberry Library” contains correspondence between Brundage and the Newberry Library relating to the donation of his personal papers to the institution, as well as a couple of letters to and from Roy Alexander, Brundage’s friend and sometime agent, concerning the same subject. | |||||||||||
| This series is arranged such that correspondence with a specific person or entity, or about a specific subject, precedes general incoming and outgoing correspondence. Correspondence relating to a specific person or subject is then arranged chronologically within the appropriate folder. Brundage’s general incoming and outgoing correspondence is arranged first alphabetically by the author or addressee and then chronologically, with letters from or to unknown correspondents filed at the end of each sequence. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 6 | 168 | Alexander, Roy, 1967, 1981-1985 | |||||||||
| 6 | 169 | Brundage, Kay, 1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 170 | Chicago Painters and Decorators Union and Welfare Fund, 1967-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 171 | Crouch, Jim, 1968, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 172 | Employment Solicitations, 1965, 1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 173 | Esther, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 174 | Henderson, Sam, 1970-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 175 | Kitty, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 176 | Klamer, Alice, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 177 | “Kooks,” 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 178 | Lachnovich, Margaret, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 179 | Louise, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 180 | Mia, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 181 | Mitchell, Nancy, 1970-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 182 | Murray, George, 1966, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 183 | Newberry Library, 1984-1991 | |||||||||
| 6 | 184 | Schopp, Edward, 1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 185 | Stacy, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 186 | Tax and Social Security Matters, 1966-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 187 | Toerber, Meta, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 188 | Yount, Virgine, 1965, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 189 | General Incoming, A-C, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 190 | General Incoming, D-F, 1967-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 191 | General Incoming, G-I, 1966-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 192 | General Incoming, J-L, 1967-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 193 | General Incoming, M-O, 1962-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 194 | General Incoming, P-R, 1968-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 195 | General Incoming, S-U, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 196 | General Incoming, V-Z, 1968-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 197 | General Incoming, Unknown Sender, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 198 | General Outgoing, A, 1967-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 199 | General Outgoing, B, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 200 | General Outgoing, C, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 201 | General Outgoing, D, 1968-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 202 | General Outgoing, E, 1968-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 203 | General Outgoing, F, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 204 | General Outgoing, G, 1968-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 205 | General Outgoing, H, 1968-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 206 | General Outgoing, I, 1968-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 207 | General Outgoing, J, 1969-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 208 | General Outgoing, K, 1967-1968 | |||||||||
| 6 | 209 | General Outgoing, L, 1966-1968 | |||||||||
| 6 | 210 | General Outgoing, M, 1967-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 211 | General Outgoing, N, 1968-1970 | |||||||||
| 6 | 212 | General Outgoing, O, 1964-1969 | |||||||||
| 6 | 213 | General Outgoing, P-Q, 1967-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 214 | General Outgoing, R, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 215 | General Outgoing, S, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 216 | General Outgoing, T-V, 1967-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 217 | General Outgoing, W, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 218 | General Outgoing, X-Z, 1968-1971 | |||||||||
| 6 | 219 | General Outgoing, Unknown Addressee, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
Series 4: College of Complexes, 1953-1972, bulk 1964-1972 |
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| This series consists of materials relating primarily to the College of Complexes, which Brundage operated, with some interruptions, at several different locations throughout Chicago’s Near North Side from 1951 until 1972. Materials pertaining the Culture Vulture, a similar operation which operated from late-1961 until mid-1962 are arranged separately in Series 5. | |||||||||||
| The Curriculum was a monthly program of the speakers who were scheduled to appear at the College of Complexes, as well as any special programs or events planned for that month. Some early issues of The Curriculum also include a brief essay or two by Brundage on various topics. For most years only a few issues of The Curriculum are available. Brundage, however, often typed carbon copies of his outgoing correspondence on the back of old issues of The Curriculum, so it is possible that additional issues of The Curriculum might be found by examining the reverse sides of Brundage’s personal outgoing correspondence and the outgoing correspondence of the College. One should also note that several issues of The Curriculum from 1971 and 1972 have miscellaneous notes and drafts of other Curriculum issues on the reverse side as well. | |||||||||||
| Newspaper clippings pertaining to the College of Complexes are broken down into six different categories: advertisements, general articles, mentions, miscellaneous, New York City Branch, and speaker and program announcements. The “general articles” category consists of newspaper articles about the College of Complexes, whereas the “mentions” category consists of articles where the College of Complexes name appears, but there is no substantive discussion of the College. The latter category includes blurbs such as “Slim Brundage, the gruff and cynical dean of Chicago’s unique College of Complexes offers this timely pre-convention reminder: in any election picture, be on the lookout for the ‘frame!’” The reason why Brundage saved the articles in the “miscellaneous” category is not always clear at first glance, although some of the articles probably gave him ideas for speakers and debate topics. The “speaker and program announcements” category consists primarily of listings in newspaper nightlife sections of upcoming speakers at the College. | |||||||||||
| Many poets wrote and read poetry at the College of Complexes over the years. In 1966, a collection of these poems was compiled under the title, Poems From the College of Complexes. Poems belonging to this collection are arranged in folders under the chapter headings used in that work. Other poems from the College of Complexes that were not included in the Poems From the College of Complexes collection are filed under the heading “Poems, Miscellaneous.” | |||||||||||
| Initial requests by the College of Complexes asking people to appear at the College and speak are filed under the heading “Speaker Solicitations” and then arranged chronologically. Any further correspondence with the potential speaker (e.g., rejections, acceptances, and confirmations) are filed in the “General Correspondence” category under the speaker’s last name. A good deal of the material in the General Incoming Correspondence folder consists of letters from individuals asked to speak at the College. | |||||||||||
| The series is arranged alphabetically by subject or type of materials. Correspondence is divided into general incoming and outgoing categories, with separate folders for letters relating to Poems From the College of Complexes, as well as correspondence with David Jacobson, the College of Complex’s program director and press agent, and Meta Toerber, the College’s publicist. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 7 | 220 | Application for Illinois Service Mark, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 221 | Attraction Survey, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 222 | Checkbooks, 1968-1970 | |||||||||
| 7 | 223 | The Curriculum, 1953 | |||||||||
| 7 | 224 | The Curriculum, 1956 | |||||||||
| 7 | 225 | The Curriculum, 1957 | |||||||||
| 7 | 226 | The Curriculum, 1960 | |||||||||
| 7 | 227 | The Curriculum, 1965 | |||||||||
| 7 | 228 | The Curriculum, drafts, 1965 | |||||||||
| 7 | 229 | The Curriculum, 1966 | |||||||||
| 7 | 230 | The Curriculum, drafts 1966 | |||||||||
| 7 | 231 | The Curriculum, 1967 | |||||||||
| 7 | 232 | The Curriculum, drafts 1967 | |||||||||
| 7 | 233 | The Curriculum, 1968 | |||||||||
| 7 | 234 | The Curriculum, drafts 1968 | |||||||||
| 7 | 235 | The Curriculum, 1969 | |||||||||
| 7 | 236 | The Curriculum, 1970 | |||||||||
| 7 | 237 | The Curriculum, drafts, 1970 | |||||||||
| 7 | 238 | The Curriculum, 1971 | |||||||||
| 7 | 239 | The Curriculum, drafts 1971 | |||||||||
| 7 | 240 | The Curriculum, 1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 241 | The Curriculum, drafts 1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 242 | The Curriculum, 1981 | |||||||||
| 7 | 243 | The Curriculum, 1988 | |||||||||
| 7 | 244 | The Curriculum, miscellaneous items, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 245 | Corporate Resolutions Authorizing Account with Belmont National Bank, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 246 | Correspondence, General Incoming, A-D, 1964-1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 247 | Correspondence, General Incoming, E-H, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 248 | Correspondence, General Incoming, I-L, 1964-1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 249 | Correspondence, General Incoming, M-P, 1964-1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 250 | Correspondence, General Incoming, Q-T, 1964-1972 | |||||||||
| 7 | 251 | Correspondence, General Incoming, U-Z, 1963-1969 | |||||||||
| 7 | 252 | Correspondence, General Incoming, Unknown Sender, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 8 | 253 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, A, 1965-1969 | |||||||||
| 8 | 254 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, B, 1965-1970 | |||||||||
| 8 | 255 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, C, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 256 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, D, 1965-1970 | |||||||||
| 8 | 257 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, E, 1965-1966 | |||||||||
| 8 | 258 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, F, 1965-1969 | |||||||||
| 8 | 259 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, G, 1965-1969 | |||||||||
| 8 | 260 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, H, 1965-1970 | |||||||||
| 8 | 261 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, I, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 8 | 262 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, J, 1965, 1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 263 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, K, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 264 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, L, 1965-1966 | |||||||||
| 8 | 265 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, M, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 8 | 266 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, N, 1965-1967 | |||||||||
| 8 | 267 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, O, 1966-1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 268 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, P, 1965-1969 | |||||||||
| 8 | 269 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, Q, 1965-1966 | |||||||||
| 8 | 270 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, R, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 271 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, S, 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 8 | 272 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, T, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 273 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, U-V, 1965-1970 | |||||||||
| 8 | 274 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, W-Z, 1965-1970 | |||||||||
| 8 | 275 | Correspondence, General Outgoing, Unknown Addressee, 1966-1972 | |||||||||
| 8 | 276 | Correspondence, Jacobson, David, 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 277 | Correspondence, Poems From the College of Complexes, 1966 | |||||||||
| 8 | 278 | Correspondence, Toerber, Meta, 1970-1972 | |||||||||
| 8 | 279 | Diplomas, n.d., 1957 | |||||||||
| 8 | 280 | “Gags on the Wall,” n.d. | |||||||||
| 8 | 281 | Invitation to Party, ca. 1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 282 | Loan Requests, 1965 | |||||||||
| 8 | 283 | Mailing List Information, 1971, n.d. | |||||||||
| 8 | 284 | Memorabilia, n.d. | |||||||||
| 8 | 285 | Menus, n.d., 1956, 1965 | |||||||||
| 9 | 286 | Newspaper Clippings, Advertisements, ca. 1965 | |||||||||
| 9 | 287 | Newspaper Clippings, General Articles, 1955-1972 | |||||||||
| 9 | 288 | Newspaper Clippings, General Articles, n.d. | |||||||||
| 9 | 289 | Newspaper Clippings, Mentions, 1956-1967 | |||||||||
| 9 | 290 | Newspaper Clippings, Mentions, n.d. | |||||||||
| 9 | 291 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1964 | |||||||||
| 9 | 292 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1965 | |||||||||
| 9 | 293 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1967 | |||||||||
| 9 | 294 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1968 | |||||||||
| 9 | 295 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1969 | |||||||||
| 9 | 296 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1970 | |||||||||
| 9 | 297 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1971 | |||||||||
| 9 | 298 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, 1972 | |||||||||
| 9 | 299 | Newspaper Clippings, Miscellaneous, n.d. | |||||||||
| 9 | 300 | Newspaper Clippings, New York City Branch, 1957-1960 | |||||||||
| 9 | 301 | Newspaper Clippings, Speaker and Program Announcements, 1955-1971 | |||||||||
| 9 | 302 | Newspaper Clippings, Speaker and Program Announcements, n.d. | |||||||||
| 9 | 303 | Notes Regarding Potential Speaker Topics, n.d. | |||||||||
| 9 | 304 | Notices, 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 305 | Photograph, Award for Best Poem, 1965 | |||||||||
| 9 | 306 | Poems, Miscellaneous, ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 9 | 307 | Poems, Miscellaneous, Handwritten Drafts, ca. 1960's | |||||||||
| 9 | 308 | Poems From the College of Complexes, Table of Contents and Introduction, 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 309 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "The Nature of Things," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 310 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "Home and Mother," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 311 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "Idle Protest," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 312 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "March to the Psycho Ward," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 313 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "Togetherness," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 314 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "Sex, Society . . ." 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 315 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "Classical Verse," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 316 | Poems From the College of Complexes, "Humor and Whimsey," 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 317 | Poems From the College of Complexes, Unclassified Poems, 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 318 | "Presenting the College of Complexes on the Air" (brochure), 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 319 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1965 | |||||||||
| 9 | 320 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1966 | |||||||||
| 9 | 321 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1967 | |||||||||
| 9 | 322 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1968 | |||||||||
| 10 | 323 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1969 | |||||||||
| 10 | 324 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1970 | |||||||||
| 10 | 325 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1971 | |||||||||
| 10 | 326 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1972 | |||||||||
| 10 | 327 | "Schizo Certificate," n.d. | |||||||||
| 10 | 328 | Speaker Profiles, ca. 1965-1972 | |||||||||
| 10 | 329 | Speaker Solicitations, 1964 | |||||||||
| 10 | 330 | Speaker Solicitations, 1965 | |||||||||
| 10 | 331 | Speaker Solicitations, 1966 | |||||||||
| 10 | 332 | Speaker Solicitations, 1967 | |||||||||
| 10 | 333 | Speaker Solicitations, 1968 | |||||||||
| 10 | 334 | Speaker Solicitations, 1969 | |||||||||
| 10 | 335 | Speaker Solicitations, 1970 | |||||||||
| 10 | 336 | Speaker Solicitations, 1971 | |||||||||
| 10 | 337 | Speaker Solicitations, 1972 | |||||||||
| 10 | 338 | Woldenberg Dun & Bradstreet Report, 1967 | |||||||||
Series 5: Culture Vulture, 1961-1962 |
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| This series consists of materials relating to the Culture Vulture, a nightspot similar to the College of Complexes, which Brundage operated from late 1961 until 1962. Because of the Culture Vulture’s short life there are far fewer documents contained within this series than in the previous series relating to the College of Complexes. Documents relating to Brundage’s dispute with Theodore Zimmerman over the ownership and operation of the Culture Vulture are located in Series 6 (Legal Matters). | |||||||||||
| The Waldo Walnut Society was a tongue-in-cheek organization formed by Brundage during the period when he operated the Culture Vulture which he described as a “poor man’s John Birch Society” of “200 percent Americans” who “hate everybody.” | |||||||||||
| The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Correspondence is divided into incoming and outgoing letters, and then arranged within each folder alphabetically by author or recipient. Documents within the other folders are arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 11 | 339 | Correspondence, Incoming, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 340 | Correspondence, Outgoing, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 341 | Newspaper Clippings, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 342 | Performance Solicitations, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 343 | Press Releases and Requests for Press Coverage, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 344 | Waldo Walnut Society, Invitations to Speak, 1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 345 | Waldo Walnut Society Platform, n.d. | |||||||||
Series 6: Legal Matters, 1960-1972, bulk 1960-1963 |
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| This series primarily consists of materials relating to litigation in which Brundage was involved, including a number of claims by creditors and a dispute with Theodore Zimmerman over the ownership and operation of the Culture Vulture. The Henderson Draft Agreement is a proposed agreement between Brundage and Samuel Henderson pursuant to which Henderson was to re-write Brundage’s memoirs for him. | |||||||||||
| The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Items within each folder are arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 11 | 346 | Chicago Painters and Decorators Welfare Fund Dispute, 1962-1963 | |||||||||
| 11 | 347 | Disorderly Conduct Arrest, Correspondence, 1967 | |||||||||
| 11 | 348 | Henderson Draft Agreement, 1972 | |||||||||
| 11 | 349 | Janis v. Brundage, 1960-1961 | |||||||||
| 11 | 350 | Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. v. Brundage, 1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 351 | Marquis Who’s Who Dispute, 1965-1967 | |||||||||
| 11 | 352 | Miscellaneous Creditors’ Claims, Attorney Notes, 1962-1963 | |||||||||
| 11 | 353 | Miscellaneous Creditors’ Claims, Correspondence, 1961-1967 | |||||||||
| 11 | 354 | Miscellaneous Creditors’ Claims, Financial Statements, ca. 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 355 | Miscellaneous Creditors’ Claims, Tax Documents, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 356 | Pabst Brewing Co. v. Brundage, 1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 357 | Will and Testament, 1968 | |||||||||
| 11 | 358 | Will and Testament, Codicil, 1969 | |||||||||
| 11 | 359 | Will and Testament (unsigned), 1972 | |||||||||
| 11 | 360 | Workmen’s Compensation Claim, 1963 | |||||||||
| 11 | 361 | Zimmerman Dispute, Attorney Notes and Correspondence, 1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 362 | Zimmerman Dispute, Brundage Statement, ca. 1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 363 | Zimmerman Dispute, Culture Vulture Financial Statements, 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 11 | 364 | Zimmerman Dispute, Culture Vulture Management Agreement, 1961 | |||||||||
| 11 | 365 | Zimmerman Dispute, Culture Vulture Profit Sharing Agreement, 1961 | |||||||||
Series 7: Personal Financial Matters, 1968-1972 |
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| This series consists of a variety of documents pertaining to Brundage’s personal finances. | |||||||||||
| The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Items within each folder are arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 11 | 366 | Bank Statements and Receipts, 1969-1971 | |||||||||
| 11 | 367 | Payment Receipts and Promissory Notes, 1968-1972 | |||||||||
| 11 | 368 | Tax Return, 1969 | |||||||||
| 11 | 369 | Unemployment Compensation Receipts, 1970 | |||||||||
Series 8: Audiovisual, n.d. |
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| This series consists one reel-to-reel tape, purportedly of a speech by Madalyn Murray (O'Hair), notorious atheist and free speech activist. Due to its format, this tape is not accessible to researchers currently. Consult the curator for further information. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 11 | 370 | Madalyn Murry [i.e. Madalyn Murray O'Hair?] - Speech, questions, & rebuttal, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 sound tape reel : analog ; 7 in. | |||||||||||