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Francis B. Wallen Sr. was born in New Jersey in 1868. By 1914 he owned and operated a jewelry store at 405 Broadway in Camden NJ. When World War I broke out, his son, Francis Wallen Jr., entered the Army, on September 18, 1918, but did not serve overseas. At the time of the 1920 census, Francis Wallen, his wife Emma, son Francis Jr. and daughter Esther lived above the store. Francis Jr. was attending college, while Esther Wallen, a 1919 graduate of Camden High School, assisted in the store. Francis Jr. would return to the business after college. The Wallens belonged to the First Presbyterian Church, which in those days stood at 501 Penn Street. The Wallen family eventually moved to Haddonfield, NJ. Francis Wallen Sr. was active in Camden city and county affairs for many years. He was a member of the Camden Chamber of Commerce, and was elected to the Board of Directors for a three year term in 1925. He was also a member of the Camden Lions Club. Francis Wallen Sr. passed away at the age of 80 on August 9, 1949. He was buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden NJ on August 12th. The jewelry store, known in later years as Wallen's Inc., operated at the 405 Broadway location until the 1960s. 405 Broadway, the home of Wallen's Gift Store, was razed in the summer of 2003. |
Philadelphia Inquirer - January 28, 1909 |
Camden Memorial Day Committee
In order that Camden veterans may have an elaborate celebration on Memorial Day, Mayor Ellis yesterday appointed the following committee of citizens to act in conjunction with them: William D. Vanaman, William Sangtinette, Frank W. Tussey, William Fox, Dr. J.W. Martindale, Walter L Tushingham, Ira E. Lutte, Harry C. Kramer, John W. Coleman, Bernhard Schroeder, Edward H. Nieland, Daniel M. Stevens, W.F. Powell, Abe Fuhrman, Jacob Neutze, Francis B. Wallen, Charles A. Ackley, Louis T. Derousse, James M. Bentley, John K. Newkirk, William Schmid, John Larsen, Sigismund Schoenagle, Charles M. Baldwin, and Harry A Whaland. |
Philadelphia Inquirer - November 20, 1909 |
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Alfred K.
Bennett - David Jester - Charles S. Ackley - Philip
Wilson |
Philadelphia Inquirer - May 28, 1911 |
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Mayor
Ellis - Soldiers'
Monument - William Thompson - Rev.
A.H. Newton |
Philadelphia Inquirer - April 1, 1914 | Charles
H.
Ellis |
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Philadelphia Inquirer - October 27, 1918 |
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F.
Morse Archer - National
State Bank - William
T. Boyle William J. Strandwitz - Walter J. Staats - E.A. Stoll David S. Rush Jr. - E.G.C. Bleakly - James H. Long William L. Hurley - Francis B. Wallen - Wilbert Pike Volney Bennett |
CAMDEN
FIRST - 1925 |
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Camden Courier-Post - January 11, 1928 |
ROTARY
CLUB TOLD OF INDUSTRIAL DRIVE An industrial campaign for the purpose of inducing new business industries to locate in Camden will be part of the program of the Chamber of Commerce for this year, Loyal D. Odhner, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, told members of the Rotary Club at a luncheon today in the Hotel Walt Whitman. Odhner’s outline of the chamber’s program, which included an industrial survey for the purpose of determining possibilities for new manufacturers and improving present business facilities, was approved by Francis B. Wallen, new president of the Chamber of Commerce, who attended the luncheon. “During these last five tears, Camden has had little or no industrial growth. Manufacturers have either chosen other localities in preference to us or else they have not even thought of us. I prefer to believe the latter is the case. Our first step, them is to make our city more appealing to the industrial prospect. This cam be accomplished by an industrial campaign with the cooperation of all business forces. “I am confident that before this years ends you will see the resources of this community mobilized into one of the greatest campaigns for new industries that has ever been waged in America. “In conducting this campaign.” Said Odhner “we must not lose sight of the fact that port facilities will be a point of leading interest to the prospective manufacturer. The patronage which our present pier is receiving is only a small indication of the value to our city of adequate port facilities. The port improvement program must proceed with all haste. Urged to Aid Movement Odhner urged members of the Rotary Club to get behind a movement to organize a force to meet the financial problems that will accompany the advent of new industries. “With our survey completed,” Odhner continued “our next step will be to determine the type of industries that can locate in Camden most profitably to themselves and to the community. “Another important step will be to interest the people of our own city so They will report to us any new firms contemplating a change of location. Most cities which have conducted effective industrial expansion have secured their best leads from their own people. Still another step is well advised selective advertising, confined to those mediums which actually receive the attention of business executives.” Odhner said that as a preliminary step in the campaign it is the intention of President Wallen to ask all of Camden’s neighboring towns to join with her in this movement. “Sometime in March,” he said, “it is hoped a meeting of all leaders of surrounding communities will be held for the purpose of forming a Greater Camden Chamber of Commerce. |
Camden Courier-Post - January 16, 1928 |
CLUB
OF MERCHANTS TO ELECT OFFICERS An
exciting contest is expected in the annual election of officers of the
Broadway Business Men’s Association. The elections, preceded by a
banquet, will be held Wednesday evening, January 25, at Hotel
Walt Whitman. Three
merchants are candidates for the presidency, which will be vacated by Harry
Pelouze. There are J.V. Moran, Walter Friant and Morris Futernick.
They were nominated at the November meeting of the association. Another
battle is looked for in the naming of a vice-president. M. Fuhrman and J.W.
Holmes are the two candidates while Morris Jaffe is the retiring vice
president. Edwin C. Norcross, president treasurer, will be unopposed for
re-election. Albert S. Dudley will be unopposed when he succeeds David
Tattersdill as secretary. Representatives
from every business in every section of the city have been invited to
attend the affair, while every one of the 150 members will probably be
present. The principle speaker will be former Judge
John B. Kates, of the Broadway
Merchants Trust Company. An
address on interstate traffic and its relations to the transportation
problems of Camden business will be delivered by J.J. Ruster, head of the
transportation department of the Camden Chamber of Commerce. Francis
B. Wallen and Loyal D. Odhner, president and secretary respectively of
the Chamber of Commerce will also be guests of the merchants. A
comparison of the work of other commercial organizations will be made by
several well-known visitors. Benjamin Shindler, William Lipsitz and H.
Zbieratski, presidents respectively of the East Camden, Kaighn Avenue and
Mount Ephraim Business Men’s Associations, will speak. The
new constitution and by-laws of the association will be adopted at the
January meeting. Eighteen directors will be elected; six for terms of
three years, six for two-year terms and a similar number for one year. The candidates for director are Harry Pelouze, Joseph Kobus, J.W. Holmes, Albert Israel, James V. Moran, Walter Friant, Dr. I.S. Siris, Joseph Fuhrman, William E. Cross, S. Abeson, M. Futernick, Howard B. Lee, Fred W. Schorpp, Morris Jaffe, W. Mitchell, L. Markowitz, Joseph Corbett, M. Lasala, P. Thatcher, W. Falture, G. Lockerman and David Tattersdill. |
Camden Courier-Post - December 9, 1930 | |
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Francis B. Wallen - William H. Bottger - Hotel Walt Whitman |
Camden Courier-Post - October 21, 1931 |
FRENCH VICE CONSUL TO SPEAK HERE TODAY Paul Raymond, French vice consul, of Philadelphia, will be the principal speaker today at a joint service club luncheon in the Hotel Walt Whitman. Joint hosts at the meeting will be the Lions Club and the Camden County Chamber of Commerce. Francis B. Wallen, president of the Lions Club, and Watson C. Shallcross, president of the Chamber of Commerce, will preside jointly at the luncheon. William A. Eppright, chairman of arrangements. Raymond will speak on French-American relations. |
Camden Courier-Post * October 29, 1931 |
47
MORE MEN JOIN LEAGUE TO AID BAIRD Forty-seven more prominent professional and business men yesterday joined the Baird-for-Governor Business Men's League and pledged themselves to work actively in interest of David Baird Jr., for governor, and add special impetus to his campaign. The league was organized this week at an enthusiastic meeting of 18 outstanding Baird supporters in professional and business life at the Camden Club, 315 Cooper Street. The league membership is open only to business, professional and industrial leaders who are not holding public office and who are not politicians. The latest enrollments among community leaders pledging themselves to devote themselves to the Baird cause are the following: F. Morse Archer, president of the First Camden National Bank; Clinton. L. Bardo, president of the New York Shipbuilding Company and of the New Jersey Taxpayers' Association; George C. Baker, of the BakerFlick Company; Watson Shallcross, president of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce; Howard J. Dudley, Broadway merchant; Thomas E. French, prominent attorney; J. David Stern, publisher of the Courier-Post newspapers and of the Philadelphia Record; Wellington K. Barto, of the West Jersey Trust Company; Dr. Joseph Roberts, Cooper Hospital; William Clement, of the Clement Coverall Paint Company; Robert Wright, of the Haddonfield National Bank; Arthur J. Podmore, of the Camden Pottery Company; Nathan Leopold, Haddonfield druggist; Dr. J. Edgar Howard, of Haddonfield. Dr. Alfred N. Elwell, of this city; Edward Preisendanz, Clarence Peters, N. Franks, of. Franks & Sweeney; U. G. Peters, Ralph D. Baker, prominent real estate man; Archibald Dingo, George Bachman, Sr., and George Bachman, Jr., Dr. O. W. Saunders, Henry Cooperson, Leon Cooperson, Herman Z. Cutler. Charles Bauman, Harry Rose, George Austermuhl, Walter Gulick, Albert Voeglin, Howard Fearn, John A. Schlorer, Ernest L. Bartelt. William S. Casselman, George M. Carr, J. Price Myers, Carl R. Evered, former president of the Camden County Real Estate Board; Francis B. Wallen, former president of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce; William H. Alff, Edmund J. Alff, Harry Pelouze, Walter Campbell, Dr. Thomas R. Bunting, Joseph F. Kobus and Henry E. Kobus. Enrollments, it was announced, may be made through the following committee of the league: Ludwig A. Kind, Thomas Gordon Coulter, Charles H. Laird, Walter J. Staats, Frank C. Middleton, Jr., Frank J. Hineline, William T. Read, Charles S. Boyer, W. W. Robinson, George R. Pelouze, Paul A. Kind, Dr. Paul A. Mecray, Jerome Hurley, Harry A. Moran, James V. Moran, William J. Strandwitz, former Judge Lewis Starr and Frank C. Norcross. |
Camden Courier-Post * June 11, 1932 |
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Clifford A. Baldwin - Charles Kulp - Francis B. Wallen Jr. |
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Camden
Courier-Post Leonard R. Baker |
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Camden Courier-Post * February 8, 1933 |
WALLEN
IS NAMED C. Of C. CHAIRMAN Francis B. Wallen, Sr., chairman of the executive committee of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce yesterday. As head of that committee, Wallen will direct the activities of the Chamber during the remainder of the year. it was announced. Other members of the executive committee who will act with Wallen are B. H. Hudson, superintendent of the Atlantic Division of the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad and Elwood F. Thompson, secretary of the Camden Fire Insurance Association. The executive committee which was named by the board of directors, will replace Leonard R. Baker, who was acting president of the Chamber since January 1. Four vice-presidents also were named by the board of directors. Only two of those selected have been assigned. They are James V. Moran in charge of transportation and Carl R. Evered in charge of finances. The others are W. H. Chew and Thompson. Wallen, the executive committee chairman, is the only president of the Chamber to ever serve three terms. He was in office in 1928, 1929 and 1930. Since then he has been a member of the board of directors. |
Camden Courier-Post - June 6, 1933 |
JERSEY
TAXPAYERS TO DEMAND RELIEF Taxpayers
from all over New Jersey will converge at Trenton Friday night to demand
that the Legislature adopt tax relief measures proposed by the recent
Princeton Survey. Between
250 and 500 men
and women will go from Camden and vicinity. Sponsoring
the motorcade to the state capital will be the Camden County Chamber of
Commerce in conjunction with the New Jersey Taxpayers' Association. In
letters mailed to every member of the chamber, Francis
B. Wallen, chairman of the executive committee of the C. of C.,
urged taxpayers to get behind the movement and also to write their
legislative representatives asking that the bills be brought "out
of committee" and adopted immediately. Sees
Trade Recovery "There
are any number of signs of business improvement and many of us are
inclined to lose interest in government as soon as we think betterment
is being shown," Wallen
said. "This is a fatal error." "Let's
remember that the only way business really can improve is to lower
government expenditures and then to keep them down. "The
more business improves, the more Important becomes the fight to reduce
taxes, so it is necessary for taxpayers to exert every possible
cooperation in order to bring about success," Wallen
added. The
legislative bills which both the New Jersey Taxpayers' Association and
the Camden County Chamber of Commerce seek to have passed are Senate
Nos. 347 and 348; Senate
Bills Nos. 328 to 335, inclusive;
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 57 and Committee Substitute for
Senate Bill No. 58; Assembly Bills Nos. 460 to 467, Inclusive. In
a telegram to A. R. Everson, executive secretary of the New Jersey
Taxpayers' Association, Executive, Secretary Loyal D. Odhner, of the
chamber, told of local plans of co-operation for the "drive on Trenton." Odhner's
Telegram follows: "Camden
organizing impressive motorcade to convey large representation to your
monster statewide protest meeting. "Will
be accompanied by police escort and all cars will carry signs demanding
passage of tax relief legislation. "Business
men throughout county are being requested to flood our assemblymen and
state senators with telegrams demanding passage of bills sponsored by
New Jersey Taxpayers' Association. Many civic and trade organizations
co-operating with us. "LOYAL
D. ODHNER." Upon arrival in Trenton Friday night, the taxpayers will gather for a protest meeting at Memorial Hall at 8 p. m., daylight-saving time. |
Camden Courier-Post * June 7, 1933 |
C.
OF C. BACKS PLAN URGED BY ROOSEVELT FOR U.S. RECOVERY The Camden
County Chamber of Commerce has gone on record as unanimously favoring
inclusion of seven amendments in President Roosevelt's National
Industrial Recovery Act. In two
180-word telegrams to Senators Hamilton F. Kean and W. Warren
Barbour at Washington, the adoption of the amendments proposed last
Saturday by the National Association of Manufacturers was urged by A. C.
Held, chairman of the Chamber's manufacturers' division. Permissive
authority to President Roosevelt to deal with imports as is deemed
necessary to protect the National Industrial Recovery Act once it
becomes a law is asked by the Chamber in its telegraphic dispatch. Furthermore,
opposition by Senators Kean and Barbour to labor
provisions of the bill as passed by the House and substitution of
legislation to make it clear that there is neither intention nor power
to reorganize present mutually satisfactory relations between employer
and employee also is demanded by the Chamber. In an answer
to the chamber’s telegram, Kean promised to bring to the attention of
the chairman of the Finance Committee considering the bill the
suggestions made by the local business men. The action of
the manufacturers' division was taken after the return of Loyal D. Odhner,
executive secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, from
Washington where he had attended a special meeting of more than 500
members of the National Association of Manufacturers at the Mayflower
Hotel on Saturday. Clinton
L. Bardo, president of New York Shipbuilding Company, it was revealed
today, figured actively in the drawing up and adoption of the seven
amendments to the national recovery legislation. Besides
Chairman Held and Bardo, other Camden manufacturers attending the meeting in the Hotel
Walt Whitman included W. S. Wheeler and James McGowan, of Campbell
Soup Co., E. S. Wood, of Esterbrook Pen Co., Clarence Nicholson and C.
H. Wilhelm of Haddon Press; William H. Chew, Sr., of Sinnickson, Chew & Co.,
Warren
Webster, Sr., F. H. Stevens and C. H. Grissom, Jr., of Warren
Webster Co., T. L. Vanderslice of John
R. Evans Co., William Garwood of Scull
Coffee Co., Herbert Kieckhefer of Kleckhefer Container Co., Stanley
Cramer of Radio Condenser Co., A. W. Stedman of Standard Tank & Seat Co., E. A. Mechling of Mechling Brothers; B. H.
Hudson of the Pennsylvania R. R., R. H. Wisdom of the Taylor White
Extracting Company, E. R. Schenck of RCA Victor Company and Francis
B. Wallen, chairman of the Chamber's executive committee. .
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Camden Courier-Post- June 19, 1933 |
CIGAR FACTORY OPENED; TO PROVIDE JOBS FOR 400 Francis B. Wallen, chairman of the executive committee of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce, Saturday announced the opening of a cigar factory in Camden, that will employ 400 people. The factory will be operated by Siegel & Sons, Inc., and is located at West and Clinton Streets. David Goodman has been named as the manager. Wallen, in making the announcement, said that there are a number of other projects of equal importance on which responsible persons are working in Camden and that announcement of these enterprises will be made during the next two or three weeks. Wallen declared that the opening of the Siegel plant is "another evidence of the return of good times." |
Camden Courier-Post- June 23, 1933 |
C. Of C. IS OPPOSED TO LOAN FOR SEWERS
The executive committee of the Camden' County Chamber of Commerce is opposed to the proposed federal appropriation through, the state of New Jersey of $2,500,000 for a Camden sewage system project. That was disclosed yesterday by Francis B. Wallen, chairman of the executive committee, who cited the principal objections for, the opposition. The first objection. Wallen explained, resulted from a study of the public works provisions of the National Recovery Act under which the appropriation would be forthcoming and which sets out that 70 percent of the principal must be paid back to the federal government by the tax payers of a community over a period of time. The other objection, according to Wallen, was the fact that while Camden was spending the $2,500,000 for additional sewage facilities, Philadelphia which is responsible for 90 percent of the pollution on the Delaware river, sits by idly and does nothing to remedy the condition. Edward J. Borden, president of the New Jersey Real Estate Commission, was named by the chamber's executive committee to be chairman of a special sub-committee to study the National Recovery Act thoroughly, recommend projects for Camden which will benefit the community and not load up taxpayers with future heavy carrying charges. Further more; Borden, as chairman of the committee was instructed to fight any moves that involve the community in projects that increase the debt burden. Borden announced that he would immediately form his committee and it would hold its first meeting at 4 p. m. today in the chamber's offices in Broadway-Stevens Building. "Under the terms of the National Recovery Act," Wallen explained, "only about $900,000,000 of the $3,3000,000,00 appropriated will be used for straight federal projects. Another $400,000,000 will go towards highway construction making a total of $1,300,000,000 which will not become a burden to the community benefiting. "However, the remaining $2,000,000.000 will be used for financing local public projects of which the federal government will grant 30 per. cent and the local community will have to repay 70 percent of the loan. "Therefore, in the proposed sewage project for Camden, it would increase the city's debt burden by $1,750,000. Also it must be remembered that while the clearing up of the waters of the Delaware is essential for the future of our whole port development as well as the health of the community, for Camden to spend $2,500,000 on this work and Philadelphia to do nothing, it would be an absolute waste of money on our part as 90 percent of the pollution comes from the Pennsylvania side of the river." Wallen added. |
Camden Courier-Post * June 23, 1933 |
ARMITAGE RESIGNS AS SECRETARY OF Y Arthur E. Armitage, Collingswood's commissioner of public works, yesterday resigned as general secretary of the Camden Young Men's Christian Association.
This was announced following a meeting of the "Y" board of directors.
The resignation is due to be come effective September 15. That date will mark the twentieth year Armitage has served the Y. M. C. A.
movement. Seventeen of these years have been with the local Fulfillment of an early ambition and a desire to devote his time to other interests, was expressed by Armitage as the basis for his resignation. Consolidation Planned
At the board meeting, over which Wilfred W. Fry presided, a proposal
was considered to consolidate the local "Y" with the Camden County Y. M. C. A. Armitage was named with Charles Wagner and E. W.
Stedman as a committee of three to study the plan and confer with The retiring secretary first entered the young men's work as boys' physical director at the Orange Young Men's Christian Association, on September 15, 1913. He remained there two years and then took up similar duties with the Carney's Point. Y. M. C. A. when the movement was sponsored there by the duPont interests. On September 15, 1916 he became educational secretary of the Camden "Y" and later was appointed general secretary. In tendering his resignation he remarked: "My interest in the "Y" movement is just as keen as ever, but I feel since I have given 20 of my best years to the work and have fulfilled an early ambition that now I would like to devote time to other interests." Founded Law School Armitage's other interests include the South Jersey Law School, which he conceived in 1926 and advanced with the aid of Elmer G. Van Name, an attorney, and the College of South Jersey, which was developed in 1928, Both are housed in the same building He is president of the Spartan Building and Loan Association, past president of the Camden Rotary Club and in addition to his borough duties at Collingswood also is active in Masonic circles. In accepting his resignation the board elected Armitage to the directorate and chose LeRoy A. Goodwin, William Atkinson and S. B. Golf to draft resolutions commending the retiring secretary. Elmer E. Long, vice president, Francis B. Wallen and Millard Tay were selected to consider a candidate for Armitage's post. |
CAMDEN COURIER-POST - August 10, 1933 |
N.R.A.
DRIVE HERE OPENS
TOMORROW;
COMMITTEE NAMED The personnel of the National Recovery Act campaign committee for Camden city and county was announced yesterday by Chairman Clinton L. Bardo. The
committee members and their assignments follow: James
V. Moran, department stores; Leonard R. Baker, department stores; S.
Lester, retail stores; Francis
B. Wallen, miscellaneous business; A. D. Ambruster, banks; Clinton L.
Bardo, shipbuilding; A. C. Held, industry; J.
W. Burnison, industry; Harry A. Kelleher, industry; Warren
Webster, Jr., industry; William H. Chew, Sr., printing; J.
Alex Crothers, maritime
interest.; Carl R. Evered, real
estate and building trades; Fred T. Gates, chain stores; B. H. Hudson,
transportation; Harry C. Stevenson, public utilities; Watson Shallcross,
automotive; Elwood S. Thompson, insurance of all types; Robert C. Perina,
all professional lines, and J. David
Stern, publicity. Meet
Friday Afternoon The
committee will hold its first organization meeting tomorrow afternoon in
the offices of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce in Broadway-Stevens
Building. A plan of action will be mapped out at this session, Chairman
Bardo said. Meanwhile,
Postmaster Charles H. Ellis
and his staff at Camden post office were still able to supply the
"Blue Eagle" Insignia in limited numbers white waiting for an
additional 1500 copies
from Washington. Several hundred Insignias were obtained yesterday from
the Philadelphia post office, Ellis disclosed, to meet the demand of
Camden employers, but this supply was quickly exhausted when 190
additional employers signed the
blanket code, raising the total N.R.A. employers in this area to 1749.
One
hundred and sixty-eight shoemakers of Camden, Burlington and Gloucester
counties have prepared a code to be forwarded to Brigadier General Hugh S.
Johnson, National Recovery Administrator in Washington immediately. The
shoemakers who are organized under the name of the Shoe Rebuilders of
Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties, also entered into, a
"gentleman's agreement" as to operating hours. Under
the agreement, the stores will be opened from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m. on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 8
a.m.
to 9 p. m. on Fridays and
Saturdays. Under
provisions of the adopted code, no shoe repair shop owner shall employ his
labor for more than 48
hours per week, no repair shop
shall remain open less than 52 hours each week and no shops will be opened
on Sundays or legal holidays, The
code also sets up a list of minimum wages. Under
its provisions, manager or journeymen would receive $25 a week; bench men
would be paid $21 a week;
finishers would get $18 a
week and unskilled apprentices would be paid $12 weekly. A
list of minimum prices are included in the code. Among
local firms signing the
President's agreement yesterday are
the Prudential
Life Insurance Company, with 30
employees in its Camden office; the American Oil Company, 30 local
employees; the Hajoca Corporation, 15, and the
Sinclair Refining Company; 12. It was announced by C. R. Moore, manager of the Household Finance Corporation, 130 North Broadway, that the concern had signed the President's agreement and already placed it in effect. |
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Fourth Annual Shipyard Workers Ball January 17, 1939 Banquet
Program |
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Camden
Courier-Post July 26, 1941 |