Size: 21.25 linear feet The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections The University of Toledo Provenance: donated by Patrice Spitzer Access: Open Finding Aid Ward M. Canaday Financial Records MSS-275 Related Collections: MSS-272, MSS-273, MSS-274 Collection Summary: Collection consists of multiple ledgers, bills, brokers notes, and checks for multiple businesses and properties owned by Ward M. Canaday Subject(s): Business and Commerce Processing Note: The organization of this collection is done both chronologically and alphabetically. Those papers that were bound remained in their original binding and organized separately. Copyright: The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns. Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code. The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion. Completed by: Jacalyn DeSelms, December 2015
Biographical Sketch Ward Murphey Canaday, often known as the "father of the Jeep," was a longtime member of the Toledo community and a benefactor for the University of Toledo. Canaday was educated at Harvard University. He began his Willys Overland Company career in 1916, assuming the position of Advertising Director. Canaday would spend most of the next half century with Willys, helping the company establish the first automobile credit company and, later, rising to become Chairman of the Board and President of the company, in addition to resurrecting Willys Overland from bankruptcy in the early 1930's. One of the most important successes of Canaday s reign at Willys was the creation of the Willys MB, the vehicle that would later gain the moniker of Jeep. Canaday also branched out into government service, serving as the Assistant Administrator and Director of Public Relations for the United States Federal Housing Administration from 1933 to 1935 and playing an active role in the passage of the National Housing Act of 1933. Canaday would also go on to serve as the Co-Chairman of the Caribbean Commission from 1948 through 1952. Canaday was also active locally, serving as a member of the Toledo Club, a Trustee for the Toledo Art Museum, a member of the Board of Directors of the Toledo Area Medical College and Foundation, the Chairman of the Board of the University of Toledo Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Toledo from 1953-1967, and the President of the Friends of the University of Toledo Libraries for four decades.
Scope and Content Note This collection focuses on the financial records of Ward M. Canaday and his businesses. The records in this collection contain ledgers from such businesses as Dealers Finance Company, Inland Trading Company, Ottawa Hills Company, Franklin Motors, and Willys Overland. This collection also houses information and ledgers for Canaday s sugar cane and livestock farms in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. The general time frame of these records ranges from 1920 until the 1960 s.
Series List Series Description I- Canaday Businesses Financial records and annual reports for businesses owned or bought by Ward M. Canaday II- Canaday Personal Financial records to Ward M. Canaday and Records Marian C. Canaday personal accounts III- Canaday Virgin Financial records and correspondence from cane Island sugar, cattle and livestock farming in the Virgin Businesses Islands on land owned by Ward M. Canaday. Also includes correspondences with Ove E. Olson during the construction of Ward M. IV- Canaday Binder Records Canaday s house on St. Croix Includes bound ledgers and receipts from multiple businesses owned by Ward M. Canaday
Folder List Box Folder Item I- Ward M. Canaday Businesses 1 1 Canaday, Ewell, and Thurber 1 2 Canaday, Ewell, and Thurber 1 3 Canaday, Ewell, and Thurber 1 4 Dealers Finance Company 1 5 Dominion Industries Co., annual reports, 1933-1935 1 6 Franklin Automobiles 1 7 Franklin Motors 1 8 Franklin Motors 1 9 Hydeborn Corporation 1 10 Inland Trading Corporation 1 11 John Fay Inc., annual reports, 1928-1929 1 12 National Advertising Company/Lee Larson 1 13 National Advertising Company/Lee Larson 1 14 National Advertising Company/Lee Larson 1 15 Ottawa Hills Company, annual reports, 1938-1948 1 16 Ottawa Hills Company, ledgers, 1945-1947 1 17 Ottawa Hills Company, property tax documents, 1940-1960 2 1 Ottawa Hills Company, tax documents 2 2 Ottawa Securities Inc., annual reports, 1928-1931 2 3 The Caslon Company, annual reports, 1928-1931 2 4 The Caslon Company, annual reports, 1932-1937 2 5 The Caslon Company, annual reports, 1938-1944 2 6 United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1928-1932 2 7 United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1933-1934 2 8 United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1935-1936 2 9 United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1937-1940 2 10 Ward M. Canaday Inc., annual report, 1924-1931 2 11 Ward M. Canaday Inc., annual report, 1933-1946 2 12 Willys Morrow, meeting minutes, 1939 3 1 Willys Overland 3 2 Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, ledgers 3 3 Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, miscellaneous, folder1of2 3 4 Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, miscellaneous, folder2of2 3 5 Wilson Foundry and Machine Company 3 n/a Wilson Foundry and Machine Company, business activities, book
II- Canaday Personal Records 4 1 1947, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, January-December 4 2 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-C 4 3 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, D-F 4 4 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, G-L 4 5 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, M-R 4 6 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, S-Z 4 7 1949, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-I 4 8 1949, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, J-P 4 9 1949, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, Q-Z 4 10 1950, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-L 4 11 1950, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, M-S 4 12 1950, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, T-Z 4 13 1951, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-L 4 14 1951, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, M-S 4 15 1951, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, T-Z 4 16 Canaday European Trip 4 17 Doreen Spitzer, bank statements 4 18 Floyd Farr, correspondence 4 19 H.J. Leonard, tax data 4 20 Marian C. Canaday, bank statements, 1945 5 1 Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 1 of 4 5 2 Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 2 of 4 5 3 Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 3 of 4 5 4 Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 4 of 4 5 5 National City Bank of New York, check book 5 6 Ward M. Canaday Agency, annual reports, 1925-1928 5 7 Ward M. Canaday, auto insurance
5 8 Ward M. Canaday, broker statements, 1949-1950 5 9 Ward M. Canaday, miscellaneous bank notes 5 10 Ward M. Canaday, personal accounts, annual reports, 1925-1939 5 11 Ward M. Canaday, personal bank statements 5 12 Ward M. Canaday, personal insurance 5 13 Ward M. Canaday, portraits 5 14 Ward M. Canaday, travel expenses III- Canaday Virgin Island Businesses 6 1 Virgin Islands, cash receipts 6 2 Virgin Islands, expense sheets, 1947 6 3 Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, 1946 6 4 Virgin Islands, Fritz Lawaetz, 1947 6 5 Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, bills paid 6 6 Virgin Islands, Fritz Lawaetz, reports, January- December 1940 6 7 Virgin Islands, Fritz Lawaetz, reports, January- December 1941 6 8 Virgin Islands, Fritz Lawaetz, reports, January- December 1942 6 9 Virgin Islands, Fritz Lawaetz, reports, January- December 1943 6 10 Virgin Islands, Fritz Lawaetz, reports, January- December 1944 6 11 Virgin Islands, fuel reports, 1951 6 12 Virgin Islands, invoices 6 13 Virgin Islands, miscellaneous expense reports 6 14 Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, December 1938- December 1939 6 15 Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January- December 1940 6 16 Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January- December 1941 6 17 Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January- December 1942 6 18 Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January- December 1943 6 19 Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January- December 1944 6 20 Ove E. Olsen 6 21 Ove E. Olsen, weekly statements IV- Canaday Binder Collection 7 1 Virgin Islands, payroll, January- December 1945 7 2 Virgin Islands, payroll, January- August 1946 7 3 Virgin Islands, payroll, September- December 1946 7 4 Virgin Islands, payroll, January- June 1947 7 5 Virgin Islands, payroll, July- December 1947 7 6 Virgin Islands, payroll, January- April 1948 7 7 Virgin Islands, payroll, May- December 1948 7 n/a Virgin Islands, 1946-1947, binder
8 n/a Dealers Finance Company, journal vouchers, January 1935- January 1937, binder 8 n/a Dealers Finance Company, January 1937- December 1937, binder 8 n/a Empire Securities Inc., 1948-1954, binder 9 n/a Franklin Motors, Inc., journal vouchers, binder 9 n/a Inland Trading Co., broker vouchers 1927, binder 9 n/a Inland Trading Co., April 1931- July 1931, binder 10 n/a Inland Trading Co., July 1931-September 1931, binder 10 n/a Inland Trading Co., January 1934- December 1935, binder 10 n/a Inland Trading Co., brokers vouchers 1936, binder 11 n/a Inland Trading Co., January 1936- December 1938, binder 11 n/a Inland Trading Co., broker vouchers 1938, binder 11 n/a Inland Trading Co., April 1939- December 1944, binder 12 n/a Ottawa Hills Company, 1945, binder 12 n/a Ottawa Securities, Inc., journal entries, 1929-1932, binder 12 n/a Security Ledger, 1928-1930, binder 13 n/a Virgin Islands, January 1949- December 1955, binder 13 n/a Ward M. Canaday, Inc., December 1923- December 1933, binder 13 n/a Ward M. Canaday, Inc., January 1934- June 1937, binder 14 n/a Ward M. Canaday, Inc., June 1937- October 1938, binder 14 n/a Ward M. Canaday, Inc., September 1939- May 1940, binder 14 n/a Ward M. Canaday, Inc., January 1941- October 1943, binder 15 n/a Ward M. Canaday, Inc., 1946, binder 15 n/a Ward M. Canaday, personal, 1925-1930, binder 15 n/a Ward M. Canaday, personal, 1933, binder 16 n/a Ward M. Canaday, personal, 1943-1944, binder 16 n/a Ward M. Canaday, personal, January- December 1948, binder 16 n/a Ward M. Canaday, personal, January 1949, binder 17 n/a Willys Properties, Inc., December 1936- July 1938, binder 17 n/a Willys Properties, Inc., broker vouchers, 1937, binder 17 n/a Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, security files, up to June 1949, binder