Mailing Address:
Special Collections
College of Charleston Library
66 George Street
Charleston, SC 29424

Phone:
(843) 953-8016

Title: Saul Alexander papers

Collection #: Mss 1030

Dates: 1914-1937

Size: .5 linear ft.

Biographical Note: Born in Russia, Saul Alexander immigrated to the United States in 1900. Several years later he settled in Summerville, South Carolina, and eventually opened The Saul Alexander Dry Goods Store. In his will, Alexander, a bachelor, set up The Saul Alexander Foundation which funds religious, educational, charitable, and benevolent projects in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Scope and Content Note:

Collection includes bound account and inventory ledgers, cancelled checks, check registers, correspondence, photograph, ephemera, and electrocardiograph chart.

Collection contains business records (1914-1925) from The Saul Alexander Dry Goods Store in Summerville, South Carolina. Eleven bound volumes include an account ledger (1914-1919) organized by name of vendor; six inventory ledgers (1915-1925), each lists type of merchandise, quantity in stock, and price; expense ledger (1922-1924) details daily expenditures; check registers (1925-1926) from Alexander's accounts with Bank of Summerville; cancelled checks from Bank of Summerville and Bank of Dorchester.

Folder of personal papers includes photograph (b/w, ca. 1920s) of unidentified man (taken at Melcher Studios, Charleston, SC), program (1934) from meeting of the Occasional Lodge (Masons) in Charleston, SC, and letter (1937) from Roper Hospital regarding Alexander's cardiogram and x-ray reports; includes electrocardiograph charts.

Inventory:

 

				Box#/Folder#
I.		Business Records: Saul Alexander’s Dry Goods
	A.	Account Ledger 1914-1919: includes lists of vendors and account information; index to vendors (with page numbers) at front of ledger; loose material includes vendor invoices; large group from Ely & Walker Dry Goods Co., St. Louis.		1/1
	B.	Inventory Ledger 1915-1917: inventory of store stock taken Aug. 4, 1915, Aug. 1, 1916 and Aug. 1, 1917; registers type of item, quantity in stock and cost; also log of bills payable and accounts receivable		1/2
	C.	Inventory Ledger 1919-1920: inventories of store stock taken January 1919 and January 1920; registers type of item, quantity in stock and cost; also log of bills payable and accounts receivable		1/3
	D.	Inventory Ledger 1921: inventory of store stock taken January 1921; registers type of item, quantity in stock and cost; also log of accounts receivable and bills payable		1/4
	E.	Inventory Ledger 1922: inventory of store stock, 1922; registers type of item, quantity and cost		1/5
	F.	Inventory Ledger 1923-Volumes I and II: contains inventory of store stock for 1923 (split in two ledgers); registers type of item, quantity and cost; also log of accounts receivable and bills payable		1/6
	G.	Inventory Ledger 1925-Volumes I and II: contains inventory of store stock for 1925 (split in two ledgers); registers type of item, quantity and cost; also log of accounts receivable and bills payable		1/7
	H.	Expense Ledger 1922-1924: descriptions of daily expenditures		1/8
	I.	Check Registers 1925-1926: register for checks drawn Sept. 1925-Nov. 1926; register for checks drawn January-October 1926; both from Bank of Summerville accounts		2/1
	J.	Cancelled Checks-Bank of Summerville 1925-1926: drawn on Saul Alexander’s account		2/2
	K.	Cancelled Checks-Bank of Dorchester 1925-1926: drawn on Saul Alexander’s account		2/3
	L.	Misc. Cancelled Checks 1926		2/4
II.		Personal Papers (ca. 1920s-1930s): photograph (b/w) of unidentified man (ca. 1910s-1920s) taken at Melcher Studio, Charleston, SC; program from Occasional Lodge meeting for Gen. Charles Pelot Summerall, Mason at Sight, May 3, 1934; letter (1937) from Roper Hospital re. Alexander’s cardiogram and x-ray results with actual electrocardiograph readings		2/5
		Note: Karl Karesh, donor of Saul Alexander Papers, gave an audio interview to the Jewish Heritage Project in April 1996