Search

Employee with the Postum Cereal Company, Battle Creek, Michigan. Jones was responsible for efficiency studies on routine processes at the plant. Diaries, 1923-1992, of Jones; diaries, 1932-1936, of his wife Marjorie Hallobaugh Jones; and transcript of oral history interview, 1992.

The collection consists of the diaries of Frank Jones from the years 1923 to 1992. Also included are the diaries of his wife, Majorie Hollabaugh Jones, for the years 1932 to 1936, and an oral history that was conducted by the Kraft General Foods archives in 1992. The diaries are of two types: originals and recopying of originals. The first type, diaries for 1923 to 1930, 1932 to 1933 and 1948 to 1952 are originals. The second type, diaries dating from 1923 to 1992, are either a handwritten recopying of the originals or the original volumes themselves. While the recopied volumes are more legible, they do not include the photographs, newspaper clippings and other scrapbook type of material found only in the older, original volumes. The only year that did not get copied into the larger recopied volumes was 1932. Within the diaries, there is a small volume labeled My Five Years. This volume contains the entries for Jones from 1932 to 1933. The remainder of this volume was taken over by Marjorie Hollabaugh Jones who made the entries for the years 1934 to 1936. Marjorie Hollabaugh Jones had her own diaries for the years 1932 and 1933.

All of the diaries contain more than just written entries. They were also used as a scrapbook and contain photographs, newspaper clippings, marriage announcements and obituaries. These items are found throughout the diaries, although the photographs are usually found on the inside of the front and back covers.

The diaries are arranged in chronological order with the larger volumes containing more than one year. The diaries were kept continually since 1923 and an entry was made for every day. They give a glimpse of a young man's life in the 1920's and 1930's and his impressions of his world. For the most part, the early entries are a brief recounting of the day's events. The entries from his later life become more reflective and detailed. The diaries provide good description of Jones' working life at the Postum Cereal Company and exactly what his job entailed and some of his reactions as he lived through changing management styles and techniques. The diaries provide a good insight into the working, social, and home life of Jones and his wife.

The diaries of Majorie Hallobaugh Jones consist of two separate volumes and entries in the volume labeled My Five Years for the years 193 to 1936. Her diaries provide good insight into her life as a schoolteacher in Indiana prior to her marriage and her life as a young housewife in Battle Creek from 1933 to 1936.