Ada and Lou Pollock Collection
M2003.10
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- UNC Asheville Special Collections and University Archives
- Title
- Ada and Lou Pollock Collection
- ID
- M2003.10
- Date [inclusive]
- 1913-1999
- Extent
- 0.4 Linear feet
- Physical Description
- Contains correspondence, photographs and other printed materials
- Location
- Located in Special Collections, Section 7, Row 6.
- Digital Access
- Digitized Photographs and the Cemetery Book are avialble on the WNC Heritage Website.
- Language
- English
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]; Ada and Lou Pollock Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804.
Biographical Note
Lou Pollock, an Asheville, N.C. resident, was well-known as a merchant in the community and President of Pollock, Inc. He went into business in the city in 1910, and by his own account, did so with only $60.00 as capital. His shoe store on Patton Avenue in Asheville, was opened in 1920 and he was joined by his brother, Ben, as his partner. That same year he also started a store in Greenville, S.C. He followed that with a store in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1927. He was also the primary stock holder in Cinderella Slipper Salons, a venture he entered into in 1928. Pollock retired from his businesses in 1939.
He is perhaps best remembered for the annual Christmas party for needy children which he prepared each year. During the party, Pollock gave away hundreds of pairs of shoes to children who had no means to purchase the shoes. In the words of his Masonic Brother and friend Thomas J. Harkins: "He was held in regard and esteem in the Asheville community. An expression of this, in 1949, the name of Mount Sinai Jewish Cemetery was changed to 'Lou Pollock Memorial Park.'" The cemetery was of special interest to Pollock, who served as president of the West Asheville Hebrew Cemetery Association, succeeding L.M. Cadison and H.L. Finklestein.
Ada Pollock, wife of Lou Pollock, was a homemaker and a strong supporter of her husband's civic activities. She, like her husband, was very involved in activities related to the social welfare of the community.
The couple had four daughters, Mildred Pollock Michalove, Alberta Pollock Server, Florence Pollock Rothstein, and Betty Pollock Golden.
Scope and Contents
Contains personal papers, business materials, and photographs of Lou and Ada Pollock, with an emphasis on the Lou Pollock Memorial Park cemetery in Asheville. Also included is a scrapbook of items from the West Asheville Hebrew Cemetery Association.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
UNC Asheville Special Collections and University Archives
Ramsey Library, CPO # 1500One University Heights
Asheville, North Carolina, 28804-8504
828.251.6645
speccoll@unca.edu
Rights
No restrictions. Any display, publication, or public use must credit the University Archives, D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Creators
Ada Pollock ; Lou Pollock ; Betty Pollock Golden
Contributors
Pollock Family
Processing Information
Originally processed by Special Collections staff, 2003, with an update in 2012. Reprocessed with new finding aid by Jess Furst, December 2013. Minor changes to finding aid by Colin Reeve, January 2018
Related Materials
Related Collection
M2017.04 Lou Pollock Cemetery Collection
Collection Inventory
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Box 1 |
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Folder 1: Correspondence |
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Various handwritten and printed letters, 1952. [7 items] |
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Letter from John W. Spicer, Wachovia Bank and Trust Company Vice President to Bill Michalove, June 29, 1951. |
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Folder 2: Dedication of Lou Pollock Memorial Park - Correspondence |
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Various letters to Lou Pollock in regard to the Pollock Memorial Park, 1952. [18 items] |
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Letter from Julius J. Schwartz to Lou Pollock, March 27, 1952. |
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Photograph, Lou Pollock with dedication plaque, 1951. |
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Letter from Joseph M. Bryan, First Vice President of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company to Lou Pollock, May 2, 1952. |
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Lou Pollock Memorial Park dedication ceremony program, September 16, 1951. |
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Letter from Ben Simon to William Michalove, April 19, 1951. |
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Letter from Rev. Henry Lofquist to Lou Pollock, September 18, 1951. |
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Letter from nephew to Lou Pollock, September 16, 1951. |
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Letter from R.R. Reynolds to Lou Pollock, September 13, 1951. |
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Letter from Rabbi Richard E. Singer to Lou Pollock, September 21, 1951. |
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Folder 3: Lou Pollack Memorial Park - Contribution Letters |
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Letter from Louis Lavitt to William Michalove, May 15, 1951. |
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Letter from James V. Bennett to William Michalove, June 7, 1951. |
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Letter, handwritten, from Dora Shaw to William Michalove, June 11, 1951. |
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Letter from Robert R. Reynolds, Attorney at Law, to William Michalove, June 9, 1951. |
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Letter from Milton L. Sorock, M.D., to William Michalove, June 8, 1951. |
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Letter from Theron Lamar Caudle to William Michalove, June 12, 1951. |
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Letter from Joe M. Cooper, President of Fields Clothes, Inc., to William Michalove, June 15, 1951. |
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Letter from S. Robins to William Michalove, June 6, 1951. |
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Letter from Harold Goldbloom to William Michalove, July 11, 1951. |
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Letter from Leo Cadison to William Michalove, June 18, 1951. |
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Letter, handwritten, from C.R. Bamford to William Michalove, June 14, 1951. |
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Letter from Joseph Dave to William Michalove, June 6, 1951. |
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Letter from David L. Slann to William Michalove, July 11, 1951. |
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Letter from Edward E. Dunn to William Michalove, July 18, 1951. |
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Letter from Sender Argintar to William Michalove, July 13, 1951. |
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Letter from Cy Agintar to William Michalove, July 24, 1951. |
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Letter from Jake Rosen to William Michalove, July 16, 1951. |
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Letter from Jack K. McFall to William Michalove, October 1, 1951. |
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Letter from Roy Server to William Michalove, July 24, 1951. |
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Letter from Leo Finkelstein to William Michalove, August 2, 1951. |
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Letter from Tom C. Clark to William Michalove, September 15, 1951. |
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Letter from Milton Wolf to William Michalove, July 27, 1951. |
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Letter from Theron Lamar Caudle to William Michalove, September 14, 1951. |
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Letter from secretary of J.W. Shoul to William Michalove, September 13, 1951. |
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Letter from William Rosenfeld to William Michalove, August 21, 1951. |
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Letter from Mike Meyerson to William Michalove, August 20, 1951. |
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Letter from David S. Schandler to William Michalove, August 21, 1951. |
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Letter from Martin Rosenthal to William Michalove, August 21, 1951. |
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Folder 4: Correspondence in regard to Lou Pollock Memorial Park |
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Letter from J.H. Lesser to Lou Pollock, September 17, 1951. |
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Letter from B.A. Pollock to William Michalove, August 9, 1951. |
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Letter from Harrison Snider to Lou Pollock, September 17, 1951. |
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Letter from Harry Blomberg to William Michalove, August 21, 1951. |
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Letter from Ben Simon to William Michalove, September 10, 1951. |
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Letter from Wilson Warlick to William Michalove, September 14, 1951. |
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Letter from Joseph Dave to William Michalove, September 14, 1951. |
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Letter, handwritten, from St. Louis, Illinois relations to Lou Pollock, Ada, and family, September 19, 1951. |
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Letter from Leroy L. Williams to William Michalove, September 13, 1951. |
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Letter from Norman D. Ayers to William Michalove, August 10, 1951. |
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Folder 5: Telegrams |
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Various telegrams, mounted on single scrapbook page. [18 pieces] |
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Folder 6: Ephemera and Publications |
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Loose page, "A worthwhile project and richly deserved," Dave Sandman, Asheville, N.C. |
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Handwritten card from Elizabeth Colburn, December 10, 1955. |
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"Merry Christmas from Pollock's," Gift certificate for a child for a free pair of shoes. |
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Newspaper clipping, "Cemetery Here Is Memorial To Living Man: Jewish Group Pays Tribute To Pollock," Asheville Citizen-Times, October 30, 1949. |
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Program, "Young People's League, Beth-Ha-Tephila presents 2nd Annual Minstrel Show, Jewish Community Center, 15 September 1948, 8:30 P.M." [12 pages] |
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Letter from W. Perry Crouch to Lou Pollock, December 28, 1955. |
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Magazine clipping, "Living In the Shadow of the Great Smokies," Heritage Magazine, October 1999. |
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Newspaper clipping, "Lou Pollock, Retired Shoe Merchant, Dies." |
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Newspaper clipping (partial), obituary of Lou Pollock. |
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Telegram from Herbert Noble to Lou Pollock extending Masonic love and brotherly affection, May 25, 1956. |
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Letter from Elizabeth Colburn to Lou Pollock extending gratitude for shoes donated for needy children, December 19, 1928. |
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Poem (photocopy), "Thoughts of My Dad, Louis H. Pollock," by daughter Alberta Pollock Server. |
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Leather bookmark, "Beaux 'n Belles, 1964-1986." |
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Poem (photocopy), "Lou Pollock," by friend and Masonic brother, Thomas J. Harkins. Printed in The Asheville Citizen, August 31, 1956. |
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Magazine clipping, "It Is Christmas Again," Postal Accounts Post, December 1946. |
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Folder 7: Photographs |
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Studio portrait, Lou Pollock in Naval outfit. [Pol001] |
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Studio portrait, Ada Pollock. [Pol002] |
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Studio portrait, four Pollock daughters, 1950: Mildred Pollock Michalove, Alberta Pollock Server, Florence Pollock Rothstein, Betty Pollock Golden. [Pol003] |
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Photograph, Lou Pollock accepting dedication award of Lou Pollock Memorial Park from Rabbis of Beth Ha-Tephila and Beth Israel, 1949. [Pol004] |
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Photograph, Lou and Ada Pollock at dedication award ceremony for Lou Pollock Memorial Park, 1949. [Pol005] |
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Photograph, group of unidentified individuals. [Pol006] |
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Lou Pollock outside his store with children and nuns singing Christmas carols, 1951. [Pol007] |
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Lou Pollock in his store with nuns and children at a Christmas party. Gift certificate from Pollock to Paul Israel in corner of picture. n.d. [Pol008] Identification Note"The nun on the right is Sr. Patricia Dolan, whose father was at one time a physician at the VA, Oteen. She was at St. Genevieve's for years and is probably now at the motherhouse of the Religious of Christian Education in Boston. The man just behind Mr. Pollock, also holding a black child, is John Spicer, a prominent banker, Wachovia, maybe. The tall man in the back row, just under "Sale" may be Gordon Greenwood, Sr. During the time of the shoe distribution, the Salvation Army's "Dime Board" would be going on Patton Ave. You always saved your dimes so when you went downtown, you could add yours to the board." [Identification notes from Verna McGaughey, Asheville, 2009] |
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Photograph, Lou Pollock in store with employees, friends, and children at Christmas gathering. [Pol009] |
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Photograph, "6th Annual District 5 Summer Convention, Camp Transylvania, Brevard, N.C.," 1941. Among those pictured: Albert Levite, Albert Jacobson, Sammy Rosen, and Sidney Schochet. [Pol010] |
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Photograph, Lou Pollock standing at gates of Lou Pollock Memorial Park with plaque, signed "To Roy and Alberta from Dad, 10/1949." [Pol011] |
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Photograph (photocopy), Lou Pollock and daughter Florence Pollock Rothstein in New York, 1957. [Pol012] |
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Postcard photograph, Lou Pollock's Christmas Party, 1931, at Pollock Shoe Store, Asheville, N.C. [Pol 13] |
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Photograph (photocopy), members of wedding of Ida Pollock to Meyer Levite, 1913, annotated with identification. [Pol014] |
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Program, 63rd Annual Dinner Meeting, Congregation Beth Ha-Tephila, June 1, 1954. |
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Dedication Program, Congregation Beth-Ha-Tephila: New Religious School Building and Tenth Anniversary Dedication of Temple, September 18-20, 1959. |
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Program, "Lou Pollock Memorial Park Dedication and History," 1951. |
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Folder 8: Book, By Reason of Strength (autobiography of Rabbi Robert P. Jacobs) |
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Book, By Reason of Strength: The Life and Work of Rabbi Robert P. Jacobs, signed "To Betty and Stan with fond memories," 1998. |
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Folder 9: Beth-Ha-Tephila |
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Program, 63rd Annual Dinner Meeting, June 1, 1954 |
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New Religious School Building, Dedication Program, 1959 |
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Folder 10: Lou Pollock Memorial Park, Dedication and History, 1951 |
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Folder 11: Scrapbook containing correspondence, death certificates, clippings, and other records related to the West Asheville Hebrew Cemetery Association, 1917 - 1953 |
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