Box 4

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From Hendersonville, NC; Leon is with his siblings at a school; description of his activities and an essay he wrote; mentions that his mother was "improving" (health wise).

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From Highmount, NY; description of a Literary Society debate on who was greater, Washington or Lincoln?; description of daily activities; second letter written from Jackson, Wyoming describing the small Western towns he visited.

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From Long Island; mentions his father's car accident; inquires about Ku Klux Klan activities in Beaufort (as described in the Beaufort Gazette); descriptions of books he read; inquires if William has read anything in the papers about "[Henry] Ford's latest attacks upon the Jews"; musing about deficiency of the electoral college system; mentions his grandmother; Leon's commentary on Pres. Harding and Woodrow Wilson.

Scope and Contents From New York; descriptions of entrance exams and class work [at Columbia University]; mentions visiting his mother (at the NY sanitarium); discussion of the Democratic convention in NY and fight to denounce the KKK; writes about his mother's ailing health; his impressions of the book, You Gentiles and differences between gentiles and Jews; description of a vacation in the New York countryside; mentions "the children" (his siblings) attending school in Beaufort and advises his father about...

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From Columbia University; description of exams and his roommate (who is an art student); commentary on current politicians and the art of speech writing; brief history of railroad strike of 1894 (on which he was preparing an essay); his new opinions about WWI (which are different from what he was taught in high school,) and his high esteem for Woodrow Wilson; description of how his Jewish fraternity identified and rushed new Jewish students.

Scope and Contents From Columbia University; descriptions of his exams, mentions visits with his ailing mother at sanitarium; deciding what he should do with his life after graduation (return south and go into business or law school,) asks his father's advice; musings on capitalism and Karl Marx; mentions ice skating with friends as a diversion from study; he admits that there is a marked segregation of Jews and gentiles at Columbia (Jews could not be on student boards nor editors of campus literary endeavors,...

Scope and Contents From Columbia University; further description of college life and school work including his process for preparing/writing essays; mentions visits with his mother and sister (Beth) in New York; describes hitch hiking to Beaufort; the $300 prize he won in a NY Historical Society essay contest; tries to persuade his father to travel north by boat rather than auto; mentions essay he is working on which criticizes Japanese imperialism and nationalism; his views on execution of Saco and Vanzetti;...

Scope and Contents From Columbia University; offers his unfavorable opinion of Winthrop College as a suitable university for Rosalyn; claims Winthrop affords few social opportunities and lacks culture, calls it "provincial"; he has applied to Harvard Law School and is hoping for free tuition; re. work on new essays (for publication); his election to Phi Beta Kappa; discussion of European travel plans with a friend, Bob Goldwater; reflections on his final weeks at college and plans for graduation; re. winning...

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From Cambridge, MA; further discussion related to both academic and social life at Harvard Law School; musings on type of law he might practice and which political party would be most beneficial to be affiliated with; his views on capitalism and the role of economics in law; descriptions of his housemates; mentions dating and making an effort to find time to be more social; explains to his father what "law club" contests are and how they work.

Scope and Contents From Harvard Law School; Leon expounds on his socialistic views and the stock market crash; he mentions his suspicions that there is an undercurrent of discrimination against Jews at Harvard and his feelings on such matters; letter written during a cross country automobile trip taken with a friend and Herbert (details of their car and the drive); discusses second year law classes; his strong feelings about the depravity of West Point and why Herbert should not be encouraged to attend; re....