Charles F. Brannock Papers, 1943-1993

Summary

Creator:
Brannock, Charles F.
Abstract:
Correspondence, printed material, business records, and other ephemera relating to the business and personal interests of the American businessman and inventor.
Extent:
3.75 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Charles F. Brannock Papers,

Background

Scope and content:

The Charles F. Brannock Papers consist of correspondence, clippings, printed materials, purchase orders, advertising art, and miscellaneous material related to Brannock's business and personal interests.

Advertising contains photographs, drawings, print layouts, and proofs intended for use in advertising or promoting the Brannock Device, as well as a few final printed advertisement.

Correspondence is subdivided into business and personal. Business correspondence contains communications related to the Park-Brannock Shoe Store and the Brannock Device Company. Personal correspondence is largely between Brannock and his friends and family.

Notes contains product research notes, a prototype scale model of a portion of the Brannock Device, assorted receipts, and handwritten notes documenting blood glucose levels and meal plans.

Printed materials contains assorted shoe industry ephemera, along with clippings and other informational materials related to diabetes, local politics, conservatism, and the General Electric Company.

Purchase orders contains records of sales made by the Brannock Device Company to J.C Penney Co. and Sears Roebuck Inc.

Biographical / historical:

Charles Brannock (1903-1992) was an American businessman and inventor, and an alumnus of Syracuse University.

Brannock was a co-owner of the Park-Brannock Shoe Store in Syracuse, New York and invented the Brannock device, the industry-standard metal plate with adjustable slides used to measure foot size. He later founded the Brannock Device Company for the manufacture and sale of Brannock Devices. Brannock was a stakeholder in the General Electric company and brother-in-law to the company’s vice president of labor and communications, Lemuel Boulware. Brannock was also involved in American conservatism at local and national levels, regularly donating to political campaigns and conservative educational groups such as the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Numerous members of Brannock’s family, including himself and his sister Norma Boulware (née Brannock), dealt with diabetes in their lifetimes.

Acquisition information:
Transfer from University Archives, 2019.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into the series indicated above. Advertising is arranged alphabetically by company. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent within each subseries. Purchase orders are arranged chronologically within each subseries. All other series are in no particular order.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Terms of access:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Charles F. Brannock Papers,

Location of this collection:
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Bird Library, Room 600
Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
315.443.2697
scrc@syr.edu