Albert James Sommer, 1910-1990 [RG1649.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG1649.AM: Albert James Sommer, 1910-1990

Papers: ca. 1912-1990
Butte, Osmond, and Norfolk, Neb.: Orphan train rider; Veterans’ Service Officer
Size: 0.5 cu.ft.; 1 box

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Jenis Valda Glickardus was born in New York City in November 1910. Sometime before the age of two, he was admitted to the New York Foundling Hospital and given the name James. In the early autumn of 1912, James became one of the thousands of orphans who traveled west on “orphan trains” as part of the “placing out” program of the Hospital. Wearing a numbered cloth arm band and identification tag, James was met and taken to the Boyd County, Nebraska home of foster parents Henry and Mary Sommer, who gave him the name Albert James Sommer. Albert attended rural schools in Boyd County, and three years of parochial school in Butte, Nebraska. In 1930, the Sommers formally adopted Albert. From October of 1928 to January of 1943, he lived in Osmond, Nebraska. He married the former Dorothy Bolender in 1940. He served in World War II with the 1st Infantry Division in Europe, and following his honorable discharge in 1946, moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, where he worked as the Veterans’ Service Officer for Madison County. He became a member and past president of the Nebraska group of former members of the New York Foundling Hospital.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of papers arranged in six series: 1) Correspondence, ca. 1912-1990; 2) School documents, 1917-1925; 3) Orphan train reunions, 1962-1989; 4) New York Foundling Hospital ca. 1956-1985; 5) Printed materials, 1962-1990; and 6) Miscellaneous.

Series 1 contains letters dated ca. 1912-1941 concerning Albert’s birth, orphan experience, and adoption. Several important documents can be found as inserts in letters from 1939 to 1941, when Albert wrote to New York in search of his baptismal record and birth certificate. He kept his court adoption papers with this series of letters, though they do not form part of the correspondence. Also of interest in this series are letters from the 1982 fourth grade class of Northern Hills School thanking Albert for visiting their class to talk about his orphan train experience. Other correspondence may be found throughout the collection, and has been kept with the materials to which it pertains.

Series 2, School Documents, includes report cards, programs, a declamatory speech and ribbon, and a diploma.

Series 3, Orphan Train Reunions, consists of correspondence, mailing lists, photographs, and guest books from reunions of orphan train riders.

The New York Foundling Hospital materials of Series 4 include several histories of the hospital and a small amount of correspondence.

Clippings, newsletters, feature articles, and one student theme, collected by Sommer and featuring orphan train history or orphan train reunions, form the bulk of Series 5, Printed Materials. A few clippings concern a movie, filmed in Grand Island Nebraska, about the orphan trains. Some items include cover letters. The last series consists of one folder of miscellaneous material.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Correspondence, ca. 1912-1990

Box 1
Folder

  1. ca. 1912-1941
  2. 1964, 1984-1990
  3. Northern Hills 4th Grade, 1982

Series 2 – School Documents, 1917-1925

  1. 1917-1924
  2. Declamatory contest, 1925

Series 3 – Orphan Train Reunions, 1962-1989

  1. Correspondence, 1984-1989, n.d.
  2. Mailing lists
  3. Guest books, 1975
  4. Photographs, 1962, 1969, 1973

Series 4 – New York Foundling Hospital, ca. 1956-1985

  1. New York Foundling Hospital, ca. 1956-1985
  2. New York Foundling Hospital, ca. 1956-1985

Series 5 – Printed Materials, 1962-1990

  1. Orphan train clippings, 1962-1990
  2. Orphan train feature articles, 1980-1988
  3. Student theme, “Orphan Trains,” 1990

Series 6 – Miscellaneous

  1. Miscellaneous

Subject headings:

Hanna (Wyo.) — History
New York Foundling Hospital (New York, N.Y.)
Orphans — Nebraska
Orphan Trains — Nebraska
Sommer, Albert James, 1910-1990
Webster County (Neb.) — History

05-18-2007 Revised TMM/tmm

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Yutan Tornado – March 23, 1913

Yutan Tornado – March 23, 1913

About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.