Solomon B. and Elizabeth J. Levine Papers

Collection

Identifier: COU:983

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Levine Collection is organized into 13 sections. Some of the materials in each section are in Japanese. Section I. Alphabetical contains folders pertaining to the following categories: Annual Reports, Arbitrations, Bibliographic References, Budget Staff Detail, Calendars, Certificates, Contacts, Graduations Ceremonies, Identification, Japanese Proverbs, Lectures, Memorials, Newsletters, Newspaper Clippings, Obituaries, Pamphlets, Ph.D. Exams, Ph.D. and MA Candidates, Photographs, Radio Interviews, Retirements, Reunions, Statements, Taskforces, TV Appearances, TV Programs, Vietnam War, Vita, and Workshops. All of the folders and the contents of the folders are in alphabetical then chronological order.

Section II. Conferences contain conference information and papers presented at conferences, all of the folders are in alphabetical order by conference title. Section III. Correspondence contains correspondence with friends, family and colleagues. All of the correspondence is in alphabetical order by last name/organization then placed in chronological order with in the name/organization. People/organizations with a large amount of correspondence are given individual folders all other people/organizations are placed in appropriate alphabetical folder such as, “L” for Lee and Levine. Section IV. Courses contain courses taught by Solomon B. Levine. They are all placed in alphabetical order by course title. Section V. Journals/Magazines contains journals and magazines that are either not held in Norlin Library and/or have articles in them by Solomon B. Levine. The folders are placed in alphabetical order by the journal/magazine title. Section VI. Papers/Books/Articles contain papers, books and articles that are not held in Norlin Library, unpublished, and/or are manuscripts for future published works. The files are separated into three parts: the first is in alphabetical order by authors last name, the second is in alphabetical order by the title of the manuscript, because the author is unknown, the third is material for which the author and title are unknown.

Section VII. Research contains research information collected by Solomon B. Levine and his colleagues. All files are in alphabetical order by place then topic. Section VIII. Reviews contain book reviews written by Solomon B. Levine or about books he published. All files are in alphabetical order by author’s last name. Section IX. Visits contain information pertaining to visits made to Japan and South East Asia. All of the files are in alphabetical order according to location then in chronological order within the location. Section X. Business Cards contain business cards of acquaintances and colleagues of Solomon and Elizabeth Levine. Section XI. Note Cards contain note cards with bibliographic and research information on them. Two of the boxes are organized and one is disorganized. Section XII. Tapes contain tapes of interviews conducted by Solomon B. Levine. Section XIII. Oversize contains a certificate and a lease for a house in Japan.

Dates

Creation: 1942 - 2000

Biographical Note

During WWII Elizabeth J. Billett, as a WAVE, and Solomon B. Levine, as a Naval officer, attended the US Navy Japanese Language School from December 1942 to March 1944, then located at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Solomon B. Levine went on to serve at Pearl Harbor, Okinawa and Japan. Elizabeth J. Billett went on to serve in Washington DC where she translated documents. On December 24, 1943 Solomon B. Levine and Elizabeth J. Billett were married in Boulder, Colorado. The Levine’s have four children: Janet L. Thal (1948), Samuel B. (1951), Michael A. (1954), and Elliott M. (1961).

Solomon B. Levine was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 10, 1920. Solomon Levine received his AB from Harvard in 1942 (magna cum laude), his MBA from Harvard in 1947 (with honors), and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1951. Solomon B. Levine’s professional career began as a teaching assistant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1947 to 1949. Levine then began teaching at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana from 1949 to 1969. At the University of Illinois he held various positions including, Research Associate with the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (ILIR), Professor of Labor and Industrial Relations and Asian Studies, Director of the Center for Asian Studies, and Chairman of the Center for International Comparative Studies. From 1969 to 1989 Solomon B. Levine taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At the University of Wisconsin Levine held the positions of Assistant to the Dean of International Studies and Programs, Director of the National Resource Center for East Asian Languages and Area Studies, Member of the East Asian Studies Program, Member of the Council for Japanese Studies, Participating Faculty Member of the Industrial Relations Research Institute, and as a Professor of Business and Economics. Solomon B. Levine retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1989 and was designated an Emeritus Professor of Business and Economics. Levine also held numerous visiting research and teaching positions at Universities around the world.

Solomon B. Levine’s publications include: Industrial Relations in Postwar Japan (Univ. Illinois Press, 1958), Workers and Employers in Japan: The Japanese Relations System, co-edited with Kazuo Okochi and Bernard Karsh (Tokyo Univ. Press and Priceton Univ. Press, 1973), Human Resources in Japanese Industrial Development, with Hisashi Kawada (Princeton Univ. Pressm 1980), THE ANNALS: Japan’s External Economic Relations: Japanese Perspectives, co-edited with Koji Taira (Vol. 513, January 1991), and various other book chapters, articles, and papers.

Elizabeth J. Billett was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania on June 7, 1922. Elizabeth J. Billet received her BS from Pennsylvania State University in 1942, a certificate from the Harvard-Radcliffe Business Program in 1947, and her MA from the University of Illinois in 1965. Elizabeth J. Billet’s professional career began as and Junior Chemist for the Food and Drug Administration from 1942 to 1945. After World War II, Mrs. Levine worked as the assistant director of the Harvard-Radcliffe Management Training Program from 1947 to 1948. From 1965 to 1969 Elizabeth J. Levine began working at the University of Illinois as the Assistant Director of the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations. Mrs. Levine worked as the Assistant to the Chairman in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from September 1969 to July 1987. Elizabeth J. Levine also held various part-time positions and is involved in various volunteer activities.

Extent

70 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Solomon B. and Elizabeth J. Levine both graduated from the US Navy Japanese Language School, located at the University of Colorado in Boulder from 1942-1946. Solomon B. Levine’s academic career with MIT, the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on post war Japanese Industrial Relations. The bulk of the Solomon B. and Elizabeth J. Levine Collection consists of conferences, correspondence, courses taught, journals, magazines, papers, books, articles, research, reviews of other publications, and other information pertaining to the career of Solomon B. Levine. However, some of the files and correspondence pertain to the academic career of Elizabeth J. Levine and personal life of Elizabeth J. and Solomon B. Levine.