Buck and Frank Family Oversize Papers 1881-1966
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Buck and Frank Family Oversize Papers
- Creator
- Buck and Frank Family
- Collection Number
- MSO 531
- Extent
- 2 linear feet (1 oversize box)
- Date
- 1881-1966
- Abstract
- The Buck and Frank families were Jewish families that lived in McKeesport and Irwin, respectively, during the late 19th and 20th centuries. They were connected through Rose Buck Frank, who married Herbert I. Frank in 1930. Rose's brother, William L. Buck, was a World War I veteran and realtor who donated land to Pennsylvania State University to establish its McKeesport campus. This collection includes maps and blueprints from William L. Buck, as well as diplomas and certificates from Frank family members.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
The Buck and Frank families were Jewish families that lived in McKeesport and Irwin, Pa., respectively, during the late 19th and 20th centuries. They were connected through Rose Buck Frank, who married Herbert I. Frank (H.I.F.) in 1930. Rose's brother, William L. Buck (W.L.B.), donated land that helped establish the Pennsylvania State University's McKeesport campus.
Peppa Kimelman Buck was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1871, and immigrated with her family to McKeesport, Pa., in 1894. Her father, Mendel Kimelman, owned M. Kimelman Confectionery at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Ann Street in McKeesport. Peppa Kimelman married Meyer Buck about 1895 and later assumed operation of the store, which was renamed Buck's Grocery. The couple had three children: W.L.B. (b.1896), Rose (b. ca.1902), and David (b. ca. 1900). Meyer Buck died in an accident around 1907. Peppa Kimelman Buck died on May 3, 1959, at the age of 87.
William L. Buck (W.L.B.) served in the American Expeditionary Force between 1918 and 1919. As a truck driver, W.L.B. transported troops and supplies to the front lines in France. After the war, he returned to McKeesport and eventually became a realtor. In 1956, W.L.B. donated 10 acres of land in memory of his father to Pennsylvania State University to establish a permanent campus in McKeesport. In 1967, W.L.B. donated an additional 100 acres, adjacent to Renziehausen Park, which allowed for the expansion of the campus.
In 1884, Abraham Frank (1853-1928), the son of William and Pauline Wormser Frank, married Anna Augusta Ohlman (1863-1947) in Meadville, Pa. They had two children: Herbert I. (H.I.F.) and Florence (Frank) May. At some point, the family moved to Irwin, Pa., where they operated a store.
H.I.F. (1886-1946) was drafted into the Quartermaster Corps but received a medical discharge shortly after the Armistice. After the war, H.I.F. attended the University of Pittsburgh. In 1930, he married Rose Buck. The couple had two daughters Stephanie Frank Mallinger, born in 1931, and Ann Frank Hoechstetter, born in 1933.
H.I.F. was involved in local philanthropic groups, such as Jewish Big Brother Association, the Jewish Social Service Bureau, and the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association. Due to his standing in the community, H.I.F. was asked to join a local draft board. For three years, H.I.F. served as chairman on City Draft Board #14, before resigning after a dispute with other board members over the issuing of deferments. Following his resignation, H.I.F. took a position on a Price Control Board. H.I.F. passed away in 1946.
Rose Buck Frank attended McKeesport High School and the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a degree in journalism at Syracuse University in 1925 and served as a volunteer nurse during World War II. On June 23, 1926, she married Joe Neumann (Newman), who died six months later. Following her marriage to Herbert Frank in 1930, she lived in McKeesport for several years before relocating to Bennington Avenue in Squirrel Hill. She died on October 23, 1964.
Scope and Content Notes
The Buck and Frank Family Oversized Papers includes maps and blueprints from William L. Buck, as well as diplomas and certificates from Frank family members. The maps and blueprints depict locations in McKeesport, Versailles, Irwin, and Elizabeth Township.
Conditions Governing Access
No Restrictions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Stephanie Mallinger on September 25, 2002, November 15th, 2002, and September 24, 2014.
Acc. 2002.0203, Acc. 2002.0268, and Acc. 2014.0142.
Preferred Citation
Buck and Frank Family Oversize Papers, 1881-1966, MSO 531, Rauh Jewish Archives, Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Matt Strauss in June, 2009. Revisions processed by Carly Lough in March 2015.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Related Materials
Materials related to William and Pauline Wormser Frank and their descendants can be found in the Frank Family Papers and Photographs, MSS 474 and MSP 474.
Separated Materials
The Buck and Frank Family Papers have been cataloged as MSS 531
The Buck and Frank Photographs have been cataloged as MSP 531.
The Buck and Frank Family Oversized Photographs have been cataloged as MSR 531
A collection of artifacts from the family has been transferred to the museum. This includes three hair combs from Anna Ohlman Frank, a lap robe from H.I.F., World War I banners and flags from W.L.B., Red Cross aprons and hats from Rose Buck Frank, and a wedding dress and veil from Stephanie Frank Mallinger.
Subjects
- Pennsylvania State University McKeesport Campus
- Rodef Shalom (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Freemasons Grand Lodge (Pa.)
- Buck, William L. (1896-1974)
- Frank, Herbert I. (1886-1946)
- Frank, Abraham (1853-1928)
- Frank, Anna Ohlman (1863-1947)
- Frank, Rose Buck (1902-1964)
- Frank Family.
- Buck Family.
- McKeesport (Pa.)--planning
- Irwin (Pa.)
- Elizabeth Township (Pa.)
- Versailles (Pa.)