Boorum & Pease The Boorum & Pease Company was founded in 1842 by Arthur Morrell, an English bookbinder engaged in the manufacture of blank books at 196 Fulton street, New York City. Retiring in 1853, he left his business to John O'Hara, who moved the company to 306 Bleecker street. It was on September 1, 1867, that this business was transformed into that of Boorum & Pease, being located at the corner of Bank and Bleecker streets. Mr. Boorum started in Mr. O'Hara's employ as a boy of 14. Mr. Pease had been in the stationery business in Detroit. In 1893 greatly increasing growth, resulted in incorporation as the Boorum & Pease Company, with the following officers: George L. Pease, president; William B. Boorum, vice-president; Charles L. Boorum, second vice-president; G. C. Boorum, secretary and treasurer. William C. Bardenheuer as the manager. Boorum & Pease maintained facilities in Brooklyn from approximately 1888 to 1984. These included their first factory building there at the corner of Front and Bridge streets (184 Front St.), and a building two blocks further east on Front St. at Hudson Ave. (84 Hudson Ave.). Around 1980 they relocated their headquarters to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Their earliest factories, offices and salesrooms were in Manhattan: 23-25 Beekman St. (1870-1873), 28-30 Reade St. (1874-1893), 101-103 Duane St. (1893-1908), 109-111 Leonard St. (1908-1925), 349 Broadway (1926-1962) and 93 Worth St. (1963-1973). Boorum & Pease bought the Seiber & Trussell Manufacturing Company of St. Louis which was in the business of manufacturing ledgers, loose leaf binders and had the patent rights to a few hole punches invented my Mr. Trussell. After the purchase Boorum & Pease announcement that the name of the St. Louis company has been dropped entirely by the purchaser, a new title having been given it, namely The Boorum and Pease Loose Leaf Book Company. Page 1
Obituaries of the founders and officers George L. Pease's obituary, New York Times, 26 February 1895, read, "George L. Pease, formerly Vice President of the Shoe and Leather National Bank, died yesterday morning at his home, 325 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn. He was stricken with apoplexy at 11 o'clock Sunday morning. Mr. Pease had been ill all Winter, and for two weeks had been confined to his bed. His illness is attributed to worry over the $354,000 defalcation of Samuel C. Seely and Frederick Baker. When the defalcation was discovered Mr. Pease did all in his power for the bank and its depositors, and overexerting himself, affected his health. He was re-elected Vice President at the annual meeting on Jan. 8, but resigned his position on Feb. 15, and at once took to his bed, where he remained until his death. Mr. Pease owned a large interest in the Boorum & Pease Company, which manufactures blank books, and left a large estate. He was born in Painesville, Ohio, in June, 1835. With his father, he moved to Detroit, Mich., when he was nine years old, and there and at Lodi, Mich., he obtained his education. He afterward taught school. William B. Boorum's obituary, New York Times, 28 March 1901, read, "William B. Boorum died suddenly at his home, 276 Henry Street, Brooklyn, on Tuesday. Death was due to heart disease. Mr. Boorum was born sixty-two years ago, and when fifteen years old he entered the office of John O'Hara, a manufacturer of blank books. He afterward became a partner of his employer, and on Mr. O'Hara's death organized the firm of Miles, Boorum & Co., and afterward the firm of Boorum & Pease, operating the largest blank-book manufacturing plant in the United States. Mr. Boorum was prominently connected with Plymouth Church for forty years. He leaves a widow and four children. The funeral services will be held at his home to-morrow at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Dr. Newell Dwight Hillis will conduct the services." Both William B. Boorum and George L. Pease are buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn. Edwin E. Jackson, Jr. (1867-1919). His obituary, New York Times, 27 May 1919, included the following, "Mr. Jackson's home in Clinton Avenue is one of the finest structures on that street. It is said that the building alone cost $100,000. Mr. Jackson was a member of the Oxford Club, Brooklyn, the Union League Club, and attended the Clinton Avenue Congregational Church. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Carolina Mather Boorum, daughter of William Boorum of the old and prominent Boorum family of Brooklyn." Edwin E. Jackson, Jr., was president of Boorum & Pease at the time of his death. Frederick Conant Bingham (1878-1944) succeeded Mr. Jackson after his death. As reported in the American Stationer and Office Outfitter in June of 1919, "The many friends of Fred C. Bingham are congratulating him on the fact that he has again associated himself with the Boorum & Pease Company. He has just been elected to the office of President and General Manager, the position left vacant by the recent death of E. E. Jackson, Jr. Mr. Bingham is well known throughout the trade, having been connected for many years with the Boorum & Pease Page 2
Company, filling very important positions under the close guidance of W. B. Boorum. Some years ago, he left the organization to embark in business in Philadelphia, where he has been most successful, particularly of late years in his position of General Manager of the Hires Company and other important organizations." Arthur Walker Bingham, Jr (1908-1987) Educated in Yale University and listed as the Secretary/Treasurer of Boorum & Pease Company. Arthur married Mary Dunwody who lived for nearly 100 years. She died peacefully, December 23, 2000, in her 99th year. Obituary read, Beloved wife of the late Arthur W. Bingham, Jr., loving mother of the late Mary B. Murray and of A. Walker Bingham III, devoted grandmother of Felicia C. Murray, Jonathan E. Murray, Arthur W. Bingham IV, Alexander D. Bingham & Nicole P. Bingham. Among others associated with Boorum & Pease in its early years was William B. Boorum's son, Charles Lowe Boorum (1866-1897). His death at an early age was noted by the New England Stationer and Printer. vol. XI, no. 3, April, 1897, "Charles Lowe Boorum, elder son of William B. Boorum, of the Boorum & Pease Company, died suddenly April 16 at his home, 289 Clinton avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. Mr. Boorum was an officer of the company, and was in charge of the company's factory in Brooklyn. He was thirty-one years of age." Arthur Walker Bingham, III. died peacefully at home on April 1, 2016, in his 88th year. He was born in New York City and attended The Buckley School, St. Paul's School, Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He served as a naval officer during the Korean War and held the rank of Lieutenant. After graduating Law School, he was an attorney at Millbank Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, the General Attorney for Abex Corporation, and the Chairman of Boorum & Pease Company. He led an active life participating in many organizations including, at various times, President of the Church Club of New York, Trustee of Fort Ticonderoga, Commander of Knights Templar, Master of Holland Lodge, a Vestryman of St. James Church, Secretary of the National Institute of Social Sciences, and a Lieutenant Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars. He was passionate about history and collected a library of antique medicinal advertising, Patent Medicines and preparations, about which he published the "Snake Oil Syndrome," an illustrated history of Patent Medicine advertising. He is survived by his beloved wife, Nicolette Pathy, his daughter Nicole P. Bingham, his sons Arthur W. Bingham and Alexander D. Bingham, and three grandchildren. A funeral service celebrating his life will be held at the Church of the Epiphany, 1393 York Avenue, New York City, on April 18th at 4pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his honor may be made to St. Paul's School, 325 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH or The Buckley School, 113 East 73rd Street, NYC. Page 3
Fred C. Bingham's obituary in the New York Times, 18 Nov. 1944, read in part, "Frederick Conant Bingham of Madison, N. J., chairman of the board of Boorum & Pease Company, manufacturing stationers of Brooklyn, died yesterday in New York Hospital after a brief illness. His age was 65. Born in Troy, N. Y., the son of Eugene and Pauline Walker Bingham, Mr. Bingham attended St. Paul's School, Concord, N. H., and Middlebury College. As a young man he worked four years for Boorum & Pease Company. He then became general manager of the Main Belting Company of Philadelphia and later formed his own concern, the Bingham Company, printers and lithographers of Philadelphia. In 1912 he became general manager of the Charles E. Hires Root Beer Company. Seven years later he rejoined Boorum & Pease Company as president and in 1937 was made chairman of the board." (From the Bingham estate)
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(Boorum & Pease No. 1 Hole Punch from the Bingham estate with photograph of Arthur W. Bingham, II) Page 8