Wilfred A. Joubert Papers from Suriname and Mexico

Collection

Identifier: MSS-4242

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the business and personal life of Wilfred A. Joubert (1867-1940), an American businessman from Massachusetts. The materials cover Mr. Joubert’s time in Suriname (Dutch Guiana), where he harvested balata (an early latex product) for the American Exploitation Company; and Chiapas, Mexico, where he exported rubber for the Rio Michol Rubber Plantation Company and bananas for the United States Banana Company. The collection contains maps, legal documents, correspondence, receipts, photographs, and other materials related to these business ventures. In addition to Mr. Joubert’s international business materials, the collection also contains posters, correspondence, schedules, and marketing materials related to Mr. Joubert’s involvement in the Redpath Lyceum circuit, where he toured the United States and lectured on the “Mexican Situation” while promoting World War I Victory Bonds. Included in this collection is a scrapbook of newspaper clippings that cover the American view of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), as well as reviews of Mr. Joubert’s lecture and other materials compiled by Mr. Joubert. The scrapbook is of particular interest as it contains a note signed by Pancho Villa (1878-1923), authorizing a payment for a repair.

Dates

1813 - 1925

Language of Materials

Materials are in English, Dutch, Spanish, and French.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are responsible for using the materials in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright claimants in collection materials. Copyright for official University records is held by The University of Alabama. The library claims only physical ownership of many manuscript collections. Anyone wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of literary property rights or copyrights. Please contact Special Collections (archives@ua.edu) with questions regarding specific manuscript collections. For more information about copyright policy, please visit: https://www.ua.edu/copyright/. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal implications, for which the University of Alabama assumes no responsibility.

Biographical / Historical

Wilfred Adelbert Joubert (1867-1940) was an American businessman from Hyde Park, Massachusetts. Shortly after his marriage to Louise Hooper Ryan in 1891, the couple travelled to Paramaribo, Suriname (Dutch Guiana), so he could harvest balata—an early latex product—for the American Exploitation Company. He stayed in Surinam until roughly 1899 when he returned to the United States, and eventually moved to Middletown, Connecticut. In 1908, Joubert moved to Chiapas, Mexico, to export bananas for the United States Banana Company (1908-1911) and then rubber for the Rio Michol Rubber Plantation Company (1911-1913). The ongoing Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) forced Joubert and many other Americans in the country to leave their business ventures and return to the United States at the request of then president Woodrow Wilson. Upon his return to the United States, Joubert began lecturing on the “Mexican Situation” for the Redpath Lyceum Bureau,an organization that later assisted in selling Liberty Loan Bonds after the United States entered World War I. Joubert had four children: Sylvester Gordon Joubert (1893-1966), Mildred Joubert (1895-1902), Clement Carver Joubert (1896-1965), and Madeline Olmstead Joubert (1907-1994). Wilfred A. Joubert died in 1940.

Extent

11 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Overview

This collection contains maps, legal documents, correspondence, receipts, photographs, and other materials related to the business ventures of Wilfred Adelbert Joubert (1867-1940), an American businessman. Mr. Joubert moved to Paramaribo, Surinam (Dutch Guiana), from 1891-1899 to harvest balata—an early latex product—for the American Exploitation Company, then to Chiapas, Mexico, to export bananas for the United States Banana Company (1908-1911), and then rubber for the Rio Michol Rubber Plantation Company (1911-1913). The materials in this collection cover Mr. Joubert’s business and personal life during this time.

Arrangement

The archivist has arranged the materials to reflect their purpose at the time of creation, and then arranged chronologically for ease of identification.