Guide to the Berenice Harriet Jewett Bradshaw papers

Berenice Harriet Jewett was born on May 12, 1903 in Sioux City, Iowa to Fred Daniel Jewett and Florence Roberts Jewett. She spent most of her early years in Iowa, moving to Denver, Colorado in 1907 where she started school the following year. In 1913 her family moved to Boise, Idaho. Then in 1916 Salt Lake City became Berenice's primary home and despite her first year of high school in Redmond, Oregon, she spent the rest of her life living in Utah. She attended the Salt Lake Collegiate Institute (1920-1922) when it was the preparatory department at Westminster College (Berenice in her biographical notes referred to this as Westminster High School). As a high school student, Berenice was the Vice President of the Class of 1921, a member of Glee Club, Calliopean Lit, and sang and performed in school operettas.

In the Fall of 1922 Berenice entered college the University of Utah where she met Franklin James Bradshaw at a fraternity dance. They married two years later on October 31, 1924 in Ogden, Utah. The couple, married for 53 years, had four children: Robert Jewett Bradshaw (born August 10, 1927), Marilyn Bradshaw (born July 6, 1929), Elaine Bradshaw (born March 14, 1931), and Frances Berenice Bradshaw (born April 6, 1938). Franklin J. Bradshaw built a financial empire with thirty-one auto parts stores and dozens of lucrative oil and gas leases in the Intermountain West. His financial worth was estimated to be over $50 million. On July 23, 1978 he was murdered in Salt Lake City and for four years the crime remained unsolved. In 1982, Franklin Bradshaw's grandson Marc Schreuder, and his Manhattan socialite daughter Frances Bradshaw Schreuder, were arrested. Both were convicted and sentenced to prison (twelve and thirteen years respectively). This murder, its investigation, arrest, trial, and convictions became the subject of best selling books and TV movies.

Following her husband's death in 1978, Berenice Bradshaw traveled extensively abroad and maintained residences in Salt Lake City and New York City. She was a member of several national and local organizations including the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, National Huguenot Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Order of the Eastern Star of Utah, and the Unitarian Church. A Westminster College trustee emerita, she became the largest single benefactor to Westminster College by donating to the college's scholarship funds and funding the building of the Jewett Center for Fine Arts (now named the Jewett Center for the Performing Arts). The Jewett Center groundbreaking ceremonies were held in 1989 and it was dedicated in 1991. Berenice's philanthropy extended to many other Utah institutions including Salt Lake City's Holy Cross Hospital, Ballet West, and the Utah Opera, as well as several New York City institutions including the School of American Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Marymount School for girls.

Berenice Jewett Bradshaw died on February 24, 1996 at age 92. Berenice Bradshaw (1903-1996) and Franklin James Bradshaw (1902-1978) are buried together in Lehi City Cemetery, Utah.

Sources for this biographical note, viewed online March 22, 2016:

• Deseret news, February 25, 1996 article "Philanthropist Berenice J. Bradshaw dies".
• Deseret news, March 10, 1996 obituary.
• Find A Grave memorial--Franklin James Bradshaw.

This collection consists of the personal papers of Berenice Harriet Jewett Bradshaw. Materials date from 1903-1996 and include her autobiography, biographies, certificates, correspondence, a diary, family history, memorial service records, and newspaper clippings. While Mrs. Bradshaw was a major benefactor/donor to Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, these papers generally relate to her personal life, her family, and her death and not to her service to the college. The papers also relate to the murder of her husband, Franklin James Bradshaw, and the resulting trial, including Mrs. Bradshaw's trial diary and her personal family letters.

Regarding the proper spelling of Bernice/Berenice--while her 1903 Iowa birth certificate has the name "Bernice Harriet Jewett", her 1924 marriage certificate bears the name "Miss Bernice Harriet Jewett", and a letter from her father, dated 1942 is addressed to "Mrs. F.J. Bradshaw, My Dear Daughter Bernice", it appears that the name spelled as "Berenice" was preferred by Berenice Harriet Jewett Bradshaw herself during most of her adult life. The name "Berenice" appears on legal documents, passports, personal correspondence, Christmas letter signatures, and other writings throughout the papers. Variant spelling for other parts of her name appearing in the papers are "Harriett" and "Jewitt".

Berenice Bradshaw is the subject of the first part of the collection (Box 1, Folders 1-18), containing her autobiography (typescript in seven parts), lists of donations, memberships, genealogy, newspaper clippings, certificates, speeches, and documents relating to her death and memorials. In one document she notes "my lineage goes back to Henri de Juet of France, a knight in the first Crusade 1066 ... the 'House of Juatt of England', and two Jewett brothers sailed to America in the ship 'John' in 1638".

Bradshaw Family documents are in Box 1, Folders 19-22, including family biographies, certificates of birth, death, and marrage, and photographs. The family biographies file includes short biographies of Robert Jewett Bradshaw (1927-1966), Marilyn Bradshaw Reagan (b. 1929), and Tacy Arabella Davis Roberts (b. 1859). These are followed by files on Frances Bradshaw and Franklin J. Bradshaw (Box 1, Folders 23-24). In addition, a Bradshaw family history and coat-of-arms image are in Box 2, Folder 11.

Berenice's trial diary and Frances Scheuder's commitment documents are in Box 1, Folders 25-26.

Correspondence between Bradshaw family members, friends, and third party correspondece are in Box 2, Folders 1-10.

The remainder of the collection (Box 2, Folders 11-19) is comprised of papers on a variety of topics including: Holy Cross Foundation, Jewett Center, Jewett Family, newspaper clippings relating to the family business, the Utah Opera, and wedding announcements.

Restrictions on Access:

Open to public research.

Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Twenty-four hours advance notice is encouraged.

Restrictions on Use:

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material must be obtained from the director of the Giovale Library.

Preferred Citation:

Berenice Harriet Jewett Bradshaw papers, 1903-1996, MSS-016, Giovale Library Archives, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by subject and thereunder alphabetically by subject subdivision.

Acquisition Information:

The collection was donated to Westminster College in November 2004.

Processing Note:

Processed in December 2007 by Charlene Newbold and revised by Patricia Lyn Scott in July 2009. This collection was originally accessioned as ACC-130.

Creator:

Bradshaw, Berenice Harriet Jewett, 1903-1996

Language:

Collection materials are in English.

Quantity:

1 linear foot

Language of the Finding Aid:

English.

Author of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid written December 2007 by Charlene Newbold; revised July 2009 by Patricia Lyn Scott; expanded March 2016 by Sarah J. Shaw.

EAD Creation Date:

2016 March 17 by Sarah Shaw

Standard:

Describing Archives : A Content Standard (DACS)

Subarea:

Related Material:

Related collections and photographs in Giovale Library Archives:

• Walter Gerard Pontz papers, 1937-1949 (MSS-009)
• Mary D. Brown papers, 1927-2000 (MSS-012)
• Wilbur Gardner composition book, 1913-1914 (MSS-018)
• Dorothy Stacey papers, 1925-1996 (MSS-022)
• Westminster College Yearbook Index "The Etosian" - Letter J (Berenice Jewett is referenced 5 times for the years 1921 and 1922, including a Senior Class picture, activities, and a baby picture)
• Photograph of Berenice Jewett Bradshaw

Related material held by other institutions:

• Marilyn Bradshaw Reagan papers, Accn 2640. Special Collections and Archives. University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Corporate Names:

University of Utah--Alumni and alumnae
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--Alumni and alumnae
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--Benefactors

Subject Terms:

Philanthropists--Utah--Salt Lake City
Trials (Murder)--Utah--Salt Lake City

Form or Genre Terms:

Autobiographies (documents)
Biographies (documents)
Cards (information artifacts)
Certificates
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence
Diaries
Family papers
Lists (document genres)
Memorial services
Photographs
Speeches (documents)
Wedding announcements

Personal Names:

Bradshaw, Berenice Harriet Jewett, 1903-1996--Archives
Bradshaw, Franklin James, 1902-1978
Schreuder, Frances, 1938-
Schreuder, Marc

Family Names:

Bradshaw family--History--Sources

Geographical Names:

Salt Lake City (Utah)--History--Sources