Herbert and Leni Fromm Collection

The Leni and Herbert Fromm Collection documents the professional activities and, to a lesser extent, personal lives of this couple. The most predominant subject is Leni Fromm's work as hostess of the German Radio Hour in Boston, Massachusetts; other salient subjects include Herbert Fromm's occupation as a composer and musical director. The collection features personal and professional correspondence, radio scripts, manuscripts of Herbert Fromm's writing, clippings and articles, programs, and schedules, among other papers. This collection is a consolidation of two previous collections, the Leni Fromm Collection and the Herbert Fromm Collection; Series I comprises papers from the former and Series II the latter.

Professional papers concern the bulk of this collection. Chief among these are the professional papers of Leni Fromm. Documentation of her position as hostess of the German Radio Hour is found in Subseries 2 of Series I, and includes correspondence, copies of scripts, and related papers. Most of this correspondence is between Leni Fromm and potential guests for the radio show, and involves co-ordination of the guests' appearances. Other letters are from representatives of the radio station, the German Consulate, or members of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), who sponsored the show. Some folders hold correspondence from listeners, especially in response to puzzles posed by Leni during the show, or to demonstrate their support of the program. Scripts are available for nearly every show, and include the texts of advertisements as well as the content of the program and stage directions. Other material, including articles on various topics, may have been used in the production of the show or selection of guests or programming.

The professional papers of Herbert Fromm are also prominent in this collection, and comprise the second subseries of Series II. Such papers significantly include manuscripts of his writings, material pertaining to the New England Jewish Music Forum, and a small amount of examples of his musical compositions and texts for vocal music.

Personal correspondence is additionally featured in this collection, although it is almost entirely from other individuals and does not provide significant information on the biographies of Leni and Herbert Fromm. Personal correspondence sent to Leni Fromm will be found in the initial subseries of Series I, while Herbert Fromm's personal letters are in the first subseries of Series II.