Pursuing Primary Sources
Primary Source Examples: SNHU
Harry A. B. Shapiro was one of SNHU's founders. Let's look at some primary sources related to Mr. Shapiro's life.
Harry A. Shapiro, Accounting Quiz, Boston University, 1924
Mr. Shapiro attended college at Boston University's College of Business Administration. The quiz above can be used as original evidence of a few things. Here are some examples:
- Mr. Shapiro's aptitude for accounting, at least in an academic setting
- the mathematics of accounting in the 1920s
- the nature of college assessments in the 1920s
- Mr. Shapiro's use of only 1 middle initial in his youth
The image you see here is a digital facsimile of the original quiz. We can get a good sense for the original. We can see the brown color of the aging paper, Mr. Shapiro's handwriting in pencil marks, and the instructor's red markings. Still, this is a copy and not the original item.
Harry A. B. Shapiro in His Office, 1947, Photograph by Durette Studio, Manchester, New Hampshire
The image above is a promotional photograph taken by a professional studio in 1947. It's important to note that this is a posed, not candid, image of Mr. Shapiro. This image exists not to objectively capture Mr. Shapiro at work, but to help sell potential students on his school. Still, this image can be used as original evidence of a few things. Here are some examples:
- Mr. Shapiro's appearance
- his style of dress
- the books and equipment he had in his office
- Harry A. B. Shapiro, Radio Interview Clip, WFEA, May 21, 1951 This link opens in a new windowInterviewer: Can you tell us something of your personal background?
Shapiro: Well, it'd be a pleasure. There isn't too much to say. I'm a native of Massachusetts. Malden was my hometown. I attended Boston University where I took up a course in Business Administration and I came to Manchester about twenty years ago to start the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Commerce.
This 1951 audio recording is part of a radio broadcast detailing GI Bill benefits for students who enrolled at SNHU. This interview was originally recorded on 78 RPM lacquer disc. You can listen to a digital audio file (a facsimile) or read the transcript above.
When the interviewer asks him about his background, Mr. Shapiro says: "I'm a native of Massachusetts. Malden was my hometown." While Mr. Shapiro may have considered Malden his hometown, he avoids mentioning where he was born. Mr. Shapiro was born in what was then part of the Soviet Union. This fact would likely have a negative impact on interest in the school during the Red Scare. While we can't know for sure, it seems likely this was an intentional and strategic omission. It also hindered early research into Mr. Shapiro's biography.