Herbert James Tily (1866-1948) was bookkeeper, auditor, chief accountant, and then general manager of Strawbridge & Clothier. He organized the Strawbridge & Clothier Chorus of store employees. The miscellany collection contains news clippings and ephemera describing Tily's work at Strawbridge's, with the Chorus, and in civic affairs. Additionally, there is a copy of the sheet music for "The Slave's Dream," a musical setting for a Longfellow poem.

This series consists of correspondence between corporate secretaries and president Herbert J. Tily. Much of it concerns bank financing, authorizations, and accounts. There are also executive payrolls (1931-1950), employment contracts for top executives, and notes on executive development programs.