The Area Progress Board Collection
INTRODUCTION
The Area Progress Board Collection (1936-1974) was given to The University of Akron's American History Research Center in 1975. The collection also includes material from development organizations which preceded the Area Progress Board--the Greater Akron Association (1936-1938), Citizens Postwar Planning Committee (1944-48), Area Development Committee (1954-68), and Citizens For Progress (1961-68). Minutes, financial records, correspondence, committee reports, as well as extensive clipping collections and data concerning Akron urban renewal projects make up the bulk of the collection.
Literary rights to unpublished material included in this collection have been dedicated to the public.
Cubic feet of Shelf Space occupied:
Number of containers: 9 R-Kive Boxes
Processed by: Joann G.King, 1976
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Area Progress Board, an organization of private citizens, was created to promote the industrial and civic development of the Akron Area. Financed by membership contributions and donations from local business and industry, the Area Progress Board participates in urban renewal projects, city planning, highway development and other programs which advance the economic growth of the area.
A number of development agencies preceded the Area Progress Board, with each having its own objectives and scope of operation. The first, the Greater Akron Association (1936-38), used newspaper advertisements to attract additional industry to the Akron area. A second group, the Citizens Postwar Planning Committee, unlike the Greater Akron Association, was an agency of the municipal government and its interests were confined to the city of Akron. Created by Akron mayor, Charles E. Slusser, the Planning committee studied the city's postwar improvements. No immediate action was taken on the proposals because of the lack of municipal funds, however, many of its recommendations were eventually realized, including sewer improvements and police and fire expansion.
The Area Development Committee formed in 1954, returned to the organizational concept of the Greater Akron Association. Its members were private citizens concerned with the economic growth of the Akron area. However, its interests went beyond the immediate area and encompassed Cuyahoga, Medina, Portage and Summit counties. This particular collection consists primarily of clippings on a wide range of issues of the period 1954-68, such as industrial expansion, labor relations and highway development.
The Citizens For Progress was organized in 1961 to concentrate solely on the growth and development of the city of Akron. During the 1960's this group was instrumental in promoting urban renewal projects in the city as well as campaigning for a municipal income tax which would make the development possible.
In 1968 the Area Development Committee and the Citizens For Progress merged to form the Area Progress Board, thus eliminating duplication of projects, financing and personnel. Essentially, the new organization continued to work for urban renewal but expanded its interests beyond the Akron City limits.
The Area Progress Board collection includes material from all of the aforementioned agencies from 1936 to 1974. Not all the groups are equally represented in the collection. For example, the Greater Akron Association material solely of samples of promotional advertisements and brochures produced the GAA. The Citizens Postwar Planning Committee collection would be more helpful for research in that it contains minutes from the Planning Committee itself as well as minutes of the proceedings of all its subcommittees and meetings of the Planning Committee with local city officials and business interests. On the other hand, the ADC portion of the collection lacks minutes or details on the day-by-day functions of the group but does include an extensive clipping file on those issues of particular concern. The Citizens for Progress material has the most extensive information for the period from 1961-68 with minutes, correspondence, financial reports, urban renewal and hospital planning studies and proposals. This portion of the collection also contains series of scrapbooks with news clippings and photographs. Finally, the Area Progress Board has adequate coverage of minutes but contains only copies of outgoing correspondence and limited information on specific projects.
Inspite of the above limitations, the APB collection provides an excellent overview of area development from 1936-74. It would be especially helpful for anyone studying urban history or urban development, or, more specifically, Akron history and development. In addition, the collection contains information on city planning, urban renewal, the model cities program and municipal taxes.
The Area Progress Board papers is made up of five series, two of which are broken down into subdivisions. They are: Series I, Prewar and immediate Postwar Planning Agencies (1936-48); Series II, Area Development Committee; Series II-A, Correspondence, finances and Membership; Series II-B, Projects and Studies; Series II-C, News Clippings; Series II-D, Oversize ADC Reports; Series III, Citizens For Progress;(1961-68); Series III-A, Minute and Corporation Books; Series III-B, Financial Records; Series III-C, Correspondence; Series III-D, Akron Area Agencies; Series III-G, Hospital Committee; Series III-H, Publications and Associations; Series IV, Area Progress Board (1968-74); Series V, Oversized Scrapbooks.
The first series (Prewar and Immediate Postwar Planning Agencies) consists of the Greater Akron Association collection of news clippings and brochures and the Citizens Postwar Planning Committee's minute notebook, dating from 1944-48.
The Area Development Committee Series (Series II) is further divided into subdivisions. The first of these is Series II-A (Correspondence, Finances and Membership) and includes outgoing correspondence (1966), financial records (1963-68), and membership campaigns of the 1964 and 67. Series II-B (Projects and Studies) consists of studies of the Akron Central Mall, municipal taxes and land uses and access routes. Series II-C (news clippings) makes up bulk of the ADC papers and includes clippings on urban renewal, highway construction, labor relations, sewer development, schools and industrial expansion for Cuyahoga, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.
Series II-D (Oversize ADC reports) includes two notebooks, one on the report of the industrial committee and another report to Governor C. William O'Neill on the Akron expressway system.
Series III begins the Citizens For Progress series and is also subdivided. Series III-A (Minute and Corporation Books) has four minute books dating from September, 1961 to June, 1968 and includes minutes of the incorporation meeting, as well as minutes of the trustee meetings and general meetings of the organization. There are also six corporation books, dating from September, 1961 through April, 1964. Finally, this series includes two folders on the code of regulations and organization file. Series III-B (Financial Records) includes the CFP's application for tax exemption, financial reports, treasurer's reports, Cash reports and office rental agreements. Series III-C (Correspondence) contains incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1961 to 1965. Series III-D (Akron Area Agencies) includes lists of Akron area planning agencies and community agencies. The major portion of the CFP material deals with the subject of urban renewal and makes up Series III-E. Within this sub series there is material on the Urban Renewal Commission (correspondence, minutes and reports), the Central Business District Plan, the Cascade development, and urban renewal projects in the University of Akron area as well as other parts of the city. Series III-F (Income Tax) is related to the urban renewal since it represents the CFP's efforts to promote a city income tax in order to finance the urban renewal projects.
Series III-G and Series III-H (Hospital Committee and Publications and Associations, respectively) contains an extensive hospital study done by the CFP and information on the distribution of a CFP brochure.
Series IV includes all the material pertaining to the Area Progress Board, the organization which was created when the Area Development Committee and the Citizens For Progress merged in 1968. It consists of minutes of merger meeting, the Board of Trustees (1968-1974), the Executive Committee (1968-74) and the annual meetings (1969-72), outgoing correspondence (1967-71), and reports on industrial development, highway bond issues and Model Cities Program.
The final series, Series V, is made up of oversize scrapbooks from the CFP clipping collection (1957-67). In addition, there is a CFP scrapbook of photographs dated 1964 and a scrapbook of photographs dated 1964 and a scrapbook of the CFP's entry for the ASPO Award (1963).
AREA PROGRESS BOARD INVENTORY
ADC - Area Development Committee - 1954-68
CFP - Citizens For Progress - 1961-68
APB - Area Progress Board - 1968-74
SERIES I
PRE-WAR AND IMMEDIATE POSTWAR PLANNING AGENCIES
Box 1
Folder 1 - Greater Akron Association - 1936-38
Notebook - Citizens Postwar Planning Committee - 1944-48
SERIES II
AREA DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
SERIES II-A
CORRESPONDENCE, FINANCES AND MEMBERSHIP
Box 1
Folder 2 - Outgoing Correspondence - 1966
3 - Financial Records - 1963
4 - Financial Records - 1964
5 - Financial Records - 1965
6 - Financial Records - 1966
7 - Financial Records - 1967
8 - Financial Records - 1968
9 - Membership Campaign - 1964
10 - Membership Campaign - 1967
SERIES II-B
PROJECT AND STUDIES
Box 1
Folder 12 - Akron Central Mall - 1961
13 - Chamber of Commerce Tax Study - 1956
14 - Arthur Bassin Report on Land Uses and Access Routes in the Central Area of Akron - 1959
SERIES II-C
NEWS CLIPPINGS
Box 1
Folder 15 - St. Lawrence Seaway - 1955-62
16 - Urban Renewal - 1963-68
Box 2
Folder 1 - Urban Renewal - 1958-60
2 - Water - Summit County - 1955-59
3 - Akron Expressway - 1954-59
4 - North-South Freeway - 1955-59
5 - Riverlake Belt Conveyor - 1955-61
6 - Chrysler - 1955-58
7 - GM - Euclid - 1956-62
8 - Labor - 1956-64
9 - Sewers - 1956-68
10 - Sewers - Summit County - 1960-70
11 - Schools - 1969-71
12 - Industrial Expansion - Medina County - 1962-65
13 - Industrial Expansion - Portage County - 1962-65
14 - Industrial Expansion - Summit County -1960-65
Box 2
Folder 15 - City of Akron - 1955-69
16 - Business -1966-69
SERIES II-D
OVERSIZE ADC REPORTS
Notebook - Report to the Industrial Committee - 1956
Notebook - Presentation to Honorable C.William O'Neill, Governor on Akron's Expressway System - 1957
SERIES III
CITIZENS FOR PROGRESS
SERIES III-A
MINUTE AND CORPORATION BOOKS
Box 3
Minute Book - September, 1961-February, 1962
Minute Book - September, 1961-March, 1963
Minute Book - April, 1963-September, 1965
Minute Book - December, 1965-June, 1968
Box 4
Corporation Book - September, 1961-December, 1961
Corporation Book - January, 19632 - April, 1962
Corporation Book - April, 1962 - September, 1962
Corporation Book - September, 1962 - March, 1963
Corporation Book - March, 1963 - November, 1963
Corporation Book - November, 1963 - April, 1964
Box 5
Folder 1 - Code of Regulations - Membership List - 1961-1967
2 - Organization File - 1961-67
SERIES III-B
FINANCIAL RECORDS
Box 5
Folder 3 - Application Exemption - 1961-1968
4 - Finance Committee - 1961-63
5 - Finance Committee - 1964-68
6 - Financial Records - Financial Reports - 1962-68
7 - Financial Records - Treasurers Report - 1962-68
8 - Financial Records - Cash Report - 1961-68
9 - Office Equipment - Office Rental Agreements - 1962
SERIES III-C
CORRESPONDENCE
Box 5
Folder 10 - Correspondence - 1961
11 - Correspondence - 1962
12 - Correspondence - 1963
13 - Correspondence - 1964-65
SERIES III-D
AKRON AREA AGENCIES
Box 5
Folder 14 - Akron Area Planning Agencies - 1962-63
15 - Akron Community Trusts - 1962,66
16 - Association of Community Agencies - 1966
SERIES III-E
URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS
Box 5
Folder 17-Urban Renewal Commission - Correspondence - 1957-58
18-Urban Renewal Commission - Minutes - Jun 1957-Dec57
19-Mayors Committee on City Planning and Urban Renewal 1957
20-Urban Renewal Commission - Housing and Occupancy Survey - 1958
21-Urban Renewal Commission - 1959-60
22-Financing Urban Renewal - 1961
23-Housing Code- Akron - 1958-64
24-Urban Renewal 1961-65
25-Urban Renewal - Brochure - 1959-67
26-Urban Renewal - Resource Material
27-Urban Renewal - Resource Material
28-Committee on Basic Essential City Improvements -1962-63
29-Comprehensive Plan - 1962
30-Candeub-Fleissig Report - 1962
31-Committee on Central City Development - 1962-66
Box 6
Folder 1-Consultants - Central Business District Plan-1961-65
2-Consultants - Central Business District Plan - 1963
3-Central Business District - 1963-64
4-Central Business District - 1963-66
5-Developers - 1963-68
6-Cascade Development - 1964-67
7-Cascade - Quaker Site - Parking Deck and Air Rights-1963-67
8-Final Project Report Part I of Application for Loan and Grant Cascade Urban Renewal Area - City Planning Commission - 1962
9-University Project No.Ohio R-30
10-University Area R-30 - 1955-62
11-Project R-18 Industrial Area - 1960-61
12-State Office Building - 1963-68
13-Civic Auditorium - 1955-67
14-Colonial Theatre - 1967-68
15-City Hospital Urban Renewal - 1962
16-Urban Land Institute Technical Bulletins
Box 7
Folder 1-Urban Renewal Literature
2-Urban Renewal Literature
3-Innerbelt Downtown Akron - 1963-68
SERIES III-F
INCOME TAX
Box 7
Folder 4-Income Tax Campaign - 1962
Notebook -Income Tax Campaign - 1962
Folder 5-Citizens Advisory Committee Income Tax - 1962
6-Income Tax Campaign - 1963
7-Local Taxes - 1963
8-Opinion Survey - 1962-68
9-Mayor's Tax Force - 3 Mill Tax Cut - 1963
10-Three Mill Charter Amendment - 1964
Notebook-Capital Improvements Program - 1962-67
Notebook-Capital Improvements Program
SERIES III-G
HOSPITAL COMMITTEE
Box 8
Notebook - Committee on Hospital Planning
Folder 1 - Committee Hospital Plan - 1962-68
SERIES III-H
PUBLICATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Box 8
Folder 2 - Distribution "For A Better Akron" - 1962
3 - Urban America, Inc.-Action, Inc.-1961-68
SERIES IV
AREA PROGRESS BOARD
Box 8
Folder 4 - CFP/ADC - Joint Merger Meeting - January 28, 1968
5 - Board of Trustees - 1968-74
6 - Executive Committee - 1968-74
7 - Annual Meeting - April 3, 1969
8 - Annual Meeting - May 22, 1970
9 - Annual Meeting - May 13, 1971
10 - Annual Meeting - April 5, 1972
11 - Annual Meeting - 1973
12 - Annual Report - 1971
Notebook - Outgoing Correspondence - 1967-68
Box 9
Notebook - Outgoing Correspondence - 1970-71
Ledger Book-1971
Folder 1-Bulletins - 1968-74
2-ADC/APB - News Releases - 1966-70
3-Report of Industrial and Civic Development Committee- 1969
4-Issue #7 - Highway Bonds - 1969
5-Innerbelt - 1968-71
6-Model Cities Program - 1969-74
7-Urban Renewal - Resource Material - 1969-74
Notebook - Model Cities Application - 1967
SERIES V
OVERSIZE SCRAPBOOKS
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - 1957-62
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - April 1962-Dec,62
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - 1963
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - 1964
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - 1965
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - 1966
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - clippings - 1967
Citizens For Progress - ASPO Award Entry - 1963
Citizens For Progress Scrapbook - photos - 1964
Akron Beacon Journal Progress Edition - March 11, 1956
7/22/91