Akron Area Chamber of Commerce. Records, 1907-1974
reference code:
repository: University of Akron Archival Services
title: records of the Akron Area Chamber of Commerce
dates: 1915-1974 (bulk 1950-1960)
extent: 100 cubic feet
creator: Akron Area Chamber of Commerce
language: English
access: Collection is open for research. literary property rights to the chamber's unpublished materials have been dedicated to the general public.
finding aid prepared by: Archives Staff
related material:
administrative history:
Since 1907, the akron area chamber of commerce, with its roots in the business, commerce, and industrial fields of akron, has earned and deserved a special place of prestige in the community. with such names as firestone, litchfield, o'neill, and polsky, the akron chamber has achieved its initial purpose of developing, fostering, and protecting akron's numerous interests by joint and concerted actions. and, because of this constant promotion of the general welfare of the city and the metropolitan area, residents of today's akron are reaping the rewards of the chamber's foresighted founders.
On november 16, 1914 the organization completed its first step toward departmentalization with the creation of its bureau of municipal research. over the years this invaluable body has produced hundreds of studies of county, municipal, and state functions for the advice and information of other chamber committees and for the guidance of citizens. at some time or another, the bureau has worked with virtually every committee of the chamber in analyzing financial and engineering data involved in public works or issues.
Through its committees, which reached a peak of twenty-four by 1957, the chamber has succeeded in playing an active role in every major akron project and has met the challenge of the changing items. the original good roads committee flourished and multiplied into the chamber's highway committee, dealing with highway plans and construction; the safety committee, devoted to the safety work of all types including that on public roads; and the traffic flow and control committee. since its inception, the akron expressway, which grew from a $7 million project in 1946 to a $60 million one in 1955, has been a main activity of the akron chamber.
As one of its first projects seventy years ago, the organization fought for a safe public water supply. since that time and during its history, the chamber has continually promoted the expansion of the sewer system, the sewage treatment plant, and the proper disposal of refuse and garbage. another project started in the mid-1930's, the all-american soap box derby, has spared no expense or effort tin spreading the fame and name of akron throughout the world. during the years, the chamber has recruited contributors, hired celebrities to perform, and aided the contestants in their derby function.
With the waning years, the akron area chamber of commerce, like many chambers across the united states, lost its popularity because of decreasing membership, increasing dues, and the changing of the times. thus, by 1974, the chamber was incorporated into the akron area regional development board.
Scope and Content:
The records relating to the akron area chamber of commerce reflect the activities of the years 1915 to 1974 and emphasize the 1950's and 1960's during the leadership period of its executive secretary, george william brittain. included in the collection are general files, internal reports, maps, minutes of the chamber's affiliates, newspaper clippings, research studies, scrapbooks, and special projects. special attention is given to board meetings, convention bureau reports, taxation and legislation, water and sewage, and traffic committees, financial reports, and the all-american soap box derby. the documents were donated by the organization to the university of akron archives in april 1975.
Cubic feet of shelf space: approximately one hundred (100)
Number of items: 150 maps
67 containers
15 bureau of municipal research yearbooks
7 scrapbooks
6 oversize booklets
5 films
Arrangement:
In the chamber's collection are the following series:
series i board meetings and minutes
series ii a general file
series iii officers' files
series iv convention bureau members and reports
series v committees
series vi special projects
series vii affiliates
series viii bureau of municipal research yearbooks
series ix scrapbooks
series x maps
series xi feature - length films
series xii oversize booklets
In ten containers of series i the akron area chamber of commerce has published articles concerning board minutes and meetings, membership reports and directories, and financial reports. these records pertain mainly to the years 1950-1970.
Series ii, a general file consisting of miscellaneous materials in containers 8 through 11, contains information about annual dinners, personnel records, local politics, and educational groups during the 1950's and 1960's. in addition, newsletters are provided between the akron chamber and other local chambers, the ohio chamber of commerce, and the united states chamber of commerce during this same period.
In containers 12 through 16, series iii houses the officers' files. in this section dealing with the 1950's and 1960's may be found the correspondences between executive vice-president george william brittain and other local chamber executives, businessmen, and political leaders and his personal files known as "brittain's bible." also, articles on past executives henry jameson and richard silver enhance this grouping.
Containers 17-19, series iv, emphasize convention bureau members and reports during the 1950's and 1960's.
Series v, the largest grouping in the chamber's collection, extends from containers 20-46. in this section, the numerous articles, booklets, committees' activities, and cover a time period from 1914 (public information booklets during w.w.i.) to the early 1970's. the following is a list of the committees: aviation, bureau of municipal research, safety, taxation and legislation, traffic flow and control, and water and sewage.
In containers 47 through 57, series vi consists of materials pertaining to the chamber's special projects. since the mid-1930's planning the all-american soap box derby has been a major project of the akron area chamber of commerce along with its gathering of derby contributors, participants, and financial statements information. the final container of the series includes records on the american golf classic and the world series of golf which, like the derby articles, emphasize the 1950'a and 1960's.
Series vii, in containers 58 through 60, constitutes the minutes, meetings, and committee studies of the chamber affiliates cuyahoga falls, fairlawn, northampton, and stow during the 1960's and the early 1970's.
In series viii are fifteen bureau of municipal research yearbooks dating from 1915 to 1937. contributing to these books are topics such as the following: minutes of the bureau, financial budgets of akron, financial history of the sewage and garbage plants, functions of the library in the community, public welfare activities, and photographs of the akron roads in the 1920's.
Seven scrapbooks containing akron beacon journal newspaper clippings on the daily chamber activities from 1954-1959 comprise series ix.
Series x, consisting of 150 maps published primarily between 1950 and 1970, elaborates on akron's highway projects, redevelopment, zoning plans, and summit county's senate districts.
In series xi are five feature-length all-american soap box derby films made in the 1950's.
In the final section series xii are oversize booklets pertaining to the 1950's and 1960's. these booklets examine such topics as the water inventory of the cuyahoga and chagrin river basins in ohio, the city of akron expressway, and preliminary engineering reports for the akron innerbelt.
Series i - internal reports and minutes of the akron chamber of commerce.
board meetings and minutes
membership reports and directories
financial reports
general chamber of commerce minutes
Series ii - general file
personnel records
honorary and annual diners
local, state, and federal politics
educational groups
university of akron
akron public schools
akron chamber of commerce communications with:
other community groups and organizations
other local chambers
ohio chamber of commerce
u.s. chamber of commerce
Series iii - officers' files
g.w. brittain, executive vice-president
correspondence with businessmen, political leaders, and other chamber executives
brittain's bibles
other executives of akron chamber of commerce - richard silver, h. jameson, etc.
Series iv - research and committee studies
old chamber of commerce research files
municipal research bureau
taxation and legislation committee
committees on urban services
water and sewage committee
reports and studies
traffic committee
traffic control
transit development
transportation booklets
aviation committee
Series v - newspaper clippings and scrapbooks
Series vi - maps and drawings
Series vii - convention bureau reports
list of akron conventions and locations
Series viii - special projects
soap box derby
financial statements and organizational material
films
world series of golf
Series ix - chamber of commerce affiliates
cuyahoga falls
fairlawn
northampton township
stow
Container List:
Box 1
folder 1. board meeting, march, 1959
2. board meeting, april, 1959
3. board meeting, may, 1959
4. board meeting, june, 1959
5. board meeting, october, 1959
6. board meeting, november, 1959
7. board meeting, december, 1959
8. board meeting, january, 1960
9. board meeting, february, 1960
10. board meeting, march, 1960
11. board meeting, april, 1960
12. board meeting, may, 1960
13. board meeting, june, 1960
14. executive committee meeting, june, 1960
15. board meeting, september, 1960
16. board meeting, september, 1960
17. board meeting, october, 1960
18. board meeting, october, 1960
19. board meeting, november, 1960
20. board meeting, december, 1960
21. board meeting, december, 1960
22. board meeting, january, 1961
23. board meeting, february, 1961
24. board meeting, february, 1961
25. board meeting, march, 1961
26. board meeting, march, 1961
27. board meeting, april, 1961
28. board meeting, may, 1961
29. board meeting, may, 1961
30. board meeting, june, 1961
31. board meeting, september, 1961
32. board meeting, october, 1961
33. board meeting, november, 1961
34. board meeting, december, 1961
35. board meeting, january, 1962
no february, 1962
36. board meeting, march, 1962
37. board meeting, april, 1962
38. board meeting, may, 1962
39. board meeting, june, 1962
Box 2
folder 1. board meeting, september, 1962
2. board meeting, september, 1962
3. board meeting, october, 1962
4. board meeting, november, 1962
5. board meeting, november, 1962
6. board meeting, december, 1962
7. board meeting, december, 1962
8. board meeting, january, february, march, april, may, june,
september, october, december, 1963
9. board meeting, february, 1963
10. board meeting,
11. board meeting,
12. board meeting,
13. board meeting,
14. board meeting,
15. board meeting,
16. board meeting,
17. board meeting,
18. board meeting,