MS-251 Duriron Corporation Historical Collection

Introduction

The Duriron Corporation Historical Collection was accessioned into the Wright State University Department of Special Collections and Archives in March, 1994. It was donated by the Duriron Corporation.

The papers in this collection date from 1912-1992 and consist of 26 bound volumes, 8 scrapbooks, 2 oversize files, 4 audio tapes, 44 Canned Pump Art Drawings and Photographs and 25 Hollinger boxes containing 232 file folders. The collection is arranged into 7 record series as follows:

• Series I: Advertising/Sales Literature
  • Subseries 1: Sales/ Product Bulletins
    
  • Subseries 2: Advertising Reprints
  • Subseries 3: Price Lists
    
  • Subseries 4: Annual Sales Reports
• Series II: Administrative Records
  • Subseries 1: Sales Records
  • Subseries 2: Memoranda
  • Subseries 3: Pressure Products Inc.
  • Subseries 4: Newsletters
  • Subseries 5: Historical Records
  • Subseries 6: Press Releases & Clippings
  • Subseries 7: Magazine & Direct Mail Requests
  • Subseries 8: Inventory Loss Reports
• Series III: Application Manuals
• Series IV: Photographs and Negatives
  • Subseries 1: Personnel
  • Subseries 2: Trade Shows
  • Subseries 3: Plants
  • Subseries 4: Products & Parts
  • Subseries 5: Miscellaneous
• Series V: Miscellaneous
• Series VI: Drawings
• Series VII: Audio Tapes

Historical Sketch

The Duriron Corporation was founded in 1912 by Pierce D. Schenk and two associates, William F. Hall and 7. Richmond Pitman to supply corrosion-resistant castings for the chemical industry. The company name derives from its patented alloy Duriron, which rapidly became an industry standard. Duriron products were in high demand during the First World War for the safe handling of explosives. As a result of the war the company expanded tenfold, increasing its work force from 150 to 1500.

During the 1920s and 1930s Duriron became a nationally-established producer of pumps and valves. The company also began a move toward off-the-shelf sales of its pumps and valves during this time. This policy would begin to reap great returns in the 1940s as Duriron's products became more widely accepted in the chemical industry. During World War B, however, two-thirds of Duriron's production was devoted to equipment for making plutonium and uranium for the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb. The company won the prestigious Army/Navy "E" Award for these efforts

Duriron grew consistently through the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954 the company moved into the brewing industry through the acquisition of the Enzinger Union Corporation, a producer of cooling and filtration systems. Also in 1954 Duriron acquired half of Modern Industrial Plastics, which was made a full division of Duriron in 1960. Duriron also founded a short-lived subsidiary, Pressure Products Inc., in 1969.

An emphasis on research and development combined with an aggressive, technically skilled sales organization has helped Duriron remain consistent and competitive throughout its history. A pioneer in the application of stainless steel castings for the chemical and processing industries, the company has also been responsible for such innovations as an industrial usage for Teflon, a resin applied to cooking utensils to provide a non-stick surface.

Scope and Content Note

The Duriron Historical Collection consists of the working files, sales publications and photographs of one of the Miami Valley's oldest and most successful industries.

Series I, Advertising/Sales Literature, consists of four subseries. Subseries 1 is a collection of bound volumes and files of product bulletins which document the products and prices for materials manufactured by Duriron from 1914-1987. It provides a wealth of specific information on Duriron's many products. Subseries 2 consists of advertising reprints, which are originals of Duriron advertisements. Most indicate the technical journals in which they appeared. Subseries 3 is collection of price lists which may be unintelligible to those unfamiliar with Duriron's pricing system. Subseries 4 is a run of Annual Reports which provides information on company performance for stockholders.

Series II, Administrative Records, is arranged into eight subseries. Subseries 1, Sales Records, consists of excerpts from sales meetings, marketing strategies for various products, records pertaining to special events, and collections of old advertisements for general sales reference. Of particular interests here is set of records pertaining to Duriron's radio and television advertising. Subseries 2, Memoranda, is an excellent source of information on Duriron's internal operations during its most successful years, the 1950s and 1960s. Subseries 3 is composed of the files, sales literature, and photographs from Duriron's subsidiary corporation, Pressure Products Inc. Subseries 4 represents one of the strongest parts of the collection, a virtually complete set of company newsletters. Subseries 5, Historical Records, is a rich source for the company's history, generated mostly by the Board of Directors. Included is the original agreement between the "founding fathers" in 1912 that launched the Duriron Corporation, stock reports compiled by independent analysts for prospective buyers, preparations for Duriron's 50th and 75th anniversaries, and a company history written for a 1976 business luncheon. Subseries 6 is a large collection of press releases and newspaper clippings. Subseries 7, Magazine and Direct Mail Requests spans only six years but is a strong indicator of the demand for Duriron's products. Subseries 8 is a notebook containing Inventory Loss Reports from the mid-1930s.

Series III, Application Manuals, are collections of articles and papers that review the performance of various Duriron products and their application to various fields of endeavor.

Series IV is a large collection of photographs and negatives arranged into five subseries, and is far and away the largest series in the collection. Subseries 1, Personnel, consists of photographs of Duriron employees, from Board members on down. Most interesting here is a large collection dealing with a strike in 1978. Subseries 2 is composed of photographs from various trade shows. Subseries 3 covers the plant itself, including its construction and various aspects of its operation. Subseries 4 is an exhaustive collection of Duriron parts and products, most of which were photographed professionally for their appearance in Duriron advertising literature. Subseries 5 is miscellaneous photographs and negatives, most interesting of which is the Army/Navy "E" Award ceremony recognizing Duriron's contributions to victory in World War II.

Series V is a Miscellaneous collection of Duriron records, including product bulletins on microfiche and a paper by Duriron research engineer Mars Fontana entitled Corrosion.

Series VI is a collection of advertising art rendered by a local advertising agency, Tri-Com Inc. Depicting a Duriron product called a Canned Pump, this series is very informative on the evolution of a product bulletin.

Series VII is a set of audio recordings of company history and performance.

Series I: Subject Files

Series II: Administrative Records

Series III: Application Manuals

Series IV: Photographs & Negatives

Series V: Miscellaneous

Series VI Drawings

Series VII: Audio Tapes n.d.

• History - November 5 1982
• History - November 11 1982
• History- "State of the Company" 1986
• History n.d.