Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries

MS – 169 Cooperative Dayton History Project Records

Introduction

The records of the Cooperative Dayton History were accessioned into the Wright State University Department of Archives and Special Collections in June of 1987. They were donated by Dr. Jacob Dorn, who was the principle investigator of the National Science Foundation grant which made the project possible. The collection is arranged into five (5) series or record groups as follows:

Series I: Cooperative Dayton History Project – General

Series II: Private Organizations and Agencies

Series III: Public Agencies and Offices

Series IV: Dayton-related Materials in Libraries

Series V: Periodical Articles about Dayton

The papers in this collections date from 1968-1972 and fill five (5) Hollinger boxes and fifty-nine (59) file folders. There are no restrictions on the use of this material.

Scope and Content

The records of the Cooperative Dayton History Project are divided into five major categories. Series I, Cooperative Dayton History Project – General, deals with the initial National Science Foundation grant which made the project possible, and contains correspondence, a copy of the original grant proposal, copyright information, publicity, and a copy of the finished bibliography.

Series II, Private Organizations and Agencies, contains correspondence, inventory forms, pamphlets and brochures having to do with businesses, religious and cultural organizations, labor unions, and social agencies.

Series III deals with public agencies and offices (such as the City of Dayton, the Dayton Board of Education and the Miami Conservancy District) and contains the same types of materials found in Series II.

Series IV lists Dayton-related materials held in area libraries (such as the Dayton-Montgomery County Public Library, Wittenberg University Library and the Cincinnati Historical Society library), while Series V contains notes on periodical articles pertaining to Dayton.

Historical Sketch

In December of 1968, Professors Carl M. Becker, Jacob H. Dorn, and Paul G. Merriam submitted a research proposal to the National Science Foundation requesting funding for a three-year study of the growth and development of Dayton, Ohio, from 1850 to 1950. The first goal of the project was to prepare a preliminary inventory of the historical sources relating to Dayton and its history. The second goal was to write a scholarly history of Dayton, based on the completed inventory of sources. A grant was received from the National Science Foundation in order to complete the first goal, which was to be completed in the period between September 1, 1969 and August 30, 1970. This period was later extended until April of 1971. Funding for the second phase of the project would depend upon submission of an additional grant application at a later date.

The purpose of the inventory itself was to identify and locate the widely scattered and largely un-catalogued or indexed records which relate to the history of Dayton. A second purpose of the inventory was to make a preliminary evaluation of the physical condition of the records inventoried, but due to time and other limitations, this goal was achieved to a much lesser degree. A copy of the inventory produced by the Cooperative Dayton History Project is included in this collection.

Container Listing

Series I: Cooperative Dayton History Project – General

Box

File

Description

National Science Foundation

1

1

Grant Proposal

2

Correspondence/proposal for second phase (unfunded)

3

Finished bibliography

4

Correspondence

5

Copyright information

6

Miami Valley Project information

7

Publicity

8

Society of American Archivists

 

Series II: Private Organizations and Agencies

Box

File

Description

 

Business Organizations

1

9

Business and Civic Leaders

10

Correspondence

11

Inventory Forms and Notes

12

Pamphlets and Brochures: A-D

13

Pamphlets and Brochures: E-L

14

Pamphlets and Brochures: M-Z

15

Pamphlets and Brochures: Miscellaneous

 

Churches and Religious Associations

2

1

Listing of Dayton Area Churches

2

Jewish Organizations

3

Brochures for Cincinnati Archdiocese

4

Brochures for Dayton Catholic Churches – Parishes A-H

5

Brochures for Dayton Catholic Churches – H-St. Joseph

6

Brochures for Dayton Catholic Churches – St. Mary’s-Z

7

Brochures for Diocese of Southern Ohio

 

Brochures for Protestant Churches

2

8

Assembly of God-Bethel Baptist

9

Baptist-Christian Science

10

Episcopal-Evangelical Lutheran

3

1

Lutheran-Methodist

2

Presbyterian-United Church of Christ

 

 

 

Box

File

Description

 

Cultural Organizations

3

3

Correspondence

4

Dayton Art Institute

 

Labor Unions

Dayton Typographical Union #57

3

5

Inventory and Notes

6

Journal Articles (1904-1932)

7

Journal Articles (1933-1950)

8

Labor Union Materials in Wisconsin State Library

9

Miscellaneous Notes

 

Social Agencies

3

10

Correspondence

11

Inventory Forms

12

Notes

13

Notes

 

4

1

Pamphlets – Dayton Metro Housing Authority

2

Pamphlets – Easter Seals

3

Pamphlets – Jewish Community Council

4

Pamphlets – Miscellaneous A-I

5

Pamphlets – Miscellaneous L-Z

 

Series III: Public Agencies and Offices

Box

File

Description

 

4

6

Correspondence

7

Board of Education

8

City of Dayton

9

Miami Conservancy District – Notes

10

Miami Conservancy District – Reports and Maps

11

Montgomery County – Annual Report

12

Montgomery County - Notes

 

Series IV: Dayton Related Materials in Libraries

Box

File

Description

 

4

13

Notes

 

Dayton/Montgomery County Public Library

5

1

Card Catalog entries

2

Card Catalog entries

3

Notes

Box

File

Description

 

5

4

Public Repositories

5

Regional History Societies

6

University Libraries

 

Series V: Periodical Articles about Dayton

Box

File

Description

 

5

7

Periodical Articles – Census, etc.