MS-29 James A. Chew Papers

Introduction

The James A. Chew Papers were accessioned into Wright State University Archives and Special Collections Department in February of 1976. They were received from the Chew Estate. The records date from 1952 to 1963 and fill three Hollinger boxes and twenty-nine individual file folders.

Linear feet of shelf space occupied: 1.5

There are no restrictions on their use regarding literary or publishing rights on materials in the collection. Single photocopies of unpublished writings may be made for purposes of scholarly research.

Biographical Sketch

James Andrew Chew was born in Xenia, Ohio on July 10, 1882, the son of William B. Chew and Anna V. Mcburney Chew. He attended Xenia schools and received further academic training at the Miami Military Institute, Germantown, and at Ohio’s Military Institute. James Chew married Jessie R. Baker of Xenia in 1904 and had three daughters, including Mrs. William A. (Elizabeth) Siebenthaler of Oakwood.

James A. Chew became a partner in 1906 with his father, William B. Chew, in a newspaper publishing and printing business which James’ grandfather, James Parker Chew, had bought in 1877. From 1907 to 1912, J.A. Chew learned the printer’s trade as an apprentice and became manager in 1912.

J.A. formed the Chew Publishing Company in 1915, printing and publishing Greene County’s second newspaper. The Xenia Daily Gazette became the longest lived continuous business enterprise in that city and grew steadily. By 1955 he had ownership of the Piqua Daily Call. In 1959 he bought interest in the Middletown Journal and in 1963 acquired the Franklin Chronicle.

Chew was active in Republican politics and attended the 1932 Republican National Convention in Chicago as an alternate. He wrote an occasional editorial in his newspaper in Xenia and believed in bipartisanship. In 1962 he received community service recognition from the Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce. James A. Chew was a member of Trinity Methodist Church and Xenia Rotary Club. He was active in civic and community affairs.

He was instrumental in reviving the old YMCA and in starting the new one. He established the J.P. Chew Foundation for charitable activities. James A. Chew died in July, 1964. His business enterprise stayed in the family of his daughter Elizabeth and her husband William A. Siebenthaler, who was a close business associate and succeeded his father-in-law as company president. Mr. Chew’s home in Xenia was located at 228 North King Street.

Scope and Content Note

The James A. Chew papers consist mainly of business records of three area newspapers in the Miami Valley Region. These are the Xenia Gazette, the Piqua Call, and the Middletown Journal. Headquarters for the Chew Publishing Company was in Xenia, Ohio. The records include balance sheets, bank statements, revenue and expense sheets, circulation averages and other statistics and a memory file. There are also some personal papers Mr. Chew and his residence at King Street in Xenia, Ohio, which is located in Greene County. Mr. Chew was for many years a prominent businessman in Xenia.

Researchers should be aware that span dates cover the years 1952 to 1963. All footnotes and biographical references should refer to Archives and Special Collections, Wright State University. Copyright was given to the public and the records are open for use.

The records show some gaps in the profit and loss statements for the years 1956, 1957, and 1961 for the Xenia Gazette. There are also records missing from the Piqua Call balance sheets for the years 1955, 1959, and 1960. This is due to the material still being held by the donor or agency of creation.

The collection shows the development and growth of a local area expansion. The collection is an aid to researchers tracing local business history in the southwest Ohio area.

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