Andrew S. Iddings Papers

1880

Born in Dayton, Ohio, on October 18th.

1894

Attended Deaver Collegiate Institute in, Dayton, Ohio, withdrew at age 14.

1898

Graduated from Steele High School (in three years), Salutorian.

(Fall) Employed as factory clerk at the National Cash Register Company in Dayton, Ohio.

Peddled law books for the West Publishing Company, of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Apprenticed for law office.

1899-1902

Appointed Deputy Collector of the Internal Revenue Service, Dayton, Ohio.

1902

Toured the Canadian Northwest as a guest of the Canadian Government and Canadian Pacific Railway

1902-1906

(age 21) Appointed Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio.

1903

Admitted to the Bar in the state of Ohio.

Wrote “A Narrative of Observations of Canada’s Great West”

1904

Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island

1905

Cruising the fjords (inlets) of the North Pacific in 27 foot sailboat

1906

Life Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society of London, England

1906-1909

Appointed Chief Deputy Clerk of the Courts for Montgomery County, Ohio

1907

Chiapas (Mexico)

1908-1909

Austria-Hungry, the Danube River and the Balkan regions

1909

Membership in Dayton Bar Association (Pres.-no dates)

One of the organizers (with brothers), director, officer, and attorney for the Pyrene Company, Dayto

Founded Law Firm D.W. and A.S. Iddings Dayton, Ohio

1910

Active non-resident member of the Explorers Club of New York, proposed for membership by Adm. Robert

Secretary of the Joint Board of commissioners of Preble and Montgomery Counties, Ohio

1913

South American photographic tour

1916-1945

Founded the Fyr-Fyter Company Dayton, Ohio (manufactured fire extinguishers, etc.)

1916

Wrote a series of articles for the Dayton Journal entitled “Our Neighbors of the South”

1919

Camera coverage of the Western Front WWI

Chief of the photographic staff for the Keystone’s “System of Visual Education”

1924

U.S. District Commissioner

1934

Secretary of the Trustees of the District Tuberculosis Hospital of Montgomery and Preble Counties, O

1942-1943

President of the Ohio Bar Association

Member of the Judicial Council which served as an advisory body to the State Legislature

1946

Charter member of the International Bar Association

1950

Africa, Uganda, and the Congo

1951

One of the three incorporators of the Ohio State Bar Association

1951-1963

Secretary of the Ohio State Bar Foundation

1952

Honorary Life Member of the Explorers Club

1956

Elected Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Was in the first class received into Life Fellowship

1957

LHD Honorary Degree, University of Dayton

1963

Honorary Life Membership in the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

Member International Law and Development of World Peace Through Law Committee

1964

LLD Honorary Degree, Miami University

1965

Donated a specially designed geophysical globe to Miami University in memory of his grandfather, D

1967

Andrew S. Iddings Explorer, published

1969

Founded the Andrew S. Iddings Fund for The Ohio State University College of Law

1974

Died, Dayton, Ohio

Andrew Sheets Iddings was a Dayton lawyer by profession, but he was also a civic leader, explorer, author, and photographer.

Travel and exploration were very important to Iddings, eventually becoming a second career for him. This career began almost by chance in 1902, when Iddings met a representative of the Canadian Immigration Department who was looking for Ohio government officials willing to tour the Canadian Northwest. Iddings was interested and this trip marked the beginning of many other foreign adventures. Some of these adventures took form as an African safari and three world tours.

Traveling provided Andrew S. Iddings with material to use in writing and in photography. He became a stereographic photographer for the Keystone View Company in the early 1900s. As an author, he built quite a reputation for himself by writing newspaper articles and magazine articles on his travels. A biography entitled Andrew S. Iddings Explorer: The Story of his Life and Travels tells of his life and reprints many of his articles.

Andrew S. Iddings followed family tradition when he became a lawyer. Both his father and grandfather had successfully practiced law in Ohio before him. The partnership of D.W. and A.S. Iddings was so successful that over the years it expanded to become Iddings, Jeffery, and Donnelly.

The three Iddings brothers founded the Fyr-Fyter Company in 1916. This manufacturing venture was established to manufacture a line of fire extinguishers and other related products. It remained under their control until 1946, when it was sold to an eastern bidder, William M. Wetzel. Roscoe C. Iddings served as President and active manager for two years. With his retirement in 1947, the Iddings brothers' association with the Fyr-Fyter Company was terminated.

Being part of the 1909 Commissioners of Montgomery County and Preble County, Iddings assisted in many decisions. One such decision shed light on the deplorable conditions of the Stillwater Sanitorium. He was elected Secretary of the Board of Trustees on May 4, 1934 and oversaw the rebuilding of facilities and updating of equipment at the Sanitorium.

Iddings became a member of the Dayton City Plan Board in 1934. It was during this time that the Federal Low Rent Housing statute passed and he was highly interested in building affordable housing in Dayton. He eventually became Chairman of the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority and oversaw the completion of eight housing projects.

Andrew S. Iddings was always a supporter of Dayton, Ohio. Serving on many different civic and cultural boards until his death in 1974 at the age of 93, Iddings helped Dayton become a leader in municipal development.