Correspondence, 1942 - 1946

This collection represents only a portion of the Irvin G. Bieser, Sr. papers. Other papers are located with the archives mentioned in the introduction. The Wright State portion represents, via Bieser's involvement in them, several social, governmental, and business aspects of the city of Dayton, Ohio, in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. The series follow the natural chronological order of Bieser's involvement in each activity. For the most part, all the papers are of a professional, not personal nature. Many items of correspondence, although not directly referring to Bieser, were sent to him as a member of the addressed organization or committee. Several items contain originals of his signature. There are numerous reports, pamphlets, brochures, meeting minutes, etc., produced by or for the organizations with which Bieser was associated. There are a few contemporary newspaper clippings, but no photographs.

Series 1, The Dayton Research Association, contains a brief history of the Association to 1937, internal operating budget memos, letters from the managing director to the board of trustees, subscription statements, lists of contributors, Dayton newspaper clippings, booklets, bulletins (Facts), covering 1937-1940, an index of Association reports in three volumes, covering 1913-1933, and copies of individual reports, covering 1935-1940.

Series 2, The Dayton Peace Council, includes several booklets and brochures about the Peace movement, instructions for organizing councils at a local level, letters to and from the Congress, texts of radio addresses and information on German and Italian lecturers. Almost all items are dated in 1938.

Series 3, The Draft Board, has in it a file of circulars and memos from the National and State (Ohio) offices of the Selective Service System and work schedules for local Board Members (Board #15 for which Bieser was an attorney-advisor). There is also a small file of newspaper clippings, mostly listing the draft lottery numbers affecting Montgomery County and several issues of Selective Service, a medium of information between National and other components of the SSS. Last, there are several booklets containing all the SSS Regulations, the legal aspects of the system, and pamphlets to be handed to registrants, plus a rather interesting research study recommending adjustments businessmen should make to accommodate the "intensified national rearmament program." The series covers the period 1940-1946, all around World War II.

Series 4, The Dayton Chamber of Commerce, contains a Dayton, Ohio brochure, circa 1942-5, a series of monthly Dayton Government Digests, covering Aug. 30, 1944-May 20, 1947, issues #3-#33, with #s 24, 28, and 29 missing, correspondence about post-war (1946) increased city taxation, enacted in Toledo, and considered in Dayton.

Series 5, Public Library Citizen's Advisory Committee, is comprised of letters, meeting minutes, memoranda, a few copies of the monthly library brochure, some booklets on library law and a county survey, a chronology of the Dayton Public Library since 1802, committee by-laws, criteria for selection of a library site, selected architect's statements of capability and suggested questions to be posed to them by the committee, and assorted announcements and library information.

Series 6, Community Research Incorporated, includes Metropolitan Community Research and spans the period 1957 to 1961, with reports, results of their work, and a contemporary section of the Journal Herald.

Series 7, Dayton City Improvement, or rather, New Dayton Committee, contains various study reports, an October 1958 copy of Labor Union calling for a no vote on the Expressway Bond issue, and information on the Metropolitan Heart Conference held 25 March 1958.

Series 8, Vita and Obituary Notices, Irvin G. Bieser, Sr. is a file of newspaper clippings associated with Mr. Bieser, including articles, obituaries and memorials.