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Cooperative Dayton History Project Records

 Collection
Identifier: MS-169

Scope and Contents

The records of the Cooperative Dayton History Project are divided into five major categories. Series I, Cooperative Dayton History Project – General, 1968-1975, documents the initial National Science Foundation grant which made the project possible. Included is correspondence, a copy of the original grant proposal, copyright information, publicity, and a copy of the finished bibliography.

Series II, Private Organizations and Agencies, 1890, 1904-1972, contains correspondence, inventory forms, pamphlets and brochures having to do with businesses, religious and cultural organizations, labor unions, and social agencies. The publications date the earliest in the series.

Series III, Public Agencies and Offices, 1961-1970, contains deals correspondence, inventory forms, pamphlets and brochures on public agencies and offices (such as the City of Dayton, the Dayton Board of Education and the Miami Conservancy District).

Series IV, Dayton-related Materials in Libraries, 1968-1970 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.

Series V, Periodical Articles about Dayton, 1968-1970, contains notes on periodical articles pertaining to Dayton.

Dates

  • Creation: 1890 - 1972
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1968 - 1972

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Historical Note

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.

Extent

2.5 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Cooperative Dayton History Project was funded by a National Science Foundation grant in 1969 to identify and locate the widely scattered and unindexed business, church, and other institutional records which document the history of Dayton, Ohio from 1850-1950. This collection consists of papers and records gathered to prepare a preliminary inventory of available historical sources and includes pamphlets, brochures, correspondence, clippings, notes, and inventory forms. The project resulted in a published bibliography of sources for Dayton, Ohio compiled and edited by Carl M. Becker, Jacob H. Dorn, and Paul G. Merriam, in 1971.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into five (5) series:

Series I:
Cooperative Dayton History Project – General, 1968-1975
Series II:
Private Organizations and Agencies, 1890, 1904-1972
Series III:
Public Agencies and Offices, 1961-1970
Series IV:
Dayton-related Materials in Libraries, 1968-1970
Series V:
Periodical Articles about Dayton, 1968-1970

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records of the Cooperative Dayton History Project 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.

Related Materials

MS-41 Dayton Typographical Union, Local 57 Records (https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collectionguides/files/ms41.pdf )

Title
Guide to the Cooperative Dayton History Project Records (MS-169)
Status
Completed
Author
Nancy G. Leggett
Date
1987 Summer
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2018 December: Finding aid revised to DACS by Toni Vanden Bos

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092