Steigerwalt, Albert K. (Albert Kleckner), 1919-

The National Association of Manufacturers was organized in January 1895 as a political lobbying organization to represent the interests of America's manufacturers. At its first convention which was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, 600 assembled delegates agreed that the N.A.M.'s primary purpose was to promote foreign trade and create a political environment that was favorable to the business community. During its early years N.A.M. was largely controlled by representatives of small and medium sized firms in the Middle West and South. N.A.M. was an opponent of America's trade union movement in the early years of the twentieth century and was a major participant in the open shop movement. N.A.M. opposed most of the reform legislation of the Progressive Era as it saw itself as a proponent of traditional laissez-faire capitalism. N.A.M., however, did support the workmen's compensation laws that most state legislatures passed in the 1910s, as its members were becoming concerned about the increasingly large liability claims that were being awarded to injured workers.

During the conservative decade of the 1920s, N.A.M. experienced a sharp decline in membership. However, during the 1930s it became a voice for those members of the business community who opposed Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. During World War II N.A.M. lent its support to the war effort and cooperated with the government and organized labor in order to increase productivity and improve workers' morale.

After the War, N.A.M. became a leader of the conservative coalition which sought to repeal much of the New Deal. In 1947-48 it actively lobbied for the Taft-Hartley Act, it was a vigorous supporter of the cold war and the government's internal security programs. During the 1950s and '60s N.A.M. continued to campaign for deregulation of the American economy as it opposed all governmental attempts to define employment practices.

Albert K. Steigerwalt was N.A.M.'s Research Director from 1945-1955. In 1956 he left N.A.M. to pursue a Ph. D. in American History at the University of Michigan. In 1959 Steigerwalt became an Associate Professor in the School of Business Administration and convinced N.A.M. to sponsor a history project. The aim was to publish a history of the National Association of Manufacturers. This work was never completed. The records in this collection were assembled by Professor Steigerwalt for the project.