Lexington Group in Transportation History

An informal organization dedicated to the study of American railroad history, the Lexington Group formed in 1942 when business historian Richard Cleghorn Overton of Northwestern University and eight other railroad enthusiasts gathered in a Lexington, KY coffee shop following a conference of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association (now the Organization of American Historians). Within the next ten years the small circle's membership increased to over 200 members, including historians, railroad employees, archivists, librarians, journalists, and graduate students.

Without a charter or by-laws, the Group operated with only one officer-Overton, as Secretary-until 1955, when business professor Howard Bennett assumed a large portion of Overton's secretarial duties. Membership dues were minimal, collected irregularly, and intended only to defray postage expenses.

The Lexington Group met once each year until 1947, after which time two or even three meetings took place annually in conjunction with such major conferences as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association and the American Historical Association. Between conference meetings the secretary corresponded with members to plan events and circulate bibliographies, research ideas, and a periodic though somewhat irregular newsletter. Members also worked together to ensure the preservation and accessibility of primary sources, such as the records of the Illinois Central Railroad (deposited at the Newberry Library in 1944).

In 1969 Northwestern professor Richard Barsness took over the office of Secretary after a car accident severely injured Bennett. As of 1999 the Lexington Group comprised over 400 members.

From the guide to the Lexington Group Records, 1942-1989, (Northwestern University Archives)

Lexington Group, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization (501c3) that concentrates on all aspects of transportation history, particularly railroads. The group has been active ever since its founding in the early 1940's. For years the sparkplug was Professor Richard "Dick" C. Overton (1907-1988), a long-time faculty member at Northwestern University and a prominent railroad scholar. "The chief characteristics of the Lexington Group are its informality, its spontaneity, and the fact that it is kept together by a common interest in railway history," explained Overton. "True to the tradition it has followed ever since, the group originated in a purely spontaneous fashion. After one of the MVHA [Mississippi Valley Historical Association] dinners at Lexington [Kentucky], in May, 1942, some of us [individuals interested in transportation scholarship] gravitated to a coffee shop to swap information about the state of railway history." The Lexington Group remains true to its original intent. [History of "The Lexington Group" copied from 2002.dsn.org - 4/23/13].

From the guide to the Lexington Group in Transportation History Collection, 1976-1999., (Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department.)