Henry E. Edmunds records series, 1948-1977.

ArchivalResource

Ford Motor Company. Archives. Henry E. Edmunds records series, 1948-1977.

Henry E. Edmunds records series, 1948-1977.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54098198

The Henry Edmunds records series, 1948-1977, consists of five subseries. The Ford Motor Company Archives (Fair Lane) subseries, 1948-1957, includes material generated by Edwards and other Archives staff members largely during the departments' tenure at the Fair Lane estate. The Archives dedication at Fair Lane occurred in 1953 at the beginning of the Company's 50th anniversary celebration. Financial burdens forced the removal of the Archives from Fair Lane to Ford Motor Company's Rotunda building in 1957. Records in this subseries include administrative materials that document the operation of the Fair Lane property and the day-to-day functions of the Archives in that facility; archives weekly progress reports tally the weekly accomplishments of the Reference, Records and Oral History sections of the Archives; correspondence includes Henry Edmunds' correspondence which consists almost entirely of carbon copies of correspondence originating from Edmunds, general correspondence which includes incoming and outgoing correspondence emanating from or directed to various members of the archives staff, and publications correspondence which pertains to subjects such as archives publications, obtaining automotive related publications from outside vendors for addition to the collections and publications for which the archival collections at Fair Lane were heavily used. The financial records document the monetary expenditures of operating the archives through purchase orders, purchase notices and invoices. Budget information for the Fiftieth Anniversary Plans Office and fiftieth anniversary activities is included as well as detailed documentation of the 1956 budget presentation to public relations staff at a critical juncture in the future of the archives. The oral history project records include correspondence and progress reports related to the oral histories taken by Ford Motor Company archivist Owen Bombard in the mid-1950s. The topical file materials include information about Ford Motor Company and external events and programs the archives was involved in. The Ford Motor Company Archives (Rotunda) subseries, 1950-1964, includes records generated by Edmunds and the archives staff from the period after the Archives moved to the Rotunda building in early 1957 until a large portion of the archival material was donated to the Edison Institute in 1964 and the few remaining staff became Edison Institute employees. The subseries includes activity reports which document the weekly activities of the Research and Information Department, including the Reference Section and the Distribution Section; administrative material includes attendance reports, professional association membership information and documentation of activities for staff of what was formerly the archives department. There is also information relating to the opening of the Public Relations Library, a facility overseen by Edmunds and his staff. Of particular interest are the personal files of Henry Edmunds, which indicate some of his frustration at the redirection the archives department had taken since its removal from Fair Lane and placement in the Public Relations department in 1954. Correspondence includes both internal company correspondence and external correspondence largely related to publications put together by the Research and Information Department between 1958 and 1960. Distribution section materials includes receipts, correspondence, and statistics related to the function of distributing educational affairs material and executive speeches, which became a significant part of the Archives staff duties after becoming the Research and Information Department and part of Public Relations. Financial material includes purchase orders, purchase notices, invoices, expense reports, etc. for Research and Information Services staff and the books, pamphlets, and materials they ordered. The topical file materials include information about company and external events and programs the Research and Information Services staff was involved in. Fire destroyed the Ford Rotunda in November, 1962 and forced yet another move and revaluation of the Archives. The Ford Motor Company Archives (Edison Institute) subseries, 1964-197, consists of material collected after the majority of the Ford Motor Company archival material was donated to Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (now The Henry Ford) in December 1964. The Professional Organizations subseries, 1951-1963, includes meeting minutes, programs, publications, membership invoices, and correspondence relating to Edmunds' and other FMC Archives staff involvement in library, archival, and history professional organizations. A large portion of the material is from the Historical Society of Michigan, of which Edmunds' was President for 1956-1957. The subseries also includes planning information for the 1953 conferences of the Society of American Archivists, American Association for State and Local History, and the Historical Society of Michigan, all of which were held in Dearborn. There is also a substantial amount of material relating to the Society of American Archivists. Edmunds served as Secretary of the organization from 1953 to 1955 and Vice President from 1955 to 1956. The Publications subseries, 1955-1964, consists of calendars of events, clip sheets, and newsletters that were published on a regular schedule by various departments or subsidiaries of the company, including the Public Relations Department and The Philco Corporation. Also included in this subseries are executive communications and company directives from either President Henry Ford II or vice presidents. While these were not released on a regular schedule, they do hold the format and impact of a publication. Approximately twenty-seven boxes of press releases were removed from this collection and added to the Ford Motor Company Press Release Collection subgroup, Accession 1857. Some publications listed in the original finding aid were added to various Ford Motor Company publications collections.

26.4 cubic ft. and 1 card file.

The Henry Ford, Benson Ford Research Center