William Brown Dickson papers

This collection of personal papers and business correspondence of a steel industry manager and officer of Carnegie Steel, U.S. Steel Corporation, and Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company. The collection includes Dickson's diaries, a draft of his memoirs (Steel and Democracy), speeches, plays, poetry, essays, pamphlets, newspaper and magazine clippings, and photographs. There are also many letters to and from prominent industrialists, journalists, business associates, social critics and reformers, and Dickson family members. These papers primarily concern Dickson's business career and his interests in steel corporations' employment policies. The abolition of Sunday work, the reduction of daily work hours, independent labor organizations, and employee representation schemes are prominent subjects. The association of Carnegie Steel business partners, Andrew Carnegie, the American Iron and Steel Institute, Charles M. Schwab, Elbert H. Gary, Dickson's literary interests and vacation travels are also well documented.

Materials in this collection include one large volume diary with notes for the years 1907 to 1912; twelve smaller yearbook diaries for the years 1918-1928 and 1932; the 1921 diary includes enclosures one of which is his passport.); 4 diasassembled notebooks of clippings, pamphlets, notes, charts on literature, literary figures, politics, politicians, economics, history, current affairs, news, and misc. items primarily from 1900 to 1939; 6 disassembled family scrapbooks that include personal correspondence, photos, clippings, pamphlets, memorabilia, memos, papers with some research and publication data on genealogy of the Dickson family; memoirs of W.B. Dickson and Thomas Dickson including reminiscences, descriptions of a European trip by Dicksons nieces and daughters, and miscellaneous items dating from 1900 to 1939; four writings including a draft of Steel and Democracy, Memoirs of William B. Dickson; and one folder of loose papers, rough notes regarding Dicksons memoirs.