Finding Aids

Henry du Pont (1812-1889) was an American military officer and son of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., and Sophie Madeleine Dalmas du Pont (1775-1828). The collection consists of photocopied letters from Henry du Pont (1812-1889) and typescript of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) autobiography he wrote in 1792. The letters are from sisters Eleuthera du Pont Smith (1806-1876) and Sophie Madeleine du Pont (1810-1888), as well as William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) and M. Saito of the Japanese Navy.

Henry du Pont (1812-1889) was an American military officer and son of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., and Sophie Madeleine Dalmas du Pont (1775-1828). In the year before he died, du Pont released a mortgage he held to Anna B. Stidham (1854-1918) for land in New Castle County, Delaware.

Henry du Pont (1812-1889) was an American military officer and son of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., and Sophie Madeleine Dalmas du Pont (1775-1828). The papers relating to du Pont's enrollment and time at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, including letters from Callender Irvine (1775-1841), Peter B. Porter (1773-1844), E.I. du Pont (1881-1834); du Pont's obituary as published in the 1890 annual reunion of the Association of Graduates Office at the Academy; and a roster of the West Point class of 1833.

The Henry family were armsmakers who operated a family gun manufactory in eastern Pennsylvania for five generations. The records of the Henry family document the line leading from the first William to Granville, with some records of William, III. The main body of records deals with the operation of the Boulton Gun Works, its predecessor operation at Nazareth and the associated gun shop and store in Philadelphia.

Henry Hemmendinger was one of the preeminent color scientists of his day. Hemmendinger's papers represent the span of his career and includes contributions from a variety of individuals and organizations working the field of color science.

Henry J. Burt (1895-1970) invented a batting and pitching apparatus known as the "Pitchin' Pete" in the 1960s. Burt was a research professor at the University of Missouri and a clergyman in Newfields, New Hampshire. This small collection illustrates the U.S. patent application process for Burt's invention. In September 1963, Burt met with patent attorney Norman S. Blodgett (1921-1991) and engaged his services in patenting his batting and pitching apparatus. The collection consists of correspondence between Burt and Blodgett regarding the patent application process, billing, licensing, and product specifications. The batting and pitching practice apparatus patent is included in the collection, along with Burt's drawings, prior art, and product figures. This collection would be useful to those interested in how a product concept develops from ideation through patent protection to manufacturing.

Henry Miller (1845-1926) was first employed at the Brandywine Works of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. In 1922, he was one of the oldest surviving employees when he was interviewed by Alfred I. du Pont (1864-1935). In the interview, Miller describes the layout of the Brandywine Works as it changed over time, as well as the various apparatus and processes used in the manufacture of gunpowder and its constituent ingredients.

Henry S. Leverich (1804-1885), along with his brothers, was a merchant and financier in New York City. The checkbook contains annotated stubs for checks drawn on the Merchants' Bank in the City of New York and several blank checks.

Herbert Belar (1901-1997) was an inventor and research scientist in the field of acoustical engineering at the RCA David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey for thirty-eight years. He developed "hi-fi" recording, the phonetic typewriter, and the electronic music synthesizer. This small collection of Herbert Belar papers reflects the professional daily work of an acoustical engineer from the 1930s through the 1960s. There is significant documentation on the phonetic typewriter, the 200 speech communication system, the music composing machine, and the electronic music synthesizer. Notable inclusions are information related to the development of "hi-fi," film motion pictures sound recording, and phonographic records recording. There is only one file that discusses Belar's work at the MAD Laboratory.

Herbert James Tily (1866-1948) was bookkeeper, auditor, chief accountant, and then general manager of Strawbridge & Clothier. He organized the Strawbridge & Clothier Chorus of store employees. The miscellany collection contains news clippings and ephemera describing Tily's work at Strawbridge's, with the Chorus, and in civic affairs. Additionally, there is a copy of the sheet music for "The Slave's Dream," a musical setting for a Longfellow poem.

Hercules Inc. was a manufacturer of chemicals and munitions based in Wilmington, Delaware. The records consist of a sample of employee personnel records, or service record cards, that date from circa 1914 to 1933, as well as copies of the company pension and retirement savings plans that date from 1982 to 1990. The cards typically contain information on personal characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, age, physical appearance, and family, and also on occupation, wage rates, promotion, discipline, and reasons for discharge. The plants are scattered around the country and thus provide an interesting regional sample of the industrial workforce during the 1910s and 1920s. Pension and retirement savings plans are for both Hercules Incorporated and Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.

Hercules Inc. was a manufacturer of chemicals and munitions based in Wilmington, Delaware. On April 23, 1986, the Commision of the European Economic Community ruled that several firms, including S.A. Hercules Chemicals N.V., the Belgian subsidiary of Hercules Incorporated, had violated Article 85(1) of the Treaty of Rome by enganging in price-fixing arrangements for the sale and marketing of polypropylene between 1977 and 1983. This collection consists of two volumes related to the company's appeal.

H.E. Schroeder (1915-2009) was a research chemist who spent most of his career with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. His papers consist of documents and memorabilia covering his family and professional life.

The Hiebler family papers include documents pertaining to four generations. The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Alfred I. du Pont to his grandsons Bayard Hiebler and Benno Hiebler, dated 1927 to 1935.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. The DuPont Building occupied an entire block bound by 10th, 11th, Orange and Market Streets and was one of the first high-rises in Wilmington, Delaware. Until early 2015 the building housed DuPont's headquarters. This small collection of files on DuPont Company history and biographies were removed from the company's downtown headquarters building prior to its move to the suburbs.

Francis Gurney du Pont (1850-1904) was the youngest son of Alexis I. du Pont (1816-1857) and Joanna Smith du Pont (1815-1876), and grandson of Éleuthère Irénée "E.I." du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. The collection contains a carbon typescript of "History of Explosions at Brandywine Mills" compiled from records by du Pont and also reported from his own experiences.

Harry O. Sooy (1875-1927) worked at Berliner Gramophone Company and Victor Talking Machine Company and was involved in the development of American sound recording. His papers contain a diary photocopy that is either a typed original or transcript of a diary that Sooy kept from the time of his employment with Eldridge R. Johnson (1867-1945) from 1898 to the end of 1925. Also included are four miscellaneous items: formula for grading and grinding precious stones, regulations governing the Victor Cooperative Beneficial Association, Red Cross benefit concert, and United War Work Campaign concert.

Hologic, Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of medical x-ray imaging instruments with a primary focus on mammography and women's health. The company was founded in 1985 by S. David Ellenbogen (1938-2001) and Jay A. Stein (1942-) in Bedford, Massachusetts. Researchers can expect to find print and digital materials, including medical journal articles, marketing brochures, presentations from sales and marketing meetings, digital photographs of doctors' offices with mammography equipment, price books, Radiological Society of North America annual conventions preparation materials, and pictures and slideshows from company retreats. The finding aid is arranged into four series: Hologic, Inc. company and people, Marketing files, Conferences and sales meetings files, and Articles.

Hoopes Brothers & Darlington was a firm that produced wooden wheels. It was founded by brothers Thomas Hoopes (1834-1925) and William Hoopes (1830-1917) on their farm about a mile northwest of West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1866. Initially, they manufactured spokes for wagon wheels from local timber. In 1869, they established a factory in West Chester proper and, within three years, were manufacturing complete wooden wheels. In time the firm became the largest establishment of its kind east of the Allegheny Mountains. The records of Hoopes Brothers & Darlington, Inc. are relatively complete and give a full picture of the firm during its peak years in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Hoopes Brothers & Darlington was a firm that produced wooden wheels. It was founded by brothers Thomas Hoopes (1834-1925) and William Hoopes (1830-1917) on their farm about a mile northwest of West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1866. Initially, they manufactured spokes for wagon wheels from local timber. In 1869, they established a factory in West Chester proper and, within three years, were manufacturing complete wooden wheels. In time the firm became the largest establishment of its kind east of the Allegheny Mountains. This small collection consists of an account book of rim stock; a biography of one of the firm's founders, Thomas Hoopes; the autobiography of lime kiln owner John G. Robison; Edward S. Darlington's membership certificate in the Carriage Builders National Association; and board of directors' meeting minutes from 1903 to 1932.

Horace Holden Thayer, Jr. (1878-1959) was a naval architect, mechinical engineer, and businessman. Between 1909 and 1914 Thayer worked for the Delaware Construction Company which was a building company, and a subsidary of the National Real Estate Trust Company, which provided loans and financing for the properties. This small collection consists of papers relating to Thayer's early work with the National Real Estate Trust Company and the Delaware Construction Co. These materials document the formation of the National Real Estate Trust Company and building specifications for the Delaware Construction Co. There is a small amount of papers related to the businesses of his father-in-law Thomas H. Savery (1837-1910), specifically the Harpers Ferry Paper Company and the Shanandeoah Pulp Company.

Hotel du Pont is a historic hotel located in Wilmington, Delaware that opened in 1913. The Hotel du Pont Company was organized on July 2, 1912, for the purpose of operating a hotel within the Du Pont Building in downtown Wilmington. The Hotel du Pont historical files were collected to assist in the preparation of an Arcadia book by Joanna L. Arat, which was issued to mark the 100th anniversary of the hotel, and include administrative records, marketing and sales information, food services and material related to other special events.

Hotel du Pont is a historic hotel located in Wilmington, Delaware, that opened in 1913. The Hotel du Pont Company was organized on July 2, 1912, for the purpose of operating a hotel within the Du Pont Building in downtown Wilmington. The Hotel du Pont miscellany represents objects, including former lobby decorations, removed prior to a proposed sale of the building. Items include menus, advertisements, check, and jacket pins.

Hotel du Pont is a historic hotel located in Wilmington, Delaware that opened in 1913. This collection of Hotel du Pont materials represents publicity materials covering the renovations within the hotel and some of the more special events held there primarily dating from 1980 to 1992.

Science and Corporate Strategy is a scholarly history of research and development at the DuPont Company authored by David A. Hounshell (1950-) and John Kenly Smith (1951-). As part of their research, Hounshell and Smith conducted sixty-one oral history interviews with forty-seven current and former chemical engineers involved in DuPont's R & D programs. The interviews constitute an exhaustive first-person account of DuPont's research programs with special emphasis on personalities and the organizational culture of the various DuPont research facilities.

Homes on Breck's Lane were owned by William Winder "Chick” Laird Jr. (1910-1989), and served as workers' housing. Laird was the director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. The record is a single sheet listing the houses on Breck's Lane near Wilmington, Delaware, that were originally workers' housing attached to the Brandywine Works of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company.

Howard Ensign Simmons Jr. (1929-1997) was an industrial scientist and the Research Vice-President in the Central Research Department of the DuPont Company from 1979 until his retirement in 1991. His records document Simmons's role in overseeing the production of "Science and Corporate Stategy" by David A. Hounshell and John K. Smith, a scholarly history of Research and Development at the DuPont Company. Also included are reports on DuPont's diversification program in the late 1960s.

Howard Potts (1900-1978) was a supervisor for the American Car and Foundry shipyard. In the oral history done by Hagley Museum curatorial staff with Potts, he comments on a series of photographs taken at the yard during the time he worked there and describes the process involved in wooden shipbuilding and sailmaking.

Various employer's association records from the 1990s collected by British historian of United States labor, business, and economic history, Howell Harris, for use in his 2000 book, "Bloodless Victories: The Rise and Fall of the Open Shop in the Philadelphia Metal Trades, 1890-1940." Includes several public relations, recruitment, and general information folders and packets distributed by employers' associations from across the United States.

The H.S. Mill Canning Company was a small independent cannery in Springtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The outbound letterpress copybook contains mostly correspondence with customers, suppliers, and the railroads that shipped the company's canned goods.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. This item is a brief note in which Maxim describes the invention of the gun as the "greatest life saving instrument," dated 1915.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. This collection includes a copy of an agreement between Maxim and E.I. du Pont de Nemours (October 17, 1897), whereby Maxim sold to the company his patents for smokeless powder. Also included is correspondence with du Pont family members and government agencies related to smokeless powder; the machine gun designed by Maxim; and Maxims's book, Defenseless America, an anti-pacifist polemic.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. The papers consist primarily of Maxim's published and manuscript writings from the period between 1907 and 1926. The writings range in topics: Napoleon, the future of naval and aerial warfare, and social Darwinism and anti-immigration.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. This collection focuses on Maxim's attempt to float his inventions in England during the late 1890s, his anti-pacifist crusade and war-era activities, and his work at Lake Hopatcong.

Pierre Samuel "P.S." du Pont (1870-1954) was the great-grandson of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and that company played a major role in P.S. du Pont's life. He is most well-known for developing the preeminent botanical gardens, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The P. S. du Pont estate papers document the distribution of physical items from his Longwood estate in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in the years following his death.

Hughes Helicopters was a manufacturer of civilian and military helicopters. The company was founded in 1947 as a unit of the Hughes Aircraft Co., an aerospace and defense contractor established by Howard Hughes (1905-1976) in 1934. This small collection consists primarily of article reprints that publicize Hughes Helicopters and trade literature for some of the company's competitors before entering the market.

Stewart Huston (1898-1971) began his career as a metallurgist and worked in varying capacities in the family business, Lukens Steel Company, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, from 1923 until his death. Assembled by Huston, the collection relates to genealogy and family history.

The IBM Technical History Project was begun in 1980 following the suggestion that books be written about IBM's technical history. The books that were subsequently written were based, in part, on 361 oral history interviews. This collection contains the interviews bound in eight volumes.

ILC Dover outfitted every astronaut in the Apollo program and continued to design and manufacture space suit components for the space shuttle missions and on the International Space Station. The ILC Dover Apollo program records consist primarily of files maintained by Jim McBarron (1938-2020) while he was lead suit engineer for NASA, overseeing ILC’s development of the space suits. Also included are many other files gathered from ILC Dover and from ILC Dover retirees who were employed by ILC Industries during the Apollo program.

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is a trade organization for industrial designers that promotes the impact of design on business, culture, and society. The organization provides its members with education and networking opportunities. It also advocates for the profession through legal and business channels, and it helps colleges and universities set standards for their industrial design programs. IDSA recognizes and promotes achievements in the industry through an assortment of well-regarded awards, and it provides outreach and recognition to industrial design students through a variety of student scholarships and competitions. The Industrial Designers Society of America records document the organization's internal and external activities. Administrative records provide access to IDSA's organizational structure, bylaws, and policies, as well as its internal planning, advocacy activity, and membership relations. Newsletters and research reports provide insight into the industry's critical issues during a particular time period, and they also provide a review of IDSA activities. Materials from awards programs and student competitions provide images and analysis of products and spaces that were recognized for their superior design, and records and ephemera in the collection from other design organizations, design firms, and individual designers highlight important issues and trends in the industrial design field, both in the United States and around the world.

Inez M. Gossett (1907-2003) was employed by Avon Products, Inc. for thirty-one years. In 1939, she established the Atlanta City office. After the office closed, Gossett became a division sales counselor for district managers in Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans, and Memphis. Avon Products, Inc. is a manufacturer and direct selling company of beauty products. It is one of the oldest direct selling companies in the United States. This small collection documents the daily work of a city manager, most notably through Gossett's personal narrative, "A Week in the Life of a City Manager." As city manager, Gossett was responsible for hiring and training sales representatives. The collection contains sample sales representatives' contracts, order forms, and sales training materials.

The Insurance & Financial Communicators Association (I.F.C.A.) "is an international organization dedicated to the ongoing professional development of its members in life insurance and related financial services communications." [1] The associations primary objective is to promote the exhange of ideas among its members through educational programs, events, and publications. The primary value of the collection is in its capacity for documenting trends in the marketing of life insurance, and the rationale behind particular advertising campaigns. Case histories and publications aimed at the industry are of most use in this regard. The bulk of the records are of interest only in documenting the internal functions of the organization and the issues which it has perceived as important to the insurance industry.

Insurance Society of Philadelphia provided a forum for persons engaged in the fire insurance business. The records consist of two series culled from the society's library: vertical files and scrapbooks. The records document various aspects of the insurance industry, the society and its members.

The Intellectual Property Committee (IPC) was formed in 1986 as an ad-hoc coalition comprised of major U.S. corporations, such as IBM, Pfizer, and DuPont, to foster international support to improve and protect patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The Committee's efforts resulted in the 1994 passage of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement at the Uruguay Round, thus introducing intellectual property law into the international trading system. The records of the IPC include administrative files and correspondence, subject files, committee proposals, meeting agendas and summaries - both domestic and international - as well as reports and publications.

The Inter-Society Color Council Records represents a wide array of individuals and organizations and their contributions to the development of standardized systems for identifying and evaluating color. This collection documents the advancement of color technology in the twentieth century and its practical application to problems related to color in science, art, and industry.

International Housewares Association is a trade organization that promotes the sales and marketing of housewares. The formation of The International Housewares Shippers Association, and International Business Council, gives assistance to members with global trade issues. Through The Inspired Home, a consumer-based magazine and website, IHA caters to the housewares buyer by directly connecting the industry to its’ consumers. The collection has been divided into seven series: Administrative, Annual Show, International Business Council, International Shippers Association, Membership, Public Relations, and Publications.

Irene Sophie du Pont (1877-1961) was a philanthropist who served as the chairperson of the Delaware Commission for the Blind for thirty years. She married her distant cousin, Irénée du Pont (1876-1963), on February 1, 1900. Their eldest daughter was Irene "Sophie" Sophie du Pont May (1900-2001). Sophie du Pont May was a churchwoman and a philanthropist. This small collection consists of two sets of papers, one belonging to Irene Sophie du Pont and the other to her daughter, Sophie du Pont May. The papers were removed from each of their respective lap writing desks for preservation purposes. Irene Sophie du Pont's papers consist primarily of letters written to her between 1887 and 1898, prior to her marriage in 1900. Sophie du Pont May's papers are entirely comprised of her school materials from the Friends School in Wilmington, Delaware, dating from 1910 to 1916.

Irénée du Pont (1876-1963) was an American businessman who used his background in chemical engineering to work at various United States companies in the twentieth century. He did work with Pusey & Jones, a company that provided shipbuilding services to help the World War II effort, and later transitioned into a paper-making facility. This collection includes eleven letters between Irenee du Pont, James Creese of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, J. Sigfrid Edstrom, and Neilson Abeel. The correspondence relates to du Pont’s business endeavors while working at Pusey & Jones.

Irv Koons (1922-2017) was a graphic artist, designer, and illustrator who became one of the leading consumer package designers of the twentieth century. The Irv Koons memorabilia includes a small sample of holiday greeting cards designed by Koons and sent to clients and friends as well as items from Koons's funeral in 2017.

Irv Koons (1922-2017) was a graphic artist, designer, and illustrator who became one of the leading consumer package designers of the twentieth century. The Irv Koons papers include marketing research studies, business correspondence, public relations files, and materials from the designer's packaging courses. In addition to this textual component, the archive contains original artwork, sketches, comprehensives, mock-ups, and final product packaging. These materials document not only the career of Irv Koons, but also the growth and development of the packaging industry in the second half of the twentieth century.