Formed in 1939 to protect the interests of general aviation pilots and private aircraft owners, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) grew to be the world's largest civil aviation organization during the twentieth century. The photograph collection largely comprises images of private planes, helicopters, and parts from various manufacturers who supplied the images for use in AOPA publications. AOPA activities, military aircraft, and experimental aircraft are also represented.

The records of the American Iron and Steel Institute and its predecessors provide an overview of the American iron and steel industries from their roots in the mid-eighteenth century to the early 1980s. The bulk of the archive consists of the Institute's library. Most of the Institute's own publications, plus a large collection of steel industry annual reports, are cataloged individually and stored in the general Imprints Department stacks.

The American Iron and Steel Institute is a trade association of North American steel producers. The group’s mission includes advocating for public policy, education and innovation for the Iron and Steel Industry. The Institute was established under the leadership of Elbert H. Gary (1846-1927) in 1908, after the Panic of 1907 brought an end to industry-wide consolidations. This collection consists of photographs, research notes, audio, film, and video which document the history of the steel industry. The images cover the entire scope of the steel industry from basic raw materials through the multiple aspects of steelmaking. In addition to images documenting the technical aspects of steel production, there are photographs showing steel in use. These include a variety of industrial and consumer applications and images related to the steel industry and environmental issues. The Albert T. Keller (1869-1940) photographs depict the sites or remains of early ironworks primarily in the mid-Atlantic states and New England states during the 1930s and there are over fifty blast furnace complexes pictured. The Walter C. Woodman (1903-1979) photographs and research notes document the history of iron furnaces and Saugus Iron Works becoming a national historic landmark.

The Associated General Contractors of America formed in 1918 as a trade organization representing the interests of the construction industry. Initially organized as a response to the demands placed on contractors during the First World War, today the Association has over 26,000 member firms. The records of the Associated General Contractors of America consist of annual convention and board meeting reports; minutes, digests of action, and resolutions of the executive committee; an unpublished history of the organization, and general and internal policy statements.

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States is the world’s largest business organization representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. This collection contains photographs, negatives, slides, digital images, sound recordings, videos, and films that document the history of the Chamber from its founding to the twenty-first century. The materials provide a record not only of the activities of the Chamber but also of the political landscape surrounding key issues related to business. The collection focuses on the legislation, regulations, and litigation impacting the economy, immigration reform, pensions, health care, trade, Social Security, air quality, global warming, workplace safety, and taxes, as well as major industries such as energy, aviation, automobiles, agriculture, transportation,mining, shipping, and technology.

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States has matured into the largest lobbying group in Washington. Formed in April of 1912 at the request of President William Howard Taft (1857-1930), the Chamber's commitment to be the voice of business is well documented. The records contain articles of incorporation, bylaws, resolutions and minutes of annual meetings. Presentations to Congress, speeches by members, and conferences hosted by the Chamber. Numerous publications give insight into the concerns facing American businesses in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The Directors of Industrial Research (D.I.R.) is a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on topics of mutual interest for directors of America's foremost industrial research laboratories, formed in 1923. The records of the Directors of Industrial Research are an important collection, primarily because of their documentation of the development of industrial research. These records provide ample opportunity for the study of a powerful elite of corporate researchers, and a close-up view of certain aspects of the relationship between science and big business in the twentieth century.

The Edison Electric Institute is the trade association of the electric utility industry. The minutes of the Institute's Transmission and Distributing Committee (1935, 1941-1970) include both business transactions of the committee and professional papers of representatives of member utility companies on a variety of subjects related to the transmission and distribution of electricty.

In 1801, French immigrants Eleuthère Irénée "E.I." du Pont (1771-1834) and his father Pierre Samuel "P.S." du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) organized the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (alternatively referred to as the DuPont Company) in Paris for the purpose of manufacturing gunpowder in the United States. The next year E.I. du Pont purchased a mill site on the banks of the Brandywine Creek just north of Wilmington, Delaware, and the company would grow to be the preeminent gunpowder company in the United States for the next century. This collection comprises the nineteenth-century records of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. extending to the date of the second incorporation of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. in 1902. The company's twentieth-century records, with the 1902 reincorporation as the dividing point, are described in a separate finding aid as E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. twentieth-century records (Accession 0500.II).

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. It advocates for the profession through providing educational opportunities and is an active member of the World Design Organization. IDSA was formed in 1965 with the merger of three predecessor organizations. The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) audiovisual materials document the members of the organization through images, sound recordings, and videos of events, primarily of the annual conference between 1980 and 2014. The files come from IDSA headquarters, primarily from Kristina Goodrich, who was executive director of IDSA from 1999 to 2006 and communication manager from 1981 to 1998. The collection has been arranged into seven series: IDSA conferences; IDSA office staff, board of directors, and committees; IDSA chapter events; Exhibits and other events; Industrial design files; Industrial/International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) winners; and IDSA publications.

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.

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.

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.

The leather manufacturing firm of J.E. Rhoads & Sons grew out of an eighteenth-century tanning operation on the Rhoads family homestead in Marple, Chester County (now Delaware County), Pa. Records cover the entire history of the firm from the 1720s through the 1960s. There is also substantial information on trade organizations in the leather industry and on members of the Rhoads family.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is an industrial trade association and advocacy group. NAM was organized in January of 1895 when approximately 600 manufacturers met during the 1890s depression in Cincinnati, Ohio, to formulate a program for economic recovery. Since its inception, it has pursued the objectives of American business, such as the building of the Panama Canal and opposition to both Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. This calendar was created to celebrate the National Association of Manufacturers' 100th year. Each month features archival and contemporary photographs from a company belonging to the organization.

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is an advocacy organization that represents automobile dealers to automobile manufacturers and the United States government. This collection highlights the activities of NADA. The collection is arranged into two series based on format; Audiovisual and Publications. The material within the series are arranged chronologically. The audiovisual materials focus primarily on coverage of events, news segments, automobile manufacturer footage and other programs pertaining to NADA, while the publications focus on industry news, products, regulations, and legislation.

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) was established on May 28, 1914 to coordinate the foreign trade activities of the United States. The convention appointed thirty-five delegates to serve as charter members of the NFTC, with James A. Farrell (1863-1943), then-President of U.S. Steel, the new organization's first chairman. Records chronicle U.S. corporate policy toward the most pressing issues of foreign trade in the twentieth century.

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is a business membership organization that advocates for international and public policy that support an open world trading system. This collection consists of archived captures of the official website of the National Foreign Trade Council (URL: http://www.nftc.org/). The website has information about the NFTC by-laws, the board of directors, staff, and membership. There are webpages that feature publications, recent events and activities, information about the NFTC stance on various issues such as trade policy, tax policy, international human resources, visa policy, sanctions and export controls, and innovation.

The National Industrial Conference Board, later renamed The Conference Board, formed in 1916 as a response by the business community to continued labor unrest and growing public criticism. Their records are an important source for understanding the business community's response to most political and socioeconomic issues. NOTE: The box inventory for this finding aid is not yet online, a full inventory is available onsite in the Reading Room only.

The National Industrial Conference Board (NICB), later named The Conference Board, is a non-profit membership organization specializing in economic research. This collection contains photographic prints, primarily portraits, of early NICB members.

The National Industrial Distributors Association (NIDA) was a trade organization representing wholesalers of industrial supplies and hardware that attempted to address some of the problems which stemmed from their relationship with manufacturers, whom they accused of excessive price cutting and attempting to deal directly with retailers. The National Industrial Distributors Association was created in 1905 with thirty-eight members. The records briefly document the history, goals, legal issues, and governmental impact on professional associations of companies that manufacture, supply, and distribute the nation's goods and materials.

The Purchasing Management Association of Central Pennsylvania was a regional chapter of the national trade organization the Institute for Supply Management from 1959 until 2016. The mission and vision of the regional chapter was to educate, develop, and advance the purchasing and supply management profession within Central Pennsylvania. This collection consists of thirty-two bound volumes of original documents from the Purchasing Management Association of Central Pennsylvania, primarily meeting minutes and correspondence between 1959 and 2004.

The Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, which was founded in 1893 and became part of the American Society for Engineering Education in 1946, was a professional society of engineering school deans, professors, practicing engineers, and industry executives. During the 1930s and 1940s, Dugald C. Jackson (1865-1951), Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT, served as executive director. MIT president Karl Compton (1887-1954) and Gerard Swope (1872-1957) from the General Electric Company were active members. This collection of correspondence consists largely of letters between Jackson, Swope, and Compton, which document their efforts to shape the curriculum at major engineering schools.

WorldAutoSteel is an institutional membership organization comprised of eighteen major global steel producers dedicated to innovative vehicle steel application technologies that are environmentally sustainable and meet the automotive industry's needs. This collection consists of records that document a series of projects conducted by WorldAutoSteel, a unit of the World Steel Association. The files come from WorldAutoSteel headquarters, primarily from Edward Opbroek, who was the director of WorldAutoSteel from 2006 to 2011 and the program director for UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) and UltraLight Steel Auto Body - Advanced Vehicle Concepts (ULSAB-AVC). These records would be of value to researchers interested in the intersection of the steel and automobile industries, automotive benchmarking, innovations in steel design and engineering, and communications strategies.