The Maytag Corporation manufactures home appliances, most well known for its washing machines, also produces dryers, dishwashers, cooktops, refrigerators, and ranges. Claire G. Ely (1905-2004) was an employee of the Maytag company for forty one years. He worked for the Kansas City Branch and then was transferred to Newton, Iowa upon his promotion in 1952 to Manager of Product and Market Planning, eventually becoming Vice President of Marketing. This collection consists of materials collected or created by Clare G. Ely and includes biographical information about the Maytag family, historical information about the Maytag company, and documents the career of Ely from Branch Manager to Vice President. The collection includes press releases, newsletters, bulletins, newspaper clippings, correspondence, reports, pamphlets, photographs, and certificates.

George A. Richardson (1886-1976) was an engineer with an expertise in metallurgy. He spent his career primarily involved in technical publicity and sales for major steel manufacturers such as the Midvale Steel & Ordnance Company and Metallurgical Laboratories, Inc. (METLAB). These records consist primarily of materials collected by Richardson during the performance of his official duties with the steel companies, in preparing technical lectures and papers, and in teaching courses in metallurgy.

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.

L. Gerard Smith (1871-1940), born Louis W. Schmidt, was a business executive for the Vapor Car Heating Company based in Brooklyn, New York, and the Vapor Car Heating Company of Canada, Limited, in Montreal, Quebec. Smith worked at E.W. Curtis's print shop in New York City until 1886. Between 1893 and 1905, he worked as a mailman in Brooklyn, joining the National Association of Letter Carriers, an affiliate of the Knights of Labor. Smith left the Post Office for a clerical career in 1905. He worked with the Saftey Car Heating and Lighting Company, railroad hardware manufacturers, and 1913 was made general manager of Spindler & Deringer of Jersey City. Smith later became the general manager of the Vapor Car Heating Company, and in 1922 when the company was required to create a separate subsidiary to enter the Canadian market, Smith was named general manager of the Vapor Car Heating Company of Canada, Limited in Montreal, Quebec. These personal papers cover the period between 1893 and 1939 of the life of L. Gerard Smith. The letters are personal and candid, depicting Smith's large extended (and adoptive) family and the methods by which they helped support each other. The letters also provide insight into Smith's professional life, with correspondence between his business connections, particularly those he connected with through the Masons and the YMCA.

Robert E. Holeton (1911-1962) was an organic chemist at the DuPont Company from 1933 to 1962. He was the District Manager of the Petroleum Chemicals Division from 1954 until his death. From 1947 to 1953, Holeton perfomed "Chemical Magic" shows with a colleague in which they would demonstrate the unusual chemical reactions that can occur in the laboratory. These demonstrations were intentended to promote industrial safety. This small collection of Holeton's papers provides insight into his career as an industrial chemist, and then later as a sales represenative and district manager of the Petroleum Chemical Division. The collection strengths are the documentation related to industrial safety and Holeton's work performing the "Chemical Magic" shows and his time working at the Petroleum Chemical Division. There is a small but interesting set of material related to the Woodstown Civil Defense Council.