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Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-367

Scope and Contents

This collection includes administrative records, Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes, membership directories, reports, stock certificates, programs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, photographs, and other records from the Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce in Muncie, Indiana ranging from 1902 to 2017 regarding businesses and community development in Muncie and Delaware County.

Dates

  • 1902 - 2017

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research. Access to restricted materials is limited to Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce staff.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Administrative History

The Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce was established as the Muncie Commercial Club on February 14, 1894 when thirty Muncie citizens gathered to organize an independent commercial club in Muncie, Indiana. The original committee consisted of three notable Muncie residents: T.F. Rose, James Boyce, and A.W. Brady. T.H. Kirby was chosen as temporary chairman until C.M. Turner was elected as the organization's first president.

The Muncie Commercial Club was dedicated to developing and promoting the Muncie community and frequently solicited shares of stock to Muncie residents. During its formative years, the Commercial Club worked to develop Muncie industry, engage in city improvement initiatives like the paving of city streets, and to establish the Eastern Indiana Normal University (now Ball State University). In 1913, the club joined the United States Chamber of Commerce, and then the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce two years later. The club went through a series of name changes throughout the twentieth century and in the 1990s became known as Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.

The Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce has overseen many development projects throughout its history, including the construction of the Horizon Convention Center in downtown Muncie in the 1980s with the assistance of the Delaware Advancement Corporation. The project was completed in 1988 and the Chamber's offices are now located on the second floor of the Convention Center.

Extent

15.2 Cubic Feet (18 boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Arranged in the following series and subseries:

Series 1: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce administrative records, 1912-1995

Series 2: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors records, 1950-1995

Series 3: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce community and economic development records, 1955-1981

Series 4: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Delaware Advancement Corporation records, 1985-1991

Series 5: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce publications, 1957-2017



Subseries 5.1: The Chamber magazines, 1977, 2010-2017

Subseries 5.2: Horizons newspapers, 1985-1996

Subseries 5.3: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce directories, 1980-2017

Subseries 5.4: Chief Munsee's Smoke Signals newsletters, 1957-1971



Series 6: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce newspaper clippings, 1951-2016

Series 7: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce stock certifictes, 1902-1956

Series 8: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce scrapbooks, 1951-1975

Series 9: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce photographs, c.1950s-2015

Series 10: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce restricted records, 1955-1994

Series 11: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce videos, 2006-2015

Series 12: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce digital records, 2004

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Jay Julian on 2016/05/03. Addition received 2017/07/18 by Nancy Norris.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Related Archival Materials

Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie IN:

MSS.350: Stefan S. Anderson papers

SC.160: Muncie Chamber of Commerce Meeting, Art Linkletter speaking announcement

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2016/11/21 by Lindsey M. Vesperry and Lily Larson. EAD finding aid created 2016/12/07 by Lindsey M. Vesperry. EAD finding aid revised 2016/12/07 by Lindsey M. Vesperry and 2016/12/16 by Brandon Pieczko. Addition processing completed 2017/10/31 by Kelsey Gordon and Shelby Stallard. EAD finding aid revised 2017/11/01 by Lindsey M. Vesperry

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce records
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

http://cms.bsu.edu/academics/libraries/collectionsanddept/archives
Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA

  • Ball State University Libraries

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