Greyhound
Corporation records, 1925-1971
Descriptive
Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center
By
Ellen Brooks; ed. by Sarah Dorpinghaus and Rachel Juris, 2010.
Please
address questions to:
Chicago
History Museum, Research Center
1601
North Clark Street
Chicago,
IL 60614-6038
Web-site:
http://www.chicagohistory.org/research
©
Copyright 2010, Chicago Historical Society
Processed
with funding provided by the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission.
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Title: Greyhound
Corporation records [manuscript], 1925-1971
Main entry: Greyhound
Corporation.
Inclusive dates: 1925-1971
Size:
13
linear ft. (16 boxes)
5
sound discs : analog, 45 rpm. (Original)
Restriction: For listening
purposes, it is necessary to use a copy, not the original (and to have a
listening copy made if one is not available).
Accession
number: 2008.0160
Provenance
statement: Gift
of the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming (2008.0160).
Terms governing use: All rights owned by the donor, including copyright, were deeded to Chicago Historical Society. Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.
Please cite this
collection as: Greyhound
Corporation records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date,
and box/folder number of a specific item.
This descriptive
inventory contains the following sections:
Historical
note,
Summary
description of the collection,
Description
of some material related to the collection,
List
of online catalog headings about the collection,
Arrangement
of the collection,
Detailed
description of archival series in the collection,
List
of contents of the collection.
Historical Note:
Greyhound
Corporation, a national bus transportation company, grew out of the
transportation service operated by Carl Eric Wickman in Hibbing (Minn.) in
1914. Wickman and associates formed the Motor Transit Corporation in 1926,
which changed its name to Greyhound Corporation and assumed the image of a
running dog as the company symbol in 1929. Lady Greyhound, the animal mascot of
the Greyhound Corporation was introduced in 1957. Lady Greyhound was featured
in company advertising and made public appearances until around 1970. Greyhound
Corporation's corporate offices relocated from Duluth (Minn.) to Chicago (Ill.)
in 1930 and from Chicago to Phoenix (Ariz.) in 1971. Wickman retired as
president of the corporation in 1946 and was succeeded by Orville Caesar.
During the course of its history, Greyhound Corporation acquired numerous
regional transportation companies and expanded its services throughout the
United States and Canada. In 1987, Greyhound Corporation sold its bus
operations; Greyhound Lines, Inc. was formed and headquartered in Dallas
(Tex.). As of 2010, Greyhound Lines, Inc. operated buses serving over 3,700
destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Summary description
of the collection:
Correspondence,
meeting minutes, annual reports, press releases, financial and legal materials,
and other administrative records of the Greyhound Corporation, a nationwide bus
service that was headquartered in Chicago from 1930 until 1971. Also present
are publicity materials, including publications of the Greyhound Corporation,
newspaper clippings, and advertising manuals. The majority of public relations
materials pertain to Lady Greyhound, the animal mascot of the Greyhound
Corporation. Includes itineraries, travel brochures, and other records of bus
service. Also present are nine scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings and
photographs, chiefly documenting public appearances made by Lady Greyhound.
Includes
five phonograph records (in box 10, folder 3) about National Dog Week, 1967,
including an interview of Lady Greyhound.
Description of
some material related to the collection:
Related
materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Greyhound
Corporation photograph collection and publications, pamphlets, and timetables
cataloged separately.
List of online
catalog headings about the collection:
The
following index headings for this collection were entered in the online
catalog.
Subjects:
Caesar,
Orville.
Wickman,
Carl Eric.
Greyhound
Corporation--Archives.
Highway
traveler.
Bus
lines--United States--20th century.
Bus
travel--United States--20th century.
Dogs
in advertising--United States--20th century.
Greyhound
buses--United States--20th century.
Chicago
(Ill.)--Commerce--20th century.
United
States--Commerce--20th century.
Form/genre:
Annual
reports.
Brochures.
Correspondence.
Financial
records.
Legal
documents.
Meeting
minutes.
Newsletters.
Newspaper
clippings.
Pamphlets.
Periodicals.
Phonograph
records.
Photographic
prints.
Photographic
prints--Color.
Press
releases.
Reports.
Scrapbooks.
Added
entries:
Caesar,
Orville.
Wickman,
Carl Eric.
Highway
traveler.
Arrangement of
the collection:
The
collection is arranged in six series:
Series
1. Administrative files, 1926-1969 (box 1-3)
Series
2. Public relations materials, 1925-1971 (box 3-6, oversize folder)
Series
3. General materials, 1927-1960 (box 6-8)
Series
4. Correspondence, 1925-1967 (box 8-9)
Series
5. Lady Greyhound materials, 1961-1969 (box 10-11)
Series
6. Scrapbooks, 1946-1966 (box 12-16)
Detailed
description of archival series in the collection:
Series 1.
Administrative files, 1926-1969 (box 1-3)
Series
1 consists of annual reports, correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, press
releases, financial and legal materials, and other administrative records of
the Greyhound Corporation and subsidiary and affiliated companies. Financial
materials include reports to stockholders. Legal materials include agreements
and records of mergers. Also present are biographical questionnaires
(1952-1954) and other biographical information about Greyhound Corporation
executives and employees, a directory of officers and committee members, and a
report on bus fares.
Series 2. Public
relations materials, 1925-1971 & sound discs (box 3-6, oversize folder)
Series
2 consists of magazines, newsletters, pamphlets, articles, newspaper clippings,
manuals, speeches, and other publicity materials of the Greyhound Corporation.
Included are magazine articles and newspaper clippings about the Greyhound
Corporation; pamphlets, fliers, and other advertising materials; as well as
selected publications of the Greyhound Corporation and its subsidiaries,
including The Greyhound Traveler and Go with Greyhound. Also present are
advertising manuals and publicity handbooks, speeches given by Greyhound
Corporation executives, and an oversize color advertisement (1925). Includes
five phonograph records (in box 10, folder 3) about National Dog Week, 1967,
including an interview of Lady Greyhound.
Series 3.
General materials, 1927-1960 (box 6-8)
Series
3 consists of corporate histories, research and development reports, maps,
charts, timetables, itineraries, and travel brochures.
Series 4.
Correspondence, 1925-1967 (box 8-9)
Series
4 contains correspondence written and received by executives and employees of
Greyhound Corporation. Topics include bus service for "Mrs. America"
pageants, the development of Lady Greyhound as a marketing mascot, and the
state of the corporation during World War II.
Series 5. Lady
Greyhound materials, 1961-1969 (box 10-11)
Series
5 contains magazine and newspaper clippings, press releases, publicity reports,
and other records pertaining to Lady Greyhound, the animal mascot of the
Greyhound Corporation. Included are advertisements featuring Lady Greyhound,
publicity reports describing Lady Greyhound's advertising campaigns and public
appearances (1961-1964), instructions for personnel handling Lady Greyhound,
and materials related to National Dog Week (1965). Also included are
certificates, newsletters, membership cards, pamphlets, posters, greeting
cards, and other records of the Lady Greyhound fan club. Includes five
phonograph records.
Series 6.
Scrapbooks, 1946-1966 (box 12-16)
Series
6 consists of nine scrapbooks. The majority of the scrapbooks contain newspaper
clippings, photographs, and other materials related to Lady Greyhound. Other
topics include the election of Greyhound Corporation officers (ca. 1946), the
Greyhound Scenicruiser (ca. 1949), and a national transportation strike
involving the Greyhound Corporation (ca. 1966).
List of contents
of the collection:
Box
1-3 Administrative
files, 1926-1969
Box
3-6 & oversize folder Public
relations materials, 1925-1971 & sound discs
Box
6-8 General
materials, 1927-1960
Box
8-9 Correspondence,
1925-1967
Box
10-11 Lady
Greyhound materials, 1961-1969
Box
12-16 Scrapbooks,
1946-1966