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Papers of Chester M. Brown

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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
171
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
1.38 linear feet (2 boxes)
Preferred Citation:
Papers of Chester M. Brown, Science History Institute Archives Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106..
Date:
1942-1981 (inclusive) and 1962-1968 (bulk)
Creator:
Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation and Brown, Chester M., 1908-1981
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
This collection offers snapshots of Chester M. Brown at two stages of his career. In 1943-1945, taking on major responsibility as Plant Manager of the Point Pleasant West Virginia Ordinance Works where dynamite for the war effort was being produced, then, in 1962-1968 as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman-of-the-Board of the Allied Chemical Corporation, acting as corporate spokesman and a driving force for modernization within the company.

This is a small collection of material containing records of the Allied Chemical Corporation, including Annual Reports from 1920 through to 1962 and a file of production figures from the West Virginia Ordinance Works for the year 1945.

Arranged into four series: Series 1. Life and Career; 2. West Virginia Ordnance Works; Series 3. Allied Chemical Corporation Records; Series 4.Photographs.

Chester M. Brown was born in Cape Girardeau, MO in 1908. He attended the University of Missouri, earning his B.S. degree in 1929. Thereafter he took up employment with the General Chemical Division of the Allied Chemical Corporation, working in their East St. Louis plant where sulfuric acid and alum was produced. He was promoted to Plant Superintendent in 1936 and Assistant Works Manager in 1938. He moved to New York in 1939 to take up a position as Assistant Production Manager, overseeing all production operations of the General Chemical Division. He remained in this post until 1942 when he took up new duties as Plant Manager of the West Virginia Ordinance Works in Point Pleasant, WV. He remained at Point Pleasant until the end of the war and, in 1946 was named Director of the Fine and Reagent Chemicals Division of the General Chemical Division. In 1955 he was named President of this division and became a Corporate Vice-President in 1957. In 1958 he became President of the National Aniline Division. In 1959 he became President and Director of Allied Chemical Corporation, serving as its Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Committee. Following the sudden death of Kirby H. Fisk in 1962 he became Allied Chemical's Chief Executive Officer and was named Chairman of the Board in 1966. In 1968, Chester M. Brown announced his retirement from Allied Chemical Corporation and returned to the place of his birth, Cape Girardeau, MO where he died on August 18, 1981.

Acquired via de-accessioning from the American Heritage Center University of Wyoming.

Source of acquisition--American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Method of acquisition--Gift;; Date of acquisition--2007.

The papers have been consolidated from two boxes to one and slightly re-arranged.

People
Organization
Subject
Place

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research but has not been fully processed and described.

Collection Inventory

Chester M. Brown-career highlights (newspaper clippings), 1964-1967.
Box 1 Folder 1
Chester M. Brown-notebook kept while at Du Pont Training School to study dynamite production, K.O.W., Joliet, IL, 1942.
Box 1 Folder 2
Letter from CMB to H.O.C. Ingraham accepting post-war employment at General, 1945.
Box 1 Folder 3
General Chemical Research Laboratory, Morris Township, NJ—publicity brochure & notes on "Genetrons" (their leading product) & brochure for Pleasantdale Farm Conference Center, 1954.
Box 1 Folder 4
Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, NJ — two news clipping, re: new Allied plant being built there, 1957-1958.
Box 1 Folder 5
"Costa Rica, Jardin de America"— news clippings, re: Allied plant being built in Moin, Costa Rica, 1964.
Box 1 Folder 6
"1 Times Square"— commemorative booklet celebrating Allied Chemical's new corporate headquarters on Times Square, NYC (incl. new clippings and photographs), 1965-1966.
Box 1 Folder 7
CMB. "The New Math," speech delivered before SOCMA, NYC, re: The Kennedy Round of trade talks with Common Market members, June 9, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 8
CMB, "Industry and the Urbanizing Society," speech delivered at the 34th Annual Chemical Industry Award Dinner, NYC, October 20, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 9
CMB, "The Business of Social Responsibility," Commencement Address delivered at Southeastern Missouri State College, Cape Girardeau, MO, incl. related correspondence, June 9, 1968.
Box 1 Folder 10
Allied Chemical Corporation news release announcing CMB's retirement, 1968.
Box 1 Folder 11
New York Times, CMB obituary notice, August 14, 1981.
Box 1 Folder 12

History-West Virginia Ordinance Works, 1942-1945.
Box 1 Folder 13
Letter of Commendation-WVOW for dynamite production, 1945.
Box 1 Folder 14
[Point Pleasant] West Virginia Ordinance Works—production records, 1945.
Box 1 Folder 15

Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation-Annual Reports, By-Laws, Certificate of Incorporation, 1920-1950.
Box 1 Folder 16
General

The Certificate of Incorporation and By Laws were at some point removed.

Allied Chemical Corporation-Annual Reports & 25-year Debentures, 1951-1962.
Box 1 Folder 17
Allied Chemical Corporation-Annual Report, 1954.
Box 1 Folder 18
Allied Chemical Corporation-Annual Report, 1958.
Box 1 Folder 19
Allied Chemical Corporation-Annual Report, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 20
Allied Chemical Corporation-Annual Report, 1968.
Box 1 Folder 21
Allied Chemical Corporation-By Laws, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 22
"Allied Chemical Corporation, Its Directors, Chief Executive Officers, Other Officers and Division Presidents—1920-June 1, 1978", 1978.
Box 1 Folder 23
Executive Committee and Board-of-Directors information sheets, 1962-1967.
Box 1 Folder 24
Financial Statements, Common Stock information, 1962-1967.
Box 1 Folder 25
General Chemical Division, Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation—"You and Your Company"—information brochure, undated.
Box 1 Folder 26

5 B&W 8x10 images taken during the dedication of 1 Times Square, 1965.
Box 1
27-page photo album containing 97 snapshots depicting work and social activities at West Virginia Ordinance Works, two images of a flag-raising ceremony and parade formation, circa 1945.
Box 1
Matte finish 10.5x13 B&W group photograph of West Virginia Ordinance Works personnel, 1945.
Box 1
"Presentation of the Chemical Industry Medal to Chester M. Brown October 20, 1967"—11.5x15 presentation case containing a set of 21 panels with mounted letters-of-congratulations, newspaper clippings, etc., 1967.
Box 2

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