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John T. Diebold scrapbooks
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Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 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
Born June 8, 1926 in Weehawken, New Jersey, John T. Diebold was an American businessman best-known for his pioneering 1952 work Automation. He was the founder of the Diebold Group, Inc. (originally John Diebold & Associates), which advised private companies and several governments on adapting to changes in technology, and was considered the "father of automation."
After graduating from Weehawken High School, Diebold attended Swarthmore College. Prompted by the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II, Diebold took a leave of absence from Swarthmore from 1944 to 1946 and earned a BS in engineering from the Merchant Marines. Upon returning to Swarthmore, Diebold graduated with a BA in economics with high honors. In 1951, he graduated from Harvard Business School with distinction.
Using connections gained over the course of business school, Diebold researched and wrote Automation during the year following his graduation from Harvard Business School. It was published in 1952 by Van Nostrand. Automation accurately predicted the increasing prominence of technology in business and labor concerns and is still referenced today as a "management classic." Following the success of Automation, Diebold founded John Diebold & Associates in 1954 to provide consulting services to private companies struggling to integrate new technologies into their business models. Within five years of its founding, Diebold & Associates had expanded across the United States and into Europe. The firm was soon renamed the Diebold Group, Inc.
Diebold continued to manage the Diebold Group, Inc. until its sale in 1991 to Daimler-Benz. During his nearly forty years as Chief Executive Director, he founded several subsidiary companies meant to encourage technological advancement. Among these were the Diebold Research Program, the Diebold Technology Venture Fund, Inc., and Diebold Computer Leasing, Inc. Diebold also served on numerous committees and advisory councils during his tenure as CED, including the President's Committee of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Peace Corps Advisory Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Council on Germany, the Atlantic Conference and the National Committee on US-China Relations.
John T. Diebold died in 2005.
The American businessman John T. Diebold, founder of the Diebold Group, Inc. and author of the management classic Automation, was the owner of an extensive scrapbook collection. Comprising 89 volumes and covering the period before Diebold's birth (approximately 1880 to 1926) to 1999, Diebold's carefully constructed scrapbooks document his life and the major events of his business career and personal life.
The scrapbooks contain an assortment of photographs (taken by Diebold himself with his often-referenced "Minox" as well as by professional photographers); newspaper articles relevant to Diebold's work; conference papers and meeting notes; dinner invitations, seating arrangements and menus; holiday greeting cards; expressions of thanks and sympathy; playbills; postcards; drawings from Diebold's children; tea and wine labels; and honorary degrees and other awards. Diebold divided his collection into several major themes, the most prominent being "Growth of Group" (1962-1967), "John Diebold Incorporated" (1967-1971), "Time of Transition" (1971-1975), "A New Phase" (1975-1987), "New Directions" (1992-1995) and "The Diebold Institute" (1996-1999).
The scrapbooks are bound in leather and cloth; most are in slipcovers.
Volume 45, on the topic of on "One East End Avenue" and consisting of photographs of Diebold's New York City apartment, documenting refurbishments undertaken in the 1960s-1970s, has not been transferred to the Friends Historical Library and remains with the Diebold family.
This collection is arranged by volume number as assigned by the creator (John T. Diebold), which is also chronological order.
Volume 45, on the topic of on "One East End Avenue" and consisting of photographs of Diebold's New York City apartment, documenting refurbishments undertaken in the 1960s-1970s, has not been transferred to the Friends Historical Library. At the time of the initial donation, two additional volumes were planned (vol. 90 on "The Diebold Institute, 2000-" and vol. 91 on "Cassiobury" (Diebold's estate)) but these scrapbooks were never created.
This collection is on permanent deposit from John T. Diebold and Joanne Lambert.
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
- Finding Aid Author
- Hazlett Henderson and Celia Caust-Ellenbogen
- Finding Aid Date
- 2017
- Access Restrictions
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For 20 years from receipt (2004-2024), prospective researchers must make application to Swarthmore College. Diebold family members will be granted access, but other researchers may be restricted.
After 2024, this collection is available for access without restriction.
- Use Restrictions
-
Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce items in this collection beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College which holds the copyright. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.
Collection Inventory
Photographs of family members before John's birth.
Photographs, school materials and some family history.
Records of stays in Mussolini's Italy, Spain in the beginning of its civil war, Nazi Germany, etc.
Memorabilia of youth (photographs and commentary), and beginning of Swarthmore career.
Records of years in Merchant Marines (earning BS degree in engineering).
Some records of participation in honors program, social activities.
Records of editing Harvard Business School yearbook, mother's death, commencement.
Includes first responses to Automation.
Expansion of business, acquisition of other firms.
Further expansion into Europe and Oregon, training courses, speeches.
Detailed account of European business trip (one of many).
Appointment to United States Department of Labor President's Committee, named one of ten outstanding young men by U.S. Junior Department of Commerce.
Founding of Diebold Research Program.
Further development.
Appointment to Peace Corps Advisory Council.
Interview by Walter Cronkite. Many photographs of business trips.
Photographs of business trips and daughter Joan (age 6).
Activation of John Diebold Inc., Diebold becomes member of Council on Foreign Relations.
Includes record (physical) of an interview with Harry Reasoner.
Founding of Diebold Technology Venture Fund, Inc.
Public offering of Diebold Computer Leasing, Inc. Visit with King Hussein of Jordan.
Includes investiture as a knight of Malta.
Includes ephemera from a dinner at the White House.
Includes a record (physical) of a Diebold speech, released by the Listening Library.
Many holiday greeting cards.
Attended American Council on Germany.
Receipt of Grand Cross of Republic of Panama. Ephemera from dinner with Senator Edward Kennedy.
Expansion of Diebold Europe, more holiday greeting cards.
Two Diebold companies listed in American Stock Exchange within one month.
Catalog of Diebold's awards, recognitions and honorary degrees (to 1971).
Includes signatures of Presidents Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
Ephemera from dinner with Henry Kissinger.
Includes photographs from annual autumn Europe trip.
Many holiday greeting cards.
Business as usual.
2nd Atlantic Conference - attended as member of Steering Committee and author of working paper.
Trip as Vice Chariman of National Committee on US-China Relations.
Includes invitation to Richard Nixon's inauguration.
Acting Vice-Chairman of United Nations Ambassadors dinner.
Conference notes and photographs, dinner invitations.
More conference notes and photographs, dinner invitations.
More conference notes and photographs, dinner invitations.
Many appearances by Barbara Walters.
Photographs and dinner invitations.
Labels of wine, champagne, sherry and brandy bottles.
Includes address to British Parliament.
Ephemera from German government's celebration of United States bicentennial in Frankfurt, at which an attempt on Diebold's life was made.
Many pictures of daughter Joan, celebration of 50th birthday.
Signatures of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.
Holiday greeting cards, vacation photographs.
Launching of Diebold Corporate Issues Program.
Photographs of business trips, dinner invitations, holiday greeting cards.
More photographs of business trips, dinner invitations and layouts.
More photographs of business trips, dinner invitations and layouts.
More photographs of business trips, dinner invitations and layouts, holiday greeting cards.
25th anniversary of Diebold Group.
30th reunion at Swarthmore College, visit with the Dalai Lama in New York.
Daughter Joan visits Swarthmore.
Photographs of business trips, birthdays, meetings.
Ephemera from America's cup race (observed onboard a participating boat), awarded Distinguished Information Science Award.
Record of filming and screening of German documentary on Diebold ("Man in a Hurry").
Visited Ascot as guest of prince and princess.
Record of death of Hans-Jeurgin Schwab, manager of John Diebold Deutschland.
Meeting photographs, holiday greeting cards.
Wedding to Vanessa VonderPorten.
30th anniversary of Automation. Publication of The Role of Business in Society.
Holiday greeting cards, meeting photographs, etc.
Business trip records: photographs, written materials.
Business trip memorabilia, holiday greeting cards.
Publication of Making the Future Work.
Signature and photograph of Ronald Reagan.
Vanessa's pregnancy, more business publications.
Baby pictures, ephemera from dinner with Gloria Steinem.
Several meetings of Council on Foreign Relations.
Photographs of meetings and baby (daughter Emma).
Feature article on Diebold in Managing Automation (April 1987).
Includes program from Bayard Rustin's funeral service.
Birth of baby John Diebold.
Includes feature piece on Diebold in Business section of the New York Times.
Publication of The Innovators.
Record of sale of Diebold Group.
Receipt of honorary degree in engineering from Lehigh University.
Family photographs and holiday greeting cards.
Includes photographs of daughter Joan's wedding.
Family photographs, holiday greeting cards, business meeting and conference ephemera.
More family photographs, holiday greeting cards and business ephemera.
More family photographs, holiday greeting cards and business ephemera.
More family photographs, holiday greeting cards and business ephemera.
Includes photographs from 50th reunion at Swarthmore College.