The Paul D. Blair Papers consist of correspondence, notes, typescripts and photographs that date from his employment with, first, the Republic Steel Corporation, and then with Sharon Steel. The bulk of the collection deals with his employment with the Republic Steel Corporation, Youngstown District. The collection measures 2 cubic feet. It is organized into six series and is divided topically into folders. The folders are arranged chronologically, as best as possible as some items bear no date. Each folder is labeled as to subject matter and number of items within.Paul D. Blair was born at Cambridge, Pennsylvania. He attended Meadville public schools where he graduated in 1927. In 1931, he received his B.S. in Mathematics and Surveying, as well as certification to teach high school from Allegheny College. Following this, he attended several years of night classes and government training, and underwent extensive job training with the Republic Steel Corporation.
Paul Blair was employed with the Republic Steel Corporation as an industrial engineer. He was the third man in a department of 65 people. The main focus of his work was mill studies, method studies and motion studies. He was also the director and chief instructor of the Work Simplification Program, which at times trained 400 foremen.
Following his employment with Republic, Blair went to work for Sharon Steel Corporation. He also worked as an industrial engineer with Sharon Steel Corporation, maintaining much of the same job description he had held with Republic.
Blair was a member of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers and held the positions of both treasurer and president of the Youngstown Chapter.
There are seven photographs showing Blair pictured with unidentified associates. Three of the photographs depict the Republic Steel Corporation Work Simplification Conference, Congress Lake, June 1943. Two photographs depict Blair with busines associates. There are also two group photographs, one of the Youngstown Club, February 28, 1951, and the other of the Work Simplification Banquet, February 27, 1951.
This series of the collection holds the correspondence, work studies, notes, and files from Blair's employment at the Republic Steel Corporation. There is a great deal of information concerning The Work Simplification Program, which Blair was a key figure in implementing with the Republic Steel Corporation. This series also contains notes and files from time study, production data and capacities, as well as correspondence from the Industrial Engineering Department. Of particular note in this series are the memo books of handwritten notes that Blair kept dealing with worker requests and conversations, as well as notes on studies and other work-related subjects.
Series three of the Blair Papers deals with the Sharon Steel Corporation and his employment there as senior industrial engineer. There are several technical notes and production data notes dealing with the industry and the Industrial Engineering Department. Most notable in this series are the Industrial Engineering Department monthly activity reports from October 1969 to February 1975. (It is important to note that the monthly activity reports are not all inclusive of 1969-1975). Also of interest would be some partial personnel listings and upper management inter-office correspondence.
The materials in this series deal with the chief industrial engineers of leading steel manufacturers. There are meeting notes, a member list, and most notably, a record of attendance at the Cooperative Wage Bureau Meeting of December, 9, 1964.
Series five consists of information concerning Blair's membership in the American Institute of Industrial Engineers. The material contained within includes bulletins and a 1974-75 directory of members.
This particular series consists of some personal notes of Blair's, as well as, some articles dealing with industry and steel. Notably in this series is the resume of Paul D. Blair and several newspaper clippings he collected dealing mainly with the steel industry in this valley and individuals involved with it.
The Ohio Historical Society acquired the Paul D. Blair Papers in 1996 through a donation from his wife. Angela M. Pollock processed the collection in 1996. The Ohio Historical Society owns the property rights to the collection. What rights the donor possessed in this collection have been dedicated to the public. Consideration of all other copyrights is the responsibility of the author and publisher. This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Ohio Historical Society. Researchers are requested to cite the collection name, collection number, the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, and the Ohio Historical Society in all footnote and bibliographic references.
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 1-Photographs
FOLDER: 1
CONTENTS: Republic Steel Corporation Work Simplification Conference, Congress Lake, June 1943 (3 photos and 1 postcard); Paul D. Blair and unidentified associates (2 photos); Group photograph of Youngstown Club, Feb. 28,1951 (1 photo); Group photograph of Work Simplification Banquet, Feb. 27, 1951 (1 photo) (5 items) This folder contains copies of the photographs, for originals please ask at reference desk.
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 2
CONTENTS: Work Simplification Program (3 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 3
CONTENTS: Job Evaluation Manual (1 item)
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 4
CONTENTS: Production Data and Notes (13 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 5
CONTENTS: Time Study & Wage Incentive documents and notes (9 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 6
CONTENTS: Industrial Engineering Studies & Correspondence from July 1941 to January 1950
(19 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-1
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 7
CONTENTS: Miscellaneous notes and memo books kept by Blair (10 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-2
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 8
CONTENTS: Work Simplification Session Note Binder (1 item)
CONTAINER: 0131-2
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 9
CONTENTS: Work Simplification Session Note Binder (1 item)
CONTAINER: 0131-3
SERIES: 2-Republic Steel
FOLDER: 10
CONTENTS: 1 Binder entitled Training Republic's Men of Steel, A Quality Training Program A Quality Control Training Course, Course Outline and Session Notes
CONTAINER: 0131-3
SERIES: 3- Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 11
CONTENTS: Copies of Paintings by Norman Rockwell of Sharon Steel Production and a Vindicator article about paintings November 14, 1995.
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 3-Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 12
CONTENTS: Industrial Engineering Department Information ( 9 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 3-Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 13
CONTENTS: Industrial Engineering Department Monthly Activity Reports October 1969- February 1975. (41 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 3-Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 14
CONTENTS: Technical Notes and Production Data (25 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 3-Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 15
CONTENTS: Inter-Office Correspondence and Management Notes and Facts (36 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 3-Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 16
CONTENTS: Employee Information (5 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 3-Sharon Steel
FOLDER: 17
CONTENTS: Notes on Time-Study Class January 1952. ( 1 item)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 4-Chief Industrial Engineers
FOLDER: 18
CONTENTS: Chief Industrial Engineers (4 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 5-American Institute of Industrial Engineers
FOLDER: 19
CONTENTS: American Institute of Industrial Engineers (3 items)
CONTAINER: 0131-4
SERIES: 6-Personal
FOLDER: 20
CONTENTS: Personal and Miscellaneous Papers and Notes (21 items)