Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, Chattanooga Division 729 records

Collection

Identifier: L1989-29

Staff Only

Scope and Contents of the Records

The Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, Chattanooga Division 729 collection includes correspondence, minutes, financial statements, a poster, a book, badges, and photographs. This collection is mostly comprised of correspondence from 1956-1960 of Mr. L.H. “Dick” Carter, the local division chairman who became the divisional secretary and treasurer from 1958-1960. The collection also includes a World War II poster discouraging the spreading of rumors, two cloth and six metal badges from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers: Tuscarawas Division 255 (Ohio), a funeral book of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and forty-four photographs, primarily concerning the Western Electric Company, mid-1940s.

Dates

1912, 1931, 1942-1946, 1955-1960

Creator

Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen. Chattanooga Division 729 (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

Unrestricted access.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

To quote in print, or otherwise reproduce in whole or in part in any publication, including on the Worldwide Web, any material from this collection, the researcher must obtain permission from (1) the owner of the physical property and (2) the holder of the copyright. Persons wishing to quote from this collection should consult the reference archivist to determine copyright holders for information in this collection. Reproduction of any item must contain the complete citation to the original.

Historical Note on the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen

The Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen (ORC & B) was founded in 1868 as an order of railroad conductors and later expanded to include brakemen. The Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen was founded by T.J. "Tommie" Wright in 1868 in Amboy, Ill. as the Conductors Union. The name was changed to Order of Railway Conductors of America (ORC) in 1878. In 1942, the Order of Sleeping Car Conductors merged with ORC. The union's name was changed in 1954 to the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen. In 1969, the Order merged with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and Switchmen's Union of North America to form the United Transportation Union. The ORC & B International Headquarters, Grand Division, was located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with subordinate divisions in the United States, Canada, and the Panama Canal Zone. The principal officers included the president, senior vice-president, general secretary-treasurer, executive vice-president, vice-president/Washington legislative representative, vice-president/National Railroad Adjustment Board, four regional vice-presidents, Board of Trustees (3 members), and the ORC & B Board of Directors (comprised of the above 13 officers.) General Adjustment Committees on each property (Class 1 railroads) were responsible for execution of the contract, with each chairman, as principal officer, exercising a high degree of autonomy. Legislative matters on the state level were the responsibility of the State Legislative Committee and its chairman.

Extent

0.46 Linear Feet (in 2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

The Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, Chattanooga Division 729 records includes correspondence, minutes, financial statements, a poster, a book, badges, and photographs.

Acquisition Information

Purchased from David McCord, September 19, 1989. Lucille Ragsdale donated further materials in 1996.

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