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Albion College Archives Research Guide to
MSS-0027 Provenance Inclusive Dates: 1894-2000
Processed by: Danica Dumsch '06, February 2005 The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns. Researchers bear full legal responsibility for acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code. The Albion College Special Collections Unit may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion. BIOGRAPHY
Richard E. Vernor (Dick) was born on June 19, 1890 to
Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Vernor in Detroit, Michigan. Here he spent the
entirety of his childhood, and graduated from Detroit Central High
School. Dick attended Albion College (the alma mater of
both of his parents) from 1909-1913, graduating with a degree in
chemistry. While at Albion, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity,
and later arranged for the publication of “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi,”
the famous song written by Byron Stokes (class of 1911) and his brother,
F. Dudleigh Vernor (class of 1914). Dick also served as a trustee for
Albion College from 1936-1942, and continued to contribute to the
College throughout his lifetime. Following his college graduation until 1922, he
served in the US Army. During WWI he was with the 85th Division at Camp
Custer, and then an instructor at Officers’ Training School at Camp Lee,
Virginia. In 1922, Dick began his outstanding career as a
fire prevention specialist, throughout his career speaking to over 2,000
audiences and supervising prevention associations in nineteen states. He
also served as chairman of the National Fire Protection Association and
the National Fire Waste Council of the United States Chamber of
Commerce. In addition, he served as president of the Greater Chicago
Safety Council. Dick married Edith Ruth Vernor on September 24,
1927. Edith had a son from a previous marriage, Harry Begley, who became
a Chicago attorney. Dick was also extensively involved in Rotary Club,
serving as Rotary District Governor and then treasurer of Rotary
International from 1946-1958. Along with his career in fire prevention
and his involvement in Rotary Club, he was a 32nd degree mason, a member
of the National Council of Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the
Union League Club of Chicago. The Richard E. Vernor Collection contains materials from the years of 1894-2000, the bulk of which is from 1952-1959. The collection consists of a variety of material related to his life, work, and death, especially those regarding his relationship with Albion College. This collection consists of seven series with four subseries:
Series II: Fire Protection
Subseries ii: Publications
Series III: Genealogy
Subseries ii: Slides Series VI: Scrapbook SERIES DESCRIPTION This series is comprised of two books from Dick's personal collection, Speech Outlines for All Occasions and The Toastmaster’s Manual. These books address how to hold effective business meetings and give successful speeches. Fire Protection, 1950, 1954, n.d. The Badges subseries is comprised of seven fire department badges from various locations in the United States. The series contains fire chief, honorary chief, and chief’s assistant badges from Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Tennessee; in addition to a notable Captain’s badge from the District of Columbia. No dates are documented for these badges. The Publications subseries contains a newspaper article posted by the Police Department of Chicago for the arrest of Richard E. Vernor. The subseries also contains a book from Dick's personal collection, The N.F.P.A. Handbook of Fire Protection. He received the book as a complimentary copy from the book’s editor, Robert S. Moulton. Dick, in turn, gave the book to Harry H. Wolff (Chicago). Genealogy, 1894, 2000 This series contains a piece on the genealogy of the Vernor family, which was compiled by Frank A. Vernor during the 19th century. It also contains a copy of an online article about the history of the Vernors Ginger Ale Company, created by one of the Dick's ancestors. Obituary, 1959 In this series, there is a memorial to Dick by Robert F. Hamm, from the Annual Fire Department Instructors’ Conference in Tennessee. There is, as well, an obituary from The Battle Creek Enquirer. Images, 1959, n.d. The Photographs subseries contains images taken at Dick's burial service. The Slides subseries consists of four images of him, two of which are in color; two, in black and white. The dates of these slides are unknown, but appear to have been taken later in his life. Scrapbook, 1952-1959, n.d. The final series, which contains a personal scrapbook, holds correspondence to and from Dick, newspaper clippings and articles with subjects of both general interest and pertinence to his life, and printed quotes and prayers.
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Stockwell-Mudd Libraries Special Collections, Albion College, 602 E. Cass Street, Albion, MI 49224 | 517.629.0487 | archives@albion.edu |
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Albion College ◦ Albion, Michigan
◦ 517/629-1000
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