MS 453 - Robert H. Byler Jr. Collection

Title	MS 453 - Robert H. Byler Jr. Collection
Introduction	The Robert H. Byler Jr. Collection of 3 linear feet is comprised primarily of files devoted to his various organizational affiliations and research projects within his business, journalism, writing, photography, and local history (Bowling Green history/downtown rehabilitation) spheres of interest. Also included in the collection are photographs, slides, and VHS tapes made by Dr. Byler pertaining to BGSU Journalism classes and their participation in Mass Communication/Journalism Week observances. Inclusive dates are from 1973-2001. The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in 2001. The documents were processed and a finding aid completed by Eric Honneffer, February 2014.
Biographical Sketch	Robert H. Byler Jr. was born June 28, 1930. He would receive an A.A. certificate from Hannibal-LaGrange College in June 1950 and would earn his B.A. in English two years later from Illinois Wesleyan University. In August 1954 he received an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri. By March 1982 he graduated with his PhD in Speech Communication from Bowling Green State University. Dr. Byler was a reporter and photographer as well as a classified ad salesman for two daily newspapers while attending college in Bloomington, Illinois and Columbia, Missouri between 1950 and 1954. Starting in 1954, for almost two years, he was a motion picture photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, heading the still lab in Frankfurt, Germany. Commercial and free-lance photography was an important sideline for him since 1957. Between 1956 and 1960 he was assistant editor of Caterpillar Folks newspaper and News and Views magazine at the Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, Illinois. From 1960 until 1962 Dr. Byler worked at Reynolds Metals Company in Richmond, Virginia as the editor of Reynolds Review. Between 1962 and 1964 he was working in Washington D.C. for the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association as editor of PMA Bulletin, Annual Report Editors’ Notebook and serving as a public information writer. From 1965 until 1967 he would be public information manager at Mead Johnson & Company in Evansville, Indiana. By 1968 he would head the Journalism Division of the University of Evansville before coming to BGSU in 1973 as a professor in the Department of Journalism.
Scope and Content	This collection is comprised primarily of files containing correspondence, literary productions, printed materials, clippings, photographs and audio visual materials reflecting primarily Dr. Byler’s Journalism career at BGSU, organizational participation, and community interests in the local history of Wood County and surrounding area. For scholars interested in the history of Bowling Green and various downtown rehabilitation efforts these research materials would be useful. Dr. Byler’s writings and photo journalistic work are included within the files highlighting Wood County community history and BGSU Journalism class observances of Mass Communications/Journalism Week. The latter can include many photographs, slides, and VHS recordings by Dr. Byler of notable journalists visiting campus each year for participation in the week’s activities.
Series Description	FILES Series: PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION FILES 1978-1996 Arranged by organization. Files can include minutes, correspondence, membership data, newsletters, printed materials, clippings and notes for such groups as the Haskins, Ohio Lions Club, International Association of Business Communicators, the International Television Association, and the Northwest Ohio Writers Forum. BOWLING GREEN FILES 1969-2001 Arranged by subject. Files can include correspondence, student papers, Byler articles, printed materials, clippings, and notes focusing on the rehabilitation and promotion of downtown Bowling Green. COMMUNITY FILES 1957-2001 Arranged by Wood County community. The files contain primarily Byler articles, printed materials, clippings, and photos pertaining to the history of various communities in Wood County. PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Series: PHOTOS AND SLIDES c. 1940-1994 These include mostly photos and slides by Dr. Byler of downtown Bowling Green and images taken at the Haskins Lions Club. Others focus upon Journalism classes and observances of Mass Communications/Journalism week at BGSU. VIDEO RECORDINGS Series: VHS RECORDINGS 1983-1994 Arranged chronologically. The recordings made by Dr. Byler are from observances of Mass Communications/Journalism week at BGSU. Three additional recordings (1992, 1994) document elements of Wood County history.
Inventory	Box 1 Professional Organization Files Folder: 1. Lions Club, Haskins, Ohio, 1982-1996 2. International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Toledo Chapter – Correspondence, minutes, notes, 1982-1983 3. IABC – Correspondence, 1983-1984 4. IABC – Historical data, membership, 1966-1992 5. IABC – Newsletters, printed materials, 1973-1991 6. International Television Association (ITVA), Greater Toledo Chapter – Correspondence, newsletters, printed materials, 1987-1991 7. Northwest Ohio Writers Forum – Newsletters, 1984, 1993 8. Lions Club, District 13-A – Newsletters, printed materials, 1978-1982 Box 2 Bowling Green Files Folder: 1. Businesses – Ray Barker’s downtown surveys, clippings, notes, 1972-1979 2. Businesses – Byler student papers on food and lodging in BG, 1976-1979 3. Businesses – Byler student papers, 1976-1990 scatt. 4. Businesses – Byler student papers, 1976-1979, nd 5. Businesses – Byler notes, 1978-1979 6. Businesses – BG News – BG Business Beat – Correspondence, Clippings, notes, 1979 7. Wood County Court House, Wood County Library, Wood County Airport – Byler student papers, 1979, nd 8. Arlington Woods – clippings, student paper, 1976-1977 9. BGSU – printed materials, clippings, 1969, 1979-2001 scatt 10. BGSU – Black Swamp Festival – printed material, clippings, slides, 1976 11. Businesses – clippings, 1975-1992 12. BG downtown – clippings, 1972, 1983-1996 13. BG downtown restoration – Byler articles, business district studies and documentation, 1972-1987 14. BG downtown – Heritage 2000 documentation, 1994-1995 15. BG downtown – Heritage 2000 – Storefront Rehabilitation: A Historic Building Façade Study, 1994 16. BG downtown – Heritage 2000 – clippings, 1994-1998 17. BG social issues – clippings, 1977-1979 18. Wood County Courthouse renovations, 1979-1980 Box 3 Wood County Community Files Folder: 1. Bowling Green and Wood County – printed materials, 1975-1993 scatt. 2. Grand Rapids – printed materials, clippings, 1981-1985 3. Grand Rapids – printed materials, clippings, 1985-1998 4. Grand Rapids – boat and train rides – printed materials, clippings, 1981-1985 5. Grand Rapids – Kerr House – printed materials, clippings, 1979-1986 6. Grand Rapids – Dominick Labino – clippings, 1981-1987 7. Grand Rapids – Seven Eagles Historic Education Center- Lost Arts Festival – printed materials, clippings, 1986-1992 8. Haskins centennial history, 1969 9. Haskins - newsletters, printed materials, 1970, 1982-2001 10. Haskins – Earl North clippings and photos, 1957-1989 11. Tontogany – Otsego newsletters, clippings, 1995-2001 12. Waterville – clippings, 1985-1996 13. Wood County communities – clippings, 1979-1988 14. Historic preservation in N.W. Ohio – printed materials, clippings, 1976-1981 15. Historic preservation in N.W. Ohio – clippings, 1991-1994 Box 4 Photos and Slides Folder: 1. Photos – downtown Bowling Green, 1980-1994 2. Slides – downtown Bowling Green, 1975-1983 3. Photos – Grand Rapids, 1984-1986 4. Photos – Haskins Lions Club, c.1940-1991 5. Slides – Haskins Lions Club, 1982-1984 6. Photos and slides - BGSU Journalism/Communications, 1978-1979 7. Photos and slides – Journalism 416, 1979 8. Photos and slides – Journalism 440, 1974-1980 9. Slides – other classes, 1974-1979 10. Photos – Mass Communications / Journalism week, 1978-1984 11. Slides – Mass Communications / Journalism week, 1974-1975 12. Slides – Mass communications / Journalism week, 1976-1984 scatt. 13. Photos and slides – College of Business Administration Alumni Council and personalities, 1974-1980 14. Negatives – College of Business Administration, 1977-1980 15. Photos – miscellaneous photos by Byler, nd 16. Listing of VHS tapes, 1982-1986 Box 5 VHS tapes Folder: BGSU Mass Communications Week video tapes of guest speakers and journalism classes visited 1983-1990: 1. Spr. 1983, J416 – Dr. Ray Browne (BGSU Popular Press), Jim Gordon (News Photographer magazine) 2. Spr. 1983, J416 – Judy Moody (BGSU publications designer, Cedar Point, Agency, Penton), Rob Woods (Marathon World) 3. Spr. 1983, J416 - Fred Boughner (Amos Press, Stamp World Magazine, Sidney, Ohio), Jane & Ron Jablonski (Ohio-Michigan Line magazine) 4. Fall 1984, J416 -Norm Richards (editor, Marathon World magazine, Findlay), Rick Kendall (Penton IPC trade magazines, Cleveland), J303 - Jim Rowland (plant manager, Wall Street Journal, B.G.) 5. 2-26-85, J490 – Janet Grove and Marianne McCluskey (Owens-Corning editors), 3-5-85, J490 – Rita Milios (medical writer), Mel Barger (LOF communications manager) 6. J416, J404 – 3-21-85 Norm Richards and 4-25-85 Gardner McLean (editor of At BG, BGSU PR Office) 7. 4-8-85 to 4-9-85, J490 – Tom Standley (Toledo Chamber of Commerce publications) 8. 4-9-85 – Stu Hoicowitz (United Way) , Mary Ann Coscarelli (Red Cross) 9. 4-8-85, Video text/Rita Milios, John Calderazzo (freelancer), George Glenn (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Cleveland), Bob Gardner (Ohio Business magazine) AP photography 10. Fall 1985 J380, J416 – 2-13-86 Tom Taylor (publisher, Bounty Hunter magazine), J416 – 2-25-86 Cheryl Takata (BGSU publications designer, J380 – 3-4-86 Clif Boutelle(BGSU Public Relations Office) 11. 1986, DiLiberto (Personals magazine), Cleveland Plain Dealer staffer, Greene (Tooling and Production magazine, Solon) 12. 1986, Corporate Video – Don Herring (Marathon Oil), Non-Profit PR– Janet Schwab (Carnegie Institute), Humor in Media – Melvin Helitzen, Newspaper Graphics – Bill Oestendorf (Cleveland Plain Dealer) 13. 1986, end of Oestendorf, Toledo Morning Radio shows panel, Corporate Film Production - Karrer, alumni social 14. 1987, J416 – 3-6-87 – Monty Greene, J380 – 3-11-87 – David Drury, video features 15. 1987, 4-13-87 – Humor -Melvin Helitzer, Writing (3220) – Mel Barger, Business Press – Tom Nobbe 16. 1987, 4-14-87 – Hospital PR Panel, Ohio Runner magazine, Agency PR – Steve Lee 4-16-87 17. 5-9-87 BGSU graduation, 12-11-87 2/3 of one presentation, office party, and look at prospects 18. 12-11-87, J440 – WBGU FM Radio client, Rentner class, Byler video 19. 3-10-88 – Bob Braunlich (ABC), BGSU Jornalism Awards Banquet 4-12-88 20. 4-88 – Edna Buchanan, Lowe & Melinda Swan, Vern Henry 21. 4-88, J404, J416 – Rhonda Raif-Snider 22. 4-88 – Desk top publishing – Trish Cleary, 4-13-88, video panel, Preview Day, 12-3-88 23. 1988, J416 – Bob Bortel, 3-7-88, Jim Gordon, 3-9-88, BGSU graduation, 5-7-88, Del Latta short 24. 2-9-90, J304 - Debbie Rogers, Julie Fleenor, 2-21-90, dub from S-VHS 25. 2-21-90, J304 - Julie Flennor, Awards & Scholarship Banquet, 4-8-90 26. 4-9-90 – Tracey Batdorf, David Walker 27. 4-11-90 – Teresa Tarantino Edgell, Tom Harmon Penton 28. 3-31-92 - Wood County Historical Museum – Lyle Fletcher interview with Dorsey Sergent 29. 3-31-92 - Lyle Fletcher interview with Dorsey Sergent (duplicate of #28), 3-24-92, Ed Austin, Earl Decker 30. Wood County historical events - Five Point threshers, 7-17-94, Museum Fair, 9-17-94 31.Oral history of Haskins, Ohio - Bruce Roadarmel, Lions Club: Dennis Enright, Lawrence Brown, and Bob Priest