| | Abstract: | Franklin S. Terry was a business executive in Cleveland, Ohio, in the incandescent lamp industry with broad philanthropic interests related to World War I relief. Terry established the National Electric Lamp Association (NELA) with Burton G. Tremaine in 1901. Formed ostensibly as a consortium of small lamp makers in order to compete with industry giants such as General Electric and Westinghouse, NELA was found to be secretly and 75% financed by General Electric during a federal anti-trust suit in 1911. Terry served as vice president of GE and under his leadership Nela Park was built, one of the first campus-like research and production facilities in the U.S. Terry's deep interest in World War I led to the establishment of the Nela Fund. Terry supported and corresponded with orphans and soldiers of the war, and acquired a large collection of posters, publications, and artifacts relating to the historical significance of World War I. The collection consists of correspondence, reports, ledger pages, clippings, publications, postcards, and photographs relating to Terry's personal life, business activities and, principally, his interest in, and activities relating to, World War I. The general history and aftermath of World War I is detailed in a series of scrapbooks. In particular, the files of the Nela Fund, an effort to extend aid to orphans, soldiers, and families from the business and professional classes of France, are represented in detail along with agencies that administered Nela Fund aid. | |
