Preserving the History of American Enterprise

Hagley Museum and Library documents and preserves the history of American industry and brings that history to the public. Visitors to Hagley can explore the du Pont family home and mills, established as a gunpowder factory in 1802, and researchers can study the history of American businesses from the eighteenth century to the present. As a center for the study of American business, Hagley is one of the nation’s most significant repositories for business records, holding the records of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, along with documents of thousands of businesses, trade associations, and individuals describing the American experience with free enterprise. Since 1971, the National Endowment for the Humanities has supported Hagley’s work, ensuring that the history of American enterprise and its relationship to broader American culture remains accessible both now and in the future. Additionally, in 2020, the NEH awarded Hagley a CARES grant to help it manage the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEH funding has supported a broad range of work at Hagley. Early grants encouraged the study of the American Industrial Revolution and supported the development of exhibitions on nineteenth-century American workers. With NEH funding, the Hagley processed the archival collections related to Pennsylvania Power and Light, Penn Central Corporation, E.I. du Pont Nemours Co., Remington Rand Corporation, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, American Iron and Steel Institute, and Sun Oil Company, as well hundreds of smaller companies.

More recently, NEH funding has supported the long-term preservation and study of these collections. A preservation grant helped Hagley purchase storage supplies, ensuring the longevity of its collection of more than 6,000 iconic aerial survey photographs. Funding for advanced research fellowships, part of the NEH’s Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions, has helped Hagley promote groundbreaking research on the history of American business by scholars beyond their doctoral work. And a major NEH grant helped Hagley expand its world-class storage facilities, allowing for up to twenty years of growth.