Abstract An informal organization dedicated to the study of American railroad history, the Lexington Group formed in 1942 when business historian Richard Cleghorn Overton of Northwestern University and eight other railroad enthusiasts gathered in a Lexington, KY coffee shop. The Lexington Group met once each year until 1947, after which time two or even three meetings took place annually in conjunction with such major conferences as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association and the American...

Abstract The papers of Richard Overton (1907-1988; professor of business history) fill 5 boxes and span the years 1940 to 1990, with the bulk of the papers dating between 1942 and 1955. The materials include biographical information; memberships; conferences; Northwestern University's Business History Department; teaching; research; speeches; photographs; professional invitations; publications; Mississippi Valley Historical Association.Biographical materials (1944-1959) include curricula...