Elmer F. Pierson (1896-1982) Papers (KC0084)

E.F. Pierson graduated form the Kansas City School of Law in 1919 before entering the Kansas City business community. He worked in the real estate business and was associated with the Farm and Home Savings and Loan Association before founding the Vendo Company, a manufacturer of vending machines, with his brother, John T. Pierson, in 1937.

Pierson was active throughout his life in business and civic affairs in Kansas City. He served as president of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce in 1945, director of the National Association of Manufacturers in 1946, president of the National Automatic Merchandising Association in 1947, director of the United States Chamber of Commerce in 1957, and its vice president from 1960-61. Pierson's lifelong interest in the arts and education prompted him to donate time and resource to the University of Kansas City, later the University of Missouri-Kansas City, to which he gave funds for the Pierson Auditorium in the University Center. He donated the Pierson Sculpture Garden and numerous works of art to the Nelson Gallery; land for a public park and for Pierson Junior High School to the Turner Unified School District in Wyandotte County, Kansas; and established a distinguished professorship in music at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.

The papers consists of photocopies of twelve scrapbooks which were compiled following Pierson's retirement from the Vendo Company. They contain items Pierson felt to be of greatest personal interest were removed from the files at Vendo. 1938-1981.

21 folders.

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updated: Monday, February 07, 2011
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