Historians, businessmen, and research

BUSINESSMEN SEEM UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO HELP A SCHOLAR IN HIS SEARCH FOR HISTORICAL MATERIAL. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION WERE MADE TO MORE THAN 100 COMPANY OFFICERS - WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE RESPONSES WERE POLITE BUT EVASIVE OR NEGATIVE. THE REFUSALS WERE BASED ON COMPANY POLICY, FAILURE TO ACCUMULATE PAPERS, BUSINESS PRESSURES, SHIFTS IN CORPORATE LEADERSHIP, OR LACK OF INTERESTING RECORDS. IT APPEARS THAT A MAJORITY OF COMPANIES LACK INTEREST IN HISTORICAL RECORDS, RESEARCH, AND THE WORK OF HISTORIANS. FORD AND THE BANK-OF-AMERICA ARE TWO NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT COMPANIES REEVALUATE POLICIES, STOP DESTROYING RECORDS, DEPOSIT RECORDS IN ARCHIVES, LIST THEIR RETIRED EXECUTIVES AND HEIRS, AND ASSIST SCHOLARS BY ANY MEANS, HOWEVER MINIMAL.