Reports, correspondence, manuals and pamphlets documenting A.C. Gilbert's war time manufacturing. The first series appears to be materials compiled for promotion of Gilbert's war-time contributions and the second series appears to have been compiled for the War Department based on the markings on the original binders. The materials have been taken removed from the binders but foldered in the original order. The empty binders are boxed with the collection.
Open for research without restrictions.
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
Ruth A. Haas Library
Archives and Special Collections
181 White Street
Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 1(203)837-8992
E-mail: stevensb@wcsu.edu
Folders are arranged chronologically and by subject matter.
Files are grouped into two series:
I. History
II. War Department Negotiated and Renegotiated Contracts
The materials were contained in four binders; the first two make up the War Production series and the second two make up the War Materiel Contribution series. In guilded stamping each binder reads "Gilbert's Contributions to World War II", The all are labeled in chalk "HLT" on the bottom right hand front corner. The first two binders are marked in chalk on the spine "History - War 1940-43 vol I" and "History - War 1944-45 vol II"; the front covers of the first two binders have in gold stamping the volume number and Trisch written in chalk. The third and fourth binders differ slightly. The third binder is marked in chalk on the spine: "1944 World War II Contributions Negotiate 3"; the fourth is marked on the spine: "HLT 1945, War Renegotiations" - it's cover contains in gold stamping "Vol. III."
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); The The H.L. Trisch; A.C. Gilbert Company World War II Records ; MS 063; box number; folder number; Western Connecticut State University Archives.
Materials were given to the Archives by Dr. Rich Hanley of Quinnipiac University who obtained the materials from WestConn facutly in the early 2000s for use in a CPTV documentary on Connecticut in World War II. The materials were returned to WestConn in 2016.
A.C. (Alfred Carlton) Gilbert was born February 15, 1884. According to the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society, Gilbert was an "inventor, athlete, toy maker, outdoorsman, and businessman." Created in 1916 and located in New Haven, CT, the A.C. Gilbert Company was best known for its production of the Erector Set which allowed children to design and build their own girder models.
Though Gilbert had prevented the company from being converted to wartime productions during the First World War, that would not be the case in the Second World War. According to the company records, later compiled by then vice-president Herman L. Trisch, the A. C. Gilbert Company helped produce hundreds of thousands of mechanical parts for military aircraft, landmines, guns, and other wartime weaponry.
According to the May 1944 issue of Connecticut Industries, during World War II, Connecticut was ranked as the ninth biggest war production state. Between June 1940 and January 1944 war contracts with Connecticut businesses totaled $6,013,536,000. Most of those contracts were for aircraft and ordnance.
After the war, the company returned to making toys until Gilbert's death in 1961. According to the A.C. Gilbert and Eli Whitney Museum: "The A. C. Gilbert Company was typical; it never got through the second generation man; after a couple years as C.E.O., and his self-prophecy ringing true, Gilbert's son sold his family's stock." The company was then acquired by Jack Wrather who led the company to bankruptcy, and eventually, its closing in 1967.
The long-time vice president of A.C. Gilbert, Herman L. Trisch, was born February 15, 1889 to Herman and Nellie Trisch in Connecticut. After the Second World War Trisch compiled several binders of materials documenting A.C. Gilbert Co.'s wartime manufacturing. He also, according to the New York Times, stated in July, 1948 that, in order to help with the conservation of steel after the end of the war, the company would begin making its toys out of plastic; a radical shift from the typical steel based train sets of that time. He is related to the university through his daughter Claire Trisch Geddes, the first Dean of Women at WestConn.
According to A.C. Gilbert's book, "The Man Who Lives in Paradise": "One of the mainstays of the company came to New Haven as Sales Mangager in 1924. This was Herman L. Trisch, who had started with the Mysto Manufacturing Company as as supervisor of demonstrators back in 1915. The next year he bacame a salesman in the northwest territory, and then in the Pacific Coast territory. It was during this time that I almost made a serious mistake without realizing it." Because of Trisch's quiet demeanor, Gilbert had contemplated letting Trisch go but was convinced of Trish's value as one of the "best salsesmen" by one of his colleagues. Trisch was sent by Gilbert to run the San Francisco office and later ran the Chicago office. Trisch was promoted to director in 1930, VP in 1940 and executive VP in 1948. ("The Man Who Lives in Paradise," pgs. 185-187)
Ancestry Herman L. Trisch Mother: http://0-person.ancestrylibrary.com.www.consuls.org/tree/13213404/person/12049227108/facts Herman L. Trisch wife: http://0-person.ancestrylibrary.com.www.consuls.org/tree/44388076/person/6195231777/facts
Materials in this series were assembled from the contents of two 3-ring binders; one unlabeled and one labeled "volume II." The contents do not vary significantly from the second series of materials named: War Materiel Contributions and contain duplic
A.C. Gilbert Products and Contracts 1940
Materials include lists of parts (including the 50 calibur M5 Browning Machine gun and the B7000 trim tab motor), lists of part orders and summaries of how the A.C. Gilbert Company became involved in manufacturing materials for WWII.
A.C. Gilbert Products and Contracts 1942
Materials include summaries of production activities (including M26 flares, B7000 trim tab motor, parts for sperry giroscope and anti-aircraft range indicator).
A.C. Gilbert Products and Contracts 1943
Materials include summaries of the company's activities including the M3 pull release fuze, T3 pull release, A2 type pressure switch, the computer marc 12 with manual, and some correspondence.
Materials include summary of activities including the T2 pull type firing device, T14 fuzeless base, T5 firing device, and the M1A1 pressure firing device.
Materials include summaries of activities including experimental developmental mine set training, antitank yard stick mine indicator, the vane anemometer, the A84 blower, and the foot shooter.
A.C. Gilbert converted their pre-war toy production to producing parts for airplanes, machine guns, as well as, various anti-personel landmines during the second world war. They reported to the war department an approximate profit of 15%. Contracts for 1945 were apparently renegotiated and Gilbert touted their 15% profit to be within the margins permitted by the War Department. Material in this series came from two binders labeled 1944 Negotiated and 1945 Renegotiated, respectively.
A.C. Gilbert Products, Contracts, and Wartime Contributions 1944
Materials include aerial photograph of the plant, some correspondence, summaries of activities (including T1 concussion detonator, M5 pressure release fuze, T5 release type firsing device, M2 fuze lighter, M1 full fuze, M2 full friction fuze, M3 pull and firing devices, M1A1 pressure fuze, M6 mine fuze, M3 anti-personnel mine fuze, M48 trip flare, T3 air travel arming delay, AN-M26 parachute flares, chemical warfare firing pin, antiaircraft range indicator mark 1, and computer Mark 12 manual), photograph of a A-35B vultee vengeance dive bomber, gear ratio graphs and part scematics.
A.C. Gilbert Wartime Renegotiations 1945
Materials include correspondence, summaries of activity (including demolition outfit amrk 136, A1 fuze gear sets, M103 slider and slider plate, van anemometer, fin assembly for 81MM and M56, metal parts assembly for chemical bomb, M6 mine fuze, M1 concussion detonator, M1A1 pressure fuze, M2 fuze lighter, M1 fuze delay, T5 release type firing device, M5 pressure firing device, mine training aid set #2 Japanese, Japanese yard stick mine, A9520 oil buffer spring guide key, B7000 trim tab motor, Sperry gyroscope blower, protek plug cap, selsyn rotor, booster cup, T3 fuze arming delay, and anti-radar equipment), a copy of a national ordinance development award, demolition outfit Mark 136 mods 0 and 1 manual, advertisement for M2, M6A1, M6 and M7 landmines, Japanese mine training manual, T1 concussion detonator manual, and photocopy of photographs of the presentation of the Naval ordinance development to the A.C. Gilbert Company.
Empty 3-ring binders that originally held the materials.