"The Autobiography of John Fritz," manuscript of published book written on tablet paper. Material also includes pamphlets whose text is included in the published version of the book. Work was published under the same title in New York in 1912 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and also by Wiley & Sons. John Fritz was born in 1822 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was apprenticed as a blacksmith and became a wheelwright. He later supervised the building of an iron making furnace. In 1860 he became General Superintendent and Chief Engineer of the Bethlehem Iron Works. In 1864 he supervised the building of a Bessemer converter for the firm. After retiring in 1892 he became a trustee of Lehigh University, and engaged in other civic work in the community. He died in 1913 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Box 1: Manuscript

       Folder 1.01             Early Life: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
       Folder 1.02             Apprenticeship and Norristown: Chapters 6, 7, 8.
       Folder 1.03             Safe Harbor: Chapters 9, 10.
       Folder 1.04             Norristown: End of Chapter 10, 11, 13.
       Folder 1.05             Kunzie Furnace: Chapter 12.
       Folder 1.06             Cambria: Chapters 14, 15, 16, 17.
       Folder 1.07             Iron Mill & Blast Furnace: Chapter 18.
       Folder 1.08             Puddling: Chapter 20.
       Folder 1.09             Bessemer: Chapters 21, 22.
       Folder 1.10             Blast Furnaces: Chapter 23.
       Folder 1.11             Blooming Mill: Chapter 24.
       Folder 1.12             Structural: Chapter 25.
       Folder 1.13             Forge & Armor Plate: Chapters 26, 27.
              
Other material
       Folder 1.14             “A Short Account of the Anniversary Dinner Given to John Fritz” September 8, 1892, at the Opera House, Bethlehem.
       Folder 1.15             Program‑ “John Fritz Gold Medal Dinner,” October 31, 1902, New York City, (original and reprint).
       Folder 1.16             "John Fritz, the Iron Master," by B.F. Fackenthal, Penna. German Society, October 15, 1923 (reprint 1929).
       Folder 1.17             Photocopy of Cambria chapters of manuscript.
       Folder 1.18             “Sketch of John Fritz – His Speech Accepting the Bessemer Medal” Newspaper clipping from The Bulletin, American Iron and Steel Association (March 10, 1895)
       Folder 1.19             “Dinner to Mr. John Fritz by the Manufacturers’ Club of Philadelphia, Nov. 17th, 1910” includes the list of participants.
       Folder 1.20             Obituaries from The Iron Age and The Iron Trade Review, Feb. 20, 1913.