The records of the Oberlin Consumers Cooperative document the history of this socio-economic organization, which operated on the Rochdale principles of cooperation. The records include the articles of incorporation and by-laws, minutes, financial records, administrative files, correspondence, contracts and other legal documents, subject files, building project files, printed matter, and non-textual material.

The records span the history of the Oberlin Consumers Cooperative (OCC) from its incorporation in 1940 through its dissolution in 2000. The bulk of the records, however, date from the 1980s and 1990s. There is no documentation of the OCC during its years as a student organization at Oberlin College, 1937-40, prior to its incorporation with the State of Ohio.

Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws in Series I document OCC's governing principles. Included are copies (1940 and 1952) of the Articles of Incorporation, and the original and amended constitution and by-laws (c. 1940-97). The by-laws files include proposed revisions and the final, approved versions.

Meeting minutes provide insight into OCC's activities over a fifty-nine year period. Minutes of the Board of Directors (called Trustees prior to 1988) record financial status, personnel issues, expansion plans, and educational, social, and charitable activities. Changes to OCC by-laws, major initiatives (new business ventures, building and rehabilitation projects), decisions about membership rebates, and donations to community organizations through the Causes fund were decided at annual and special membership meetings. Supporting documents for board and membership meeting minutes, 1988-2000, provide additional details about topics discussed at meetings. A handful of board and membership meeting minutes from OCC's final years are lacking.

Board of Directors files contain information about the Board and its responsibilities. Of particular interest are lists of Board members (1983-2000) Board manuals (1990s), and material relating to training and retreats for Board members (1987-97). The files also contain documents concerning Board policies and procedures (ca. 1986-96), notes and reports (1990s), and correspondence and statements regarding actions taken by the Board outside of meetings (1988-90, 1999).

Administrative files include material about staffing, store management, and the day-to-day operation of the OCC stores. The bulk of the files date from 1986-2000. Only a handful of documents date from the thirty-five year tenure of James F. ("Bill") Long as general manager. Long was known for clearing out non-active files, and was concerned chiefly with maintaining financial records. Files relating to specific departments and administrators (e.g., General Manager) contain correspondence, meeting notes, and reports. Files relating to CUBPaC (College and University Bookstore Partnering Concept, Inc.) record that company's management of OCC and the problems that led to the termination of the management agreement. Topical files, 1988-99, deal with areas such as policies and procedures, store layout and signage, and staff training.

The project to build a new bookstore building at 37 West College Street is well documented. Series V. Building Project Files contain information about the planning, design, building, and responses to the completed building. Of interest are reports by Creative Design Concepts (1986), John Greenberg and Associates (1990), and Barber & Hoffman , Inc. (1991) which led to the decision to build a new store rather than renovate the previous building. Files relating to the project architect John Martine, Integrated Architectural Services (IAS), contain correspondence about design and historical preservation issues, as well as the IAS contract, schedules, and estimated cost statements. Additional material on the planning and building process may be found in the Building Committee files in Series VI, and earlier renovation/rebuilding proposals involving Oberlin College are in Series XIV.

Series VI. Committee Files gives some idea of the various committees that helped guide the Board of Directors' decisions. These files, however date primarily from 1983 to 1999, and in general they do not proved complete documentation for the committees' activities during that period. The Building Committee (1990-93), Education Committee (1952-58, 1983-97), Finance Committee (1945-46, 1988-99), and Long Range Planning Committee have more substantial documentation. In contrast, committees such as the Coffeehouse Committee (1983) and the Faculty Advisory Committee (1999) are represented by only one or two items. A comprehensive look at the roles and activities of OCC committees would require an examination of the Board of Directors' minutes. The file "Early Education Committee" (1952-58) includes information on the Co-op Food Store and the Jack and Jill children's store.

Contracts, deeds, and leases for property owned by OCC illustrate the Coop's expansion efforts from the 1950s through the 1990s. Included are deeds for A.G. Comings & Son bookstore, Haylor's bookstore, Jack & Jill children's store, Campus Restaurant, the Coop Food Store, and the Co-op Center (82 South Main). Leases for outside businesses operating in OCC owned premises include Bead Paradise II, Zilch Florists, and the Village Green Shop.

OCC did not maintain a central correspondence file. The correspondence in Series VIII was discovered scattered throughout the OCC records and was brought together by the Archives. This correspondence is organized into board correspondence, external correspondence, and internal correspondence. Board correspondence is a sampling of letters written by the general manager, education director, or Board president to notify and update board members about OCC business; similar correspondence may be found in the supporting documentation for board meetings in Series II. External correspondence contains both incoming and outgoing communications with individuals (including members and customers), Oberlin College, local and national organizations, and government agencies (primarily concerning taxes). Internal correspondence consists of administrative memorandums on topics such as staff meetings, procedures, and employee bonuses.

Annual financial reports, dated 1941-42 and 1944-99, provide an overview of OCC's growth and periodic financial troubles. The 1942-43 gap may be filled in, to some degree, by ledgers and tax records from that time. In addition, balance sheets and other financial statements dated April - September 1999 provide information on OCC finances following the final, March 1999, annual financial report.

The membership's interest in improving the Co-op's financial footing and expanding the business are documented by certificates of indebtedness and promissory notes, 1942-73. A similar program of loans from OCC's membership was also undertaken in the late 1990s. During the 1980s and 1990s, OCC maintained investments through firms such as Merrill Lynch and the Westin Financial Group. Also of interest in the OCC financial records are a 1999 real estate appraisal of the 37 West College Street bookstore and financial ledgers dated 1942-47 and 1960-65. The 1960-65 ledger includes accounts for the Coop Food Store and the Pen and Pencil Restaurant (later called Campus Restaurant).

Legal files in Series X contain documents relating to by-laws revisions and to lawsuits. The bulk of the series consists of the contents, dated 1988-93, of a binder maintained by OCC labeled "By-Laws and Legal Info." The files also include correspondence with Laddie Lushin, a Vermont attorney specializing in cooperatives, 1988-92; Roy L. Turnell of the firm Thompson, Hine and Flory, 1989; and Frank Carlson of the law firm Coey, Bennett & Carlson, 1996-98. The firm Wickens, Herzer, Panza, Cook & Batista handled the OCC lawsuit against CUBPaC, Inc., and the sale of the Coop Bookstore building to Oberlin College. Series IV Administrative Files contains additional material relating to the lawsuits which resulted from the termination of the CUBPaC management agreement.

Membership files provide insight into the make-up of OCC's membership and how the membership and the administration interacted. Membership records are incomplete and are available only for 1940-58 and 1988-99 (span). Three volumes record the townspeople, college faculty, and a modest number of students who became permanent members from 1940 to 1947; certificates of indebtedness are also recorded in these volumes. (Comprehensive documentation of certificates of indebtedness is found in Series IX Financial Records.) An additional membership ledger (disbound) lists members from 1942-58. Membership lists for 1988-99 include information such as address, date of initial membership, and status (student, faculty, or other).

Member handbooks and brochures describe the organization's commitment to the Rochdale Principles of cooperation. These publications emphasize both the benefits and the responsibilities of membership. Membership notices, 1945-86, contain correspondence and proposals sent to members. These documents include meeting announcements, proposals for expansion, and information about member investments, and they were one of the primary methods used to keep the membership informed. A 1996 program allowing members to volunteer for OCC projects in order to receive discounts is one example of OCC's efforts to expand member involvement.

Personnel files contain information about employees and benefits provided by OCC. Topics include personnel policies, benefits, pay increases, bonuses, and pension (SEPP and 401K plans). Payroll and income tax withholding records, 1953-88 (span), provide employee names for this period.

Advertising for OCC merchandise, programs and events is found in Series XIII. Publicity Files. These files also include news clippings and copies of publications containing articles about OCC. Of particular value to the researcher is the OCC newsletter Oberlin Cooperator, 1983-98 (some issues missing); files relating to production of the newsletter, 1987-99, are also included. The first issues of the earlier newsletters Oberlin Co-ops in Action (1953) and The Co-op Letter (1981) are found here as well. Guest books record visitors at special events, 1988-95.

The Subject Files in Series XIV include topics such as business ventures considered by OCC, charitable giving within the community, OCC history, long-range planning, and OCC's relationship with Oberlin College. There is no documentation of OCC and Bill Long's involvement with the formation of OSCA.

Series XV provides a moderate amount of information relating to the Bill Long Foundation, the charitable organization established to honor OCC's long-time manager. These files focus solely on the relationship between OCC and the Foundation, and do not contain information on Foundation's grant-making activity. Included are files relating to the formation of the Foundation and correspondence concerning OCC's financial commitments to the Foundation.

The records are arranged in seventeen series:

I. Articles of Incorporation & By-Laws, 1940-97, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)
II. Minutes of Meetings, 1941-2000 (2.1 l.f.)
III. Board of Directors, 1983-2000 (0.3 l.f.)
IV. Administrative Files, 1952, 1971-2000 (1.2 l.f.)
V. Building Project Files, 1985-95 (1.0 l.f.)
VI. Committees, 1945-46, 1952-58, 1983-99 (0.6 l.f.)
VII. Contracts, Deeds, and Leases, 1896-1998 (0.4 l.f.)
VIII. Correspondence, 1983-2000 (0.3 l.f.)
IX. Financial Records, 1938-99 (5.0 l.f.)
X. Legal Files, 1982-2002, n.d. (0.3 l.f.)
XI. Membership Files, 1940-99, n.d. (1.0 l.f.)
XII. Personnel Records, 1953-2000, n.d. (1.95 l.f.)
XIII. Publicity Files, 1953, ca. 1980-99, n.d. (1.4 l.f.)
XIV. Subject Files, 1956-99, n.d. (0.7 l.f.)
XV. Bill Long Foundation, 1987-99 (0.1 l.f.)
XVI. Plaques and Certificates,1960-61, 1989-99 (0.2 l.f.)
XVII. Non-Textual Records, 1960s-90s (3.0 l.f.)

I. Articles of Incorporation & By-Laws, 1940-97, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)

This series contains copies of the Oberlin Consumers Cooperative's articles of incorporation (1940, 1952) and associated correspondence (1950), as well as the original and amended constitution and by-laws (c. 1940-97).

II. Minutes of Meetings, 1941-2000 (2.1 l.f.)

Minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees (name changed to Board of Directors in 1988), 1941-2000, and of the general membership, 1941-94 and 1997, are arranged chronologically. Board and membership meeting minutes are interfiled for 1941-87 and are filed separately for 1988-99. Supporting documents prepared for board and membership meetings (1988-2000) are filed separately following the minutes. Some supporting documents for meetings prior to 1988 may be found interfiled with the minutes. Lacking are minutes for the 22 December 1999 Board meeting and for all meetings after 14 April 2000. Also absent are membership meeting minutes for 1996, 1998, and all meetings after 7 October 1999.

III. Board of Directors, 1983-2000 (0.3 l.f.)

This series documents the membership, procedures, and actions taken outside of meetings of the Board of Directors. Included are board manuals (1990s) and board membership lists (1983-2000). Minutes of Board of Directors' meetings are found in Series II.

IV. Administrative Files, 1952, 1971-2000 (1.2 l.f.)

Files relating to the administration and staff of OCC are arranged in three subseries. Subseries 1. General Administrative Files contains records relating to specific departments and administrators (e.g., General Manager's Files) as well as files related to OCC's management contract with CUBPaC, 1998-2000. Subseries 2. Topical Files includes organizational charts, calendars of events, store layout and design, staff training and policies, and files on miscellaneous subjects that primarily date from 1988 to 1998. Subseries 3. Computer Files consist of floppy (PC/Macintosh formatted) and zip (Macintosh formatted) disks which contain an assortment of files dating from 1989 to 2000. The contents of the files include advertisements, correspondence, membership lists, the OCC website, store signs, photographs, and administrative files from Copies (the OCC copy shop).

V. Building Project Files, 1985-95 (1.0 l.f.)

Files relating to the planning and construction of a new bookstore building at 37 West College Street. Includes architectural drawings, consultants' reports, contracts, correspondence, financial planning, news clippings, project manual, and schedules. Series VI. Committee Files (below) contains additional material relating to the building process.

VI. Committee Files, 1945-46, 1952-58, 1983-99 (0.6 l.f.)

Contains minutes and correspondence from various committees as well as committee membership lists (1988-98) and annual reports (1992, 1996-97). With the notable exception of the Building Committee (1990-93), committee documentation tends to be sparse and uneven. More complete information about committee activities may be gleaned from committee reports to the Board of Directors, which are interfiled with the minutes and supporting documents in Series II.

VII. Contracts, Deeds, and Leases, 1896-1998 (0.4 l.f.)

This series contains contracts, deeds, leases, and related documents, for OCC properties and businesses. Files are arranged alphabetically by personal or business name; original folder titles were retained in most cases. In addition to legal documents, files may contain correspondence, inventories, administrative documents, and notes about the agreement or property.

VIII. Correspondence, 1983-2000 (0.3 l.f.)

Correspondence sent or received by the Oberlin Consumers Cooperative, its staff, and directors. Internal memorandums, correspondence between the OCC Board of Directors and staff (i.e., the general manager), and external correspondence are filed separately.

IX. Financial Records, 1938-99 (5.0 l.f.)

This series contains annual financial reports and audits, 1940-99; federal and local tax returns, 1940-99 (sample); certificates of indebtedness and promissory notes, 1942-73; files related to investments, 1971-98; files related to member loans, 1997-99; financial ledgers, 1942-47, 1960-65, 1990s (sample); and files related to loans and mortgages, 1963-77, 1992-99.

X. Legal Files, 1982-2002, n.d. (0.3 l.f.)

This series contains documents relating to legal issues (primarily revisions to the OCC by-laws). These files include correspondence with attorneys, copies of internal memorandums and other documents, and proposed by-laws revisions, and background information on legal issues.

XI. Membership Files, 1940-99, n.d. (1.0 l.f.)

These files include membership lists (1988-99), handbooks and brochures for members (1942-43, 1990-92), notices to members (1945-86), and records relating to membership outreach programs (1996). Three volumes record the townspeople, college faculty, and a modest number of students who became permanent members from 1940 to 1947; certificates of indebtedness are also recorded in these volumes. An additional membership ledger (disbound) lists members from 1942-58, and cards for those who joined or renewed their membership from May 1998 to November 1999 are also filed here.

XII. Personnel Records, 1953-2000, n.d. (1.95 l.f.)
(*Some files restricted due to confidential information)

Files include job descriptions (1985-98), personnel policies (1986-97), employee handbook (ca. 1989), information about benefits and insurance, 1983-99, job searches, 1985-99; pension plans, 1987-2000; and payroll books (1953, 1970-99). Some files are restricted and permission of the Archivist is required.

XIII. Publicity Files, 1953, ca. 1980-99, n.d. (1.4 l.f.)

This series contains advertisements, guest books, newsletters, newspaper clippings and copies of publications containing articles about OCC. The bulk of the series consists of OCC newsletters, including the Oberlin Cooperator, 1983-98.

XIV. Subject Files, 1956-99, n.d. (0.7 l.f.)

These files cover topics such as programs with area schools (1992-98), the Oberlin Cable Co-op (1987), outside consultants (1995-97), OCC's relationship with Oberlin College (1959-93), OCC history, the proposed Co-op Center (1983-86), and the Causes fund (1972-89).

XV. Bill Long Foundation, 1987-99 (0.1 l.f.)

Files relating to OCC's establishment of, and later financial transactions with, the Bill Long Foundation (BLF). Consists of documents concerning the Foundation's establishment, including draft articles of incorporation and a code of regulations, c. 1987-89; correspondence about OCC's financial obligations to BLF, 1990-99; BLF publicity, 1990-97; and a modest amount of financial information, 1990-93. These files do not include documentation of the Foundation's grant-making activity.

XVI. Plaques and Certificates, 1960-61, 1989-99 (0.2 l.f.)

This series contains awards presented to OCC (1989-94), certificates of membership in national cooperative organizations (1990-99), proclamations issued by the City of Oberlin (1989, 1994), and Ohio vendor's licenses (1960-61, 1993).

XVII. Non-Textual Records, 1960s-90s (3.0 l.f.)

This series is arranged in four subseries: 1. Artifacts, n.d.; 2. Audio and Visual Recordings, 1988-95, n.d.; 3. Drawings, ca. 1991-93, n.d.; and 4. Photographs.

The records of the Oberlin Consumers Cooperative were received from Richard Riley, Liz Burgess, Karen Long, and Allison Gould in eight accessions in the period of August 2001 to August 2002.

Albert McQueen Papers (RG 30/257)
Douglas R. and Shirley R. Johnson Papers (RG 30/279)
George Jones Family Papers (RG30/107)
Office of the Secretary (RG 5) - subject file "Cooperative Stores"
August Meier Papers (RG 30/74)
Student Publications (RG 19/0) "Oberlin Cooperator"
Vice President for Operations (RG 14)
Office of Business and Finance (RG 6)
S. Frederick Starr Papers (RG 2/12)
YMCA - YWCA (RG 29)
VP for Finance (RG 54)