First and foremost, we must extend our gratitude to Mr. William Lynch, his brother Dr. Richard J. Lynch and his sister, Mrs. Margaret Poutasse for donating this wonderful and exciting collection to the Rome Historical Society. Mr. Lynch, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rome-Turney Radiator Company, was also invaluable as our main source for information about the history of his company and the records. He always made the time to answer our queries and helped us locate records which had not been kept together with the rest of the collection.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the following people, without whom this project could not have been completed. It was due to William (Bill) Lux that we have such excellent shelving for the collection, including those which he designed and built to hold the large and heavy drawings. Bill also worked full-time during the entire project doing whatever was necessary including refoldering and lugging documents and drawings over in his van from Rome-Turney to the Society. All of this he did with a true sense of optimism, never complaining about the fact that he would emerge from the "dungeon" every day covered in coal dust. He was an integral part of this project throughout and the key to its timely completion. Phil McCray, our Archival Consultant, guided me with his infinite wisdom making this project go smoothly from beginning to end. He was always available whenever I needed his advice and went out of his way to ensure that we were taking the best and easiest route at all times. The Finding Aid is a direct result of his guidance and he was responsible for the MARC record. Whenever we had any questions or concerns, I always felt confident that, "Phil would know what to do". Kristin King, an intern who was at the Society during the early stages, jumped right into the coal dust in the attic at the factory and helped me clean off the boxes and organize what documents we would be taking. She always had a positive attitude no matter how dirty or difficult the task and was also responsible for assisting in getting all of the boxes into order within their series in preparation for refoldering. Before she went back to Keuka College she even managed to refolder the employee and technical records.
There were many other people who volunteered their time to this collection. George Kaminska cleaned up and painted the room that we had designated for the records. He also assisted Bill Lux in putting the shelving together. John Filey helped George in the room's preparation and acted as our liaison with the Rainbow House. Four men from the Rainbow House in Rome loaded, moved and off-loaded the collection which was a hard day's work and something we at the Society could not have accomplished ourselves. John Beimel, our Custodian, drove the truck and helped off-load the boxes. He also assisted Bill with the shelving and patiently cleaned up after us everyday while we were making a mess refoldering. Our "Company Code Sheet" was typed up by Patsy Stedman and Sue Combs made a sweep through the records to make sure that we did not miss any paper clips on the documents. Kevin Kelley got drafted into helping build the shelves for the drawings and Merry Spiecher showed up just in time to assist in placing the foldered blueprints into their boxes and onto shelving. Finally, John Koziarz took time away from his farm to help organize the bluepints.
This preface would not be complete without my extending our appreciation to those responsible for the Society's obtaining these records. Our Regional Archivist, Katherine DeFazio was the initial contact with the Rome-Turney Radiator Company and acted as the liaison between myself and Mr. William Lynch. She informed me about the grant available through the DHP and advised me on several issues. Katie also came to Rome to witness the transfer of the documents from Rome-Turney to the Society and took photographs for us. It was the funding from the Documentary Heritage Program that enabled the Society to take in this large and important collection. The money that they provided allowed us to hire our indispensable Archival Consultant, Phil McCray, and to pay for the many supplies that were needed to rebox this collection and ensure that it is preserved for future generations. Vicki Weiss from the DHP was generous with her time when I had questions while writing the grant and through the entirety of the project.
I would not have been able to devote the time to this collection if the rest of the staff at the Society had not taken on extra duties and dealt with many of my phone calls so many thanks to Merry Speicher, Ann Swanson, Polly Henderson, and Francis Donovan. I must also express my appreciation to Dr. William Forbes, President of the Society, and all of the trustees for their support throughout this project. Finally, a special thank you is in order for my husband, Richard Bouska, who not only helped bring the drawings over to the Society, but also put up with me talking incessantly about this collection for the last seven months. He has had the patience of a saint.
Kathleen J. Hynes-Bouska
Curator
July 23, 1998