Small Manuscript Collections, Edmund Steiner Collection, Correspondence

Edmund Steiner was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, on February 28, 1904, to Edward and Anna Meta (Mattie) Steiner. Edmund is one of four children, being the only son. In 1930, Edmund ended up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as an engineer for an electric corporation. He was a lodger in the home of Ellen T. Finch. He married Elsie Jane Lank of Milton, Delaware, on June 23, 1937, and began a family in Milford, Delaware. Elise and Edmund had two sons, Edward and Donald. By 1950, Edmund Steiner was a manager for a textile factory. Steiner was also the president of the Milford School Board during the Milford Eleven in 1954. Edmund Steiner died on October 16, 1972, at the age of 68.

This collection is primarily composed of correspondence sent to Edmund Steiner during his time of service as the president of the Milford School Board. While serving as president, the board decided to remove eleven black students from a Milford school. This decision and the aftermath of said decision would become known as the “Milford Eleven.” Also included in this collection are two articles from the Green Mountain Rifleman in Vermont and a copy of an article from Redbook Magazine titled “The Town that Surrendered to Hate.”