Lewis E. Myers, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Lewis E. Myers
LEWIS E. MYERS - The history of Lewis E. Myers & Company is a story bordering on the romantic, but in its operations it has been eminently practical. Its products and sales methods enjoy a unique distinction, and its success is the culmination of policies formulated in the mind of Mr. Myers when he first engaged in this line of business. Gleaning first-hand knowledge as a salesman in the field, confronted with the daily problems of the salesman and the necessity for their solution, he evolved the methods which have resulted in the organization and success of the company on a wide scale. How well these methods have been applied is told by the history of the business of which he is the president and treasurer. Prior to the organization of Lewis E. Myers & Company, Mr. Myers was associated with a group of people devoted to the manufacture and sale of the Chautauqua desk. This experience enabled him to organize Lewis E. Myers & Company, which at first was only a selling organization. In 1913 Mr. O. H. Powers joined forces with Mr. Myers, the firm being known as the Powers-Myers Company. Two years later Mr. Powers retired and the business again became Lewis E. Myers & Company. As a result of the purchase of the Chautauqua Manufacturing Company by Mr. Myers, with which he was formerly associated, Mr. Myers merged this concern with Lewis E. Myers & Company in the summer of 1920. The present officers and directors of the company are: Lewis E. Myers, president and treasurer; Leroy C. Hensel, secretary and assistant treasurer; John A. Hauff, vice president; Dr. A. O. Dobbins, Robert B. Wise, and Christopher G. Ruess, directors. One item of interest in the varied line of the company is the creation known as the New Chautauqua desk. This desk has taken its place as a necessity in the educational training of children in the home. It combines in one effective unit a fine drawing board, adjustable educational scrolls with illustrated educational material and Hy-San colors. The natural instinct of the child to play is utilized in the desk. The desk makes it possible for the growing child through the pleasure of the task to lead himself into intensive and appreciative study. This desk in all probability was the forerunner of the modern effort to combine "education with play" toward constructive ends. The plant itself covers many thousand square feet of space and is located on a twenty-acre tract of land situated in what is perhaps the most valuable site in Valparaiso for growing industry. The company owns this land on which the plant is located. The company enjoys a favorable business outside the confines of the country. In order to take care of its Canadian business most effectively a subsidiary company operates and is maintained at Toronto, Canada. Lewis E. Myers was born in Canton, Ohio, on December 5, 1882, the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Wertenberger) Myers, the former of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Winona Lake, Indiana. He attended the schools of Louisville, Ohio, and Wooster College of Wooster, Ohio, and then entered Otterbein College, where he was graduated in 1907 with the degree of A. B. He was united in marriage with Mabel, the daughter of T. H. and Cora (Childs) Green of Chicago, Illinois. Mrs. Myers is a graduate of the Chicago Music College, and possesses a very fine soprano voice; she has done much vocal work in concert and musical comedy. To Mr. and Mrs. Myers were born two children: Lewis E., Jr., and Helen M., who attend the Gardner School of Valparaiso, Indiana. Mr. Myers is also president and founder of the Children's Foundation of Valparaiso, Indiana. This corporation not for profit was founded in 1921 by Mr. Myers and is devoted to the scientific and analytical study of the natural and cultural needs of children. The first important contribution of this foundation is a volume published under the title, "The Child: His Nature and His Needs." Sixteen or more nationally known educators were associated with Mr. Myers and the foundation in this work, which has had a tremendous influence in the field. The efforts of Mr. Myers in these varied fields have earned for him the commendation of many people eminent in national affairs and the enterprises he has inaugurated have a most inviting future.
Source: Cannon, Thomas H., H. H. Loring, and Charles J. Robb. 1927. History of the Lake and Calumet Region of Indiana Embracing the Counties of Lake, Porter and Laporte. Volume II. Indianapolis, Indiana: Historians' Association. 827 p.
Page(s) in Source: 517-518
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook