Manuscripts Collection
Frederick Lewis Deming was born in Des Moines, Iowa on September 12, 1912. He was the son of Fred Kemp and Erva Pearl (Smyres) Deming. He spent most of his youth in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Grover Cleveland High School in St. Louis, and Washington University, St. Louis, where he earned B.A. (1934) and M.A. (1935) degrees in history and a Ph.D in economics (1941).
He began his working career in 1941 at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as assistant manager in the Research Department. He left in 1957 as first vice-president to accept the position of president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, a position he held from April 1957 through January 1965. Deming left the bank to serve as Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs in the United States Treasury Department, a position he held from 1965 to 1969. After leaving government service he was a general partner in Lazard Freres & Company, a New York investment firm (1969-1971). He was also president of National City Bancorp, Minneapolis (1971-1982).
Deming served on a number of corporate and nonprofit boards. He was a director of National City Bancorp (until 1993); the Boise Cascade Corporation (1970-1982); Northwestern National Life Insurance Company (1971-1979); St. Paul Securities Company (1972-1977); and the Pitcairn Company (1983-1988). He became a trustee of Macalester College in 1959 and was elected to the Washington University Board of Trustees in 1965. He was apparently also a trustee of Abbott Hospital and Westminster Presbyterian Church, both Minneapolis.
Frederick Deming married (Corinne) Inez Wilson on Febrary 4, 1935. The couple had two children: Frederick Wilson Deming ("Fif") and Richard Louis Deming. In their retirement years the couple made their home in Sanibel, Florida. Deming died on August 21, 2003 at Fort Myers, Florida.
The papers primarily date from, and relate to, Deming's years at the Federal Reserve banks of St. Louis and Minneapolis, as well as his activities as a member of the Macalester College board of trustees. There is also some information about his years at the Treasury Department. Much of the collection focuses on federal monetary and fiscal policy. Some of the material is related to Deming's travels as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis to such places as Honduras, Tawian, and the Philippines.
The collection contains a variety of miscellaneous printed items including pamphlets, brochures, university commencement programs, and copies of Deming's speeches and writings. There are minutes of Macalester College trustees' meetings, and of meetings of the executive committee of the United Fund of Hennepin County. There are invitations received by the Demings to official dinners and other social functions; Christmas cards; and a folder of photographs. Other items of interest include copies of Deming's master's thesis (1935) on explorer William Clark and his doctoral dissertation (1941) on the Boatman's National Bank (St. Louis).
There are six folders of personal correspondence and papers. This correspondence concerns such things as Deming's purchase of his home in Minneapolis (1957); his membership in private clubs in St. Louis and in Minneapolis; travels; and various family matters. There are letters containing genealogical data, and letters of consolation received upon the deaths of his father (1959) and his mother (1962). Correspondents include Federal Reserve executives and colleagues; members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors; bank executives; officials of Washington University, Macalester College, and the University of Minnesota; Minneapolis business leaders; a few politicians and government officials; and family and friends.
There is a file of information about University of Minnesota economist Walter Heller. The file consists primarily of correspondence between Heller, Senator Hubert Humphrey, Minnesota Governor Orville L. Freeman, Joseph Pechman, and Deming about monetary policy and other economic matters.
Oversize materials include four scrapbooks, one of which contains newspaper clippings about, and memorabilia from, the inauguration of President Lyndon Johnson (1965). The scrapbooks also include photographs of and information about a variety of individuals, including Minneapolis businessman Atherton Bean, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, and Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale.
Deming's papers pertinent to his service as a member of the Washington University Board of Trustees and to the St. Louis community were transferred to the Washington University Archives, St. Louis, Missouri.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should
Accession number: 15,856
Processed by: David B. Peterson, August 2006
Catalog ID number: 006188160
File includes photocopies of the Demings' passport applications and photographs.
Submitted to the economics faculty of Washington University.
Deming was an official at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis from 1941 to 1957, and was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1957 to January 1965.
This is a booklet published by the American Statistical Association.
Submittted to the history faculty at Washington University.
Primarily newspaper and magazine clippings about Washington University, Deming's promotion to various positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Federal Reserve policy, business and economic news and analysis, tax policy, and similar issues. Includes an Artus [fraternity?] enrollment certificate (1939), and a University of Minnesota commencement program (August 20, 1959). There is one color snapshot and one black-and-white enlargement.
Consists primarily of newspaper and magazine clippings reporting on such things as Deming's appointment by President Lyndon Johnson to his Treasury Department post, other Johnson Administration appointments, and federal monetary policy. There are fifteen color snapshots that appear to have been taken at a dinner given by Mr. and Mrs. Atherton Bean for Deming and his wife Inez (January 14, 1965). There are five 8 x 10 black-and-white enlargements taken at Deming's swearing-in ceremony at the Treasury Department, that include Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Senator Walter Mondale, and Congressman Donald Fraser.
Disassembled scrapbook. Includes newspaper clippings, inaugural event programs, inaugural event ticket stubs, and other memorabilia, as well as one black-and-white enlargement.
Primarily newspaper clippings about the Minnesota Junior College Board.