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Edwin M. S. Steers oral history

 Collection
Identifier: OH056

Scope and Contents

This collection comprises part of an audiotape reel from an oral history interview with Edwin M. S. Steers in Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 12, 1977, regarding his childhood in Orleans, education, Indiana politics, and career as a lawyer and in the insurance industry. He was interviewed by F. Gerald Handfield as part of the Indiana State Library Oral History Project. His son Edwin K. Steers was also present.

Dates

  • 1977/01/12

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Edwin McMasters Stanton Steers was born on Septmeber 30, 1881, to Lila Amanda (Hedrick) (1856-1925) and John Harvey Steers (1822-1899) in Orleans, Indiana. He spent his early childhood in Orleans with his younger sister, Pyrle E. (1883-1961). The Steers family, of which Lila Steers was now head, moved to Marion County by 1900. Edwin Steers, meanwhile, graduated from Orleans High School in 1901, then worked as a teacher there for two years. Next, he moved to Washington, Indiana, working in the railroad shops before moving to Indianapolis to attend law school. Steers graduated from Indianapolis School of Law in 1906 and had a general practice in Indianapolis by 1910. He married Leila Edith Kemp on October 25, 1910, in Indianapolis, and they had two children: Pearl Yetive (1911-2008) and Edwin Kemp (1915-1992).

Steers became secretary of the finance committee of the Indiana Republican Party in 1910. An enormous fan of Theodore Roosevelt, he became chairman of the Indiana Progressive State Central Committee in 1912. He also served as treasurer of the Marion County Central Committee (1942-1946) and of the Republican State Central Committee (1949-1956). Known as "Mr. Republican," Steers became an expert in state elections law and helped craft the original Indiana election code. In 1944, he was appointed to the State Election Board, serving for 23 years. Steers was anti-welfare and an admirer of Senator Barry M. Goldwater.

In 1942, he was a partner of the firm of Fenton, Steers, Beasley, and Klee in Indianapolis, and later a senior member of the firm, Steers, Sullivan, McNamara and Rogers. Much of his legal career involved the insurance industry, and included the organization of Statesman Insurance Company, of which he was director from 1957 to 1977, and Underwriters Services Inc. Steers was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, York Rite, and Murat Shrine, as well as First Meridian Heights Presbyterian Church. Edwin M. S. Steers died on May 13, 1977, in Indianapolis, and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Sources:

Item in the collection.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." 1900 United States Federal Census. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." 1910 United States Federal Census. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." 1940 United States Federal Census. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Edwin M. S. Steers." U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942. Accessed December 23, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

"Edwin M. S. Steers, Well-Known Political Figure in State, Dies." Indianapolis Star, May 14, 1977. Accessed December 23, 2025. ProQuest.

Findagrave.com. "Edwin McMasters Stanton Steers." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46019685/edwin-mcmasters_stanton-steers.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1/2 reel-to-reel audiotape)

599 Megabytes (1 WAV file)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection consists of one item.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as part of the Indiana State Library Oral History Project, 1977.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Related Materials

Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN:

L244: Edwin K. Steers papers

OBC123: Edwin K. Steers oversize collection

OH024: Edwin K. Steers oral history

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2025/12/22 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid created 2025/12/23 by Brittany Kropf.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Edwin M. S. Steers oral history
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

http://www.in.gov/library/manuscripts.htm
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