In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania -- Irving S. Amrhein

Annotation Irving S. Amrhein was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1895. In this interview he discusses his work for Bethlehem Steel as an assistant foreman during World War I and later service for a short time in the billing department. He describes his entrance into the securities business in 1925, where he initially sold corporate and government bonds to banks in eastern Pennsylvania and later sold a broader range of securities to a wider audience. Amrhein also discusses remembrances of the neighborhood he grew up in on Bethlehem's South Side, social activities as a child and young man, the impact of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression on him and the community, and his community and philanthropic activities, particularly his activities as a trustee of Moravian College. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted by Lehigh University students and faculty from 1974 through 1977 focusing on retired Bethlehem Steel workers, business people, and the heirs of industrial magnates. The project was co-sponsored by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, who provided contact information for retired steel workers. An oral history interview is an act of memory and hence both highly selective and highly subjective. While it accurately reflects what a narrator remembers (or chooses to tell) of his or her experience and viewpoints, it may not accurately represent what actually transpired or what another person may have experienced. As such users should subject interviews to the same degree of critical scrutiny they would any other historical source.