In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania -- Michael C. Schrader

Annotation Michael C. Schrader (ca. 1900-February 23, 1989) graduated from Harvard Law School in 1924 and was a partner in the law firm of Taylor, Schrader & Riskin from 1924 to 1942. He also served as Northampton County first assistant district attorney prior to World War II. During the war Schrader served as deputy civilian defense director for the city of Bethlehem and Superintendent of Plant Protection for Bethlehem Steel. In this interview he discusses war-time activities performed while at Bethlehem Steel including managing draft deferments, gas rationing, securing the company's facilities and working with War Production Board directives on price control. He also discusses his activities as a prosecutor, the increasing specialization of the legal profession, social activities, and community service. 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.