Guide to the Pflaum Publishing Company publications, 1889-1971

Overview of Collection

History of the Pflaum Publishing Company

In 1885, the Pflaum Publishing Company was founded by George A. Pflaum Sr. The publishing house, located in Dayton, Ohio, first produced a weekly newspaper, the Young Catholic Messenger. The newspaper was distributed to students in the Catholic School System.

George A. Pflaum Jr. took over the company's operation upon his father's death. He expanded the Young Catholic Messenger series to include the Junior Catholic Messenger and Our Little Messenger, each of which addressed a different age group. It was not long before the company was known to Catholic parents across the United States and Canada for producing religious and moral reading material for all members of the family.

In addition to the Messenger series, George A. Pflaum Jr. began the publication of the Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, a Catholic comic book, in 1946. Most of the stories promoted themes of faith, family, and patriotism and related to sports, school, and Saints. Contributors included Frank Borth, Bob Powell, and Reed Crandall.

Today the Pflaum Publishing Group continues to publish a wide range of materials used for Catholic religious education.

Scope and Content

The Pflaum Publishing Company publications include religious weekly newspapers and comic books. The bulk of this collection consists of the Young Catholic Messenger, the Junior Catholic Messenger, Our Little Messenger, and the Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, among other publications. The collection spans 1889-1971.

Statement of Arrangement

The Pflaum Publishing Company publications consist of bound volumes stored in range 3, shelves 1-9. They are described alphabetically in this finding aid.

Search Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Dayton Libraries Catalog. Researchers may use these headings to search the catalog for resources on related topics, persons, or places.

Personal Names

Corporate Names

Subjects

Administrative Information

Access to Materials

This collection is open and available to the public for research in the Archives and Special Collections reading room. The materials are non-circulating.

Copyright

The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.

Preferred Citation

Pflaum Publishing Company Publications, 1889-1971. University Archives and Special Collections, University of Dayton Libraries, Dayton, Ohio.

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