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The Records of Mayor Robert F. Shaw

Collection Description:
The papers of Mayor Robert F. Shaw comprise 16 cubic feet of correspondence, memos, reports, bank statements and administrative paperwork of his two terms in office.

Biographical Note

Robert Shaw was born in Portland, Maine on May 29, 1934. He graduated from Derring High School and went on to serve his country in Korea 1953 to 1957. In 1954, Mayor Shaw married the former Lorraine Moreau of Westbrook, Maine, and they are the parents of four children.

Shaw spent most of his adult life living and working in Manchester. His local business ventures are well known. For many years he operated a self-service gas station, and owned Bob Shaw’s Italian Sandwiches in downtown Manchester.

Mayor Shaw belonged to numerous professional organizations and served as chairman to many. He is a past president of the Manchester Rotary Club and past district governor of Rotary District 787. He also served as the first chairman of Manchester CRIMELINE. Shaw was a former board member of the Girls Club and the United Way.

Mayor Shaw died in August 2004.

Scope and Content

During Mayor Shaw’s tenure, many historic buildings in Manchester were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the old Post Office Block (52-72 Hanover Street), and St. George’s School and Convent. Another concern of his administration was Greenstreets, an urban forestry program. In 1984, Manchester was named Tree City USA as a result of this program.

Mayor Shaw was an enthusiastic supporter of automating all city departments, and through his efforts, this was accomplished in 1984-1985.

A number of informative reports were written during Mayor Shaw’s terms in office. They include The Greater Manchester Story, written in 1987 by members of the Manchester Industrial Council which discusses the development of Grenier Field and the details about the economic development of Manchester. Another document reported on the Amoskeag Corporation Housing Area and the Washington Street Project. There are also two surveys written in 1985. One deals with the cost of rental units in Manchester and another on the wages and salaries.

There are numerous files on the Highway Department, Manchester Housing Authority and the Manchester Planning Board. In 1984 a Management Review of Education was conducted.

Arrangement

The Shaw collection is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically within each folder.

Administrative Information

Archivist Sally Stephensen processed the collection in 2000.

Access

The records are open for research without restrictions under the conditions of the Archives' access policy. Records may be copied for use in administrative, scholarly or personal research. Researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use the material from the archivist.

Citation

The records of Robert F. Shaw, Office of Mayor, City of Manchester, New Hampshire.

Topics

Amoskeag Housing Area
Center of New Hampshire
Derryfield Country Club
Fire Victims Fund, 1985-1987
Manchester Management Review
National League of Cities
Ordinance Violations Bureau
Retirement System
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Utility Coordinating Committee (Mayor’s)
Zoning Board of Adjustment

Managing Organization: Manchester City Archives >>

Geographical Focus:
Town: Manchester

Collection Size: 16 cubic Feet