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Matthew Miley Collection

 Collection
Identifier: A3170

Scope and Contents

The collection contains two items relating to the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters (IABPFF) from 1972 and one program form the 1975 annual scholarship benefit banquet of The St. Louis Tavern and Independent Liquor Licensees Inc. (STILL). The items are arranged chronologically. Two items relate to the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters (IABPFF) at the 1972 Black Firefighters Convention. There is an informational pamphlet which includes the following information: convention workshops, daily schedules, the origin and goals of the IABPFF; membership eligibility; lists of officers; and a list of local participating organizations. The souvenir program from the convention includes the IABPFF president’s message, the history of the IABPFF, and several pages for local organizations that include lists of members and brief histories (including FIRE). Organizations with histories include: Valiants, Inc. (Philadelphia); Vulcan Pioneers of New Jersey (northern New Jersey); The Vulcan Pioneers of Hudson County (New Jersey); and the Vulcan Society, Inc. (NYC). Other interesting items are “A History of the Negro in the Hartford Fire Department” and a page for The Vulcanettes, Inc. of New York City, a nonprofit comprised of wives of African American firefighters. The third item is the program for the St. Louis Tavern and Independent Liquor Licensees, Inc. annual scholarship benefit banquet. The cover includes an unidentified group photo of the 1975 scholarship recipients. Matthew Miley was president and Dr. Robert Wentz was the evening’s guest speaker.

Dates

  • 1972-1975

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

Matthew Miley became a firefighter for the city of St. Louis on April 3, 1960, two years after the St. Louis Fire Department began integrating firehouses. He was the only African American assigned to the firehouse at 12th and Spruce Streets. When Miley joined the department, there were 60 black firefighters on a force of 1500. Due to the inequities in the department and the lack of support from Local 73, the firefighters union, Miley joined with other African American firemen to establish the Firefighters Institute of Racial Equality (FIRE) in 1967. FIRE was formally launched in 1968 and continues as a civil rights organization. Miley retired from the St. Louis Fire Department in 1989. In 1972, FIRE hosted the second convention of the Black Firefighters Convention, in which the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters (IABPFF) participated, in St. Louis at the Sheraton Jefferson Hotel. The IABPFF was founded in 1970 during the first convention of Black Firefighters Convention. St. Louis firefighters were involved from the group’s inception and St. Louis firefighter Daniel Austin represented local firefighters as a member of the first board. Matthew Miley owned the Speakeasy Lounge and in 1971, joined the Tavern Owners Association, a trade organization established by African American bar owners in 1968 to protect their interests. Miley was instrumental in reorganizing the group into an association that worked to represent its membership. He convinced the group to include package liquor and convenience stores and to change the name to the St. Louis Tavern and Independent Liquor Licensees (STILL) to reflect the addition of retail outlets. Soon after joining and rebranding the group, Miley was elected president. He led the organization on two separate occasions, from 1971 to 1982 and again from 1985 to 1992. STILL became a force on the local and state levels. The group retained a full-time lobbyist for the first time and was able to exercise considerable influence on behalf of independently owned bars and liquor stores. At its height, it represented over 100 bars and other small liquor retailers in African American neighborhoods, approximately 75 percent of the total. STILL brought similar groups across the state (black and white) together to create the Missouri Association of Beverage Retailers (MABR) and was instrumental in forming a national organization, the National United Merchants Beverage Association (NUMBA). Miley recognized STILL’s potential for community service. The group raised funds for scholarships awarded annually to one student in each of St. Louis’ ten public schools, assisted financially distressed families, and engaged in other charitable activities. By 2000, STILL began to decline and dissolved on December 18, 2001.

Extent

0.02 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The items are arranged chronologically.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

The collection was donated by Matthew Miley in 2020 (accession number 2020-112).

Processing Information

Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2021.

Title
Matthew Miley Collection
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
Date
2021
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510