Preserving Union College s Heritage

Transcription

1 Preserving Union College s Heritage Ella Johnson Crandall Memorial Library Annual Report 2011

2 Message from the Library Director For more than forty years, historian Everett Dick and librarians Floda Smith and Chloe Foutz avidly collected photographs, manuscripts, and artifacts important to the history of Union College, the College View community, and the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Largely unorganized and stored in a variety of unorthodox ways, knowledge of the contents of this collection resided largely in the minds of these individuals. They were privileged to work together for many years and share information with each other. This legacy came to an untimely end with Chloe s death in 2007, well before she was able to pass on everything she knew. Since that time, we have been working determinedly to document, organize and make publicly available information about the Heritage Room collections. Major accomplishments include: Re-housing significant portions of the collection in appropriate archival quality containers. A new Heritage Room webpage providing information about services and collections available to the public. A conservation assessment conducted by nationally recognized conservator Julie A. Reilly from the Nebraska State Historical Society s Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center. Improvements in monitoring temperature and humidity in storage areas in order to make sure preservation standards are maintained. Implementation of a formal institutional archives program. Even as work continues on organizing the collection, the library is poised to begin work on digitizing photographs and other significant artifacts, making these items available to researchers around the world and ensuring that Union College s story will be told to future generations of students. This report features stories about the contributions of the Heritage Room to student learning, mentoring student employees, serving professional researchers, and reaching out to alumni and the Nebraska community. Sabrina Riley Library Director 1

3 Students Experience Original Research When it comes to history, the opportunity to study original historical documents is an invaluable experience. During Spring Semester 2011, thirty students in Dr. Edward Allen s History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church class undertook projects of original research on items in the Heritage Room at the Union College Library. Each of them wrote a 10-page research paper on an item in the collection. Their projects ranged from the 1923 Japanese Earthquake to the life of J. H. Morrison. One student researched the context and individuals associated with a letter written by a Harvard professor about the early Millerite movement. The original letter may have been a part of Everett Dick s collection used to write his book The Adventist Crisis of (1930). The student s parents visited during the research phase and were pleased that she was doing original research and was actually finding things that were new to history. Another student came excitedly to Dr. Allen showing that she had made contact with J. H. Morrison s grandchild and had received some very significant information from him. Dr. Allen believes the Heritage Room gives students an excellent opportunity to discover what original research is like. The Heritage Room provides an invaluable opportunity for students to become involved in Union College s history and conduct original research. Bobby Everett (left) and Owen Hansen (right) stand by their Knights of the Castle display for their research project in Dr. Edward Allen s History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church class. The Heritage Room allows students such as Bobby and Owen to conduct original research. You can read more on their research on the Knights of the Castle on the following page. 2

4 Student researchers Bobby Everett (left) and Owen Hansen (right) used the Heritage Room to research the Knights of the Castle. The Knights of the Castle referred to the men who stayed in the attic of the original college building.

5 Meaningful Student Employment When students feel their jobs contribute to their educational experience and enhance their résumé, they are more likely to stay at Union College. Rachel Brupbacher is an example of a student who stayed because of the opportunity she had to learn professional archival skills as part of her student employment. Rachel Brupbacher spent significant time working with library director Sabrina Riley in the Heritage Room. She values the skills that she has learned and looks forward to applying them in her career. In this picture, she displays alumnus Duane Cornell s U.S. Navy Pea Coat. Since beginning work as a Heritage Room assistant last fall, I have had exposure to numerous educational opportunities, many of which may aid me later in a professional capacity. My regular work includes photograph preservation as well as lending research assistance to Heritage Room patrons. From Sabrina Riley, director of the Union College library, I learn standard archival protocol and techniques. We meet once a week for a three-hour period to work on specific projects, and from her I gain new insights on archival work. In the past months, I have gained experience in textile and ceramic preservation, research techniques employed in photograph and artifact identification, proper document and photograph preservation, and traditional heritage room protocol. In addition, I have developed a significantly closer familiarity with Seventh-day Adventist periodicals as well as with the history of Union College. While I was still new to the Heritage Room, a friend gave the opinion that there could not possibly be a better match of a job for me on the UC campus, to which I had to concur. With history as one of my three majors, not only does almost daily exposure to archives appear advantageous on a résumé and graduate school applications, I am gaining valuable practical skills that prepare me for a career in museum or archival studies, should I choose to pursue one of these career routes. Student labor in the Heritage Room totaled 370 hours for the school year. 4

6 Connecting with Alumni Every artifact has a story. One of the most recent Heritage Room acquisitions connected two alumni who never met each other but shared possession of a coat. When Louesa Peters studied at Union College in the 1950s, she rented a room from Esther Cornell on Bancroft Avenue. Mrs. Cornell moved away before Peters moved out but left behind her son Duane Cornell s U.S. Navy pea coat. When Peters moved, she took the coat with the intention of locating Mrs. Cornell and returning the coat. Fast forward more than 50 years later. Peters, now living in Tennessee, never located the Cornells, but she did save the coat. In 2010 she sent an inquiry to Union asking if we would like the coat. After we confirmed that Cornell had attended Union College we told Peters yes, please send us the coat. As research into the coat s story progressed, it became evident that Duane Cornell was still living. A quick check with the Advancement Office confirmed this. A letter was mailed and just about as soon as he received it, Cornell called the library. He had believed this coat was lost for good and was absolutely amazed that it had resurfaced and that we had it. Cornell has not been back to Lincoln since the 1950s, and through this experience has reconnected with Union College. He is happy for us to keep the coat and to tell his story of military service. He recently offered us another of his uniforms. Although Cornell served as a photographer for the Navy during World War II, he was one of more than 800 students who participated in Union College s Medical Cadet Corps, a program that started at Union College in 1934 under the direction of Dr. Everett Dick. Its purpose was to prepare young people for military service as non-combatants. It later became an official program of the Seventh-day Adventist church. The Heritage Room houses Dick s extensive record of the development and growth of the Medical Cadet Corps. Duane Cornell s uniforms complement this important collection which provides a unique perspective on denominational history during World War II and the Cold War. Union College s Medical Cadet Corps was started in 1934 by Dr. Everett Dick. Duane Cornell, a member of the Medical Cadet Corps, donated his U. S. Navy pea coat to the Heritage Room. See page three for a picture of the coat. 5

7 Connecting with Community The history of the College View community is intertwined with that of Union College. This makes the Heritage Room collections a valuable resource for community members. Recent requests for information have made a difference in the community. A local homeowner sought original photographs for a house he is restoring. When College View s section of South 48th Street was revitalized, the designing architectural firm visited the Heritage Room to learn more about the history of the community and glean creative inspiration from the photograph collections. Union Church, now Southern Heights Presbyterian, was the second church built in College View. When they celebrated their centennial in spring 2011, President David Smith was invited to participate and the Heritage Room supplied a picture of the original building, which is no longer standing. 10,453 books and bound periodicals 66 current periodical subscriptions 118 artifacts processed 34 collections processed Union Church, originally located at 4619 Prescott Avenue, is now demolished but its congregation continues to worship as Southern Heights Presbyterian Church in a new location in South Lincoln. The church was started by the women of College View church who wanted to provide a space for non-adventist Christians in the College View community to worship. 6

8 When an architectural firm was commissioned to revitalize the College View community as part of the business improvement initiative, they rightfully came to the Heritage Room to learn about the history of the community and research its architecture. The lamppost in this picture is historically similar to those of the originals. The trees and clock tower on the sign are distinguishing signs of Union College, around which the College View community was built.

9 Connecting with the World Working in the Heritage Room is always an adventure as this story from this past spring illustrates. Shortly before the spring semester ended, Sabrina Riley received an inquiry from a historian in North Dakota who wanted access to Everett Dick s personal correspondence. Since this collection is not yet organized, locating the letters he wanted entailed significant work. A short time later, Riley found a letter from a gentleman in Japan on her desk. This researcher was seeking confirmation that social justice leader Toyohiko Kagawa had indeed visited Lincoln, Nebraska, and possibly Union College in The following week started with a phone call from Germany requesting the birthplace of Ernest Max Trummer, Union College alumnus and pioneer Adventist missionary to South America. And the next week began with a visit from a researcher from La Sierra University collecting information for a book he is writing on the history of Adventist physical education programs. People may laugh about the things we like to save in the Heritage Room, but we never know what question might be asked next or where that question might come from. Research Inquiries Between , requests for assistance has come from: These are a few of the manuscript collections that are organized. The Heritage Room has numerous collections and organizing them is of utmost importance. 34 states Georgia, Michigan, Texas and others 8 countries Germany, Japan, Sweden to name a few 5 colleges and universities Rutgers University, UCLA and more Mail Phone In person

10 Heritage Room Staff are Researchers Too It takes considerable time, research and care to document and house each item in the Heritage Room. For many items this means a few simple checks of obituaries, Academic Records, and other basic genealogical sources. However, some items require special attention, such as a 34- star United States flag which reportedly decorated the podium from which Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. The flag was given to Union College by Muriel Fleming O Connor, class of 1940, who believed her great-grandfather was given the flag in appreciation for his service at the Gettysburg cemetery dedication. After three years of research, we have determined that O Connor s family was indeed in the right place at the right time to be present at the dedication ceremony. The flag s internal evidence suggests that it was designed to be used as described, but so far the historical evidence does not confirm that O Connor s family played the significant public role her family tradition claims. As an authentic example of a large parade flag from the Civil War-era, the flag is valuable in its own right. 13 books from professional development resource Connecting to Connections Bookshelf $6,000 National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistant Grant received This original 34-star flag was gifted to the Heritage Room from alumna Muriel Fleming O Connor. It was said to have decorated Abraham Lincoln s podium at the Gettysburg Address. Although the Gettysburg connection has not been definitely proven, the flag is still authentic to the time period. 8

11 The Future The next step for the Heritage Room is to make collections available online. This is important both for preserving items and increasing the availability of resources. The more frequently fragile documents are handled, the more likely they are to be damaged. Exposure to light, possible contamination, and changes in temperature and relative humidity are all detrimental to the long term preservation of historic items. In addition, when a collection s availability is limited to a physical location, use of those materials is even further restricted. We will continue to explore best practices for digital archives as well as partner with other Seventh-day Adventist libraries and Nebraska organizations to scan and make selected items from the Heritage Room collections available online. Work has already begun as evidenced by our participation in the Nebraska Memories project, sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission. During 2010 and 2011, 107 historic photographs from Union College s early years were scanned and contributed to this project. Plans are also underway for an Adventist virtual collection with Union College as a participant. The Nebraska Memories project is sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission and provides researchers with a large database of digitized Nebraska-related historical and cultural topics. By digitizing the collections, photographs, and artifacts in the Heritage Room, we are not only helping preserve these items, but also making them more accessible to the public. The Heritage Room has contributed 107 photographs to the Nebraska Memories project so far. 9

12 Library Staff Gillian Connors Technical Services Librarian Evelyn Lucas Periodicals Assistant Greg Merchant Instructional Technologist Sabrina Riley Library Director Jeannette Wetmore Public Services Librarian 10

13 Archives Committee Edward Allen Religion Scott Cushman Digital Communication George Gibson History and Economics Sabrina Riley Library Director Jonathan Shields Human Resources Linda Skinner Donor Relations 11

14 Written by Sabrina Riley Design by Vernée Norman Photography by Steve Nazario Historic photos from the Heritage Room