In Honor of Black History Month: Rufus B. Jackson

1 Comment February 15, 2018 Petrina Jackson

“Rufus B. Jackson.” Alumnus of Iowa State College., April 1919, ArchivesLH1. Lo9a.

In honor of Black History Month and in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the United States’s involvement in World War I, we highlight Des Moines resident and Iowa Stater Rufus Benjamin Jackson, Class of 1917. Second Lieutenant Jackson was a member of the 370th Infantry Regiment, 93d Division, A.E.F. and fought in France.

Second Lieutenant Jackson earned a distinguished service cross “for extraordinary heroism in action near Farm La Folie, France, September 28, 1918. Having been ordered to use his Stokes mortars in wiping out machine-gun nests, which had been resisting the advance of his company, Lieutenant Jackson made a personal reconnaissance by crawling to the enemy’s lines to locate the nests. Accomplishing his purpose, he returned and directed the fire, silencing the guns.”

For more about Iowa’s involvement in World War I, visit our exhibition “Do[ing] Their Bit:” Iowa’s Role in the Great War on display on the 4th floor of Parks Library.

 

Rare Book Highlights: the Booker T. Washington – W.E.B. Du Bois Debate

Leave a comment February 13, 2018 Amy

Booker T Washington. Portrait from the first edition of The Negro Problem.

Portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois from the first edition of The Negro Problem.

Du Bois, W.E.B. The souls of black folk; essays and sketches. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co, 1903. Call number: E185.6 D85s

The Negro problem; a series of articles by representative American Negroes of today. Contributions by Booker T. Washington, W.E. Burghardt Du Bois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Charles W. Chesnutt, and others. New York: James Pott & company, 1903. Call number: E185.5 N39

 

It is the turn of the 20th century. The Civil War is almost 40 years in the past, and Jim Crow laws are passed in Southern states to enforce racial segregation, while Black Americans encounter racism and discrimination across the country. A debate is going on within the Black community about how to respond to these conditions.

Booker T. Washington and vocational education

In 1895, Black intellectual and educator Booker T. Washington gave a speech at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, in which he urged Black Americans to temporarily accept segregation and disenfranchisement in exchange for economic opportunity and free vocational education funded by the white community. He believed that if Black men trained for vocational jobs, they could take advantage of the technological developments of the day and make economic progress. By attaining economic independence through hard work, thrift, and patience, he believed that eventually Black Americans would win the acceptance of the white community and thus be granted full civil rights. Critics of Washington’s speech dubbed it the ‘Atlanta Compromise.’

Title page of the first edition of The Negro Problem. Our copy was originally held by the State Library for Iowa, which is why “withdrawn” is stamped across the page.

Washington’s speech was not published (though you can read the transcript at the Library of Congress), but his views on education for Black men (remember, this was at a time when a woman’s place was considered to be in the home) are captured in his essay, “Industrial Education for the Negro,” published in The Negro Problem in 1903. He writes that, following the Civil War, Black Americans tried to distance themselves from their past as slaves through higher education in the liberal arts:

There were young men educated in foreign tongues, but few in carpentry or in mechanical or architectural drawing. Many were trained in Latin, but few as engineers and blacksmiths. Too many were taken from the farm and educated, but educated in everything but farming. For this reason they had no interest in farming and did not return to it. And yet eighty-five per cent of the Negro population of the Southern states lives and for a considerable time will continue to live in the country districts. (p. 13)

He saw the loss of vocational knowledge as a loss of economic opportunity to the population, and he believed that a purely liberal education only prepared Black men for jobs that they had no opportunity to acquire. This guided his decisions as the head of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, now Tuskegee University, in designing the curriculum:

Almost from the first Tuskegee has kept in mind–and this I think should be the policy of all industrial schools–fitting student for occupations which would be open to them in their home communities. (pp. 23-24)

Critiques by W.E.B. Du Bois

On the opposite side of the debate is W.E.B. Du Bois, a Black intellectual who was born and raised in Massachusetts and became the first Black man to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Where Washington advised patience and submission, Du Bois called on members of the Black community to agitate for civil rights. He also argued that higher education, not simply vocational education, was necessary to create Black leaders that would uplift the whole Black community.

Du Bois was Washington’s most outspoken critic. His essay, “The Talented Tenth,” follows Washington’s in The Negro Problem. In direct rebuttal to Washington’s contention that liberally educated Black men cannot find jobs they are qualified for, Du Bois writes:

The most interesting question, and in many respects the crucial question, to be asked concerning college-bred Negroes, is: Do they earn a living? It has been intimated more than once that the higher training of Negroes has resulted in sending into the world of work, men who could find nothing to do suitable to their talents. Now and then there comes a rumor of a colored college man working at menial service, etc. Fortunately, returns as to occupations of college-bred Negroes, gathered by the Atlanta conference, are quite full–nearly sixty per cent. of the total number of graduates. (pp. 51-52)

Tables showing occupations of Black Americans who attended college, from Du Bois’s “The Talented Tenth” in The Negro Problem.

Du Bois’s most famous book The Souls of Black Folk, a collection of fourteen essays, includes one with the title, “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others.” He critiques Washington’s broader plan of white appeasement and the regression it has brought:

Mr. Washington distinctly asks that black people give up, at least for the present, three things, —

First, political power,

Second, insistence on civil rights,

Third, higher education of Negro youth, — and concentrate all their energies on industrial education, the accumulation of wealth, and the conciliation of the South. This policy has been courageously and insistently advocated for over fifteen years, and has been triumphant for perhaps ten years. As a result of this tender of the palm-branch, what has been the return? In these years there have occurred:

1. The disfranchisement of the Negro.

2. The legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro.

3. The steady withdrawal of aid from institutions for the higher training of the Negro. (p. 51)

Title page of the first edition of The Souls of Black Folk.

Both men were deeply concerned about the social and economic progress of Black Americans. Their backgrounds shed some light on the sharp differences in their approaches. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in 1856 and taught himself to read as a child following the Civil War. Later, he worked his way through Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute in Virginia, now Hampton University. Du Bois, on the other hand, was born in 1868 in Massachusetts, where he attended school in a primarily white community. He attended Fisk University in Nashville, where he first encountered Jim Crow laws. Later, he became a leader in the Niagara Movement, a Black civil rights organization. When the group dissolved in 1909, Du Bois went on to co-found the NAACP.

What strikes me the most, as I write this blog post, is that the concerns of Washington and Du Bois are still relevant today. In the age of #BlackLivesMatter, this statement from Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk stands as a challenge and call to action:

…the burden belongs to the nation, and the hands of none of us are clean if we bend not our energies to righting these great wrongs. (p.59)

Visiting SCUA 102

Leave a comment February 8, 2018 olivia

Hello everyone! This is the second in the blog series about visiting Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) from the perspective of someone who is pretty new.  In SCUA 101, I covered some of the reading room rules and why they exist. Today I will cover what will happen when you visit us here on the 4^th floor of Parks Library.

If this is your first time to the archives during this calendar year, we will ask you to fill out a registration sheet.  We will also ask to see a photo ID (don’t worry—you can definitely use your ISU student ID).  We will also ask that you sign into the reading room, which is the only thing you will have to fill out for each subsequent visit.

Rachel Seale ready to help a patron at the desk.

The friendly desk staff can help you with what you are looking for.  We can help teach you how to search for materials on our website and explain how to use a finding aid.  Throughout your visit, staff is happy to answer any questions you have; whether that be a question on how to handle a certain set of documents or suggestions for places you might look for further research.

When you are ready to request materials, you will fill out the form below so that someone on staff can retrieve the materials from our closed stacks.  The stacks are closed to the public for security reasons and also because our very special materials need to be kept in a certain temperature and humidity range.  You would definitely need a jacket if we kept the reading room the same temperature as the stacks!

Before you look at materials you will need to store your bags, coats, umbrellas, etc. in the lockers or the closet.  Now you are ready to take a seat and wait for your materials.  When they come, SCUA staff will give you a brief handling demonstration; then you are ready to start your research!

Throughout your visit, please let us know if there is anything we can help with.  We know it can take some time to get used to the rules and feel comfortable handling the materials, and we want you to have the best experience possible.

The reading room is open from 9-5, Monday-Friday.  If you have more questions about visiting SCUA, feel free to email us at archives@iastate.edu or visit our tutorial pages on planning a visit and using our materials.

When you visit, be sure to allow yourself a few extra minutes to check out our latest exhibit: “Do[ing] their bit” Iowa’s Role in the Great War.

Cyclones in NFL World Championship Games #FlashbackFriday

2 Comments February 2, 2018 Rachel Seale

Jared Larson pictured with his dog Kenji (courtesy of the author).

Today’s blog post was authored by our guest blogger, Jared Larson. Jared is an Ames native and student here at Iowa State. He’s been attending ISU athletic events ever since he was 5 (2002). When not hitting the books, he can be found doing writing for Wide Right & Natty Lite and also working as equipment manager for Cyclone Hockey. Jared is also a member of two dance clubs on campus (Orchesis II and Celtic Dance Society). For those wondering what his dog is named, he goes by Kenji, and he is as good a companion as he is a brother to Jared.

Cyclones that have made NFL World Championship Appearances

Iowa State has been fielding a football team ever since 1892, and out of the thousands of players that have played in Ames, less than 200 have made it to professional ranks.  Of those, about twenty have made it to an NFL Championship game. For those interested in an all-time professional list, I have assembled lists (1920s-1930s, 1940s-1950s) that go up until the 1950s .

Our first Cyclone on our list is no other than Dick Barker, who was a letter winner in 1916, 1917, and 1919. The Oklahoma City native was an offensive guard and a very good one at that. In 1919, his All-American season, he was a stalwart on the offensive line. Knute Rockne, the famed Notre Dame coach, picked Barker for his All-American squad. Dick was also a very good wrestler here, going 10-1-1 and having five pins. His only defeat came in his first ever appearance, one in which he had a broken hand.

In 1921, Barker spent his only professional year playing for both the Rock Island Independents (for two games) and also the Chicago Staleys where he wore #18. In 2002, Iowa State inducted Dick into their Athletics Hall of Fame.

Photo of Clyde Shugart in the 1937 Iowa State vs. Nebraska Football Program (Department of Athletics Football Programs, RS 24/6/0/5, SCUA).

Clyde Shugart, an Ames High grad, made waves in high school, making first-team all-state in 1934 as an offensive guard. He was a tailback in 1936, but he would switch back for both the 1937 and 1938 seasons. In the magical season that was 1938, he, along with Ed Bock, would pave the way for quarterback Everett “Rabbit” Kischer. He would garner All-Big Six honors that season.

In the 1939 NFL Draft, Clyde Shugart was selected 158^th overall by the Washington Redskins. (You can see his contract here) He stayed with Washington (#51) from 1939-1944, and he never missed a game. He played in the NFL Championship against the Bears in 1940, 1942, and 1943, only to win it all in 1942. In both 1941 and 1942, Shugart was honored as a Pro Bowl member, and in 1943 he was named an All-Pro. In 2000, the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame inducted him, and in 2004, Iowa State inducted him to their Hall of Fame. Also in 2004, Coffin Corner caught up with Shugart.

Jim Doran (center #83) in 1950 (from @CycloneFB, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics Communications).

Jim Doran was honored as All-Big Seven in 1949, and in 1950, he was All-American. In a 1949 game against Oklahoma, he caught eight passes for 203 yards. He finished his Cyclone career with 1,410 yards on 79 receptions.

Doran was selected 55^th overall by the Lions in the 1951 NFL Draft. He played a critical role in four (’52, ’53, ’54, and ‘57) NFL Championship games, and he had a 3-1 record in said games. In the 1952 season, he played in 11 games, catching a football 10 times for 147 yards. He was named MVP of the ’52 Lions and also got a sack in the NFL Championship. In the ’53 Championship, he caught the game-tying touchdown that led to the Lions winning 17-16. In 1954, he played in seven games, but accrued no playoff stats. In 1957, Doran finally got a starting nod where he had 1 receiving touchdown that he traveled 78 yards to obtain. Also, on the whole of 1957 he had 33 catches for 624 yards, 5 td.

Jim Doran’s 1957 Topps card (courtesy of the author).

 

Stan Campbell was the very first good Campbell in Iowa State history, winning letters from 1949-1951. In 1951, he was named captain of the I.S.C. squad and following his strong offensive and defensive efforts, Stan would be named the only player named to First Team All-Big Seven Offense and Defense. He would also be selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game.

Photograph of Stan Campbell (RS 24/6/0/5 Football Programs, SCUA).

He was drafted 213^th overall by the Lions, where he would meet up with former Cyclone Jim Doran. Fun fact: Campbell’s first contract was for $5,000, and he had to supply his own shoulder pads and cleats. In the 1957 NFL Championship season, Campbell would appear in 12 games as a lineman.

Otto Stowe was very truly the Allen Lazard of his time (1968-1970) here at Iowa State. How so? In 1970, his senior year, he had 59 catches, six receiving touchdowns, and 822 receiving yards which garnered him All-Big Eight honors. He finished his Cyclone career with 132 catches, 1,751 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.

Photograph of Otto Stowe (From Cyclone Sidebar, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics).

 

The Dolphins selected him 47^th overall in 1971, and in his rookie season he caught five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He did not appear in Super Bowl VI as he was battling Hepatitis. In 1972, the famed perfect season for Miami, he had 13 catches for 276 yards, and two of those catches were touchdowns.

Matt Blair played as a monster-back while at Iowa State, and while here he had a very successful career, attaining the following honors: All-Big 8, All-American, and Defensive MVP at the 1971 Sun Bowl. He finished his career with 202 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 fumbles forced and 3 recovered.

Professionally, he spent 1974-1985 with the Minnesota Vikings. He appeared in both Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl XI. In Super Bowl IX against the Steelers, he blocked a Pittsburgh punt that led to Minnesota’s only score. In Super Bowl XI against the Raiders, he started and finished two tackles and assisted on three tackles.

From 1974-1977, Tom Randall was a force on the defensive line accumulating 286 total tackles. He was a first team All-Big 8 selection in 1977.  In the 1978 NFL Draft, the Cowboys selected him 194^th overall. He appeared in 12 games during the season and appeared in Super Bowl XIII as a substitute.

Keith Krepfle was a very reliable tight end for the Cyclones from 1971-1973. He finished his career with 94 catches for 1,378 yards and he accumulated fifteen touchdowns while here. In a 1972 game against #3 Nebraska, the Potosi native would haul in two touchdowns in a game that ended in a 23-23 tie.  In the 1974 NFL Draft, the Eagles selected Krepfle 115^th overall, but instead he spent his first season with the Jacksonville Sharks who were a part of the World Football League. Keith would play in Super Bowl XV, and he would catch two passes, one of which was a touchdown that made Krepfle the first player from a college in Iowa to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl.

Dan Johnson (from Iowa State Football Facebook, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics).

Dan Johnson was a tight end at Iowa State in 1980 and 1981. He had 25 receptions which led him to 406 total receiving yards. His longest reception as a Cyclone came in 1980, with length totaling 76 yards.

The “King of Pain” as he would be known professionally, was drafted 170^th overall by the Dolphins in 1982. The Minnesota native started all sixteen regular season games, and by the time Super Bowl XIX rolled around, he got the starting nod yet again. He would have three receptions on the day, the first good for 5 yards, second good for 21 yards, and third good for two yards and a Miami touchdown. Unfortunately, the rest of the Dolphins couldn’t shore up success, and they lost 38-16.

#69 Karl Nelson (from @CycloneFB, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics)

Karl Nelson is one of the best offensive lineman to ever step foot on campus when he played here from 1979-1982. As a redshirt freshman in 1979, the DeKalb, Illinois, native started at right tackle and stayed there his entire career. In 1979, he earned Freshman All-America honors by both Football News and Bluechip Magazine. He was Second Team All-Big Eight in 1980, and in both 1981 and 1982, he earned First Team All-Big Eight honors.

The New York Giants would pick him up 70^th overall in the 1983 Draft, and in the 1986 season, he led the Giants to Super Bowl XXI where the New York squad beat the Broncos 39-20. In 2005, he was inducted into Iowa State’s Hall of Fame.

The Humboldt native was recruited to Iowa State to play as a defensive tackle, but after some injuries, Reimers moved to the offensive line. Reimers, along with aforementioned Nelson, helped Dwayne Crutchfield have back to back 1,000 yard seasons. In 1983, after many knee surgeries, Bruce got honored as First-Team All-Big Eight and also got invited to the Senior Bowl.

The Bengals would draft Reimers 204^th overall in the 1984 Draft, and he would stay there until 1991. In Super Bowl XXIII, he would get the start next to stud left tackle, Anthony Muñoz. Unfortunately, the Bengals would lose 20-16 to the 49ers in a memorable classic. Iowa State would induct him into their Hall of Fame in 2009.

Photo of Dennis Gibson (from @CycloneFB, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics).

Dennis Gibson played at Iowa State from 1983-1986 as one of our best ever linebackers from Ankeny. He finished his career with 304 tackles, as well as six sacks and interceptions. Gibson also caused eight fumbles and recovered three of them.

In the 1987 NFL Draft, the Lions selected him 203^rd overall, but instead he brought the Chargers to the Super Bowl. In the 1994 AFC Championship against the Steelers, Gibson deflected a pass on a 4^th & Goal to send the Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX where he would get the starting nod. Unfortunately, the 49ers would hang 49 on San Diego and they would lose by 23. In December 2017, Gibson granted the website that I normally write for an interview for those that want to read it.

Photograph Eugene Williams Guard trading card (courtesy of author).

Gene Williams was an outstanding offensive guard from 1987-1990. He earned First-Team All-Big Eight honors in 1990. His blocking ability allowed Blaise Bryant to have massive success in his rushing attack. Gannett News honored him as an All-American in 1990, and also in 1990, he played in the Blue-Gray Classic. He is in the Iowa State Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

The Dolphins drafted him 121^st overall where he teamed up with former Cyclone teammate Keith Sims. The Omaha native would spend two seasons with Miami, two more with the Browns, and he was with the Falcons when he made his Super Bowl appearance. He started in Super Bowl XXXIII but alas the Falcons fell to the John Elway led Broncos 19-34.

(Photograph from Iowa State Football Facebook, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics).

Seneca Wallace may have only spent two years at ISU, but he made enough highlight tape worthy plays to make it seem like he spent more time here. Known best for his run against Texas Tech in 2002, Seneca almost engineered a comeback against #3 Florida State in 2002, but he would be ruled against by a referee, and the Cyclones would lose 38-31.

Seneca would find himself being drafted by Seattle (110^th overall) and that’s where he would appear in Super Bowl XL two seasons later.  The Seahawks would lose, but Wallace would appear in the game as a sub.

(From @CycloneFB, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics).

Ellis Hobbs III was a great defensive back for the Cyclones from 2001-2004, playing in 49 games in which he accumulated a little over 200 tackles. In his final game as a Cyclone, he had a long interception to seal the Cyclone win in the 2004 Independence Bowl over Miami (OH).

The Patriots drafted him 84^th overall in 2005. In the perfect regular season of 2007 for New England, Hobbs returned a kickoff for 108 yards which at the time, was tied for an NFL record. In Super Bowl XLII, he had the interception in the game of which he returned for 23 yards.

(From @CycloneATH, courtesy of Iowa State Athletics).

Kelechi Osemele is the next Cyclone on the list, playing here from 2008-2011. He was a strong force on the offensive line, and he would be named a First-Team All-American by Sports Illustrated. He played in 49 games and had 44 consecutive starts. The Ravens would draft him 60^th overall, and the rookie would be a key factor in Baltimore’s win in Super Bowl XLVII over the 49ers.

Next up is A.J. Klein who was a stud linebacker from 2009-2012. He tallied 361 tackles which is fourth most in Iowa State history. In both 2011 and 2012, he was a First Team All-Big 12 honoree. In Super Bowl 50, he played 1 defensive snap and 22 special teams snaps.

A.J. Klein (courtesy of Iowa State Athletics)

Jomal Wiltz is the final Cyclone on the list, as he played here from 2015 to 2016. He would be named Honorable Mention All-Big 12 his senior season, and he won the Al and Dean Kundson award which goes to the most outstanding defensive player at Iowa State. He was selected to appear in the College Gridiron Showcase.

Wiltz is currently on the practice squad for the Patriots, however, I’ll be keeping an eye out for him on Sunday when New England takes on the Philadelphia Eagles!

References:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/isuni.sidearmsports.com/documents/2016/5/9/15encyclopedia.pdf

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/isuni.sidearmsports.com/documents/2015/5/5/Media_Guide.pdf

http://cyclones.com/sports/2015/3/2/GEN_20140101193.aspx

http://cyclones.com/sports/2015/3/2/GEN_20140101108.aspx

http://cyclones.com/news/2008/1/28/1374292.aspx

https://cyclonesidebar.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/cyclone-super-bowl-memories/

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ (helped with rosters/pro stats)

http://cyclones.com/hof.aspx?hof=120

 

 

NHPRC Update: New Discoveries

1 Comment January 30, 2018 Caitlin

Khrushchev waving to onlookers on campus. [University Photograph Collection, RS 00, Dignitaries and Other Notable Visitors, Boxes 11-15]

The New Year has begun, and the NHPRC grant project to ingest all of the Special Collections and University Archives finding aids continues to move forward. At the end of last year, we hit the milestone of getting every Manuscript Collection with a finding aid entered into our CuadraStar SKCA archival catalog database – nearly 600 finding aids in all. We have now moved on to the University Archives finding aids, and have raised the total to 800. It is exciting to see this number climb every day.

As a result, I have gotten the chance to read many of the finding aids as they go into the database. This has taught me quite a bit about SCUA’s collections, both in terms of how they relate to my own interests and about things that I previously knew nothing about.

I was a Russian major as an undergraduate, and so was interested to come across materials that document Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s Iowa visit in 1959. As part of his visit, Khrushchev toured the Coon Rapids, Iowa farm of Roswell Garst, as well as the Swine Nutrition Research Center on the Iowa State campus.

Garst had previously hosted a Soviet delegation on his farm as part of an agricultural exchange in 1955. The visitors had come to the United States to learn about agricultural technology that would be applied in the Soviet Virgin Lands Campaign to increase agricultural output in the Soviet Union. Garst later traveled to the USSR himself as part of a return delegation, and it was on this trip that he met Khrushchev and personally invited him to visit Iowa.

Typescript of a speech given by Khrushchev at a dinner in his honor, held at Hotel Fort Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa, September 22, 1959. [Garst Family papers, MS 579, box 43, folder 52]

Materials related to Khrushchev’s visit to Iowa can be found in the papers of Roswell Garst (RS 21/7/12), John Chrystal (MS 422), President James H. Hilton (RS 2/10), Damon Von Catron (RS 9/11/55) and the Garst Family (MS 579). The fiftieth anniversary of Chairman Khrushchev’s visit was marked by a 2009 celebration in Des Moines and Coon Rapids, information about which can be found in the Khrushchev Committee 50th Anniversary Event records (MS 615).  Further materials related to agricultural relations between Iowa and the Soviet Union can be found in the Garst Company records (MS 642), the Garst and Thomas Hybrid Corn Company records (MS 173), and the Charles J. Hearst papers (MS 3).

As someone new to the University, and to Iowa in general, this I have enjoyed learning more about local history. I am looking forward to learning more about the SCUA collections as this project continues, as well as to what researchers find once we launch the new archival catalog at the end of this year.

This project has been generously funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

#TBT Icy Walk to Class

2 Comments January 25, 2018 olivia

Page 37 from The Bomb, 1965

Winter in Iowa can prove challenging!  Be careful out there and remember that each day that goes by gets us one day closer to spring.

Staying in to avoid the cold and ice? Check out the digital collection of the Bomb, or better yet, help us transcribe it!

A Welcome to Rachael Acheson, Our Assistant University Archivist

Leave a comment January 24, 2018 Rachel Seale

Rachael Acheson began work as the Assistant University Archivist in SCUA on January 8, 2018. Her work will center around documentation of student life at ISU, including the collection of current and historical records from student organizations and  archiving University and student-run websites and social media pages with Archive-It. She will also assist with more general processing, outreach, and instruction.

Rachael Acheson ((all photographs courtesy of Rachael Acheson).

Rachael meeting Andy Weir.

Rachael presenting a poster at the American Library Association Conference.

In August 2016, Rachael earned her dual master’s degree in English (MA) and Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of South Carolina, where she concentrated on Archives and Special Collections, which allowed her to indulge both her fascination with rare books and textual studies along with discursive interests in transatlantic literature. While in her graduate program, Rachael taught freshman English courses and interned with the oral history and rare books departments. Rachael also had the opportunity to complete a number of amazing internships with the university libraries and local archives, including one that involved preparations to host a travelling exhibit from the Folger Shakespeare Library, which featured a First Folio.

Immediately before coming to ISU, Rachael worked in Cedar Falls, IA, where she completed a 10-month temporary assignment as the Special Collections and University Archives Librarian at University of Northern Iowa.

Here are a few fun facts about Rachael:

1. 1. She is currently very much out-of-practice, but she plays the harp and began college as a Harp Performance major. Mary Foss, the principal harpist of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra and also Adjunct Professor at ISU, Drake University, and Central College, was the first of her many excellent harp teachers. As a result, Rachael had the opportunity to attend an ISU masterclass with Catrin Finch, formerly the Royal Harpist to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, when Rachael had been playing for only five months. After serving as the principle harpist for her college orchestra for four years, Rachael also performed briefly with the Central Iowa Symphony.
   2. She has a pewter-gray cat named Sterling, who enjoys standing on her head in the early hours of the morning and watching tv.
   3. She is a huge nerd about children’s and Young Adult (YA) literature, collects illustrated editions of Frances Hodgson Burnett novels, and has met Maggie Stiefvater twice.
   4. She spent a large portion of her childhood in Iowa Falls, Iowa, and so has some history of her own with Ames and likes to think she is in the process of getting better acquainted with the state as a whole.

Rachael’s literary cat, Sterling, posing for the camera.

She is excited to be back in the area. We’re excited too!

“Do[ing] Their Bit”: Iowa’s Role in the Great War opening Wednesday, January 17!

Leave a comment January 12, 2018 Rachel Seale

This week and next we’re installing our next exhibition, “Do[ing] Their Bit”: Iowa’s Role in the Great War, which opens Wednesday, January 17. This exhibition commemorates the 100^th Anniversary of the United States involvement in World War I. The exhibition will remain open through the spring semester.

Lorraine and the rest of the Printing Services team installing our window display (Photograph by Rachel Seale).

The opening reception is Wednesday, January 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m in 198 Parks Library. Guest speakers, Jack Lufkin and Mark Heggen will show and discuss, Deeds Not Words, their historic video about the World War I Black Officers Training Camp at Fort Des Moines. Jack Lufkin is the curator at the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center.  Mark Heggen is an independent filmmaker and ISU alumnus.

Contact Rachel Seale for questions about the exhibition or the reception.

A Welcome to Rosalie Gartner, Our Lead Processing Archivist

Leave a comment January 9, 2018 Rachel Seale

Rosalie Gartner on vacation last summer in Scotland (courtesy of Rosalie Gartner).

Rosalie Gartner joined the SCUA team on November 15, 2017 as the Lead Processing Archivist. She moved here from Boston, Massachusetts, where she has lived for the past 6 years. Originally from Colorado, she moved to Boston to attend Simmons College, where she earned her MS in Library Science with a concentration in Archives Management. After graduation, she worked at Emerson College for several years, doing everything from course instruction to processing to records management.  In her free time, she enjoys reading (of course), sewing, and traveling. Despite the extreme cold, Rosalie is happy to be here! And we are super ecstatic to have her here!!

A Brief History of Iowa State Bowl Games — Check Out Our Football Programs!

1 Comment January 4, 2018 Brad Kuennen

Last week, the Iowa State Cyclones football team won the Liberty Bowl over Memphis, 21-20, in a game that went down to the wire. Longtime Iowa State football fans probably know that this was Iowa State’s thirteenth bowl appearance and only its fourth bowl victory. What longtime fans may not know is that the ISU Library recently scanned a selection of football programs from the collection held by the University Archives and those are now available to view and download from the Library’s Digital Collections!

Program for the Kansas State versus Iowa State football game held on November 26, 1925. Though this isn’t from a bowl game it is an example of one of the earliest programs in the collection. [Iowa State Cyclones football programs,  RS 24/6/0/5, Box 1, Folder 2]

 The 1971 Sun Bowl was Iowa State’s first bowl game. Coached by Johnny Majors, the Iowa State team lost to LSU by a score of 15-33. The program for the game provides some short biographies of the coaching staff and the players. How else would I know that one of defensive tackle Tom Wilcox’s hobbies is scuba diving?

This football program is for the 1971 Sun Bowl between Iowa State and LSU. The game was held on December 18, 1971, in El Paso, Texas. This program was prepared for Iowa State University, but a version must have been made for LSU. [Iowa State Cyclones football programs, RS 24/6/0/5, Box 3, Folder 3]

The following year, Johnny Majors took the team to the 1972 Liberty Bowl. Iowa State came up just short in this contest against Georgia Tech, 31-30. The program for this game is little more than a brochure. Aside from a short recap of the 1972 season and a short biography of the coach, the most interesting part is looking at the roster, which includes height, weight, and age of each of the players.

This program for the 1972 Liberty Bowl is essentially a small brochure. [Iowa State Cyclones football programs, RS 24/6/0/5, Box 3, Folder 5]

 Earle Bruce took over the coaching reigns after Majors left Iowa State and within a few years had the team back into bowl contention. Bruce coached the Iowa State squad to the Peach Bowl in 1977, a loss this time to NC State, and to the 1978 Hall of Fame Classic against Texas A&M. Iowa State lost the game by a score of 12-28, but they came away with this snazzy program.

Football program for the 1978 Hall of Fame Classic that pitted Iowa State against Texas A&M. [Iowa State Cyclones football programs, RS 24/6/0/5, Box 5, Folder 4]

It would be over two decades before Iowa State would make another bowl appearance. The 2000 Cyclones squad, coached by Dan McCarney, would finally do what no other squad had previously done—win a bowl game. The Cyclones defeated Pittsburgh 37-29 in the 2000 Insight.com Bowl. Unlike the 1972 Liberty Bowl Program, the program for this game includes biographies on most players and coaches and contains a slew of statistics and recent team history. At 116 pages, it is also nearly three times the size of any of the previous bowl programs.

Football program for the 2000 Insight.com Bowl between ISU and Pitt. The game was held in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 28, 2000. [Iowa State Cyclones football programs, RS 24/6/0/5, Box 15, Folder 1]

Prior to 2017, the most recent bowl the Cyclones participated in was the 2012 Liberty Bowl, a game the Iowa State squad lost to Tulsa by a score of 17-31. Unfortunately, the University Archives does not have a copy of this program in its collections. If you have an extra copy of this program, or any other Iowa State athletics programs that you might be willing to donate, give us a call!

You can find dozens of football programs on the Library’s Digital Collections website. Of course, you are also more than welcome to visit the Special Collections and University Archives and view the entire football program collection. We would be happy to see you!