Collection highlights and information about IWU’s Tate Archives & Special Collections
Posted in Alumni, Cultural Studies, Unexplored collections on Oct 17th, 2009
As mentioned in Part One of our selected mysteries, there are many opportunities for enterprising researchers to mine our collections for new topics and treasures:
Correspondence from the 1950s between Diplomat John Melby (’34) and his family
A collection of manuscript notes by William S. Bach, ca. 1927
Glass lantern slides (in two shoe-sized boxes) with some nursing [...]
Posted in Unexplored collections on Sep 4th, 2009
In a previous post, I described collections we hold related to Political Science. One of these collections contains manuscripts, publications and memorabilia related to 17th Congressional District Representative Leslie C. Arends (1935-1975). Thanks to the talents and efforts of Physical Plant employees, we were able to move a cleaned and polished Arends’ desk, previously stored [...]
Posted in Alumni, Campus Administration, Campus units, Faculty, Students, Unexplored collections on Aug 24th, 2009
What is a finding aid? Basically, it’s our version of a catalog. It helps archivists and patrons find out what material we hold and where it lives.
For a number of years we’ve been trying to get an interactive, 2.0 type of finding aid online. We’re still trying to make that dream a reality, but in [...]
Posted in Cultural Studies, Unexplored collections on Jul 24th, 2009
Special Collections houses a number of mysteries some enterprising researcher may be able to mine for treasures. Here are a few items and what little information we have about them:
Five photo albums from the 19th Century, some with people identifed, some not, and only one with clues about the people’s relationship to IWU.
Barry Lennon Farm Records, 1842-52
Correspondence [...]
Posted in Alumni, Students, Unexplored collections on May 25th, 2009
Memorial Day seems like a good time to highlight military-related documents held at IWU. Students, alumni, faculty and administrators have served in all U.S. wars since IWU’s founding. Diaries, correspondence, service records and recollections are held in both our archives and special collections.
Examples of these documents include service applications of the WWII-era Nurse’s Cadet Corps, alumni responses [...]
Posted in Alumni, Campus Administration, Campus units, Faculty, Students, Unexplored collections on Apr 2nd, 2009
So far I’ve been promoting special collections material in this blog, but many parts of the archives contain chances for research, too! Campus life and growth since 1850 are reflected in records containing the topics below. Don’t be deceived by the short list — it represents approx 800 linear feet of records!
1 : Board of Trustees
2 : Office [...]
Posted in Campus units, Local organizations, Unexplored collections on Mar 24th, 2009
Special Collections has two manuscript collections related to state and national politics: The Leslie Arends Congressional Collection and the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention papers of IWU PoliSci professor and Con-Con delegate John Wenum. The 1970 Con Con resulted in a first-ever state Constitution that explicitly guaranteed citizens’ right to a healthy environment.
The Arends Collection is [...]
Posted in Cultural Studies, Unexplored collections on Mar 11th, 2009
As can be expected, given IWU’s origins, special collections holds an array of books related to Methodist Church governance, history and liturgy. Sermons and insights into the religious and philosophical leanings of IWU presidents, many of whom were also Methodist ministers, are available in the archives. Samplings of other religions represented in special collections are below.
Additionally, we hold one manuscript collection of former [...]
Posted in Campus units, Unexplored collections on Mar 4th, 2009
Much of what is housed in Special Collections hasn’t been fully explored or described. We have manuscript collections for art, environmental studies, history (local and national interest), nursing, political science. There are book collections related to drama, literature, the sciences, women’s studies and more — research opportunities await!
This post highlights a few images, but you are welcome to come [...]
Posted in Cultural Studies, Faculty on Mar 3rd, 2009
Special Collections has four collections of material for researchers interested in John Wesley Powell and the western U.S.
a manuscript collection of correspondence and articles written by researchers who have contacted IWU for information on Powell over the years,
a collection of books by and about Powell and the American West,
a wide range of material collected by Marcia Thomas [...]
IWU News -- History in the Making!