Friday, December 19, 2014

Rev Williams & Dedman's note cards

When preparing to reply to query about Rev. Williams who was principal here in early 1860s, I happened to think of Dedman's note cards. They are useful, and as I noted in a list for intern ideas:



·         Dedman notecards: when Dedman wrote his history of the college, Cherishing this heritage, he had a secretary type up a large number of note cards, recording quotes from both the village newspaper and various archival sources, e.g. minute books etc. The cards are in a long box, divided by broad subjects and eras. A useful project would be to scan these cards, merge into one .pdf document, and have on the DC. It would be a very helpful document to be able to search and copy from. 

     They could be scanned a couple at a time, not sure how well will OCR, but worth trying, and in general this would be a useful project that should be given high priority.






Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Class of 1965

Have talked to Ralph Sisson before, he was their adviser, they are prepping for their 50th. Called him to let him know their yearbook is now online, and offered some suggestions and advice for their planning etc.

Saga on Digital Commons

The remaining 40 years of the Saga yearbook were commercially digitized (Biels) and recently returned, have been working on them to post - need to do color scans of covers for initial page, reduce size and split the scanned books (they were scanned high res, each is 50, 60mb or more.) Was up to 1955 when they came back a few days ago, am now up thru 1965.

Rev. Philo Williams

   Received query about him from Ottawa University in Kansas, where he apparently went, after being principal of the Collegiate Institute 1861-1863. Will look into it and respond.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Western Monroe Historical Society 50th

Patty Good is on their board now, and was asking about information sources for the history of the house, in particular the fire in 1964. I suggested the BR online, and some other sources. They are having their 50th in October 2015, I should connect with them on that.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

James H. Reese

Got a question about him from George Eastman House recently, looking for bio information etc. He was the cinematographer here who made the Bergen Swamp films with Jean Bobear ca1970. They have some of his films at Eastman House. Am searching out some materials on him, his bio file was light, just a couple photos, will be good opportunity to add from Stylus, Brockport Republic etc.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Museology interns

Have been working actively with several interns from Keating's museum studies class, they do a 10 hour project, one coming in today is working on the history of the stained glass windows, including detailing what all of them were - there were 16, of which only 8 survived.

Stylus 100th cont.

Spent quite a few hours the couple days before Thanksgiving break scanning dozens of articles from the bound volumes of the Stylus, writing a history of it, plus locating images of original staff etc. Sent to them in several email batches.

Then Monday two of the staff were back in and spent a few hours with them, scanning yet more articles, and now they should be done finally.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Stylus 100th

A gang of Stylus students were in here yesterday when I was out sick, looking through the bound volumes, leaving slips of paper for things they wanted scanned, lots and lots of them! It's hard, I want people to have access, but having a bunch of people in here when I'd not met with them first and gone over the "rules" isn't a good thing really.I need to contact them if they don't come back in today, I can't just drop everything and scan a gazillion images...

'92 Saga

Someone came to the ref desk, had played football here in early '90s, wanted to look at the yearbook, see some photos... Greg brought him down here.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Brown kidnapping

President's office referred a caller to me, someone inquiring about a bizarre incident of many years ago, when a pair of teenage guys concocted a plot to kidnap President Brown (October 1967.) I had heard of this once, and found a clipping in the RG29 files on Brown from an Elmira paper; found mic for D&C and located another article, added to files. Happened to see Bill Andrews upstairs, mentioned the incident to him, he laughed and said he remembered it, it was part of the Brown legend on campus, that he had been unfazed by the one fellow having a gun, talked to him in his car, then just got out and walked back in the house to call the police. Brown was in the Marines in the Pacific in WWII, I guess this kid didn't phase him too much!

More Stylus centennial

Worked with a couple more Stylus students, these two looking for sports materials from the past century.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Gamma Sigma

Interesting, the historian for what seems to be the modern day descendant of the old Gamma Sigma fraternity here has contacted me for information about the founding of it etc. It was founded ca1870 by Charles MacLean and some students, and was active here for many years. Have sent him a link to Dedman's book and Brockport Republic site, have more on a hard drive in archives etc.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Stylus Cartoons

Assisted current Stylus cartoonist in looking for older cartoons to use in upcoming centennial issue. Scanned 8-10 for him to use.

Gay Freedom League

Student beginning his thesis on gay rights in the region stopped by, looking for info on early gay groups here. Don't have a lot in the files, shared what I have, and suggested looking through the Stylus. To go through there, scan and merge articles etc would be an excellent intern project!

Writers Forum

Nice note from Anne Panning re scans of WF history intern Paul Chasse did, shows the connections and utility of the archives and its work:

Dear Charlie,

Thanks so much for your email.  I got a chance to see the scanned documents and they are just incredible. And yes, we're definitely thinking toward the 50th anniversary, and these will be a wonderful help as we formulate a program.

Thank you so much for keeping us in the loop with these efforts.

Anne

Friday, November 14, 2014

Working with multiple interns from Leslie's class

They are doing 30 hours internships.Have got Greg Hugh set up doing a scan of a 1970s campus slide tour, then he will do photos of the locations as they are now, then compare, do a slideshow... Michael MacCarthy is coming this pm, will have him do a finding aid to Special Olympics. Kimberly Taylor is going to do a study on Helen Hastings and the formation of the local museum. Shane S. (?) is going to update the general finding aid and learn basic archival organization.

More are coming...

Digitizing Suburban News

A student in Bruce Leslie's public history class has emailed about this. The student has talked to the Ogden Town historian. I had talked with this local historian before, and tried to explain the process to the student. It's way more than I could support here, i.e. making the book scanner available to scan years of a local weekly. The paper should be microfilmed and then the mic could be sent out and digitized, like the Brockport Republic. I explained as simply as I could, and gave him the digital service librarian contact at RRLC

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Media Project

Have been contacted by a student who wants to meet re a media project, and is interested in using the images associated with the '79 Special Olympics. Will see her soon.

Barrier & Page

Query from local historian re A.J. Barrier (Fannie's father) and William Page, a very interesting man in his own right. They have ledgers of theirs at the local museum, and a copies of Page's license as a civil engineer. I answered as best I could off hand about locations of shops etc., and will look further.

NOTE: William Page on his own could be a worthy subject for an intern research project, or Barrier too, or the local black community...

Monday, November 3, 2014

Costich film

Costich's 1930s home movies of BSNS and the village are becoming sought after. Shared some of intern Ian Hauck's work on them with local public library to use for an event they are having, and today signed Ian up with me as his faculty sponsor for Scholars Day 2015, to present the digitized, edited film to the campus.

Student housing research

Emily Lake who did the internship this past spring digitizing the oral history tapes is back, doing a project where she will survey the history of student housing. Good project, no such done before. Have met with her and gone over the basic history, Dedman's book, Stylus etc., and will work with her to review other sources, e.g. the housing office docs, catalogs...

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Wikipedia

Set up an account for "Brockport Archivist" in Wikipedia. The idea, if it seems to work OK, is to make some new entries for figures of prominence here that do not have them, e.g. Ernest Hartwell, and edit/add to entries for those who do, e.g. Malcolm MacVicar. Am working on a Hartwell entry just to see how it all works. Yes, wikipedia, I know, lol, but look how much use it gets! What I do there I can use elsewhere too...

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Student scanning

Am going to be teaching a student today how to scan slides for Chris Norment, env. sciences.

Another museology student

Emily Lake, who interned last spring, digitizing audiocassettes, now in museology class and wanting to do an internship. We met yesterday, I went over some possibilities, and she is going to get back to me.

Museology student

Looking to do a 10 hour research/service project in archives from Keating's class, maybe on building name history, am meeting her this afternoon.

Student fees

Student who was here before, back to research student fees history some more.

Bunnie Beardsley, Hamlin Beach film

Met with her this morning, to give her the segments of Costich film from 1930s of Hamlin Beach, she is in their Friends group. Turns out she is a local girl, class of '69, and knew the Costich family. She is very familiar with the various beaches etc. and watching the film with me identified some right away, and is going to get back to me about further identifications.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Stylus Centennial Issue

Zac Sweeney, editor this year, has contacted me. They want to do a special centennial issue, and I imagine between working with him and the others on the staff it should be a fair amount of work, but I am very glad they are finally going to do something with this!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Sue Savard - Helen Hastings

Spent a morning showing Sue S., who works as a volunteer at the Emily Knapp museum, and is on the community museum board, around the archives, going over use of the nyshistoricnewspapers.org site etc. We spent some time discussing Helen Hasting, gr-niece of William Seymour, and a key figure in local history circles in the 1920s - 1950s. Aside from founding the local museum, she was the lead in the Old Houses of Monroe County project the DAR ran in the 1940s that we have a version of online. I intend to resume my quest to get access to the manuscripts and photos the local chapter apparently has still, and Sue is interested too; perhaps borrow them, compare with what is in the museum, and do a definitive text of the project, with such images as can be scanned, and perhaps contemporary images too.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Student fees

Student researching history of student fees here, will be in Friday. Sources to set up for her will include catalogs, Stylus, student handbooks...

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Pics of chairs of math/comp sci

T. M. Rao emails, wanting pictures of past chairs of math, comp sci, gave me a list of 5 names, will see what I can find, scan, send to him. This is one of those typical requests, that can sound simple, but as in this case, result in several hours digging through various photo collections, yearbooks etc. to put together.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Parking history

Student stopped by, looking for history of parking regs, issues... Old Stylus articles, student guides...

Alumni query - Walter Oleszek

Query from Anne McPherson, history, asking if this fellow is an alum, he has worked for the Congressional Research Service for many years and has been helping Anne in some research of hers. He is in fact an alum, class of 1963.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Mary Jane Holmes sign

Garrett Roe, a grad student, is interested in doing a project which would be to either restore or replace the sign currently marking the site of the Holmes' residence on College St. Have talked to him, and to Norm Frisch and Allan Berry on the museum board, who have organized the creation of some other historical marker signs in recent years, like the one on Brockport churches I helped Norm with.

Sims Pond visit

Went with Sue Savard yesterday to interview George Burlingame, 92, a life long local resident who grew up on West Canal Rd. where Sims Pond is. He clarified for us the location of this pond, shared a photo and much background history.

Monday, September 29, 2014

George Burlingame

Prepping today to go tomorrow to interview George Burlingame with Sue Savard from the local history museum. George is 92, a life long local resident, who may be able to help ID scenes and people from the 1930s Costich videos.

Alexander Milliner, reapers

Very long email query about this fellow, who was a Revolutionary war vet who lived a lot of his life in Adams Basin. I don't have much on that, a little east of what we have always collected, did suggest the Brockport Republic online. For the reaper materials suggested a couple ebooks and one print book. The questioner was a chem major asking just out of curiosity, and can't spend over much time on that sort of thing right now...

Friday, September 26, 2014

Sim's Pond

Have discovered where Sims Pond is, thanks to Sue Savard of the community museum, who has been working with a local man, George Burlingame, 92 years of age. I am going to see him with her next week, do some oral history, ask some questions re the Costich film footage.

Genealogy question

From a Ms. Tibbitts in NC, about the children of Silas Holbrook, who was the head physical plant person here late 19th, early 20th century; several of his children were BSNS grads.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Computer Science Dept. 25th anniversary dinner

T. Rao is organizing a dinner for the 25th anniversary of the Computer Science Dept. It existed prior to that, in different forms, but the current unit is now 25. Have found and scanned some old slides, working on a powerpoint etc.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Genealogy - Dodge

Request from a genealogist to visit in October - replied saying is certainly welcome, not a lot here necessarily, general histories etc. Took a quick look in Brockport Republic and referred her to same, was one mention at least of her family. Also recommended some of the village histories in DC I have posted.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Old Houses...

Contact with Cynthia Howk at Landmark Society is leading into another project, that of the "Old Houses of Monroe County" book. Helen Hastings did it in the '40s with some other DAR ladies, there seem to be various "editions" or binders of it around, and it would be a valuable resource if collated, edited, and digitized.

Brockport Cemetery

Bill Andrews asked about images of this site. I did find a glass plate photo of it. Shared with him, he passed it on to Cynthia Howk at Landmark Society; they are working on historic landmark status for the cemetery. Spoke to her on the phone later and after some research have sent her some more information re some resources I have scanned and put on digital commons etc.

COSAC anniversary

This office staff support group is 30 years old this year, and wanting to celebrate one of the current members emailed asking what the archives had. Mainly just a file of the old Calliope newsletters, going back to the beginning. Be nice if support staff, clerical, professionals etc. got a little more notice in the way of photos taken of them etc., so m

Photography student project

Doug Neva, who did a project this past semester involving the use of archives photos, is coming back. He wants to look through old photos of the mall, and combine some of those with photos he will take. Last time he did a nice exhibit in Tower.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Leland Shafer

Mike A. emailed asking about this fellow, who was a prominent local businessman mid-20th century Brockport, as had been his father too. He wasn't a Normal school grad, but he did graduate from the high school department of the training school in 1915, and was a member of the original Stylus staff of 1914.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Daily building

Query re Daily building and image of it that appeared in the 1913 All Brockport supplement. Sent them a scan of the original photo that is part of our glass plate photo collections.

Class of '65

Met with Ralph Sisson, their adviser, this morning for an hour to go over resources I have, suggestions for reunion materials etc.

Dance photos

Dance prof, looking for photos of dance concerts, am emailing with him to better ascertain what exactly he is looking for, sounds like earlier years, but unsure.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Communications reunion

Was asked to supply some images for a reunion of Communications/Speech; have found some, scanned and sent to them...

Interns

Busy getting interns started. Paul is doing Writers Forum, Kimberly is working on Mary Jane Holmes, and Ian is working on the 1930s Costich films.

Delta - Tim Stoller

Renewed interest in history of Alt/Delta, they have some archival material too, may be an intern coming. Meeting him Monday.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Keating, Museology ANT 463/563

Heard from Neal, wants to bring this class in, start working with me to include the Rose Archives in their experience. Good news, have replied...

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Hartwell Hall shots

Bill Andrews - needed a few more early shots of Hartwell interior - a project for historic building designation...

Kristen Roseti, All-American

All-American basketball player here, mid '90s. Mike A. needed a head shot for a project, found one, scanned, and emailed to him.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Gertrude Page

Email query about her, she was a member of a very old Brockport African American family. The writer had known her when young. Am going to scan some materials to send her.

Nellie Gansworth '44

She came up when processing some WF materials, and found a folder on an Eric Gansworth who spoke here; he is from the Tuscarora reservation where she came from. I had first heard about her years ago in interviewing C. Bruce Lee, and recently found and scanned a 1941 Stylus article on her. Have emailed Eric G. to see if he is her relative, if she is still alive...

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Digitizing Suburban News?

From Carol Coburn, Ogden Town Historian, asking if I had plans to do this. Have called back to say no, do not have a collection of these and have no plans to build one or digitize. Did say that I can understand the interest, and that it could be possible. For example, work with SN to microfilm their papers and then get RRLC to include in the historic papers project...

Followup: have contacted her, heard back, am going to pursue further, suggest some options...

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Ubu Roi



In reply to below said that the play itself is widely available, libraries and amazon, and that I would next chance I get scan and email him the article on the play here from the '72 Stylus.


Mr. Cowling, I was given your name by Susanna Heins from the Theatre Dept. I'm am trying to locate a copy of a play I was in in the 1970's, Ubu Roi, which was directed by Dr. Ted Kirby and won first place in a New York State Theatre Festival. Any assistance you can render will be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Mark Thatcher

Monday, August 11, 2014

ILL assistance

Scanned some pages from a very oversize bound volume of a 19th century periodical that ILL had got from elsewhere; the requesting faculty wanted scans of certain pages. My book scanner was best way to handle this large but delicate book.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Processing

Lots of processing to do, in addition to current backlog have boxes of Writers Forum and yet more Jim Dusen photo stuff to go through... Worked on WF materials some today.

Seymour Library - Local History Room

The plans for building a local history room addition to the Seymour Library are still ongoing apparently, I was invited to meet with a group there about it this coming Thursday.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Andrew Virgilio

Mike Andriatch asked for background bio info on this alum and emeriti. Retrieved folder, scanned some docs, merged files and emailed to him.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Kelly Vergin, athletics

He came in while I was on vacation and ID'd some negatives of football players he wanted scanned, am doing it this am. He also said he will have an intern this fall he wants to work with me on getting some stat records on teams over here.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Roy Agte

Request from daughter of Roy Agte for images of him. Roy was a Methodist minister who ran the Wesley Foundation, the Methodist student group (was also pastor at Garland UMC) in the '60s, and then worked for the college ca1972-92 in the International Student office. Found, scanned and emailed her several images.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Donations

Fran Moroney Whited came by to drop off some items to donate, old Alum News, clippings on some ermeriti etc. Got into an informative chat about the old campus school and the teacher critics.

When came back from lunch discovered a cart with piles of slides, photos etc., which I assume were brought over from Jim Dusen's old area - I could really use more space for processing materials!!!

Class '64

This active group is working on their "memory book" and I have a lot to do for them in finding and scanning photos etc. Met with them today for several hours at Alumni House.

Monday, July 14, 2014

More OSAD type history

From a research assistant to a prof somewhere else working on a book on black students and black studies, the "founding" era of 1966-70. Told her is quite a bit in Stylus, that that is mainly what I have, she is welcome to come use the materials.

For fall project would be good to have a student go through the Stylus ca1966-74, looking for articles re Black Student Liberation Front and related topics, scan, merge etc.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Phil Hewitt

Query for bio info on this prof who founded the Earth Science dept in the '60s. Apparently NY is going to begin licensure for geologists, and the fellow who pushed it is a grad of '82, who recalls Hewitt advocating for this years ago. Had a merged file, sent on to Jose Maliekal.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Microfilming & Digitizing

Biels rep was here this am to pick up Stylus to be microfilmed for the NY Historic newspapers site, and we got to talking about their digitization services. I have supplied him with stats, and he is going to give me a quote re scanning the Saga yearbooks that still need to be done, 1956-1996. It would be a wonderful giving opportunity for an alum or emeriti, and would allow the whole run to be up in DC far more quickly than otherwise is possible.

Class Advisors

Two emeriti, Jeanette Banker & Rosie Rich, wondering about who other advisors were in the '60s, the history of having class advisors etc. Good question, will start with looking in the Stylus, then on to other sources. My guess would be it started sometime in the late '40s, early '50s and ended in the late '60s, early '70s. I don't recall seeing any mention of class advisors in the pre-WWII era for example.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Oral histories

Spending some time getting familiar with Audacity, which is PC answer to Garage Band - to edit, clean up etc. oral histories that were digitized this spring. Am also organizing the files, and starting work on some that are richer in content, first with Ethel Henning '25, where I have her scrapbook...

Pics of library

Bill Andrews is writing another local history book, stopped by looking for interior pics of Drake I etc. Will put some together and email to him.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Class of '64 history

Per their request have written up a one page history of the class and its era for use in the memory book they are doing.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Football player images



From Mike Andriatch: Have a request from a family member getting ready to celebrate the 80th birthday of Carl Benedict ’59.  He was a football player in that era.  Any chance you can have someone look to see if there are any shots of him from those teams?

Will look and see, the trick is that while have many photos from that era, most aren't idenitifed! Will have to look this fellow up in the yearbook, go from there.

Followup: classmate & fellow player came in, spent a morning going through things. I scanned images from photos, Saga & Stylus for him.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Town Sweden Bicentennial

Request for info on farming and property boundaries in Sweden for local history group working on an interpretive panel. Am helping with some materials scanned, e.g. glass plate photos, plat maps, some other materials...

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

OSAD / Black Student Liberation Front

They're having a reunion summer 2015, have contacted me re archives etc. Mainly I have Stylus articles, but will look for other materials, and this will be good opportunity to gather some materials from participants in that early history, oral history etc.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Use of book scanner

History grad student is trustee at home town historical society, wants to have a photo they own scanned on book scanner so they can have it blown up. Will schedule with him.

Start of classes etc. 1933

Query re start of classes, freshman class in fall '33 from advancement staff. Got fall '33 Stylus, the 1st issue each fall gave the year's schedule etc. Scanned and emailed it to them.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Class '64

Spent morning with group from '64 who are working on a memory book. Have many photos to scan for them and will be meeting them again next Wed. at Alumni House.

Writers Forum

Spoke to Ralph Black on phone, we had spoken awhile back, about him passing on some older WF materials. We discussed that, and the WF in general, the need for a better guide to it, the films, and the fact that their 50th will come up in 2017, not that far off really. He and I and Anne Panning will try to meet sometime this summer to talk about internships related to this and other ideas.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Origins of SERC

Julie Pruss, president's office, was cotnacted by a faculty member researching the origins of the new SERC building. She thought we might have president's staff minutes ca2001, but I had to tell her:



   Hi Julie, in the archives we have various president & principal’s materials, but the minutes of the staff meeting only run late ’80 through ’96 or so, with a few scattered minutes after that. The thing is that as time went on more and more of this stuff was only distributed via email, then Angel, and that makes it hard to keep up with for whoever is the archivist. One would need to go to the site, download, print out or save the file etc., and with the archives always having been done on a basically part time basis some of this just hasn’t happened.

   That aside, there are a couple Stylus articles I could send Joe, and I will keep looking, but off hand that is what I have.

Follow up: further email with Julie led to setting a meeting for me to see what files they have there of permanent historic value and how could be maintained archivally. Will meet with her next week.
 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Class of '64

They are still on the go, Mary Merle & Co. will be in Wednesday morning to look at photos, yearbooks etc. for materials for a memory book they want to produce.

Karl Kabbelac

Was cataloger here mid '60s, then UofR, knew him in early '90s in RRLC local history group. Has contacted me about donating old papers relating to Brockport from his time here.

George Queen & Don Leffler

Two deceased faculty, were advisers to Class of '64, who are now requesting info on them. Will put together something for them from bio files, Stylus...