Tag Archives: uc history

Committees of Vigilance

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By Lilia Walsh

An earlier article on the ARB blog on a “Mick and Mack” cartoon in University News referenced an intriguing entity: the Committees of Vigilance. These were official school clubs of upperclassmen, whose main purpose was to keep the freshman “in line” and enforce school spirit. They did this by paddling freshman at the start of the New Year, publicly humiliating them, and enforcing rules throughout campus during the year. To the current observer, this seems like school-sponsored hazing, and it was, more or less, though it is clear that this was a different time and a much different campus culture. Continue reading →

New University Archives Collection Documents Implementation of UC's Master Plan

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By Janice Schulz

There have been many times in the past thirty years when the campus community swore that “UC” actually stood for “Under Construction.” Indeed, since the Campus Master Plan was developed in 1991 with the planning assistance of San Francisco design firm Hargreaves Associates, we have been dodging orange cones, construction tape, and dirt piles in the quest for a campus that would enhance the educational value of the University.

The UC unit responsible for carrying out the Master Plan and for managing the physical environment of the University is the office of Planning+Design+Construction. Headed by the University Architect, Planning+Design+Construction handles capital and renovation projects, space management, environmental graphics, sustainability, real estate, and construction for all UC campuses. Continue reading →

Mick and Mack Discovery

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Written by Lilia Walsh

Recently, my job as student assistant in the Archives and Rare Books Library has led me to begin an inventory of all of the UC student newspapers in the collection. While trying to find when the title of the newspaper changed names from University News to The Bearcat in the 1900s, I stumbled across a humorous and perplexing cartoon featuring one of the marble lions which now stand in front of the McMicken building: Mick and Mack.

The cartoon, from the October 22nd, 1919 issue, is titled “Freshmen, Profit by Experience.” It depicts two freshmen pledging “never again” and standing in front of Mick or Mack, which has stripes across its body and a brush and bottle of acid paint remover at its feet.

Mick and Mack Continue reading →

The Archives & Rare Books Library makes the student bucket list!

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Written by Kevin Grace

See  http://www.newsrecord.org/living/college-living/pre-grad-bucket-list-race-begins-1.2444785.

Beyond the unusual however (and that includes a ghost and the jawbone of an ass), we’re the go-to place for UC history and everything associated with it,  along with primary source material in urban studies, local history, rare books, German-Americana, local government records and a wealth of other collections.  Come to us for help in doing your course-assigned research or ideas on how to make that paper really stand out for the best grade.  With our resources we can help students become critical thinkers.  For more information, go to http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/index.html.

ARB Adds to Nancy Zimpher Collection

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Written by Janice Schulz

The Archives and Rare Books Library has added nine boxes of speeches covering the years 2003-2009 to its collection of Nancy Zimpher papers.  An inventory for the addition, accessioned as UA-11-01, can be found on the ARB website.  An OhioLINK finding aid is forthcoming.

ARB holds three additional collections of Zimpher’s papers: UA-06-07 includes papers and correspondence for the year 2006; UA-09-24 includes calendars from 2003-2009; and UA-10-01 includes speeches covering 2004-2007 as well as publications. Inventories and OhioLINK finding aids for all three collections can be found on ARB’s University Archives Collection Records page.

T. M. Berry Project: The UC Connection

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Newspaper Article - "Negro is Winner of Jones Prize"

Click on the image to read the article

By Laura Laugle

Up to now, I have explained to you some (very little actually, but we’ll get there) of what made Berry an important figure. If you’ve been reading regularly, you’ll know that Ted Berry was an attorney, a civil rights activist, a local politician and a key player in “The War on Poverty.” What you would not know, because I have thoughtlessly neglected to tell you, is why he is so important to the University of Cincinnati in particular. The short answer is that he was an alumnus. The complete answer is that he was an important part of UC’s community and he has become part of the University’s history.

While at UC, Berry received many honors, both local and national. Perhaps the most outstanding of which is the Jones Oratorical Prize which he won in 1928 for his speech entitled “The Significance of the Minority.” In that speech Berry, then a senior undergraduate at UC, challenged America “… to live by the principles of the founders of our democracy, and to practice a new ideal of human understanding and fair dealing.” Continue reading →

Summer 2010 Acquisitions in the University Archives

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The following collections were acquired by the University Archives through the University Records Management Program.  Each collection has been inventoried as is available for use by researchers.

College of Business Graduation Recognition Ceremonies, UA-10-13

Graduation ceremony records, including videos of ceremonies, 1993-2006

http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-13CollegeofBusiness.pdf

Public Relations Newspaper Clippings and Subject Files, UA-10-14

Newspaper clippings from Enquirer & Post, writers’ subject files, 2007-2008

http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-14PublicRelations.pdf

Resident Education and Development (RED), UA-10-15

Correspondence, committee files, minutes, and reports, 2003-2005

http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-15ResidentEducationandDevelopment.pdf

– Written by Janice Schulz

University of Cincinnati Woman's Club

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Josephine Simrall, Dean of Women

Josephine Simrall, Dean of Women from 1921-1933

A new two-box collection of records from the UC Woman’s Club is now available in the University Archives. Accessioned as number UA-10-12, the new collection contains meeting minutes, treasurer’s reports, newsletters, annual reports, and program records mainly spanning 1996-2003. Some of the program records go back to 1979. The collection also features membership rosters from 1970-1973. A complete inventory can be found at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-12WomansClub.pdf. Continue reading →

Cincinnati General Hospital Architectural Specifications Added to the University Archives

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Cover of the specification book for the “Daniel Drake Pavilion,” later to be built as the “Mont Reid Pavilion.”

The University Archives recently processed a new collection of eight architectural specification books for new construction, additions, and renovations to buildings on the Cincinnati General Hospital Campus dating from 1935-1957. The specification books were found by staff members of University Hospital’s Plant Operations & Maintenance Department, and were transferred to the Archives for research and preservation. With the exception of the Mont Reid Pavilion (which was referred to as the Daniel Drake Pavilion at the time of specification) the buildings for which these specifications were written no longer exist. All of the specifications were drawn up by Samuel Hannaford & Sons Architects and include general contract conditions as well as details regarding carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, equipment, and other construction areas. Continue reading →

College of Business Publications and Photographs

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The Archives & Rare Books Library recently processed a collection of publications and photographs from the College of Business. Publications cover the years 2006-2008 and include postcards, brochures, advertisements, announcements, news releases, and other miscellaneous pieces. Photographs cover the years 1997-2001 and concentrate on Graduate/MBA activities such as graduation, international trips, and celebrations. The two-box collection has been accessioned as UA-10-07. A finding aid is available on the Archives & Rare Books Library website at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-07CollegeofBusiness.pdf and on OhioLink’s Finding Aid Repository at http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/OhCiUAR0209.   Continue reading →