Author Archives: Suzanne Reller

St. John's Unitarian Church Records: Searching the History of one of Cincinnati's Oldest Churches

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The Confirmation class of 1903 with Rev. H.G. Eisenlohr

The Archives and Rare Books Library holds the records of a few local churches, including St. John’s Unitarian Church, one of Cincinnati’s oldest houses of worship.  This church’s rich history began in 1814 when Joseph Zaeslin (also spelled Zaeslein), a Moravian minister, organized a church for German immigrants in Cincinnati under the name The German Evangelical and Reformed Church.   The history of this church is important to both Cincinnati’s religious history and to the history of Cincinnati’s German-American community. Continue reading →

Winter 2010 Records Quarterly Now Available

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rqwinter2010_40pThe Winter 2010 edition of Records Quarterly, the newsletter of University of Cincinnati Records Management, is now available on the records management website . This issue features articles about records retention schedules and the recent shredding event sponsored by Information Security, as well as the continuation of our series on the history of records at UC. The current installment discusses records from the founding of the University of Cincinnati to the eve of the introduction of the university’s first computer. Continue reading →

University Honors Program Records in the Archives and Rare Books Library

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The University Honors Program transferred two sets of records to the Archives and Rare Books Library for inclusion in the University Archives. The University Honors Program was created in 1968 as the McMicken Honors Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1991 the program was expanded to include students university-wide and became known as the Honors Scholars Program. The name changed again in 2007 to the University Honors Program when the program was redesigned to better meet the needs of students. Through the program, academically gifted students have the opportunity to enrich their academic experience through honors seminars for academic credit, experiential learning, travel, community engagement, and leadership opportunities. Continue reading →

Iota Sigma Pi Collection Added to the University Archives

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Violet Diller

Violet Diller

The Archives and Rare Books Library recently processed a new collection of records documenting activities of Iota Sigma Pi, a national chemistry honorary for women. Interest in an association for women in chemistry at the University of Cincinnati dates back to 1921 with the creation of Sigma Kappa, a local organization of woman chemistry majors. In 1923, they petitioned to become a chapter of Iota Sigma Pi and were installed as the Radium Chapter on May 26, 1923. Madame Curie, the first National Honorary Member of Iota Sigma Pi, was a sponsor of the chapter. Continue reading →

Hamilton County Probate Court Makes Over 1.1 Million Historic Records Available Online

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Probate Judge James Cissell announced on December 29, 2009 that probate records dating back to 1791 have been digitized and are now available for public use on the Probate Court website. The five-year project to digitize the records was intended to both preserve the original, sometimes fragile, records and provide increased public access to them. Included in the digitized records are indexes and docket books for estates, wills, trusts, marriages, guardianships, births, deaths, and physician certificates as well as minister’s license indexes and probate entries. A list of all available records and the search pages are available at http://www.probatect.org/courtrecordsarchive/bukcats.aspx. Access to these records is important to historians and genealogists who are looking to document the life changing events of family and historic figures. Continue reading →

ARB and the Irish

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Smith's Cork History title pageThe Archives & Rare Books Library has received additional volumes restored through UC Libraries’ Preservation Services and national book conservators.  The most recent volumes that have returned represent the Irish history holdings.  ARB has an excellent collection of Irish history, literature, and drama that garners frequent use from students and researchers in a variety of fields, particularly English, history, European studies, and ethnology. Continue reading →

Ever Wonder Where UC's President Lives?

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When the University of Cincinnati was created in 1870, it was as a municipal university, and, it was always considered to be a “university of the city.”  This philosophy – that the university would draw from the city’s rich, vibrant resources of culture and business, and in turn render service to the city through its students and educational programs – meant that the university’s leaders would be “of the city” as well. Continue reading →

Foxe's Martyrs Saved From the Stake

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The three volume 1641 edition

In the continuing project to restore key volumes in the Archives & Rare Books Library, UC Libraries’ Preservation Services has completed work on John Foxe’s Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Special and Memorable, Happening in the Church – more popularly known as “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.” This fundamental work of Christian hagiography, first published in Latin in 1559 at Basel, had its first English printing in 1563.  There were many subsequent editions over the next three hundred years.  The Archives & Rare Books Library holds both a 1596 edition, and this restored one, the three-volume 1641 printing.  Both these editions are widely used by students and faculty in history, art history, English, and religious studies. Continue reading →

Action Housing for Greater Cincinnati Records Fully Processed and Available for Research

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A building on the corner of 13th and Race Streets, which was rehabbed.

The late 1960s saw a myriad of social reforms as part of the War on Poverty.  Cincinnati was not immune to this movement, and among the many efforts to improve the plight of the poor in the city, was an attempt to increase the availability of safe and adequate housing for low-income individuals. 

For this purpose, Action Housing for Greater Cincinnati was formed in September of 1968 by the Cincinnati City Council and local business interests.  Although the organization only lasted until the early 1970s, Action Housing was responsible for building or rehabilitating approximately 1,700 living units for low income families in Cincinnati.

Continue reading →

Cincinnati Birth and Death Record Availability

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One of the many filing cabinets filled with birth and death records.

One of the many filing cabinets filled with birth and death records.

Digitization has begun on the City of Cincinnati’s birth and death records prior to 1909.  For the next several months, portions of the records will be unavailable for research while they are being digitized.  If you wish to view any of the birth and death records, please contact the Archives and Rare Books Library by phone at 513-556-1959 or by email at archives@ucmail.uc.edu to ensure that the records are available.  Also, please be aware that replies to research requests may be delayed while certain records are inaccessible.  Further information on these records and guidelines for submitting a research request can be found on the Archives and Rare Books Library website.  Full web access to the digitized records should be available by Summer 2010.