On June 21st, the Archives & Rare Books Library lost a friend. Edgar Slotkin, professor emeritus of English, died at the age of 72. Edgar was a remarkable folklorist and Celtic scholar, but most of all he was a man generous of his time and knowledge. At his retirement in 2011, he donated his local folklore collection to us and it became the Southwest Ohio Folklore Archive. Additionally, several years ago Edgar worked with Jerry Newman, our Associate Dean for Collections at the time, to acquire and catalog two wonderful rare book collections of Irish and Welsh literature. Of the former, much of it is from the early 20th c. Celtic Revival period in Ireland and represents a physically fragile gathering of books that might otherwise have been lost. Edgar Slotkin was a kind and learned man, and someone who is greatly missed.
In Honor of Joseph F. Kowalewski
By: Richard A. Puff and Nathan A. Hood
![Joseph F. Kowalewki (1)](https://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/liblog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Kowalewki-1-Edit.jpg)
Joseph F. Kowalewski.
This photograph serves as a link to a video interview of
Dr. Kowalewski conducted by Jim Myers in 1986.
CINCINNATI—On June 23, 2015, The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees approved renaming the Health Professions Building as Joseph F. Kowalewski Hall in honor of the former dean of the university’s pharmacy school.
Kowalewski served as dean of the College of Pharmacy from 1949 to 1970. He was the last dean of the school when it was the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy school which first opened in 1850. Kowalewski also directed the merger of the school with the University of Cincinnati in 1954 to become the university’s 13th college. The college was renamed the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy in 2007.
Scan @ the UCBA Library
by Julie Robinson
![scanner](https://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/liblog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/File-Jun-25-3-29-06-PM-253x190.jpeg)
New scanner available for student use.
The UCBA Library now has a scanner available for patron use. The scanner workstation is located adjacent to the copiers. Directions for use are posted on the table, in front of the scanner. If you would like a demo or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to stop by the Information Desk!
Dean’s Corner: A Year in Review
The 2014-15 academic year has been one of exploration, innovation and collaboration for UC Libraries. The launch of the Strategic Plan has contributed greatly to our success with its ten initiatives along with a wide range of events and activities created and sponsored by library faculty and staff throughout our libraries. The initiatives are all focused on the same goal, to make UC libraries the globally connected intellectual hub of the university. Below is a small sampling of those successes. More information on the ten strategic initiatives is available online.
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Weight Not Measured in Pounds: “Fischerisms.”
By Nathan Hood
Scientist, professor, author, artist – at the time of his death in 1962, the wealth of Dr. Martin H. Fischer’s experiences had him regarded by some to be a kind of ‘universal man.’ Who was Dr. Martin H. Fischer? The overwhelming prevalence of dates, research, and other such facts are often too impersonal and superficial to reveal much about the deeper character of this impressive person. Fortunately, there still exist copies of a booklet too ironically and deceptively inconspicuous for the enormous significance of the information it contains: Fischerisms.
Fischerisms is a compilation of Dr. Fischer’s various aphorisms first brought together by Howard Fabing with the aid of Albert Flagge and first published by the Medical College Bookstore, University of Cincinnati, in 1930. Continue reading
Vaccination Efforts from Around the Globe: The Story of Dr. Sabin and Dr. Harshavardhan
By: Dr. G. V. J. A. Harshavardhan and Nathan Hood
Dr. Albert Bruce Sabin’s extremely influential role in the development and production of an Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) simply cannot be disputed; however, information on the precise details of his contributions are not always as well-known or as accessible as one would hope. Fortunately, The Winkler Center for the History of Health Professions’ NEH-funded project to digitize many of Dr. Sabin’s papers has now reached researchers around the globe. Several months ago, the project attracted the delighted attention of Dr. Harshavardhan, a vaccinologist in India, and the exchange of information since has been enlightening for both sides.
Check Out the Latest Issue of Source
Read Source, the online newsletter, to learn more about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.
This latest issue of Source includes an An Update from Dean and University Librarian Xuemao Wang on a Busy Year, as well as announcements of two events – the June 24th public book signing for the Looking East: William Howard Taft and the 1905 Diplomatic Mission to Asia and an exhibit showcasing the fine work of The Preservation Lab. There is an article highlighting renovation plans for library spaces, as well as how the Libraries are welcoming the newest Bearcats to campus. Read these articles and more.
Source is available on the web at http://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/source/ and via e-mail. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.
Wisdom on The Walls of The Old College of Medicine
By: Nathan Hood
Dr. Martin H. Fischer designed many of the interior, decorative elements in and around his lecture hall located within the University of Cincinnati’s old College of Medicine. The majority of these ornaments were engravings expertly crafted by Dr. Fischer’s technical assistant and friend, Josef Kupka. Mr. Kupka was Dr. Fischer’s assistant for thirty years, from 1912 to 1942. He served Dr. Fischer for the greater part of the former’s active career as a professor of physiology at the University of Cincinnati.
It has been suggested that Dr. Fischer conceived the idea for the engravings after recognizing how the daily quotations he shared with his classes interested and inspired his students. However, the idea was only realized after his place of instruction was moved from the University’s Cunningham Hall to the newly constructed College of Medicine building in 1917. Continue reading
Call for Nominations for the Featured UC Faculty ‘Life of the Mind’ Presenter
The vision of Life of the Mind is to celebrate University of Cincinnati faculty research, scholarship and creative output and to foster the free and open exchange of ideas and discourse. Started in spring 2011, Life of the Mind is an annual lecture series featuring interdisciplinary conversations with UC faculty around a one-word theme. Continue reading
The Stained Glass Windows of Dr. Martin H. Fischer’s Lecture Hall
By: Nathan Hood
In the University of Cincinnati’s modern- looking Health Professions building, the students in Room 231 have the odd privilege of enjoying several beautifully old, stained glass windows. The windows are reminiscent of a time before the renovations, when the building was the University’s College of Medicine. In the past, one of these rooms served as the physiology lecture hall, initially overseen by Dr. Martin H. Fischer. That intriguing space once featured the entire Cantagalli Pharmacy installation, numerous symbolic engravings, and leather orchestra chairs; but the stained glass windows of that old classroom and the neighboring library are an interesting story by themselves.
Continue reading