Tag Archives: University Archives

Carl H. Lindner College of Business Papers Now Available

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By Kate Krueger

A new collection consisting of papers from the College of Business is now available. Established in 1906, The Carl H. Lindner College of Business has been a vital part of the University with approximately 2900 undergraduate and 600 graduate students. This collection contains documents from the mid 1970’s to early 2000’s ranging from revisions of various programs in the department such as the MBA and PhD program and materials from student groups. Also included in the collection are papers from the Alpha Rho Epsilon fraternity.

Ph.D Candidate Book

Ph.D Candidate Book, 1982-1983

MBA Case Competition

MBA Case Competition Finalists and Judges, 1994

 

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Paul Hoxworth and Greater Cincinnati's Blood Bank

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Blood Donation

Blood Donation, circa 1940. Image from Paul Hoxworth’s dissertation.

If you have ever donated blood, you probably did not sit and think about the history of blood donation in the process.  You likely were more concerned about the needle stick, watching that little bag fill up with your blood or avoiding doing so, or maybe you were already thinking about that cookie you could eat after it was all over.  What you may not have realized was the important role the University of Cincinnati played in developing the modern blood donation process.  Certainly, if you have ever donated blood in the Greater Cincinnati area, you have heard of the Hoxworth Blood Center, which is actually part of the University of Cincinnati.  You may not have heard of its namesake, though.  Dr. Paul Hoxworth was the founder of Greater Cincinnati’s blood bank.  He helped to revolutionize blood donation, thereby saving countless lives. Continue reading →

Greg Hand's History of UC Series Now Available from the ARB Website

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Greg Hand

By Janice Schulz

In January, 2012, UC Assistant Vice President and University Spokesperson Greg Hand began a series of lunchtime talks focusing on the history of the University of Cincinnati. At the inaugural presentation, Hand noted that the dozen or so talks he plans to give will be a good way to get people thinking about the University’s bicentennial celebration in 2019. The UC Foundation has agreed to record and post each lecture and make them available on the web. The first two, “Cincinnati’s Efforts to Create a University: 1800 to 1870” and “An Overview of UC History from 1870 to 2010” have been posted and are linked from ARB’s University Archives page.

The talks are held the third Thursday of each month at 12:30 p.m. in TUC’s Main Street Cinema. The remainder of Hand’s talks this academic year includes:

  • March 15  —  Evolution of UC’s Campus and Many Campuses of UC’s Colleges
  • April 19     —  Student Pioneers: First Alumni
  • May 17     —  Origin of UC Regalia & Symbols

The University Archives page offers many links to information about UC’s history and is a great starting point for researchers interested in UC’s story.

Does the Magic 8 Ball have a UC connection? Signs Point to Yes.

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By Janice Schulz

At the Archives & Rare Books Library we frequently get requests asking us to verify that a certain individual attended UC or one of its predecessor schools. Recently a call came in asking us to substantiate a claim found on the internet that Abe Bookman, creator of the Magic 8 Ball, was a graduate of the Ohio Mechanics Institute (OMI). Generally this is an easy task – we simply look in alumni directories, yearbooks or commencement brochures for the person – but Abe proved to be a bit more elusive than most. With no attendance dates to go by, we started pouring through all of the resources we have for OMI using his birth date and the Magic 8 Ball’s introduction as guides, but to no avail. After further research, the reason for his elusiveness began to become clearer – at some point around 1936, we believe he Anglicized his surname from Buchmann to Bookman. He seemed to use both names until around 1955, eventually dropping Buchmann and exclusively using Bookman. That research also uncovered some interesting details about his life. Continue reading →

Documenting a Lifetime of Service: The Papers of Theodore M. Berry Now Available

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Theodore M. BerryBy Kevin Grace, UC Archivist and Head of the Archives and Rare Books Library

Theodore M. Berry (1905-2000) was a key figure in American civil rights in the 20th century, a man who marked his life with a formidable sense of justice. From the 1930s, when he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with bachelor’s and law degrees, until his death just before a new century, Berry worked tirelessly to promote racial harmony and served with distinction in President Lyndon Johnson’s programs for civil rights during the 1960s.

Three decades ago, Berry donated his papers to the University of Cincinnati where they are housed in the Archives and Rare Books Library.

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UC's Commitment to Community Was Significant During the Great Flood of '37

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By: Dawn Fuller

 As Cincinnati marks the 75th year of the greatest flood to ravage this area, UC Archives reveal the university’s volunteer efforts and personal accounts in a university president’s diary.

“In the battle in which our city waged against the greatest flood in the history of the Ohio Valley, the University of Cincinnati has done its duty.” – UC President Raymond Walters, in a February 1937 letter to The News Record student newspaper.

The Great Flood of 1937 was never seen before in this area and has never been seen since. Record rains, followed by surging floodwaters, led to catastrophes that included fires and explosions on the Ohio River in Cincinnati and left behind massive destruction, power outages and, ironically, outages of clean, drinkable water. The local damage alone in 1937 was reported at $20 million ($300 million in current value). More than 50,000 people were reported to be homeless. Continue reading →

The End of the World? December 17, 1919?

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While perusing the Cincinnati Observatory records, I ran into this time-sensitive letter from Mrytle Riley of the Western Electric Company in Cincinnati, which seems very appropriate for this apocalyptic year.  (If you haven’t heard, according to the Mayans, the world is supposed to end in 2012.  For more information, read an explanation in UC Magazine.)    Mrytle Riley had heard that the world was going to end on December 17, 1919 and contacted the observatory to find out if this was true. Continue reading →

Cincinnati Looks to the Skies: The Cincinnati Observatory Records and the Paul Herget papers

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The Cincinnati Observatory is a local historical treasure and holds what was once one of the world’s largest telescopes.  Throughout its history, the observatory has served as a source of weather forecasts, official Cincinnati time, and a site of scientific discovery.  It also has a long connection with the University of Cincinnati.  The Archives and Rare Books Library holds many observatory records along with the papers of long-time director Paul Herget.

Observatory Buildings

The Cincinnati Observatory in Mt. Lookout, 1943

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Notice: Archives and Rare Books Library Renovation

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By Kevin Grace

Notice: On January 9, the Archives & Rare Books Library will begin moving our offices and reference/reading room to the north end of the 8th floor in Carl Blegen Library in Room 814.  This move will allow the final phase of renovation of the Archives & Rare Books Library through a grant from the Schott Foundation.

Two years ago, the north end of the floor was renovated with fresh paint, new carpeting, creation of the Marge Schott Seminar Room, a small book arts room, and exhibit cases.  This final phase on the south end will also see fresh paint and new carpeting, and the relocation and building of a new reference desk, all to better meet the needs of students and researchers.

It is anticipated that the renovation will take three months, but there will be no disruption in reference and research services.  However, ARB’s reference holdings will not be available during the project.  All other archival materials and rare books can still be accessed.  Room 814 will serve as our office space and our reading room, as well as continuing to be the venue for our monthly “50 Minutes-1 Book” lunchtime lecture series.

For further information, please call 556-1959 or email us at archives@ucmail.uc.edu.

The Estimable Mr. Hoffner

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By Kevin Grace

Mick and MackStudents with Mick and MackThe University of Cincinnati community is well-schooled in the story of its lions, Mick and Mack, perhaps ad nauseam. Here in the Archives & Rare Books Library, the subject is a frequent one: we relate to the inquirer how they stand as sentinels in front of McMicken Hall, once facing each other but now facing away (Mick is on the left, Mack on the right), how occasionally lipstick marks will be found on them, and that they supposedly roar whenever a virgin walks by.  The fact that they have never roared should not trouble the demure – non-roaring lions are a hoary tale on many campuses.  And, that Mick and Mack took up their posts in 1904 when UC was a municipal university and city officials needed to find an appropriate home for them.  And, that the lions are copies of larger versions in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy (not Kentucky).  And, that even one of those “originals” was a copy of ancient Roman statue.

But what of the lions’ owner and the university’s benefactor, Jacob Hoffner?  Who the heck was he and what was he doing with marble lions?  We’ve always known a bit about him, that he was a Cincinnati real estate man and business speculator who enjoyed traveling in Europe.  He maintained a nice little estate in Northside and decorated his gardens with a variety of statuary, some of which he had copied from what he saw abroad.  Hence, the lions.  Hoffner died in 1894 at the age of 96, leaving everything for the use of his wife, Maria.  On her death in 1904, following a part of Jacob’s will, his statuary was donated to the city.  And that was that. Continue reading →