Tag Archives: Urban Studies

T.M. Berry Project: Trouble in Anti-Poverty Paradise

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By Laura Laugle

Thus far in the archival project of Theodore Berry’s papers I have found almost no controversy surrounding him or his career. This surprises me not only because he was a politician, a member of a group of people who seem completely unable to keep themselves out of trouble for any length of time, but also because he was an African-American holding high office in an already controversial federal agency, the Community Action Program, during the mid-late 1960s. That is, I’d found no controversy until I came across this article.

"Shriver Wasn't Told of War On Poverty Memo" Continue reading →

T.M. Berry Project: Mod In The Mountains

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By Laura Laugle

Much of my time lately has been spent buried deep in the remnants of the everyday business of the Office of Economic Opportunity, where official government policies and memoranda abound. Though all of it is informative, to say that I find every item I come across riveting would be untrue. Luckily, a few striking photographs caught my attention and cried out for a closer look.

A young family pictured in their new home in Berea, KY. I’m especially fond of the kitchen. Those robin’s egg blue appliances would probably sell for thousands in an upscale vintage shop. Très mod-chic!

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T.M. Berry Project: HMM. . .

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Unidentified Object from Berry CollectionBy Laura Laugle

My work on the Berry Project for much of this week can be best summed up by one word: “wonder.” Many factors have contributed to this conclusion. Unfortunately one of them is “I wonder what on Earth that is!” (Please feel free to tell me if you have any idea what the metal object pictured could be, because I haven’t the foggiest.) For the most part though, I’m referring to the almost constant sense that I’m reading a great epic novel, except that its chapters are all out of order. For instance, I’ve come across items linking Theodore Berry with arguably three of the most influential public figures of the 1960s: John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry Kissinger. Continue reading →

An Update on the Theodore M. Berry Collection

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Woodward High School "W"

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After just over a month working with the Theodore M. Berry collection, I’m really beginning to feel that I have a strong grasp on who he was as a person, a politician and a civil rights activist and what he meant to the city of Cincinnati and to the United States. During my initial exploration of the collection, I was lucky enough to discover things in a fairly logical, chronological order; finding a large felt “W” from Berry’s stint on the football team at Woodward High School, a membership card for the University of Cincinnati chapter of AΦA , his 1931 class picture from the College of Law, a letter of acceptance from the Ohio Bar Association, literature from his Cincinnati City Council campaigns, over 100 letters of congratulations after his presidential appointment to the Office of Economic Opportunity, newspaper clippings from his 1972 Mayor Inauguration and a 1945 Valentine from Ted to his wife, Johnnie Mae. These things, which on their own would seem too little to be of much significance, are together telling me a story of a man whose impact on Cincinnati and on the United States as a nation seems immeasurable. Continue reading →

Libraries Receive a Grant to Make Available the Papers of Theodore Moody Berry

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The University of Cincinnati Libraries have received a $61,287 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to process the papers of Theodore Moody Berry (1905-2000), a civil rights pioneer, community activist, and elected official from Cincinnati.

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Fair Housing in Cincinnati: The Records of Housing Opportunities Made Equal

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HOME Bus Advertisement, undated

In 1969, Mrs. Estelle Busch attempted to rent an apartment in Avondale, but was unable to secure an appointment to view the property.  A short time later Mrs. Ruth VanDerzee viewed the apartment and was assured her deposit would be accepted.  Mrs. Busch was black.  Mrs. Vanderzee was white.[1]

In 1990, Joanna Ahlers attempted to acquire an apartment for herself and her two children in Milford, Ohio.  An apartment manager told Ahlers that a 2 bedroom apartment would be available soon, and Ahlers offered to put a deposit on the apartment.  When the manager discovered that Ahlers had children, she told Ahlers that she was not renting to families with children and refused to rent the apartment to her.[2] Continue reading →

Center for Peace Education Records Available in ARB

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Peace Camp, 2003

Peace Camp, 2003

Listen to others. Communicate your feelings. Think before you act.  The Center for Peace Education taught these and other skills for conflict resolution, peer mediation, and effective communication.  The work of this organization with Greater Cincinnati schools and through their own programs helped children to learn to resolve their differences without fighting.  A collection of the records of the Center for Peace Education was recently acquired by the Archives and Rare Books Library and contains training materials, photographs of events, brochures, office files, and other documentation of the work of the Center for Peace Education. Continue reading →

The Ray M. Culter Nature Conservancy Papers Finding Aids Available

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For the past sixty years, The Nature Conservancy has fought to protect natural habitats and clean up our waterways.  Founded in 1950 as the Ecologists Union by a group of scientists, The Nature Conservancy has preserved 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river throughout the world.  Today, this private, nonprofit organization is a leader in the field of conservation with more than one million members and offices in thirty countries.  The Archives and Rare Books Library holds the papers of Ray M. Culter, a former Vice President of the Nature Conservancy, which consists of 43 linear feet of material pertaining to his work with the Conservancy including correspondence, financial records, newsletters, brochures, and reports.  A new group of papers was recently added to this collection consisting of Culter’s papers from his work with both The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups including American Rivers, The Potomac Conservancy, and the Center for Watershed Protection. Continue reading →

Oh Paoletta!

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Mark Palkovic, Head of the CCM Library, with the bust of Pietro Floridia

Mark Palkovic, Head of the CCM Library, with the bust of Pietro Floridia

It’s a total bust!  Really.  A bronze sculpture of composer Pietro Floridia has been donated to the University of Cincinnati and has found a home in the Gorno Memorial Music Library in the Blegen Library Building.  The setting is entirely appropriate because back in 2004, the UC Libraries were about to add the 3,000,000th volume to its collections, with the desire that this addition be suitably rare and unusual, and, reflect the University’s historical ties to the City of Cincinnati.  Dean Victoria A. Montavon marked this noteworthy event by designating the purchase of a collection of music, costume drawings, and documents of the opera, Paoletta, composed by Floridia as the official “Three Millionth.”  The materials joined the collections in the UC Libraries’ Archives & Rare Books Library. Continue reading →

New German American Online Exhibit on the ARB Web Page

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The Archives & Rare Books Library has added a new exhibit to its German Americana Collection and Urban Studies Collection web pages.  Gemutlikeit, Schnitzelbank, and Kitsch: German American Caricature in Vintage Postcards explores the creation and perpetuation of German American ethnic stereotypes through cartoon images found on popular postcards in the 20th century.  More than fifty cards illustrating a public view of a major ethnic group are included in the exhibit. Continue reading →