New finding aids completed in SC&A

As part of my internship at SC&A I created finding aids for three collections. The most notable among these is the finding aid for a collection that I processed during my internship dealing with Wesleyan President James L. McConaughy, his wife Elizabeth, and son James Jr. The collection entitled, McConaughy Family Papers, details important aspects … Read more

Pick of the week, May 15: A Spatial History of Wesleyan University

A Spatial History of Wesleyan University combines geographical and quantitative analysis with archival and oral history research to interpret the past in place. It is the product of the Spring 2015 course in Digital History at Wesleyan taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of History Amrys O. Williams, part of the university’s Digital and Computational Knowledge … Read more

Pick of the week, April 17: “All stand aghast”: Wesleyan student writes in his diary about Lincoln’s assassination

  One hundred and fifty years ago, William North Rice, class of 1865, wrote the above in his diary on the day that President Abraham Lincoln died. Rice would devote his life in service to Wesleyan, becoming the university’s first professor of geology and serving three times as acting president. Below is the diary opened … Read more

Pick of the week, Sept. 6: Happy 40th anniversary, CFA!

As you may be aware by now, the CFA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this academic year. We worked with Pamela Tatge, Andy Chatfield, and John Elmore to provide a wide range of images from the SC&A collections that will be used to mark the occasion. Forty will be displayed in an online exhibition, Celebrating … Read more

Pick of the week, Aug. 9: Prof. Woodrow Wilson, 1889

Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States from 1913 to 1921, taught history and political economy at Wesleyan from 1888 to 1890. This photograph shows the 1889-1890 Wesleyan faculty. Prof. Wilson is sitting in the front row, third from left, holding a top hat. Before Wesleyan, he taught at Bryn Mawr, where he felt “overworked, … Read more

Pick of the week, May 3: La Dernière Classe–Chem I, 1916

In the “Chemistry Dept. 1832-1968” vertical file, you’ll find this document. The caption reads: The chemistry lecture room in old Judd Hall. Prof. M.L. “Mose” Crosley was lecturing on the last day of classes prior to the final exam. The device at the right moved a huge roll of wrapping paper by means of the … Read more

Pick of the week, April 19: Willie Kerr and his classic Packard

Long-time members of the Wesleyan community will remember Willie Kerr. He joined the university in 1959 as an assistant professor in the History Department and later served as assistant provost, provost, and secretary of the university. He retired in 1993 and died in 1999. At Professor Kerr’s February 26, 1999, memorial service, former President Colin … Read more