libraries

Commencement Season

joneschr — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:55:33 +0000

Posted by:

Chris Jones

by Sam Dunnington, '14

Commencement is an odd phenomenon. For each graduate, it's a unique and momentous event, something that happens once in a lifetime. But every year, another crop of seniors shuffles down the grass of central campus while family members sweat under the Iowa sun. Below are some snapshots of commencements past.

A commencement program from 1856, when Grinnell was still Iowa College:

Graduates line up in 1972, looking dazed.

The littlest assistant professor confers with other faculty at commencement, 1974.

Two recently minted graduates walk across ARH patio in 1980.

A single person remains in the seats after commencement comes to an end in 1980.

We've loved blogging for you this year. The staff of the archives would like to wish each and every member of the class of 2013 all the best in the days, months and years to come. Cheers!

Creating the Society Exhibit

joneschr — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:32:59 +0000

Chrestomathian Pamphlet

Posted by:

Chris Jones

by Diane Lenertz '15

Before Ultimate Frisbee, the Student Government Association, or the Soccer team were regular features of Grinnell College (hard to imagine, I know), there existed a different type of student organization: the literary society. It was very clear during my college search process that Grinnell College has never had Greek sororities or fraternities, so it surprised me to discover that the mid 1800s through the early 1920s saw somewhat exclusive (and Greek-named) societies at Grinnell.

As Sam Dunnington '14 and I dug through the archives to find out more about these groups, we found countless pamphlets for society plays, open meetings and debates. Bearing hard-to-pronounce names like "Calcocagathian" and "Chrestomathian," these single-gender societies were formed over the course of 50 years, starting in 1852, in order to further an atmosphere of debate and higher education on campus.

Curious to see some photos and paraphernalia? Stop by Burling Library to check out the exhibit currently on display about early literary societies at Grinnell!

The Duke and Louis

rod — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:24:52 +0000

Posted by:

Catherine Rod

by Sam Dunnington, '14

1957 was a very good year for Grinnell Concerts.

In January, the legendary Duke Ellington came to campus and played a show in Darby Gymnasium. Just two months later, Louis Armstrong brought a small band to Grinnell and played for 2 hours in Darby. Below are pictures of the performers in interview at Grinnell, possibly by members of Grinnell's pre-KDIC radio station, KGRW.

Apparently, Ellington's concert garnered mixed reviews. A letter to the editor in a 1957 copy of the S&B stated the following: "As I see the problem, the people who did not care for the concert fall into two categories: those who do not care for jazz, and those who are the continual complainers on the campus."

Armstrong's 1957 visit to campus was the first of two. In 1967, Armstrong came back and performed as part of the same convocation that hosted Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you've got memories of either concert, or if you want to check out some of the other performers that have come through Grinnell over the years, be sure to drop by the Iowa Room soon!

A Break from the Gloom

joneschr — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:01:08 +0000

Posted by:

Chris Jones

by Sam Dunnington, '14

Originally, I planned to post pictures of what Grinnell looked like in winter prior to the paved walkways that now criss-cross central campus. The area between ARH, Burling and Noyce was a giant mudpit during the late fall and early spring. However, I think everyone is a little winter-weary at this point, so I've grabbed some photos from sunnier times instead. Hold on strong!

Below, three students cross the patio in front of ARH in 1985.

A tree leafs out in front of ARH. Is this tree still standing? I can't picture it.

Two students relax somewhere on central campus in 1982. Notice the lack of dirty piles of snow, their relaxed demeanor, their smiling faces. So close...

If you've still got the winter blues, come visit the archives! It's warm down here, and we have plenty more photos of Grinnell in nice weather.

Barber Skating Plaza

joneschr — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:46:12 +0000

Posted by:

Chris Jones

by Sam Dunnington, '14

As the temperature in Grinnell flirts with zero, people hustle from building to building and students from warmer climates barricade themselves inside until spring. In the early 1960s, however, freezing temperatures meant students could be found in abundance at the Barber Skating Plaza. Named after Margaret Kyle Barber, class of 1899, the rink was located between Burling Library and the Fine Arts building. The rink seems to have been a popular winter hangout spot for students and faculty alike. A recent student initiative attempted to rejuvenate this tradition, but nothing seems to have come of it. If you've got stories about Barber Plaza or other memories of Grinnell in the winter, drop us a line down below!

The opening ceremony for Barber Plaza, held in 1962. President Howard Bowen cuts the ribbon.

A lone skater, either in early morning or early evening.

Killer skating moves require killer pants. Well played, both of you.

Creating the Exploration Exhibit

joneschr — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:54:37 +0000

Stephanie Head Shot

Posted by:

Chris Jones

by Stephanie Porter, '14

As a student working in the archives, I knew the day would come eventually: I would have to face the daunting task of putting together my own exhibit.

That day came this semester, when Chris approached me one morning with a theme- exploration. It sounded reasonable enough at the time, broad enough that I could do whatever I wanted with it, and certainly an interesting topic. I figured I would just pull some books, write some descriptions, put them in cases and call it good.

In practice, I ran up against more obstacles than I expected. First, how do you even define exploration? Doesn't all of human history consist essentially of journeys? I knew I wanted a broad, multi-dimensional definition, so I decided to include both physical journeys and journeys of the mind. From there, Chris and I came up with four categories: World travel, U.S. exploration, the mind and psychology, and imagination.

Then came the task of defining these gour categories clearly. Where would American travelers exploring the world fit in? What about literary, imaginative exploration with psychological elements? Or fictional narratives about exploratino of the Americas?

I started simply by pulling together any books I thought might fit. Slowly, the categories began to come together. The imagination case would house more fantastical journeys. The mind would include works of psychology and philosophical debates. Both fiction and nonfiction, I decided, could be part of each case.

Of course, in my excitement, I ended up with piles and piles of books. What would the Imagination section be without Gulliver's Travels? And Dali's Alice in Wonderland is a must! I spent hours reading about all of these works, compiling summaries and interesting facts.

Then reality hit: there was no way all of these books could physically fit in four cases (particularly Gulliver and Alice, known for their immense dimensions). Reluctantly accepting this fact, I spent a day testing arrangements in the cases and slowly reducing the mountain of books.

It turned our that the time I spent researching was not in vain, for it helped me decide which books in the end were the most important and would be able to form a greater narrative together. I discovered unexpected connections between works - for instance, synchronicity, one of Jung's core ideas, can be tied to his favorite quote from Alice in Wonderland: "It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards." Nemo, the ship captain in Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, is inspired by The Odyssey. When Odysseus meets the cyclops, he gives a false name, Utis, meaning No-man or No-body; in Latin, this translates to Nemo. And overall, these works represented different takes on the largest questions and problems in the world. How do we know what we know? Is there a single Truth? My biggest takeaway was how interconnected all of these journeys are and how constantly throughout history humans from seemingly opposite worlds continue to influence each other. History is a dialogue.

The Physician's Notebook

joneschr — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:43:14 +0000

Posted by:

Chris Jones

By Sam Dunnington, '14

No one likes the doctor's office, but at least you usually leave feeling better than you did walking in. 98 years ago, your chances of feeling better appear to have been much slimmer. We recently received an appointment book used by P.E. Somers, M.D., a physician working in the Grinnell area in 1914. Besides his appointments, the book includes a section outlining the basic medical knowledge of the day, parts of which are terrifying.

Below is a section on basic childhood wellness. Highlights include a suggestion that infants sleep 18-20 hours a day, and that gummy eyes signal approaching death.

P.E. Somers' appointment list for January, 1914. Included on the list is A.L. Ricker, who used to own a house roughly situated where Younker Hall is today.

The cutting edge of artificial respiration techniques in 1914. It's unclear whether the man with the snappy mustache is the Sylvester in question.

The book also includes tips on medicine dosages, poisons, and what to do if someone has ingested too much Cannabis Indica. Stop by the Iowa Room and see it soon!

The Campus that Never Was

rod — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:54:14 +0000

Posted by:

Catherine Rod

Author:

Catherine Rod

by Sam Dunnington, '14

Though the physical layout of Grinnell often feels like one of the College's most stable components, construction and demolition occur relatively frequently. During my brief stay here, I've seen central campus get plowed up for a new ampitheater, new paths being laid across the campus, and the old Physical Education Center get demolished by front-end loaders. What's even more intriguing than the physical changes that do happen, however, are those that don't. I recently discovered architectural sketches for several new campus buildings, none of which were ever brought to fruition.

Below is part of the sketch of a new men's dormitory. Note the heavily ornamented loggia and the the balustrades along the edge of the roof.

The image below is a drawing of a new administration building that would have been placed along 8th avenue.

Unfortunately, we don't have dates for these drawings, or any information about the firm that might have produced them. If you know anything about them, please let us know, and be sure to come by the Iowa Room soon to see them in person!

joneschr

rod

Griswold College

joneschr — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:59:07 +0000

Posted by:

Chris Jones

Author:

Chris Jones

We recently received an interesting question regarding the relationship between Griswold College, in Davenport, IA, and Grinnell College, and whether Grinnell had ever been called Griswold. We had never heard of such a direct relationship between the two institutions, which made it an intriguing question and a fun, albeit brief, research project.

As some of you may know, Grinnell College began its existence as Iowa College and was founded in Davenport in 1846 by a group of missionaries from Massachusetts who called themselves the Iowa Band. As the town and college grew, the town began to encroach more and more upon the college campus. Finally, in 1859, the school had enough of the town laying streets through its campus and moved to Grinnell at the invitation of J.B. Grinnell. President Magoun, in his inaugural speech given on July 19, 1865, stated that the property vacated by Iowa College in Davenport "was sold to Bishop H.W. Lee and others for an Episcopal College ..." The Davenport Public Library's special collections blog goes on to describe how the property was sold for $36,000 and that "it was decided to name the new college after the late Bishop Alexander Viets Griswold. The preparatory department of Griswold College opened on December 12, 1859, to thirty students under the care of Rev. Francis Emerson Judd and Professor David. S. Sheldon. College-level curriculum development followed as well as a degree program. The first commencement exercises of Griswold College took place on June 23, 1867."

For more information about our beloved school and its history, please visit the Iowa Room, where you can find copies of the college's charter, Magoun's inaugural speech, and many other intriguing primary sources.

rod

joneschr

Barons of Beefe and Billy the Kid

joneschr — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:00:15 +0000

Posted by:

Chris Jones

by Sam Dunnington, '14

On my second day at the archives, I pulled open a drawer that was literally overflowing with event posters from the last 50 years of Grinnell's Art and Music departments. Many of these were stunning, either hand drawn or beautifully printed. Some of my favorites are below, and if we accomplish nothing else this year, let's bring back the Renaissance Feast.

The ring on the back of Billy the Kid's hand reads, "Let's Rodeo."

Barons of Beefe: probably delicious.

Saucey Beans: probably less so.

Let us know if you were at any of these events, and stop by to see the poster collection soon!