Seasons Greetings from the Archives!

As an archivist I get to hold history in my hands. I'm primarily responsible for maintaining and preserving records of individuals, groups and institutions. I think the most appealing aspect of the profession is the ability to safeguard that which has survived throughout the generations. As an archivist, I help ensure that history lives and thrives!

As the year winds to a close, I'm grateful for the history of this past year and look forward to the New Year with great anticipation.

Special Collections and University Archives are taking a break and we will be closed beginning December 19th through December 2nd. I will be checking my email so if you need to get in touch with me....leave a message on my answering machine or email me.

435-586-7945
mitchell_p@suu.edu

Have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season!

Utah Archives Month

Archives: The Records of Our Lives.

1. What are archives?

Archives are the non-current records of individuals, groups, institutions, and governments that contain information of enduring value. Archival records are the products of everyday life. Formats represented in the modern archival repository include photographs, films, video and sound recordings, as well as the more traditional unpublished letters, diaries, and other manuscripts.

2. Who uses archival records?

Researchers use them both for their administrative value and for purposes other than those for which they were created. For example, Native Americans may use archival records to establish legal claims to land and privileges guaranteed by federal and state governments; medical researchers utilize records to study patterns of diseases; authors use archives to acquire a feel for the people and times about which they are writing; historians and genealogists rely on archival sources to analyze past events to reconstruct family histories; and businesses use the records to improve their public relations and to promote new products. In short, archives benefit nearly everyone, even those who have never directly used them.

3. What does an archivist do?

The primary task of the archivist is to establish and maintain control, both physically and intellectual, over records of enduring value. Archivists select records, a process that requires an understanding of the historical context in which the records were created, the uses for which they were intended, and their relationships to other sources. The archivist then arranges and describes the records, in accordance with accepted standards and practices; ensures the long-term preservation of collections; assists researchers; and plans and directs exhibitions, publications, and other outreach progams to broaden the use of collections.

Homecoming: A 50 year flashback!

This year's Homecoming celebration is creating a lot of interest and is being described as 'the most ambitious ever'. We thought this would be a good time to look back to what Homecoming was like 50 years ago.

Schedule of activities:
Oct. 2 - Robert Wagner Chorale Concert
Oct. 3 - Queens Assembly, 11:00 am
Open House - Manzanita Court; Science Building, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Oct. 4 - Thunderbird Review (new emblem was released) and crowning of Queen
Oct. 6 - Alumni banquet and Variety Show
Oct. 7 - Parade at 10:00 am; Football CSU vs Ricks at 2:00 pm; Homecoming Ball at 9:00 pm

50 years ago students at CSU attended classes in a new Science building. Students this fall are attending classes in a new Science building.

Sometimes the more things change...the more they stay the same.

Make sure you attend the exciting events planned for this year's Homecoming including rooting for SUU as we face Texas-San Antonio!

First Day of School - 1897

Chapel Exercises

The first day of school for the newly formed Branch Normal School located in Cedar City, Utah was September 21, 1897. Faculty that first year included:

Milton Bennion, Principal - Pedagogy and History
George W. Decker, Librarian - Mathematics and Natural Science
Howard R. Driggs, Secretary and Registrar - English Language and Literature
Annie E. Spencer, Assistant Librarian - Locution and Physical Culture

Chapel Exercises were held at the beginning of each school day. Attendance was optional, but all students were cordially invited to be present regularly.

Fun Facts about the First Folio

Fun Facts about the First Folio

1) The First Folio cost one pound (20 shillings) when it was published. A First Folio sold for $6.2 million in 2004.

2) Heminges and Condell, members of the Stationers Company, compiled the contents of the First Folio.

3) The First Folio includes all of the generally accepted plays of Shakespeare with the exception of Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and the two lost plays, Cardenio and Love's Labour's Won.

4) The First Folio is one of the most valuable printed books in the world.

5) It is believed around 750 copies were printed. There are approximately 230 in existence today.

For more information: http://www.folger.edu/

Shakespeare's First Folio

In November 1623, seven years after William Shakespeare had died at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, a book containing 36 of his plays was published in London. The book was a large folio (a format with pages about as wide as those of a modern encyclopedia, but two or three inches taller). Nothing quite like it had ever been published in folio before.

The First Folio of 1623 was not only the first collected edition of Shakespeare--it was the first folio book ever published in England that was devoted exclusively to plays.

One of Shakespeare's First Folio's will be on display from June 23rd till October 15th in Special Collections. We will be open from 1l:00 am until 7:00 pm. Come see this wonderful exhibit!

First Graduating Class

First Graduating Class at BNS, 1900

Two young men and four young women comprised the first graduating class at the BNS in 1900. Pictured are: Emma Gardner, Alice Redd, Amelia Dalley, Ella Berry, Joseph T. Wilkinson, Jr., and J.S. Dalley.

SUU's graduating class of 2011 will be over 1800 students and there are still more females graduating than males.

First Catalog

The very first circular of the Southern Branch of the State Normal (BNS) had only 18 pages.

When the BNS, now SUU, opened in 1897 it offered only a normal program. For the fourth year you were required to attend the University of Utah.

To be accepted to the school you needed a signed diploma plus pay a ten dollar registration fee. 100 scholarships were offered that first year. All students needed to pay was their room and board.

Founder's Day

On the 11th of March, 1897, the Legislature passed an act establishing a branch of the State Normal School of the University of Utah, to be located either in Iron or Beaver County.

After visiting different parts of the two counties named, the commission decided that Cedar City would be the most suitable place for the Normal School.

In September of that year, the completed Ward Hall opened its doors to receive the first class of students of the southern Branch of the State Normal School. More commonly called Branch Normal School (BNS). This building was to be used until a permanent building could be constructed on ground situated on the most beautiful site in Cedar City.

While the people of Cedar City were exerting their energies toward the final touches on the Ward Hall, the Board of Regents of the University of Utah had more carefully read the enabling legislation. They now realized they had a problem.

The problem was that the legislation was worded in such a manner that the $15,000 appropriation for funding the school year 1897-98 could not be released until the permanent building, built on the designated property, was deeded to the State. There was no money to pay the four hired teachers, no money for books and equipment. So much for the problem. As to the solution.......for another day.

What's on the Garden Level?

What's on the Garden Level?

Special Collections and University Archives are found on the Garden Level of the Gerald R. Sherratt Library on the Southern Utah University Campus.

What's down here?

Library materials deemed too valuable, rare or fragile to be made available through general circulation. We have books, manuscripts, sound recordings, musical scores, photographs and artifacts.

What do you do?

Protect and preserve rare, valuable and fragile materials that relate to Utah history, southern Utah, the life and works of William Shakespeare, Southern Utah University, and the Native Americans of southern Utah.

Can I see what you have?

Yes, please stop by for a visit. We are open Monday through Friday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm