Protesting

Students participating in Sleep-Out Protest, 1973

After reading the newspapers that so many people think was so long ago, it’s crazy to see the similarities. In recent years and even months protesting has been in the news often. In these pictures students were participating in the Student Sleep Out Protest in 1973. What was the protest actually about? Did they accomplish anything by protesting? Where they allowed to protest on campus or did they have to protest somewhere else?

Students participating in Time-Out Day

Another protest that was on campus was Time Out Day in the early 1970s. This protest took place in the cafeteria at Misericordia. What were they protesting about? Why did they choose to protest on campus? I just find it very interesting that protests actually took place on campus. I think that today, protests like this on campus would not be handled so well.

This photograph is a picture that was in the newspaper. The students were demonstrating for peaceful cooperation of Misericordia. What was Misericordia not cooperating with? Did this protest accomplish what the students wanted to accomplish?

Cartoon of Monseigneur John Joseph Curran

This image is from the Miss Recordia Newspaper, January 1937 edition. The political cartoon is of Rev. Mons. John Joseph Curran, and this edition of the paper was published in his memory. In the center of the image lies a headshot of Reverend Monsignor Curran. This headshot pictures Reverend Monsignor Curran wearing traditional priestly attire, with a serious and proud expression on his face. To the left of the headshot is a smaller image of Rev. Mons. Curran playing golf. Below the image is a description of his favorite hobbies, golf, calisthenics, and reading. It also describes his involvement with the Board of Catholic total abstinence Union of America, and states that he was the first Vice President of the Anti-Saloon League for many years. The image to the left of the headshot is of Rev. Mons. Curran speaking to Union workers. The paragraph below describes how Rev. Mons. Curran strove to settle strikes and “create a spirit of brotherly love between rich and poor.” The image in the bottom left pictures Rev. Mons. Curran at a church. The description below the image states how he was the Pastor at St. Mary’s. It also states that in 1895 he was appointed first pastor of Holy Savior East End City, Wilkes-Barre, and how he was appointed Pastor of St. Mary’s in 1919 and was made Monsignor in 1932. The final image in the bottom right corner shows Rev. Mons. Curran teaching in a classroom. The description below this image gives a short biography of his hometown and his aspirations as a student. This cartoon honors Reverend Monsignor John Joseph Curran’s legacy and his impact on local organizations and individuals.

“Mons. John Joseph Curran,” Miss Recordia (January 1937). University Newspaper collection, CMA 830 Box 1 (1931-1949), Sister Mary Carmel McGarigle University Archives, Misericordia University, Dallas, PA.

College Misericordia & World War II

 

A subject I enjoyed finding and reading about was Christmastide correspondence during World War II. I found the articles in a compilation of newspaper articles in the Miss Recordia. I like the title “Miss Recordia” because it has a double meaning for an all-girl’s college. The articles had many different subjects about the College Misericordia’s involvement in World War II.

One of the most interesting clippings was labelled A Letter to Camp written in 1942 at the start of the war by Sadie Morris. Although it was not a personal letter, it was sent to a soldier to give hope and encouragement. It reminded me of a George M. Cohan song, “Over There.” Miss Morris encouraged the soldier by writing a supportive, patriotic letter. It was very short, but she expressed her pride in the United States’ war effort.

In another clipping, there was a poem titled A Soldier’s Dream by Kay Matterson written in December 1944. The poem was far more somber than A Letter to Camp because it described an exhausted American soldier wistfully thinking of his loved ones back home during Christmas. The soldier reflects on his family and fiancée. There was a sorrowful, haunting feeling to the poem that conveyed the message that perhaps this soldier was one of the many that did not return home.

There also were several articles written by Misericordia graduates called Alumnae Musings. They were general articles about the various activities that women did for the war effort. The interesting one was the war bond drive that Misericordia held because it raised forty thousand dollars in 1942. In 1942, a medium income for a year was two thousand dollars. Even today, raising forty thousand dollars is impressive. Because I was reading about Misericordia’s past, I felt connected to World War II sentiments and struggles. Personal accounts make history come to life.

 

Morris, Sadie, “A Letter to Camp,” Miss Recordia (November 1934 – May 1949), 1-15. University Newspaper Collections RG 830, Misericordia University Special Collections, Dallas, PA.

Matterson, Kay, “A Soldier’s Dream,” Miss Recordia (November 1934 – May 1949), 1-15. University Newspaper Collections RG 830, Misericordia University Special Collections, Dallas, PA.

“Alumnae Musings,” Miss Recordia (November 1934 – May 1949), 1-15. University Newspaper Collections RG 830, Misericordia University Special Collections, Dallas, PA.

 

Have Times Really Changed?

One of the most interesting articles that I found in the newspaper was an issue that we are still dealing with on this campus today. The entire article is about parking and students complaining about it. It was interesting how they approached parking at the time. It wasn’t the same as it is now, but yet we still have so many issues. Was there ever a time when parking was not an issue? It’s interesting because before even entering this school year the issue of parking was addressed. The school sent an informing the students that there where parking spots being removed and then added to another spot. I just think it’s interesting that all of these years later that we are still dealing with the same issues. I also think it interesting that parking was so different. There was A,B,C, etc parking stickers. Is there a reason we got away from that system? What was the new system that was put into place? 

Varsity Trumps Wilkes 47-17

The photograph is featured in a newspaper from 1955, and it is focused on a women’s basketball player dribbling down the court. I found this picture interesting and important because the player is a black woman named Dorthea Green. I have a personal connection to this picture because I am one of the two black women on the basketball team at Misericordia University. My freshman year, I was the only black girl on the team which was a very difficult experience. When I saw this picture, a flood of questions came rushing to my mind! First, I discovered that Dorthea is from North Carolina, so how did she find Misericordia University? Then, I was curious about when Misericordia began accepting students of color, and how were they treated on campus. During the 1950’s, the demand for black people to attend higher education institutions significantly increased. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled “separate but equal” for all educational institutions; however, we are aware that the black students were not awarded the same treatment and quality of products and services compared to the white students. However, I am giving Misericordia during the Jim Crow era the benefit of the doubt. We are a school founded on the principles and beliefs of the Sisters of Mercy, which addresses racism. After seeing this picture, and learning about Dorthea; I am very interested in exploring the topic of when Misericordia became integrated.

1940s College Misericordia Seniors’ Profiles

“As Others See Them,” Miss Recordia (June 1940). University Newspaper Collections RG 830, Misericordia University Special Collections, Dallas, PA.

I enjoyed reading the article, As Others See Them because it gave me insights into the personality qualities that were valued in the 1940s. The fun part of the article for me was that they picked twenty-four qualities which they felt were outstanding. They then picked a student who embodied the specific quality. Some of the attributes were “most humorous,” “jolliest,” “kindest,” “loyal,” “original,” “most reserved,” “useful” and “most vivacious.” It reminded me of Jane Austen’s characters in Pride & Prejudice or Emma. It was refreshing in that there seemed to be an honest innocence in the process. I wondered if the girls saw these qualities in themselves?

They also collectively chose Glenn Miller as their favorite orchestra and Spencer Tracey and Bette Davis as their favorite actors. Interestingly, they picked their favorite past time as reading and their favorite activity as dancing. I thought, what responses would we get today? It took me to a different time. The thinking seemed more collective.

It also discussed politics. Interestingly, the article started with the comment, “the students turned out almost one hundred percent strong to drop their votes in the ballot box.” We can assume, because it was 1940, that it was the presidential election between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie. It was impressive to me that the seniors at College Misericordia were politically active and involved in the voting process of the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

May Day

One of the most interesting events I came by when doing all of the service learning projects is the May Day. May Day was an event held on campus when the school was still an all girls campus. Basically, students were picked to be the “May Day Queen.” I have a lot of questions about this because this is an event that would not happen now. I wonder where the event originated from and why it was decided to be put on for so many years. I like how in the article it shows that there was a “crownbearer” for the event. It was a very formal and a very interesting event. The outfits that the women wore were so fancy and it was as if it was a prom. Where the students put onto a court and then chosen by off of that? I wonder if the woman that won had to do participate in other events because she was chosen as the May Day Queen. One thing I find very interesting is that I wonder how open this event would be today. Would a campus be allowed to have event like this today? I feel like there truly isn’t that huge of a difference between this and having a homecoming King and Queen. 

Week 5 LCHS

I am half way through the Welles Collection at the Luzerne County Historical Society. I have seen many interesting personal objects the Welles owned and many documents pertaining to each individual thus far. This week I came across an interesting document that was Edward Welles’ passport. The passport was only a folded up document that listed Edward Welles’ height, eye color, etc. and requesting that any location Edward Welles travels to provides him with safe passage. The document is interesting to me because it is extremely different than a passport today. A passport today is a small booklet containing an image of the individual, their date of birth, nationality, and sex, as well as other important information pertaining to the passport. Furthermore, the passport has American symbols on it such as the bald eagle and American flag, and the start of the Declaration of Independence. Edward Welles’ passport did not have an image of the American flag; there was only an image of a Roman woman in classical attire leaning on a pillar and a stone wall with a shield leaning on it.  I understand that Edward Welles passport would have details of his physical features because of the lack of photography. However, I think it is interesting to compare Edward Welles’ passport to a fairly recent one in order to identify similarities and differences.

Since I finished inventorying the boxes that held objects and documents of the Welles, I started inventorying objects and documents in the first filling cabinet. I have come across interesting information about the Alexander family. The Alexander family were friends with the Welles, and have an interesting family history. The Alexander family came originally from a noble family in England, starting with an individual named Andrew, the son of Archibald Alexander of Ballybigley. Andrew of Ballybigley purchased the estate of Crew from a parish in Ireland and raised a large family. Andrew’s son, Thomas, emigrated to America, where his family would be a part of many events in early America. For instance, Andrew’s descendants took part in the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Additionally, Emily Alexander, one individual from the Alexander family, was related to Captain William Burritt. Captain William Burritt worked alongside George Washington and a member of the Order of the Cincinnati. In conclusion, I am looking forward to learning more about the Welles and their collection of objects from other prominent families in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Week 4 LCHS

This week, I continued filling out the inventory for the Welles Collection at the Luzerne County Historical Society. During that time, I came upon some interesting information about Edward and Stella (Hollenback) Welles’ son, Edward Welles Jr., Edward Welles’ cousin Alexander Baird, and an achievement of Edward Welles. I came across information on Edward Welles Jr. in a document discussing the struggle with his health. Edward Welles Jr. suffered from digestive problems that doctors believed could have been prevented. Throughout Edward Welles Jr.’s first year to adolescence he would refuse to eat healthy and only eat non-nutritive foods. As a result, Edward Welles Jr.  suffered from harsh stomach aches and malnutrition. Edward Welles Jr.’s decisions were influenced by the decisions of his family. His father and his brothers also suffered from stomach disorders that many individuals today recognize as the result of an irregular diet. Most foods the Welles family consumed were made with pork fat, foods with high amounts of starch, and fried foods. However, not all of Edward Welles Jr.’s health problems were due to poor diet decisions; he also suffered from eczema. He suffered with eczema throughout his life because he inherited it from his father.

Another interesting artifact I came across was a group of letters written by Edward Welles’ cousin, Alexander Baird, during the Civil War and a document validating his service in the Confederate army. There is a small folder containing several pages of letters Alexander Baird wrote to his mother during his time at different camps and after battles. For instance, there is a letter Alexander Baird wrote after the aftermath of the Battle of Fredericksburg. Baird states that at least 5000 Union soldiers were captured during the battle and praises General Robert E. Lee for his ability to foil the Union army’s plan of attack. Lastly,  I came across a small pamphlet concerning Edward Welles’ retirement. The pamphlet was created by directors and other officials at the People’s Bank located in Wilkes-Barre, and states that they acknowledge Edward Welles’ retirement, congratulate him, and wish him the best. Next week I will continue to process this collection and hope to discover more interesting things about the Welles.

Week 3 LCHS

Amber Kelley, Anthracite History Museum, 2017This past week at the Luzerne County Historical Society, I worked on inventorying some more objects from the Welles Collection. I came across many nice photographs of individuals who had relations to the Welles or photographs of the Welles. Also, I found something interesting about the way individuals addressed Edward Welles in a letter. The individual who wrote a letter to Edward Welles started with “Bro,…”. I found this interesting because I did not think that individuals at that time used informal language when writing to someone. The Welles family always wrote formally to family members, as well as to acquaintances. The notion of individuals writing only formally at that time is why the informal language in that letter surprised me.

Another interesting object I came across during the week was a small booklet titled “Sayings of Edward Welles Jr.” This booklet held a small collection of things or sayings that Edward Welles Jr. did or said. For instance, there was an instance where Edward Welles Jr.’s grandfather visited them. When the grandfather was leaving, Edward Welles Jr. did not want him to leave, so he tried to take his grandfather’s satchel. Once he attempted to take his grandfather’s satchel, Edward Welles Jr. said “Don’t go Grandpa, I got to stay here, you stay here.” When I read this, I thought what Edward Welles Jr. did and said to his Grandfather was cute. I am not surprised that Edward Welles Jr. did this to his grandfather because I have seen letters he would write to his grandfather at a very young age that he missed him.

During my time inventorying some of the collection, I came across the Wilkes-Barre record of Stella Welles’ death in 1947. The document lays out many activities where Stella Welles was a participant. For instance, she was a part of the YMCA board. I thought it is interesting that she was a board member of the YMCA because of the name Young Men’s Christian Association. I just assumed that the board consisted only of men during the late 1800s to early 1900s.  This is good to know that women could be a part of the YMCA at that time. Anyhow, I enjoyed my week at the Luzerne County Historical Society and I excited to find more intriguing objects from the Welles collection.

css.php