New Acquisition: President Jason’s book

Written by: Emily Cottle

Back on December 19^th of last year, the William C. Jason Library held a ceremony to formally accept a generous endowment to the library from Bertha Carol Jason and William C. Jason, III., descendants of the library’s namesake, William C. Jason, Sr.

During the ceremony, Carol Jason, shown below in the screen capture of a press release on the event from the university’s website, told wonderful stories about William C. Jason, the longest serving president in DSU’s history from a family volume containing old course catalogs for the State College for Colored Students dating back to 1893.

Screen capture from DSU's News and Events webpage.

In January, the archives was fortunate enough to have Mrs. Jason officially donate this book to us. It is currently being digitized, but we hope to have it available for patrons to view in the archives soon.

The archives is very grateful to the Jason family for this donation, which is just the latest of their generous contributions to our department. Previous donations have included wonderful rare books and programs for early campus events at the State College for Colored Students. 

New Acquisition from the Office of Alumni Affairs

Written by: Cale McCammon

The Delaware State University Archives' collection is expanding. The folks at the Office of Alumni Relations (previously known as the Office of Alumni Affairs) recently sent over thirty linear feet of materials our way. These included minutes and financial records of the Alumni Association, newsletters, photo albums, as well as copies of The Echo that have helped us fill holes in our existing collection. We’re having quite a time going through the photographs, which we hope to finish processing soon.

Class of 1913. Among one of the oldest photographs 

we’ve found sleeved in the albums.

We’d like to thank the folks at the Office of Alumni Relations for sending us their materials and look forward to more transfers. We also encourage any other departments on campus to get in touch with us if you have materials that need a safe home.

Miss DSC, Homecoming, Presidential Scholarship Ball—

just a few of the events we’ve encountered in the photos.

Caring for your family photographs

Written by: Emily Cottle

Here in the archives we’ve been doing a lot of work on photograph collections lately and thought that our readers might benefit from a few tips for dealing with your own family photograph collections.

The following are just a few of the great resources available online to help you get started with preserving your family’s materials.

• Caring for your family archives from the National Archives and Records Administration, http://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/
• Care, Handling, and Storage of Photographs from the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/photo.html
• CCAHA Preservation Bulletins, http://www.ccaha.org/publications/technical-bulletins
• Caring for Private and Family Collections from Northeast Document Conservation Center, http://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preserving-private-and-family-collections/caring-for-private-and-family-collections
• Guide to caring for your treasures from American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, http://www.conservation-us.org/about-conservation/caring-for-your-treasures

Below are a summary of just a few of the tips you’ll find in the sources listed above:

• Photographs last longest in areas that are a stable (preferably cool) temperature that is not damp.
• Avoid using rubber bands to group photos as they dry out and stick to the photos, causing damage.
• Use photo corners to mount items in scrapbooks or albums – that way you can easily remove the photos and you avoid putting glue or adhesive directly on the photos.
• Store photos in boxes with lids and without handholds if possible to prevent dust and pests from damaging photos.
• Avoid framing and leaving valuable family photographs on display for long periods of time. Instead, make a copy and display that. Fading caused by light damage is irreversible.

Visit the sites listed above to learn more or post specific questions in the comments below.

Founders Day 2014

Carlos Holmes as President William C. Jason 

striking a thoughtful pose.

Written by: Cale McCammon

February 25th’s snowy weather didn’t dampen DSU’s spirits as we celebrated the university’s 183rd birthday, complete with birthday cake and tours of Loockerman Hall, the oldest building on campus and the former center of the university. As part of the celebration, students donned period-style costumes as Carlos Holmes, Director of News Services at the Office of Public Relations, dressed as President William C. Jason and provided insights into the history of the university.

Loockerman Hall, February 25, 2014.

Founders Day is an annual celebration of the university’s heritage from its beginnings in 1891 as the State College for Colored Students after the passage of the second Morrill Land Grant Act. The archives have a collection of past Founders Day programs, the oldest going back to 1942. We also have photographs starting in the 1970s. By all accounts, DSU has made a history of celebrating history.

You can see more photos from the day on the university's website here.