Black History Month Highlight: Elizabeth Byrd, Wyoming Politician

Elizabeth Byrd teaching in Cheyenne, WY. September 1967, American Heritage Center, Harriett E. Byrd Collection, Coll. #10443, Neg# 29475.

We continue our celebration of Black History Month by drawing much-deserved attention to Elizabeth Byrd.  She was another Wyoming “First,” in that she was the first African-American to serve in the Wyoming House of Representatives, as well as in the Wyoming Senate.

A Wyoming native, Byrd was born in Cheyenne in 1926.  She attended and was graduated from Cheyenne High School in 1944.  She enrolled in West Virginia State College, which is a “historically black college” and was at the time one of the most prestigious institutions in the U.S. for students of color.   Elizabeth Byrd graduated and sought work back home in Wyoming.  She found a position at the Fort F.E. Warren Air Force Base and taught elementary school there for decades.  In 1976, Byrd enrolled in a Master’s program for elementary education at the University of Wyoming.  Her professional life took a different course with her first bid for political office.

Elizabeth Byrd with Gov. Mike Sullivan signing Martin Luther King Jr. Day legislation, March, 1990. Elizabeth Harriett Byrd Papers, Accession Number 10443, Box 3, Folder 6

She ran for a seat in the House in 1980 on a Democratic ticket and served two consecutive terms before running for state Senate in 1988. She won that race as well.  Her years in elected office are most know for her successful efforts to persuade the state of Wyoming to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a holiday.   In Wyoming, the third Monday of January is known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day/Wyoming Equality Day.

The American Heritage Center holds the papers of Elizabeth Byrd among its collections.  If you’d like to look at the inventory for this collection, you can view it online.

Also, check out our “In Pursuit of Equality” virtual exhibit which addresses the influence of Wyoming women on effecting change and equality in the state.  Each of the three women–Nellie Tayloe Ross, Thyra Thomson, and Elizabeth Byrd–profiled in the exhibit employed political participation in elected office to further the cause of equality for Wyoming residents.

–Rachael Dreyer, Reference Archivist

Research Fellowship Opportunities — Deadlines approaching!

The American Heritage Center is pleased to announce three upcoming research fellowship opportunities.  Applications for all fellowships are due on February 20th.   Please address applications and further inquiries to:

Rick Ewig, Associate Director
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
Department 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, WY 82071-3924
Phone: (307) 766-4114
Fax: (307) 766-5511
E-mail:  rewig@uwyo.edu

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Now, about those fellowships . . .

JOSEPH M. CAREY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

The Fellowship: The Joseph M. Carey Research Fellowship is funded by a generous donation by the Carey Family and is intended to provide research support for a recognized scholar in the area of Wyoming and Western history and to facilitate the use of archival collections at the American Heritage Center (AHC), University of Wyoming.  The AHC does hold a collection of Carey Family Papers.  The Fellow will be appointed for a period of one calendar year.  During this time the Fellow will carry the title of the Joseph M. Carey Research Fellow and will represent the University of Wyoming as such.  Administration of the Fellowship will be the responsibility of the Director of the American Heritage Center.

Joseph M. Carey: Joseph M. Carey had a long and influential career in Wyoming as a politician, judge, lawyer, and rancher.  Born in Delaware in 1945, he came to Wyoming in 1869 just after its creation as a territory when President U.S. Grant appointed him the territory’s first U.S. Attorney General.  He went on to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court for Wyoming Territory, mayor of Cheyenne during the early 1880s, and served as Wyoming’s Delegate to Congress from 1895 to 1890 and was instrumental in the movement to gain statehood for Wyoming in 1890.  He then became Wyoming’s first U.S. Senator, serving from 1890 to 1895 in that position.  He also served as Wyoming governor from 1911 to 1915.  He died in Cheyenne on February 5, 1924.

Obligations of the Fellow: The Fellow will receive a stipend of $2,500, which will be used to defray research costs at the AHC, travel, and other expenses associated with this research, or publication costs resulting from this research.  The Fellow will be responsible for scheduling and conducting the research within one year of receipt of the award and for making timely progress toward publication of the results of the research.  The Fellow will also be expected to provide a general interest lecture based on the Fellow’s research at the AHC during the fall semester.  The lecture may be aimed at audience groups including students, faculty, and the general public.

The Fellowship stipend will be paid in two disbursements: $500 upon the applicant’s acceptance of the Fellowship, and $2,000 upon completion of the first research session at the AHC.

Research Field: The Fellowship is intended to support research in the area of Wyoming history.  The AHC does hold the Carey Family Papers, but the Fellowship does not require that research apply specifically to Joseph M. Carey or the Carey family.  Any area of Wyoming history is acceptable.  The AHC maintains many archival collections which can be used by the Fellow as source material in conducting historical research.

Selection Committee: The Fellow will be selected by a committee comprised of faculty from the AHC and the UW History Department.  The Fellow will be selected early in the year and will receive prompt notification of their selection.  Research supported by the Fellowship should be conducted by the Fellow within one year of notification.

Qualifications: The Fellow will be a recognized scholar in the area of Wyoming or Western history.  The Fellow should have a record of publication in the field or show significant potential for publication.  Young scholars, minorities, and multi-disciplinary researchers are encouraged to apply.  Selection of the Fellow will be made on the basis of scholarly merit with no consideration of race, sex, ethnic background, or financial need.  The Committee shall, however, consider the applicant’s ability to complete the research project and bring it to publication in a timely fashion.

Application:  Applicants for the Fellowship should submit to the committee, prior to the application deadline, the following materials:

• A research proposal of 2-3 pages outlining the specific research project proposed, the AHC’s archival collections to be used for this research, and proposed publications which the research will support.
• A statement of the proposed timeline for the research project from initiation to completion.
• A CV including a list of publications authored by the applicant and copies of two of the author’s most recent publications which pertain to the proposed research, if applicable.

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BERTHA KLAUSNER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

The Fellowship: The Bertha Klausner Research Fellowship is funded through the generosity of Ms. Klausner’s family and friends and is intended to provide research support for a recognized scholar. The Fellowship also is intended to facilitate the use of the Bertha Klausner Papers and other archival collections held by the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. The Fellow shall be appointed for a period of one calendar year. During this time the Fellow will carry the title of the Bertha Klausner Research Fellow and represent the University of Wyoming as such. Administration of the Fellowship will be the responsibility of the Director, American Heritage Center.

Bertha Klausner developed one of the first national newspaper syndicates during the early 1930s. The Independent Publishers Syndicate was the model for current features such as Parade and This Week. In 1938, she left her syndicate to become an agent for cartoonists and artists. By 1945, she decided to concentrate on representing writers and founded the Bertha Klausner International Literary Agency, Inc. She developed a wide reputation based upon her creativity, integrity, and dedication to promising writers. Her clientele included actors Basil Rathbone, Joe E. Brown, Lionel Barrymore, and Theda Bara, and authors Upton Sinclair, Anthony Burgess, Robert Payne, and Nikos Kazantazakis. Plays or films included Zorba the Greek, Yentl, and a musical version of Shop on Main Street.

Research Fields: The Fellowship will facilitate the use of the papers of Bertha Klausner and other related collections at the American Heritage Center. The Fellowship provides support for research by a scholar in the fields of Women’s Studies, Communications, Film, Literature, the History of Business, Journalism, Drama, or related areas. Because each of these research topics encompasses diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of gender, fellows may represent a wide-range of academic topics. Examples of such topics are: The Impact of the Literary Agent on the Content and Subjects of Writers; The Agent and the Introduction of Foreign Authors to the American Literary Market; The Literary Agent as Mentor to Young Writers; The Agent for Literature in Support of Non-Literary Careers; and The Agent and the Careers of Editors in Publishing Houses.

Other possible topics might include; the impact of Bertha Klausner in opening the way for women in the powerful literary agencies of New York and Hollywood; Autobiographies of celebrities of stage and screen in support of their acting career; The literary agent as gatekeeper in the field of popular fiction; Problems, policies, and innovation in the negotiation of book contracts; or examinations of the careers of Klausner’s clients, such as playwright Philip Freund, Alex J. Goldman, author of religious biographies, Joachim Joesten, who wrote reports about wartime Germany, historical novelist Cornel Lengyel, or Marcel Marceau and his tales of Mime repertory. Whatever the topic, the role or contribution of Bertha Klausner to this topic should be featured along with that of other literary agents. Research in the Bertha Klausner Papers at the AHC must be a part of any research proposal.

An inventory of Bertha Klausner Papers is available to help formulate your research proposal.  To view inventories of other AHC collections, check out http://rmoa.unm.edu/results.php?inst=WyU-AH. You may also wish to search the AHC’s Catalog or contact the AHC reference department at ahcref@uwyo.edu.

Selection Committee: The Fellow will be selected by a committee of faculty from the American Heritage Center and members from the American Heritage Center’s Board of Faculty Advisors. The Fellow will be selected at the beginning of each year and will receive prompt notification of his/her selection. Research supported by the Fellowship should be conducted by the Fellow within one year of notification.

Qualifications: The Fellow will be a recognized scholar in one of the fields of research outlined. The Fellow should have a record of publication in the field or show significant potential for publication. Young scholars, minorities, and multi-disciplinary researchers are encouraged to apply. Selection of the Fellow will be made by the Selection Committee, as previously described, and will be on the basis of scholarly merit with no consideration of race, sex, ethnic background, or financial need. The Committee shall, however, consider the applicant’s ability to complete the research project and bring it to publication in a timely fashion.

Application for the Bertha Klausner Fellowship: Applicants for the Fellowship should submit to the committee, prior to the application deadline, the following materials:

• A research proposal of 2-3 pages outlining the specific research project proposed, how the papers of Bertha Klausner will be used, what other archival collections at the American Heritage Center are important to this research, and proposed publications which the research will support. Significant use of the Bertha Klausner Papers will be an important factor in the selection of the Fellow.
• A statement of the proposed timeline for the research project from initiation to completion.
• A resume including a list of publications authored by the applicant and copies of two of the author’s most recent publications which pertain to the proposed research, if applicable.

Obligations of the Fellow: The Fellow will receive a stipend of $2,500, which will be used to defray research costs at the American Heritage Center, travel and other expenses associated with the research and fall lecture, or publications costs from this research. The Fellow will be responsible for scheduling and conducting the research within one year of receipt of the award and for making timely progress toward publication of the results of the research. The Fellow will also be expected to provide a general interest lecture based on their research at the American Heritage Center during the fall semester. The lecture may be aimed at audience groups including students, faculty, and the public.

The Fellowship stipend will be paid in two disbursements: $500 upon the applicant’s acceptance of the Fellowship, and $2,000 upon completion of the first research session at the American Heritage Center.

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BERNARD L. MAJEWSKI RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

The Fellowship: The Bernard L. Majewski Research Fellowship is funded by an endowment provided through the generosity of Mrs. Thelma Majewski and is intended to provide research support for a recognized scholar in the history of economic geology and to facilitate the Fellow’s use of archival collections in the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. The Fellow shall be appointed for a period of one calendar year. During this time the Fellow will carry the title of the Bernard L. Majewski Research Fellow and represent the University of Wyoming as such. Administration of the Fellowship will be the responsibility of the Director, American Heritage Center.

Application: Applicants for the Fellowship should submit to the committee, prior to the application deadline, the following materials:

• a research proposal of 2-3 pages outlining the specific research project proposed, the archival collections to be used for this research, and proposed publications which the research will support
• a statement of the proposed timeline for the research project from initiation to completion
• a resume including a list of publications authored by the applicant and copies of two of the author’s most recent publications which pertain to the proposed research, if applicable.

Research Fields: The Fellowship is intended to support research in the history of economic geology. For the purposes of the Fellowship, economic geology is defined as the activities of exploration and development of petroleum, base, precious and industrial minerals, including basic geological research. Acceptable related fields include: history, oral history, and historical archaeology pertaining to economic geology, environment and natural resources history, and business or economic history related to economic geology. The American Heritage Center maintains many archival collections, which can be used by the Fellow as source material in conducting historical research. Research projects which integrate archival data with data gathered from other sources (such as historical archaeology and the earth sciences) are also encouraged.

Selection Committee: The Fellow will be selected by a committee consisting of faculty from the American Heritage Center and various University of Wyoming academic departments. The Fellow will be selected at the beginning of each year and will receive prompt notification of their selection. Research supported by the Fellowship should be conducted by the Fellow within one year of notification.

Qualifications: The Fellow will be a recognized scholar in one of the fields of research outlined. The Fellow should have a record of publication in the field or show significant potential for publication. Young scholars, minorities, and multi-disciplinary researchers are encouraged to apply. Selection of the Fellow will be made by the Selection Committee, as previously described, and will be on the basis of scholarly merit with no consideration of race, sex, ethnic background, or financial need. The Committee shall, however, consider the applicant’s ability to complete the research project and bring it to publication in a timely fashion.

Obligations of the Fellow: The Fellow will receive a stipend of $2,500 which will be used to defray research costs at the American Heritage Center, travel and other expenses associated with this research, or publication costs resulting from this research. The Fellow will be responsible for scheduling and conducting the research within one year of receipt of the award and for making timely progress toward publication of the results of the research. The Fellow will also be expected to provide a general interest lecture in their field of research during the fall semester. The lecture may be aimed at audience groups including students, faculty, and the public.

The Fellowship stipend will be paid in two disbursements: $500 upon the applicant’s acceptance of the Fellowship, and, $2,000 upon completion of the first research session at the American Heritage Center.

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We encourage you to apply and look forward to reviewing your application materials.  

Come Fly Away: Trans World Airlines Records Recently Processed!

1929 TWA Luxury Liner, built by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Now that's flying in style! TWA Records, Box 178. American Heritage Center.

Thanks to an ongoing grant from the NHPRC, a finding aid for the Trans World Airlines records has now been completed. Trans World Airlines was a major airline in the 20^th century. It existed from 1925-2001, after which it merged with American Airlines. It was originally named Transcontinental & Western Air (T&WA) because of the merger between Transcontinental Air Transport (T-A-T) and Western Air Express in 1930. It was the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American Airlines and one of the first airlines to offer exclusively air-based coast-to-coast service, called the Lindbergh Line, from the advice the airline received from Charles Lindbergh. Because of the high profile advisers at T&WA, it was called “The Airline Run by Flyers.”

A TWA flight soars over the San Francisco Bay area, 1929. TWA Records, Box 178. American Heritage Center.

In 1938 Howard Hughes, business magnate, bought 25% of the airline and went on to control 78% of the airline by 1941. The airline prospered during WWII due to its business from Army flights. It was also during this period that Hughes’s leadership led the airline to become known for cutting-edge technology in the field of commercial aviation. In 1950 the airline officially changed its name to Trans World Airlines and became known as the “Airline to the Stars” because of its famous clientele. TWA was the first airline to hire an African American flight attendant and the first to show in-flight movies, starting in 1961.

More recently, TWA began to suffer from a series of misfortunes. On June 14, 1985, TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Lebanese Shia extremists, later identified as members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. In 1995 the airline declared bankruptcy and began to suffer troubles due to its aging fleet. On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded on a flight over the Atlantic Ocean near Long Island, killing all 230 people on board. While initial speculation was of a terrorist attack, the final National Transportation Safety Board report concluded that the cause was the ignition of fuel vapors probably caused by an electrical short circuit.  Finally, TWA merged with American Airlines in 2001 after declaring bankruptcy for the third time.

A TWA plane catching the light just so. TWA Records, Box 178. American Heritage Center.

The records within this collection mainly encompass the engineering, maintenance, and technical tasks of the company from 1944-1970. There are many reports from vendors such as Lockheed, British Aircraft Corporation, General Electric, and Boeing. Blueprints and technical drawings are also present. The collection provides a fascinating view of how an airline was maintained in the mid-20^th century.

–Kathryn Brooks and Emily Christopherson, Processing Archivists

Black History Month Highlight: Bill Pickett

In honor of Black History Month, the AHC would like to share some of our collection material that highlights African-American life in the West and beyond.

The Cowboy

The original cowboy archetype in the US imagination was tall, rangy, and Caucasian—think of Owen Wister’s Virginian, Jack Schaefer’s Shane, or the first cowboy superhero, Hopalong Cassidy, played by the actor, William Boyd.  (Not coincidentally we have the papers of Wister, Schaefer, and Boyd here at the AHC.)  In reality, however, American cowboys were a more diverse mix and a significant percentage were African American.  One example, a famous figure on the rodeo circuit, is Bill Pickett, the first African American inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Ben or Bill Pickett. On the back is written: "Ben Pickett, not Bill Pickett." University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Photofile: Cowboys - Black Cowboys, Negative Number 6248.

“Bulldogging” Bill Pickett became famous for his innovative approach to steer wrestling.  As rodeo lore tells it, Puckett worked as a cowhand and observed bulldogs working the herds on various ranches.  These bulldogs managed their bovine charges by biting them on the lips.  The dogs would chomp down on the cow’s lip until the cow lay down and then the men could brand the animals.  Bill Pickett watched these dogs and decided to try it for himself; it apparently worked so well that he began to steer wrestle on the rodeo circuit.  This new technique came to be called “bulldogging” after the breed of dog that inspired it.

He died in 1932, the result of a ranch accident, but was inducted posthumously into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1971.

–Rachael Dreyer, Reference Archivist

Prohibition in Wyoming

January 16th was the 92nd anniversary of the passage of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which transformed Prohibition into federal law.

Much of our understanding of Prohibition is framed by its urban impacts and consequences–bootlegging and organized crime, car chases though downtown areas, speak-easies on city blocks, police raids on drinking establishments, and bathtub gin manufactured in apartments.  But how did it affect rural areas?  The most frequently documented rural areas are in Appalachia, where the moonshiners ran their stills.  What about Wyoming?

Well, with the Otto Plaga Photograph Collection, you can witness how Prohibition would have affected Wyomingites.

Here are a few sample images from the collection, or click the link above to browse more images.

Bates Hole, Wyo. Red Creek. Seized by O.W. Plaga, Federal Agent and S.R. Owens, Federal Agent with Bill Irving. Otto Plaga photographs, Box 1, Fol 1.

Billy Hunter, Al Morton, Chris Jessen with still equipment in Green River, WY. Note the young "helper" on the left side of the photograph. Otto Plaga Photographs, Box 1, Fol. 1.

Stills seized by Plaga, Peyton, and Everhart near Douglas, WY Otto Plaga photographs, Box 1, Fol 1.

Stills after a raid in Wyoming. Otto Plaga Photographs, Accession Number 10397, Box 1, Folder 1.

For a general introduction to Prohibition history, Ken Burns’ Prohibition, released in October of 2011, is a good starting point and with only three episodes, is easily finished over a weekend.  For the time being, episodes are available for free viewing online.  While Wyoming doesn’t feature prominently in Ken Burns’ latest work, viewers will have the opportunity to learn how Prohibition affected the U.S. as a whole, including some lesser-known unintended consequences

On December 5, 1933, the 21^st Amendment to the Constitution overturned Prohibition.  Since then, whether your choice was an occasional beer or to forswear alcoholic beverages, it was once again a personal choice rather than a matter of Constitutional importance.

Cheers!

–Rachael Dreyer, Reference Archivist

 

New Anti-Trust Finding Aids Available!

As a part of the ongoing National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant to process the Center’s Depression-era collections, the AHC has created several new finding aids for anti-trust collections that were previously unprocessed. The Oxford English Dictionary defines anti-trust as “Opposed to trusts or similar monopolistic combinations.” Anti-trust law is also known as competition law and refers to law that promotes or maintains market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies (Wikipedia). At any rate, the 20th century saw a flurry of anti-trust legislation and other measures to prevent the growth of monopolies by corporations. These lawyers’ papers reflect such efforts.

Philo Clarke Calhoun, undated. Philo C. Calhoun Papers, Box 2.

Hugh Baker Cox (1905-1973) was one such lawyer. Cox worked in the anti-trust division of the U.S. Department of Justice during the 1930s and early 1940s. He also served on the Board of Economic Warfare in London, concentrating on economic intelligence activities. Perhaps most notably, Cox worked on federal policy formulation regarding a dispute between Montgomery Ward and the National War Labor Board which resulted in the seizure of the company under presidential executive order.

Paul H. LaRue was an anti-trust lawyer who worked with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in Washington, D.C. first as a trial lawyer and later as attorney-adviser to the FTC commissioner in the early 1950s. After, he moved to Chicago and joined the firm Chadwell, Keck, Kayser, & Ruggles in 1958. There, he was a public member of the Illinois Conflict of Interest Laws Commission. LaRue authored many works on anti-trust publications.  Earl W. Kintner (1912-1991) also worked as a trial lawyer with the FTC and went on to become chairman from 1959 to1961. Kintner was a proponent of industry self-regulation while simultaneously enforcing anti-trust measures. He also published and lectured on antitrust law, trade practices, and administrative law.

Young Philo Calhoun on a road trip with friends, undated. Other photographs in the collection show the group fishing and enjoying an outdoor meal with china teacups. Philo C. Calhoun Papers, Box 12.

Philo Clarke Calhoun (1889-1964) was an anti-trust lawyer who often partnered with another anti-trust notable, Judge Thurman Arnold. Together, the two are remembered as some of the New Deal’s most iconoclastic “trust-busters.” However, Calhoun had another, decidedly less aggressive hobby – Dickens scholarship. Calhoun was an expert on rare editions of Charles Dickens’s works, and also enjoyed hymnology.

Louis B. Smith in his office, undated. Louis B. Smith papers, Coll. No. 8272. Box 23, Folder 1.

Finally, Louis B. Schwartz was an attorney and lawyer known for his work on anti-trust laws and penal code reform. A legal scholar, Schwartz taught at a number of institutions, including Pennsylvania State University, the University of California’s Hastings College of Law, Harvard, Cambridge, and others. Schwartz served as a member of the Attorney General’s National Committee to Study the Anti-trust Laws from 1954-1955 and director of the National Commission on Reform of Federal Criminal Law from 1968-1971.

–Kathryn Brooks, Processing Archivist

World War I on both sides of the Atlantic

Women giving refreshments to soldiers, July 1918. American Heritage Center, Muriel Valentine Papers, Box 1.

Season 2 of the BBC hit miniseries “Downton Abbey” aired on local PBS channels on January 8th.  This season promises to be educational as well as absorbing with the 1916, World War I setting and its perspective from the British aristocracy.  The fictional account of one family’s experience during the Great War might put you in the mood to bone up on a bit of World War I history.  While Downton Abbey might provide some perspective on World War IThe American Heritage Center, among its military history collections, has several collections that document Americans’ experience in the massive global conflict that forever changed world politics, national borders, and individual lives.

The Neil T. McMillan papers shed some light on a Neil McMillan, a soldier who served in the U.S. Army during World War I and became so enraptured by the new flying machines that he transferred to the Army Air Corps.  His military service nurtured his love of flying and he was involved in aeronautics for the rest of his working life.

Thurman Wesley Arnold Papers, Box 102A, Folder 12.

Thurman Wesley Arnold, a native of Laramie, attended the University of Wyoming, Princeton, and Harvard, and practiced law in Chicago for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army during the Great War.  He served in France during the war and his collection contains photographs of life in the training camps and on the field.  Portions of his papers have been digitized, including the photographs of his World War I service.

For some perspective on what it would have been like to serve in the Austrian Air Force during World War I, the Wolfgang B. Klemperer papers can provide you with some photo documentation.  You’ll find scrapbooks that depict his service to Austria in boxes 2 and 3 of the collection.

Albany County men ready to leave for WWI training camp, 1918. American Heritage Center, Ludwig Svenson Collection, Negative Number 6226.2A.

Fictional accounts can do lot to bring historical events alive, but the truths on which they’re based can give much more contextual–and perhaps little known– background to such significant and widely researched events.

–Rachael Dreyer, Reference Archivist