Armistice Day, Nov. 1932
...
Category Archives: Uncategorized
No Shave November
For several years back in the 50′s, the University of Detroit Spring Carnival held a beard contest. There were categories such as Full, Unique, Van Dyke and a Special Award to the best recreation of an historical beard. The prizes included Remmington Shavers and Grooming kits by Remmington. Afterwards (back on campus) there would be a shaving contest in which there was a footrace (20 yards) to the judges stand to line up for the smoothness test by King and...
The Great Pumpkin at UD 1961
The Great Pumpkin Mixer, October 31, 1961 Not a “publicity stunt”? Hmmmmm. Next to this article there just happens to be: Varsity News, October 31, 1961 Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!...
Headache Cure
Headache Cure The James T. Callow Folklore Archive is an interesting place to spend some time. A visitor can usually discover something interesting, funny, or amazing there. Each entry is brief but loaded with a bit of America that few other collections offer. Take this post, for example. I was searching for something to write about and typed a few lines into Google to see what I could find. To my delight, this brief story from the collection popped onto the...
A View of Past Presidential Elections
The following viewpoints are not necessarily those of the University of Detroit Mercy or that of the employees of the university or library. I thought I better put that disclaimer in just in case-I don’t want anyone to think that any political bias that might get expressed here reflects on anyone but me. While college students came out in significant numbers to support the election of President Obama in 2008 and 2012, that seems to be more the exception than...
“Our Wish is to Do Good”
The Colored American was among 40 black newspapers published before the Civil War. Although it’s first issue was available in March of 1837, it was the July 7, 1838 (shown here), issue that offered a pointed expression of its purpose and direction. Like all such newspapers in circulation at the time, the Colored American offered a way to keep people connected and informed. It offered them a voice and a platform for debate when no other resource was available. And...
Fall Homecoming 2016
This year the University of Detroit Mercy is going all out to celebrate a fall homecoming for students and alumni. There will be a campus-wide BBQ, 5K race, an old fashion tug-of-war that was an annual event with the St. Francis Club, and since many alumni met their future spouses when they were students at the university, a ceremony to renew their vows. There are a number of other events scheduled for the weekend-its just too bad that it looks...
Edgar Allan Poe’s Purloined Letter
This post is more of a sidebar of what else I do in the archives and special collections. In the process of weeding material out of the regular circulating collection, I go through the material to see if there are any items that are worth finding new homes for instead of sending to some landfill. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is the case with many of the items that I have posted on the library’s ebay page. I...
Birth of a Student Newspaper, Part 2: Outer Echoes
Outer Echoes Still Heard In 1940, the Sisters of Mercy established a presence in Detroit at Southfield and West Outer Drive. About a year later, Mercy College of Detroit began offering classes on this spot that would leave an indelible mark in this city’s history. Over the years until its consolidation with the University of Detroit in 1990, Mercy College expanded from offering nursing and teaching classes to women into a comprehensive coeducational liberal arts college. In October 1941, the...
The Birth of a Student Newspaper: Varsity News
In 1918, while the country was focused on the misery of WWI and the devastation of the Spanish influenza epidemic (said to be the worst in U.S. history) there was a desperate need for a reliable distribution of information. With so much upheaval and uncertainty, newspapers around the country offered a way to connect individuals with vital details concerning the seemingly fast moving changes taking place in the world. The value of this form of communication was also recognized by...
