Ohio History Journal

Historical News

 

 

 

The Steubenville Herald-Star celebrated its 150th birthday on June 7.

Founded as the Western Herald by William Lowry and John Miller, it was

operated for thirty years--from 1815 to 1845--by James Wilson, the paternal

grandfather of President Woodrow Wilson, and by his son Robert, who

succeeded him. It is the second oldest newspaper in continuous existence in

Ohio, the oldest being the Chillicothe Gazette. It is a member of the Brush-

Moore chain.

 

Earle W. Newton, former editor of American Heritage and director of

Old Sturbridge Village, has recently been appointed director of the new

bureau of museums, historic sites, and properties of the Pennsylvania His-

torical and Museum Commission.

 

Among the recent acquisitions of the Rutherford B. Hayes Library is a

collection of materials relating to the early history of the schools of Sandusky

County. Included in the collection, which was presented to the library by

Mrs. John M. Dawley a short time before her death, are school books, photo-

graphs and photo albums, maps, pamphlets, and the only known daguerreo-

types (about 1860) of the teacher and pupils of the Dawley School, Ballville.

From the files of an early Fremont photographer, R. Grob, the picture

division of the library received about three thousand glass negatives of por-

traits of local people made about 1900 or earlier. The gift was made possible

through the cooperation of Stephen D. Thomaswick, until recently a com-

mercial photographer of Fremont.

 

Two valuable manuscript collections have recently come into the possession

of the library of the Western Reserve Historical Society. A collection of

William McKinley papers, including war papers, family letters, photographs,

books, and personal mementoes, was presented by John Allison Duncan. Of

special interest are over one hundred letters and telegrams dealing with the

payment of the Walker-McKinley notes (1893-94), which are included in

the gift. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Main, members of the society, have presented

the genealogy division with a large group of typescript and microfilm copies

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416     THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

of marriage, will, cemetery, and Bible records and other vital records of

more than twenty Ohio counties.

 

The annual meeting of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio,

which will be held on December 3 at the Cincinnati Art Museum, will

climax the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the society. Bernhard

Knollenberg will speak on "Causes and Growth of Colonial Discontent,

1759-1775."

The Historical and Philosophical Society recently acquired a collection of

Gwynne family papers of approximately nine hundred items. The collection

contains correspondence of Major David Gwynne, an army paymaster and

Cincinnati real estate broker, and his son, Abraham Evan Gwynne, a child

prodigy of Cincinnati legal history.

 

The Marietta College Library has recently acquired the Harry P. Fischer

collection of steamboat photographs, consisting of eleven hundred prints

with the corresponding plates and films. Fischer, a lifelong (1879-1949)

resident of Marietta, a graduate of Marietta Academy in 1896, and an

amateur photographer in his youth, acquired professional status by 1901,

when he opened a studio.

Jessie Hyde Palmer has been appointed assistant cataloger at the Marietta

College Library.

 

The Rev. W. Eugene Shiels of Xavier University, Cincinnati, who is chair-

man of the committee on awards of the Ohio Academy of History will be

happy to receive suggestions for the award for the outstanding historical

achievement of a member of the academy during 1956.

 

At the University of Akron, George Knepper has been promoted from

instructor to assistant professor.

Clara G. Roe, who has been acting head of the history department since

the death of Summerfield Baldwin, became head of the department in

September of this year. Dr. Roe visited the Library of Congress, the Penn-

sylvania Historical Society, the Connecticut Historical Society, and the

Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, in July to complete the

research for a biography of Nathanael Greene.

 

The American Jewish Archives published this year The Future of American

Jewry, a volume by Jacob R. Marcus, director of the archives. The essay,

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HISTORICAL NEWS           417

 

originally delivered as a lecture at the Dropsie College for Hebrew and

Cognate Learning by Dr. Marcus on June 2, 1955, was printed with minor

changes.

 

Richard C. Knopf, historian of the Anthony Wayne Parkway Board, had

an article, "Crime and Punishment in the Legion, 1792-1793," published

in the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio Bulletin for July 1956.

Research on the War of 1812, which is being carried on by the board, is

well under way.

 

Louis Filler, acting chairman of the department of history at Antioch

College, served as an analyst at a conference of the College English Asso-

ciation Institute, held at the University of Massachusetts on July 6-9. The

theme of the conference was "The American Humanities in an Industrial

Civilization." Dr. Filler had an article, "The Interdisciplinary Factor in

American Civilization," in School and Society for June 9, 1956.

 

Robert Seager II, who is on sabbatical leave from Denison University

during the year 1956-57, will be in Washington, D.C., engaged in research

in American diplomatic and naval history.

 

William D. Overman, director of the Firestone Library and Archives, was

elected in June an honorary member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Archivistas.

 

Two promotions in the history department at Heidelberg College became

effective at the beginning of the academic year 1956-57: Carl G. Klopfenstein

was raised in rank from associate professor to professor; Kenneth E. Davison,

from assistant professor to associate professor.

 

At Miami Univerity, Ronald E. Shaw, formerly assistant professor of

social studies in the school of education, has been made assistant professor

of history in the school of arts and science.

Dwight L. Smith has been promoted from assistant to associate professor

in the history department.

 

Articles published in the past few months by members of the history

department at Ohio State University include Eugene H. Roseboom's "Ohio,

Principal Events, 1955," in the American Annual 1956; Harvey Goldberg's

review article, "The Man Who Knew Better," in The Nation for March 11,

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418     THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

1956; and Robert H. Bremner's "'Scientific Philanthropy,' 1873-93," in the

Social Service Review for June 1956. Dr. Bremner's book, From the Depths:

The Discovery of Poverty in the United States, was published in September

by the New York University Press.

 

A. T. Volwiler of the Ohio University history department taught during

the past summer at San Francisco State College.

George Lobdell, who has his doctor's degree from the University of

Illinois, has joined the staff of the history department as an assistant professor.

Carl Gustavson received the Ohio Academy of History certificate of award

for the outstanding achievement by a member of the academy during 1955.

The award was in recognition of his volume, A Preface to History. Dr.

Gustavson also was awarded a grant from the American Philosophical Society.

John F. Cady, chairman of the department, returned to Ohio University

in June 1956 after a year's leave of absence. He spent the year in Burma,

where he enjoyed a Fulbright research grant coupled with one from the

Guggenheim Foundation while writing a one-volume political history of

modern Burma. The book is being prepared for publication. Dr. Cady also

contributed a chapter entitled "Evolving Political Institutions in Southeast

Asia" to the volume, Nationalism and Progress in Free Asia, edited by Philip

Thayer and published by the Johns Hopkins Press this year.

 

Keith D. Churchman, who was for a number of years a member of the

history faculty at Central State College, died of leukemia in University

Hospital, Columbus, on July 20. Dr. Churchman had been seriously ill for

the past three years.

 

The history and political science department of Xavier University has added

two new members: John V. Mentag, S.J., as instructor and John J. Whealen

as an assistant professor. Both will teach in the field of American history.

 

Cecil Cody has been promoted to assistant professor of history at the

University of Toledo.

Willard A. Smith, associate professor of history at Toledo, has been

awarded a grant from the Spanish government for study in Spain on modern

Spanish history with particular reference to the regime of Primo de Rivera.

Travel funds were granted by the United States Department of State.

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