Dr. Harrison Brown found ways to separate plutonium to devise the world’s first atomic weapons and then spent the rest of his life urging the abolition of those same deadly devices.
He was born in Sheridan, Wyoming, on September 26, 1917, the son of Harrison H. Brown (1880-1927), a rancher and cattle broker, and Agnes Scott Brown (1889-1963), a piano teacher and a professional organist. His father died when he was ten years old, and mother and son moved to San Francisco, where Mrs. Brown supplemented her income as a dental assistant by teaching music and playing piano for silent movies.
Trained as a chemist, Brown did undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, and then earned a doctorate at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The subject of his thesis, thermal diffusion of argon and construction of a spectrometer for isotope analysis led, in 1942, to an invitation by Manhattan Project chemist Glenn Seaborg to join him in the Metallurgical Laboratories at the University of Chicago. Brown joined the project and moved later with the research group to Clinton Engineer Works in Oak Ridge, Tenn., where he devised ways to produce plutonium. The techniques he helped develop were used to produce the plutonium used in the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki, 75 years ago on August 9, 1945.
After the two bombs were exploded and the war with Japan ended, Brown and other Manhattan Project scientists expressed their grave concern about the future. Although they had strong justifications for their involvement in the bomb project, they were powerfully committed to preventing further development and spread of nuclear devices. To that end, Brown joined the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists (ECAS), becoming its executive vice chairman alongside its chairman, Dr. Albert Einstein. The Committee was formed to aid the public’s understanding of atomic issues by raising and directing funds for public education.
In this 1946 discussion, Dr. Harrison Brown states, “We all must realize that the very existence of the atomic bomb jeopardizes [man’s freedom] in all its aspects. The fundamental issue before us now, as I see it, is that at all costs we must prevent another war. Nothing must be permitted to divert our attention from that fact.” Box 1, Harrison S. Brown papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
By December 1945, Harrison had completed a 160-page book, Must Destruction Be Our Destiny? (Simon and Schuster, 1946), warning about the extreme dangers of nuclear weapons. His passion led him to give 102 lectures within three months throughout the United States. He used royalties from the book sales to support the work of ECAS, which later became a working committee within the Federation of American Scientists whose aims and efforts were directed to proper regulation of atomic power and weapons.
On February 27, 1950, the New York Times published an article titled “Ending of All Life by Bomb Foreseen” in which scientists ponder the central question of the Cold War, that of mutually assured destruction if the Soviet Union or the United States employ nuclear weapons. Box 1, Harrison S. Brown papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
He maintained his anti-nuclear posture for the rest of his life and at his death in 1986 was editor in chief of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a publication produced by many who had helped develop nuclear bombs but who had become adamant in their opposition to them.
Learn more about Dr. Harrison Brown’s career and activism in his papers at the American Heritage Center. His papers contain his publications including books and journal articles as well as correspondence, subject files, a scrapbook, and audiotapes of interviews with Brown.
I’ve walked through Laramie’s Greenhill Cemetery many times over the years and have been curious about the headstones carved to look like tree stumps. I finally decided to do a little research. You may already know this, but each intricately carved tombstone indicates that the deceased was a member of the Woodmen of the World fraternal society.
As is the way nowadays, I googled to find out more. I came across an interesting descriptive article from 2016 about fraternal orders, particularly the Woodmen organization, by Lisa Hix of the Houston Chronicle. I’ve excerpted from the article below.
Death was everywhere in 19th-century America: Fatal injuries, disease epidemics, and the Civil War made families acutely aware of mortality. For women and children, the death of a husband and father could tumble them into poverty. Only the wealthiest Americans bought private life insurance. Women were not allowed to take out policies on their husbands, and if the husband bought the policy on himself, the money wouldn’t be protected from creditors.
And then, grieving families faced another layer of shame. In 19th-century America, taking charity was perceived as weakness. The thinking was, if a lack of industriousness made you destitute, well, then you got what you deserved.
However, the middle and working classes did have a workaround. Men could join secretive clubs like the Freemasons and Oddfellows that provided networking, entertainment, and a moral education. If a man proved himself to be hardworking and of good character through his initiation trials, his social standing meant his family could quietly receive financial support from the lodge without the stigma of accepting charity.
Permelia Roberts, the widow of Laramie resident John S. Roberts, received $3,000 in benefits from the Woodmen of the World organization after the death of her husband in 1897. Today this would be about $85,000. Article from the Laramie Boomerang, May 21, 1897.
After the devastating Civil War, well-established fraternal orders began to formalize their benefits into insurance subsidiaries. New secret societies known as “mutual beneficiary societies,” created with the explicit purpose of offering life insurance policies, sprang up around the U.S. Largely excluded from the original fraternal orders, women and African Americans even launched their own aid societies. Still, to join any fraternal order and receive its insurance benefits, you had to prove that you were no slouch — a hard worker with high morals such as thrift, self-reliance, discipline, and generosity.
Royal Neighbors of America was founded by women in 1895 and was one of the first to offer life insurance to women. Shown is a parade float from 1926 for Camp 2838 of Laramie. Box 8, Ludwig & Svenson Studio Photographs, American Heritage Center,University of Wyoming. (I see another blog post in my future. I have to find out more about the RNA.)
But fraternal orders weren’t all about restraint. Before the days of TV, radio, or fantasy football, fraternal lodges offered plays, rituals, and camaraderie, and allowed men to let loose, which kept members coming back for more. The clout of being an insider and the endless pursuit of mystical, esoteric knowledge ensured that men would make their insurance payments for decades to come. The Woodmen came late to the party—incorporating in 1883 as the Modern Woodmen of America—but their leaders’ entrepreneurial innovations breathed new life into the fraternal insurance game. Founder Joseph Cullen Root, a Lyons, Iowa, businessman, seized the opportunity to create his own fraternal order when the mutual aid society Knights of Honor, which almost went under due to the 1878 Yellow Fever epidemic, was selling its local lodge.
To avoid a similar financial pitfall, Root made fitness a requirement to join his order, recruiting rural young men from the “healthiest states,” which meant those outside industrial New England. In the Woodmen, he fused Christian philosophy and pioneer values with ancient agricultural rites. “At that time, Root’s thought was that a cleared conscience and a cleared forest were synonymous,” says Bruce Lee Webb, who co-authored the 2015 book, As Above, So Below: Art of the American Fraternal Society with Lynne Adele. “The axe is an instrument that clears the forest but is also useful for constructing buildings and making progress.”
Band of Laramie’s Pilot Camp No. 46 of Woodmen of the World, 1917. Ludwig & Svenson Studio Photographs, Box 33B, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
After an internal dispute with the other Modern Woodmen of America leaders, Root left the organization in 1890 and moved to Omaha to form a nearly identical “speculative woodcraft” order: Woodmen of the World. One of his innovations was to provide free tombstones—Root believed passionately that no member of his order should be buried in an unmarked grave. So, for 10 years, the Woodmen gave its members grave markers in the shape of tree stumps, inspired by the Victorian Rustic movement. (For another two decades, the members put down $100 apiece to reserve theirs.)
At a Woodman’s funeral, his personalized 4- to 5-foot tall tree stump headstone would be revealed in an elaborate ritual. The local stone carver, who might alter the pattern, would add embellishments reflecting the Woodman’s personality, such as axes and doves.
Headstone of Laramie hardware merchant C.R. LeRoy who died in 1894.Detail of LeRoy’s headstone.Headstone of Laramie resident John S. Richards who died March 2, 1897, of measles.Epitaph for John S. Richards.Details of Richards’ headstoneBack of Richards’ headstone. Note the intricate carving of the bird, stump, and flower.Bottom of Richards’ headstone with characteristic signs of a tombstone designed for Woodmen of the World.Photographs taken in Laramie’s Greenhill Cemetery by AHC Archivist Leslie Waggener, July 25, 2020.
Laramie wasn’t the only Wyoming town with a Woodmen chapter. A search in the Wyoming State Library’s digitized newspaper database “Wyoming Newspapers” reveals that there were Woodmen camps in Douglas, Rawlins, Sheridan, Green River, Newcastle, Casper, Grand Encampment, Big Piney, and most likely other towns I may have missed.
Woodmen of the World exists today as WoodmenLife (officially Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society) and is still based in Omaha, Nebraska.
By the way, if you’re looking for images related to fraternal orders in Southeastern Wyoming, a great resource is the Ludwig & Svenson Photographic Collection at the American Heritage Center.
– Post contributed by AHC Archivist Leslie Waggener.
Have you ever wondered about what happens to the digital files that get donated to the American Heritage Center? Or what happens with files that were created on software that no longer exists? Can the AHC deal with 5” floppy disks and ZIP disks? What about email and websites?
A trip to the Born Digital unit reveals a trove of equipment and software that lets the AHC care for digital files – whether common or obscure. Among its assortment of hardware are drives and players that read both 3” and 5” floppy disks, Zip disks, Blu Rays, SATA and HDD internal computer hard drives, and DAT tapes. Its collection of software programs likewise opens a wide variety of files from the defunct – ClarisWorks and Lotus Word Pro – to the popular – Photoshop and Word – to the emerging – Microsoft Outlook email and WARC website files.
Assortment of obsolete and current media that the AHC’s Born Digital unit handles on a daily basis.
In a strange sense, digital files are very fragile. It might not seem that way given how widespread they are, but it’s very easy to accidentally delete a file or make an unintended edit. It’s also not uncommon for a computer to make an error and corrupt a file so that you can’t open it, or the font suddenly looks like Wingdings characters – ehimrtvyz.. It’s the responsibility of the Born Digital unit to protect the digital files in the archive so that researchers can read them, be inspired, and make discoveries now and far into the future.
What steps does the Born Digital unit take to preserve digital files?
Transfer
Computer errors can come up when you transfer files between folders or across devices. To prevent this, the Born Digital unit checks the digital fingerprints of each file that gets transferred from a disk, like a CD or a flash drive, and put onto the workstation computer. If the fingerprint remains the same after the transfer, all is good. If the fingerprint is different, the digital archivist will investigate what went wrong and fix it.
Prepare
Digital files have a lot of metadata. Simply put, metadata is data about data. It tells us who created a file, when it was created, what software it was created on, how big it is, and so on. This information gives archivists clues about how to preserve it, as well as context into how one file might connect to a second file within a folder. The Born Digital unit collects this metadata and organizes it to prepare the file for researcher access.
Do these look familiar? The AHC keeps a trove of current and outmoded equipment in order to ingest born digital files and then transfer them to formats readable by today’s researcher.
Migrate
Files need to be in a stable format that can be opened twenty plus years into the future. This means migrating old or obscure formats from their original type to one that is very commonly used or open source. Open source means that the software code is openly available and if it becomes necessary, software developers can look at the code to recreate a way to read the file. In practice, this means converting an old .doc file into a .pdf. Microsoft may let you open a .doc file on Word now, but it’s an old format and it’s very probable that the company will no longer support it at some time in the future.
At this point, files get renamed as well. Renaming involves replacing spaces and special characters, like an ampersand or an asterisk, with safe characters, like an underscore or a dash. Some special characters or sequences of special characters mean a specific thing to a computer. By replacing them with safe characters, we remove the potential risk of a computer misreading a file.
AHC Digital Archivist Rachel Gattermeyer preserving born digital files for research use.
Investigation
Sometimes a file won’t open or tell you what kind of format it is. Sometimes you have a corrupted file and you want to dig around for clues to see if you can open any part of it. In these cases, digital forensics tools are used to take a deeper, computer-level look at a file.
Storage and Maintenance
Once a file is stable and renamed, and all the metadata is collected, it gets saved into three identical copies that have the same digital fingerprint. The three copies act as backups in case one of the files gets deleted or accidentally altered.
It might seem at this point that everything is finished and there is no more work to be done. This is not so. Digital files require ongoing maintenance. The files’ digital fingerprints need to be continually checked to show that they haven’t been corrupted or changed. File formats might need to be converted as software versions are updated or as companies go out of business. The servers or hard drives where the three copies are stored need to be replaced every 5-7 years before they die or crash. The care for digital files is an ongoing task.
The AHC works hard to makes sure that digital files are ready for you now and far into the future. Ask us how you can access our many exciting digital collections. To learn more about digital preservation, contact the AHC’s Digital Archives Coordinator Dinah Miles at dmiles1@uwyo.edu.
On June 2, 2020, the Council of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) issued a statement condemning harassment and violence against the Black community. The American Heritage Center expresses solidarity with SAA in its condemnation.
SAA Council’s statement reads in part:
During this time of dramatic and traumatic historical significance, the Society of American Archivists remains committed to its core organizational value of social responsibility, including equity and safety for Black archives workers and archives of Black Lives. A truly open, inclusive, and collaborative environment for all members of the Society cannot exist without justice for those affected by anti-Black violence. As the Council, we are committed to developing and advocating for solutions that contribute to the public good and affirm the importance of Black Lives.[1]
The vitality of American archives depends on the safety of archives workers and an explicit commitment to social responsibility, justice, and anti-racism in the work that we do and the organizations we work within. We intend to create and convene a space for constructive discussion toward progressive change in the archival profession and true inclusivity of the archival record, in a profound engagement with our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The American Heritage Center endorses the SAA Council Statement on Black Lives and Archives. The AHC believes in inclusivity and equity. The Center practices respect and provides our best service to everyone who comes in our doors.
The road to Bruce Lee’s screen stardom began in Oakland, California, where his Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute began attracting the attention of the martial arts world. His appearance in the first-ever Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964 wowed the audience with demonstrations of his “one-inch punch” and astute lectures regarding his fighting philosophy. One of the attendees was celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring who spread the word in Hollywood about this amazing martial artist. William Dozier, producer of the hit show Batman, got hold of some tournament footage and had Lee come in for a screen test.
Article about William Dozier as Executive Producer of the successful television series “Batman.” Box 8, William Dozier papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Bruce Lee screen-tested for the role of Charlie Chan’s son in a series to be titled “Number One Son,” but the series was scuttled. However, the success of Batman gave Dozier the go ahead to launch his new hero/sidekick series, The Green Hornet, which was already a successful comics and media franchise. It featured Britt Reid, owner/publisher of The Daily Sentinel, who fights crime as “The Green Hornet.” His secret remains unknown except to his faithful valet, Kato—a kung-fu expert and driver of “Black Beauty,” the duo’s well-armed car. Bruce Lee would be Kato.
Van Williams and Bruce Lee in fighting stance for a publicity photograph, 1966. Box 18, William Dozier papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Filming immediately met a hitch. Lee refused to fight in slug matches as seen in typical westerns. The essence of his martial arts philosophy was efficiency not sloppy punching. But Lee’s moves were a blur to the TV cameras. So, he shot his fight scenes in slow motion and grudgingly included flashy flying kicks for visual impact.
It was the first time kung fu was seen in the West outside Chinatown movie theaters. Younger viewers were astonished by what they saw. Bruce Lee’s Kato became the series’ real star and he was soon making personal appearances across the country. Van Williams, who played The Green Hornet, took Lee’s fame in stride. They became good friends and Williams went to bat with the show’s producers to give Lee more screen time and lines. In turn, Lee taught Williams some basic techniques that he is sometimes used in the series.
Bruce Lee teaches Van Williams some of his show-stopping moves, 1966. Box 18, William Dozier papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
In 1967, a two-parter was shot in which The Green Hornet and Kato teamed up with Batman and Robin. Batman was the more popular of the two shows and the fight took place on that show. The original script had Batman and Robin winning the fight. Bruce Lee wouldn’t have it. He walked off the show. As a compromise, the scene was rewritten to have the fight end in a draw. On set, leading up to the fight scene, Lee played a joke on Burt Ward as Robin. Lee didn’t say a word, he just stared at Ward and acted angry all day. When they started filming Lee acted like he was going to fight for real, which panicked Ward until Lee laughingly revealed it was all a joke.
Despite considerable interest in Bruce Lee, The Green Hornet aired only one season from 1966-1967. It never found a larger-than-niche audience.
Green Hornet’s Executive Producer William Dozier writes to Bruce Lee of the series’ demise, March 7, 1967. Box 8, William Dozier papers, American Heritage Center, University of WyomingLetter of gratitude from Bruce Lee to William Dozier in which he states that part of his role on the series was “…of minimizing and hacking away the unessential,” May 13, 1967. Box 8, William Dozier papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Nestled
between the Laramie Mountains to the east and the Snowy Range mountains to the
west, Laramie is a gateway for visitors and residents alike to explore the
beauty of Wyoming’s nature. Yet at the University of Wyoming’s American
Heritage Center, there is another type of beauty waiting to be explored; the
beauty of rare books from the past.
The Common Book of Prayer and the Administrations of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the use of the Church of England, Together with the Psalter, or Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be Sung or Said in Churches (Common Book Prayer for short) is one of the many rare books housed in the Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center. For most Anglican Churches in the British Commonwealth the Common Book of Prayers has been the standard liturgical text since 1662[1]. The copy housed in the library was published in 1678 by printers Christopher Barker and John Bill of London and was acquired in 2014.
Custom protective box for Book of Common Prayer. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The age of this copy and its remarkable condition are indeed rare, however, it is the workmanship of the bookbinder that qualifies this book as a treasure. Early books were printed and remained unbound or in their original boards until the purchaser of the book sent it to a bookbinder for binding. Known for his beautiful leather tooling and fore-edge painting this bookbinder, whose name has been lost to time and is known as Queen’s Binder B, and their craftsmanship has transformed the book from a mere series of text into a beautiful work of art. The cover is bound in black Moroccan leather with intricate floral tooling stamped in gilt and painted silver.
Queen’s Binder B – the cover is bound in black Moroccan leather with intricate floral tooling stamped in gilt and painted silver. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
All the fore-edges are gilded, painted with colored flowers, and gauffered, indenting the gilded edges with a heated tool. Visitors to the American Heritage Center Main Reading Room (4th floor) can view this beautiful book by appointment.
Queen’s Binder B — fore-edges are gilded, painted with colored flowers, and gauffered, indenting the gilded edges with a heated tool. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Queen’s Binder B — bottom/tail-edge of book. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Other books at the University did not arrive in such pristine shape. Found in the University of Wyoming Botany Department’s library in 2014, The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) was sent for conservation work before it was transferred to the American Heritage Center Toppan Library. The spine binding was taped with pressure tape that caused a black residue to form on the split suede, the front cover or board was detached, and some of the pages were pulling away from the binding.
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) before conservation work. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) after conservation work. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) with black residue on spine. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) before page repairs. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) after page repairs. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
Written in 1757 by John Hill, the British Herbal was not well received at the time. A partial explanation may be attributed to Hill himself. An apothecary, botanist, writer and part-time actor, Hill, who often referred to himself as Sir John Hill, was not well regarded with his contemporaries of the time. Hill was often referred to as “only a little paltry dunghill.”[2] It appears that Hill not only took such criticism well but relished in the fame that it brought him and his books.
While Hill and his books may not have been appreciated during his day, visitors to the American Heritage Center can experience the beauty of the British Herbal. The split suede cover protects the large volume describing the types of plants and their characteristic. Along with the detailed copper engraving of plants, the British Herbal also has beautiful copper engravings on the title pages.
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) cover with an employee’s hand showing the scale of the book. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) copper engravings on the title pages. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The British Herbal: an History of Plants and Tree, Natives of Britain, cultivated for Use or raised for Beauty (British Herbal) copper engravings on the title pages. Toppan Rare Books Library, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
John Hill’s British Herbal and the path it took show why it is such valued treasure. Whether you are visiting Laramie, or you call Laramie home, please remember the beautiful rare book treasures that are waiting for you to experience at the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center. Access to rare book holdings is via the Reference Services unit. Please contact us 307-766-3756, ahcref@uwyo.edu, for assistance.
Photo Assistant Amanda Wells photographing an artifact from the Buddy Ebsen collection, Coll No. 12733, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The AHC is primarily a research institution, meaning that a major focus of our collecting process is making collection material accessible to our patrons by processing and digitizing it. Digitization of archival material is important to making our collections searchable online, and can also be used to document fragile collection material as early as possible before further deterioration occurs.
To address the digitization of formats beyond our Digital Scan Lab’s capabilities (such as, oversized documents and three-dimensional artifacts), we have a Digital Imaging Lab which is equipped with an overhead camera stand, studio equipment, high-resolution DSLR cameras, and a trained photographer. In the Digital Imaging Lab, one project was to document the wide variety of artifacts within the Buddy Ebsen collection as it being arranged and described.
Content Lister Marina Brown with material from the Buddy Ebsen collection. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
This collection contains many artifacts from Ebsen’s life and work as a prolific actor, including props from the set of The Beverly Hillbillies. Some of the artifacts are fragile, so it takes a lot of care to handle them, and research was needed on some (such as the oil can musical instrument) to determine how to properly assemble the pieces.
Oil can musical instrument from The Beverly Hillbillies found in the Buddy Ebsen collection. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
When an artifact is placed on the camera stand, it takes time to find the proper lighting positions and manual camera settings. The archival standard allows for no post-processing besides cropping, so in addition to balancing exposure, shutter speed (to eliminate blurriness), aperture (to maximize the depth of focus), light sensitivity (to prevent graininess), and preventing camera shake, it’s also important to find the best angle to photograph the item to reduce any reflections and maximize the informational content of the image. It can take a lot of work, but it’s important to get it right so we can provide the best possible documentation of the artifacts for our patrons and our records.
Dogs are one of life’s greatest treasures. They love their owners unconditionally, enjoy walks, belly rubs, and appreciate any moment that they spend with their owner. For centuries, people have had great admiration for dogs and enjoy capturing their essence through several different types of media such as paintings, sculptures, and especially photography.
Over the years, photography has become a rather popular way of capturing pictures of beloved pets. One can go on any social media site and see picture after picture of dogs, cats, and all sorts of pets. Longtime University of Wyoming Geology Professor Samuel H. Knight (1892-1975) had a passion for photography and because of this, people today are able to get a glimpse into his life and are able to see that Knight himself was a dog lover and enjoyed taking pictures of dogs.
Knight
was somewhat fond of taking photos of his family’s pets. A majority of the photographs that contain a
dog are that of Knight’s family. One of his family dogs was a particularly
fluffy and calm dog named Trixie.
Trixie. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 103
In most of the pictures that include her, she is surrounded by Knight’s children and does not look as though she is bothered by their presence. The negatives depict Knight’s children holding Trixie in their laps or petting her on a porch, all the while Trixie is smiling and appearing happy and content. With children, pets can sometimes become annoyed with the lack of personal space but from the images we have in our collections, Trixie did not seem like the type of dog to get annoyed with children too easily.
Trixie with children. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 103
Trixie dog with family. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 103, Negative #119
Another
one of Knight’s family dogs is a fluffy terrier who is full of energy. Every
picture of him makes it appear as though this dog rarely stayed still. In some
of the photos, the dog is wearing a harness with an incredibly taut leash. A
taut leash would indicate an energetic and curious canine, and multiple other
images that include the family dog reinforce that idea.
Family dog. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 119,
A Christmas picture with the Knight family was unexpectedly altered after they decided to include the family dog in the picture. Being as energetic as he was, the canine couldn’t stay still during the duration of the photo-taking process. The final image was a nice and clear family picture that only included a blurry spot that was the dog.
Squirming Family Dog. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 119
Finally,
Knight was known to take pictures of dogs that were not even his. A good
example of this is a dog that appears to be guarding the very first grindstone
in Rawlins, Wyoming. This big, solemn dog has no real purpose being in the
photo capturing Rawlins’s accomplishment yet Knight still decided to leave him
in, which indicates Knight’s appreciation for dogs.
Dog with grindstone. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 93, Negative D3-3262 & C-41523
Here’s another example of Knight’s appreciation for dogs. This dog looks similar to a mix between a lab and a boxer and is leashed to a post outside. He does not look particularly amused to be having his picture taken but still stays stationary as he was getting his picture taken nonetheless. There is nothing surrounding the dog that indicates Knight was attempting to capture anything other than the dog. It is safe to say that by leaving a random dog in the picture or taking a picture solely of a dog, it shows that Knight does enjoy dogs and would do what he could to take pictures of them.
University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 82, Negative B1-2125
Not only has Sam Knight given people of today the ability to get a glimpse into his daily life, but he also gave them the ability to understand the life of a dog during the early 1900s. Trixie was a fluffy and calm dog who worked well with children, the other family dog was not as well trained as Trixie but was also incredibly energetic and always kept his leash taut when he went on walks. Other dogs, who were not owned by Knight, also had their pictures taken. Knight showed people his love and appreciation for dogs through the use of photography while also giving the future the ability to understand the past.
If your appetite for canine pictures is still unsatisfied, indulge in a variety of heartwarming images in the AHC’s virtual exhibit titled “Man’s Best Friend Through the Ages.”
Blog contribution by: Maiah T. Porter, Carlson Endowment Student Intern
Ribbon: “Votes for Women.” American Heritage Center, Box 77, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
On June 4, 1919, the Senate passed the 19th
amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment stated: “The right
of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of sex.” The action of Congress,
however, did not enfranchise a single female. Thirty-six states had to ratify
the amendment before it could go into force.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), led by Carrie Chapman Catt, had much work to do to convince the necessary number of state legislators to give their support. NAWSA embarked on an intensive state by state campaign to convince generally all-male legislatures to admit a massive new number of voters to the rolls. Fifteen states had already given their women full voting rights. Catt reached out to women in those places asking them to share their experiences. Among those who answered Catt’s call was Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard of Wyoming.
Photograph: Grace Raymond Hebard, about 1920. American Heritage Center, Photo Biographical Files, Hebard, Grace Raymond.
Grace Hebard was born in 1861 in Clinton, Iowa. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa in 1882 and moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to work as a draftsman and surveyor in the United States Land Office. This was an unusual position for a woman, but it did not satisfy Hebard’s ambition. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in 1885 and a Ph.D. in 1893. She was appointed to the University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees in 1891 and became a member of the Wyoming Bar Association in 1898. She was University Librarian and head of the University’s Political Economy Department by 1908. Still underemployed, she found time to support American troops in World War I and work with foreign-born residents seeking citizenship. Always an active advocate for women, in 1920 she was tapped by Carrie Chapman Catt. Catt’s telegram of April 12 was explicit: “To get thirty sixth state mobilizing one woman each state[.] Want you Wyoming…Want you and you only.”[1]
Telegram: Carrie Chapman Catt to Grace Raymond Hebard requesting help in securing passage of the 19th amendment, April 12, 1920. American Heritage Center, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
Catt wanted these women to persuade the governor of Connecticut to call a special session of the legislature to ratify women’s suffrage. Many states had already dismissed their legislative sessions and did not plan to call another one until 1921. But that would occur after the presidential election of 1920 and would deny women the chance to participate in the national elections for another four years. Catt summoned her forces and distributed her talking points. The women were instructed to point out the political consequences of delay. “Parties must make no mistake as to depth of women’s feeling…In Connecticut, it is the Republican [P]arty that will be held responsible.”[2]
Hebard had some strategies of her own. In New York, on her way to Connecticut, she attracted the attention of the press: “Dr. Grace Hebbard [sic], [3] of Laramie, Wyo., paid no attention to the skyscrapers when she arrived for the first time on Broadway last night…The first thing which stimulated her curiosity in New York was the headquarters of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. ‘I never saw an anti-suffragist,’ she said last night at the Hotel McAlpin,…’You know out in Wyoming we have had woman suffrage for fifty years and there is no such thing as an anti-suffrage man in our state – much less a woman…I want to go around there and see what those women are like. I cannot imagine what they have to say for their point of view.’”
The Connecticut suffragists and their guests toured the state, then had a hearing before the governor and held a public rally on May 7. Nevertheless, Governor Marcus H. Holcomb refused to call the special session. Then in August, Tennessee became the thirty-sixth state to ratify the 19th amendment, and the question of whether women would vote in the 1920 elections was settled. Suddenly Catt’s threat had teeth. The new voters had the power to punish obstructionists. Holcomb reversed course and called a special session for September. Connecticut ratified on September 21, 1920, in time to avoid backlash in the November elections.[4]
Letter: Ruth McIntire Dadourian to Grace Raymond Hebard giving instructions for speakers in Connecticut, May 4, 1920. American Heritage Center, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
Speaking Points document: ideas for speakers at the governor’s hearing and rally in Connecticut. American Heritage Center, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
Ironically, Wyoming had followed a similar path. The collaboration between Hebard and Catt had been established when Catt came to Wyoming in November 1919 to help persuade Governor Robert D. Carey to call a special legislative session to make Wyoming the first state to ratify the 19th amendment. Carey refused. Wyoming had never had a special session, special sessions were expensive, Wyoming’s women already had the right to vote, so there was no need to burden legislators with a long trip in winter. Catt, Hebard, and the twenty-five other women of the Wyoming Ratification Committee were turned away. But Carey, too, changed his mind and summoned his legislators out in January of 1920 because “the opponents of suffrage have been using as an argument against granting equal rights to women that Wyoming had not ratified for the reason that suffrage had proved a failure in this State…[W]e could not allow such a charge to be unchallenged.” Wyoming became the 27th state to ratify on January 28th.[5]
Photograph: Grace Raymond Hebard and Carrie Chapman Catt, probably taken in 1921 when Catt was in Laramie to accept an honorary doctorate from the University of Wyoming.
Catt’s friendship with Hebard and her association with Wyoming did not end there. In 1921 the University of Wyoming conferred its first honorary doctorate degree. The honoree chosen was Carrie Chapman Catt. “We all know,” wrote Ida Husted Harper of NAWSA’s Bureau of Suffrage Education to Grace Raymond Hebard, “that you were back of the idea of conferring the doctor’s degree on Mrs. Catt and we think it was one of the best things you ever did, and you have done so many.”[6]
[1] Telegram, Carrie Chapman Catt to Grace Raymond Hebard, April 12, 1920, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming [2] “Speaking Points,” undated typescript, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers [3] “Advance Guard of Suffrage Emergency Corps Arrives,” clipping from New York Tribune, May 2, 1920, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers [4] Press release by National American Woman Suffrage Association, April 22, 1920, Box 21, Folder 7, Hebard papers; Letter, Ruth McIntire Dadourian to Grace Raymond Hebard, May 4, 1920, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers; “The Long Road to Women’s Suffrage in Connecticut,” Connecticut Explored, https://www.ctexplored.org/the-long-road-to-womens-suffrage-in-connecticut/ [5] “Ratification of National Woman Suffrage Amendment…Governor Carey’s Message,” typescript, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers; “Wyoming Ratifies the 19th Amendment,” WyoHistory.org https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/wyoming-ratifies-19th-amendment [6] University of Wyoming, Past Honorary Degree Recipients; letter, Ida Husted Harper to Grace Raymond Hebard, Dec. 23, 1921, Box 32, Folder 29, Hebard papers
E. Deane Hunton was born in Virginia in 1885. When he was
three years old his family moved out around Wheatland, Wyoming.
E. Deane Hunton attended the University of Wyoming where he obtained a degree in mining engineering. During his time here, Hunton lettered in four varsity sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. He also was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi, a national commerce fraternity. Along with these accomplishments, E. Deane Hunton received an MBA degree from Harvard University. Hunton worked for the war trade board during the last two years of World War I in Washington D.C. In 1922-1923, he traveled overseas to Europe for a yearlong sabbatical.
A newspaper clipping describing who some of the players were on the early University of Wyoming basketball teams, including E. Deane Hunton. 1952. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 14, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
A newspaper clipping of a photograph showing the early University of Wyoming basketball team in 1908. Photograph was taken circa 1908. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 14, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Amongst these many achievements, one stands out as having the longest legacy; Hunton was the creator of the University of Wyoming’s famous Steamboat logo. In 1909, Hunton found a picture of the cowboy, Guy Holt, riding the bucking horse, Steamboat. Hunton quickly sketched it out and sent it in to the baseball team to use on their uniforms. When he became the faculty manager for the University of Wyoming athletics, he implemented the design onto all the athletic uniforms. The University of Wyoming now oversees the trademark for this logo for both the school and the state.
Here is the original picture that inspired E. Deane Hunton to draw the logo and send to the baseball team. It is of cowboy, Guy Holt, riding the bucking horse Steamboat. The picture was taken in 1903. B. C. Buffum Papers, Accession Number 400055, Box 35, Item 7, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
An RSVP for University of Wyoming 1940 Homecoming, with an early depiction of the famous Steamboat logo. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 12, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Additionally, the 1937 Wyoming license plates used the Steamboat logo and University of Wyoming colors by suggestion of E. Deane Hunton. These licenses plates commemorated the University of Wyoming’s 50th anniversary.
Newspaper clipping of the article run in the Branding Iron about Hunton’s achievement of getting the university colors and Steamboat onto the 1937 license plates. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 12, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The visual materials in this collection cover everything in E. Deane Hunton’s personal and professional life from all around the world. It is at the American Heritage Center under the collection title, E. Deane Hunton Collection, or the collection number, 400069. Contact the American Heritage Center if you would like to learn more about this fascinating man!
Blog contribution by: Anne-Marie Stratton , Carlson Endowment Student Intern
