Foremost Fungi Authority: W.G. Solheim

Posted on July 29, 2019 by ahcadmin

Wilhelm G. Solheim was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin, in 1898. He earned his M.A. degree in 1926, followed by his Doctorate in 1928, from the University of Illinois. He came to UW that next year and worked as professor emeritus for over fifty years (Laramie Daily Boomerang, 1978). He headed the Botany department and later he became the dean of Arts and Sciences for a year.

He was known “as the foremost authority on the fungi of the Rocky Mountain region” (Laramie Daily Boomerang, 1978). He retired from UW in 1963 where he then traveled to Afghanistan. He passed away on May 18, 1978, just after his eightieth birthday.

newspaper with text -- transcribed in text
University of Wyoming Associated Students. “Solheim to Serve in Afghanistan Program,” Branding Iron (August 9, 1963) Accessed May 14, 2019: hdl.handle.net/10176/wyu:324065.

Transcription of Branding Iron Article:

Solheim to Serve in Afghanistan Program

W. G. Solheim, UW professor, left Laramie Saturday for Afghanistan where he will serve as chief administrator of the UW Afghanistan contract program at Kabul.

The program is being carried out by a 15-member team of professors under a contract between UW and the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), an agency of the U.S. Department of State. UW has been involved in various phases of the Afghan program over the past 11 years.

Solheim’s appointment became effective Aug. 1, following federal confirmation. His wife will accompany him during the two-year stint.

Enroute to Afghanistan via a western route, Solheim and his wife will stop in Bangkock, Thailand, to visit briefly with their son, W.G. Solheim, II, a 1947 graduate who holds a doctorate in anthropology and who is conducting field research there. They will also spend three days in New Delhi, India, where Solheim will address a meeting of the Indian Phytopathological Society.

Solheim was born in Stoughton, Wis., graduated from Augustana College and Normal School in 1920, received his bachelor’s degree in 1924 from Iowa State Teachers College and his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Illionois in 1926 and 1928, respectively.

He has served UW as professor of botany and as acting dean of the college of arts and sciences.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa and numerous other honoraries, including Sigma Xi, Phi Sigma Phi Eta and Kappa Delta Pi, he has also served on the executive committee of the Colorado-Wyoming Academy Research Foundation.

He was a field agent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the summers of 1923-25 and taught at North Dakota Agricultural College before joining the UW faculty in 1929.

During World War I he served in England and France with the Army and has since traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Solheim has published actively in the field of botany since 1927 and has conducted numerous research projects including those on vitamins and the growth of fungi in pure culture, the effect of natural gases on the growth of plants and rust fungi of North Dakota. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, photography and stamp collecting.

person sitting at desk; person standing looking at person at desk
University of Wyoming Associated Students. “Wyo Senior class of 1950,” University of Wyoming (1950) Accessed May 14, 2019: hdl.handle.net/10176/wyu:78199.

Some little known facts about W. G. Solheim include that he served in World War I.

He earned an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree in 1978.

man sitting in graduation regalia with diploma and woman looking on
Newspaper photo of W.G. Solheim and his wife. W.G. Solheim I, AHC Bio File, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming

To learn more about W.G. Solheim I and his work in mycology, see the W.G. Solheim papers at the American Heritage Center.

Blog contribution by MaKayla Garnica, William D. Carlson Endowment Intern

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Posted in Agricultural history, Agriculture, environmental history, faculty/staff profiles, Interns' projects, Local history, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history, Wyoming, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tales and Traditions: Folklife in Wyoming

Posted on July 15, 2019 by ahcadmin

Folklife is a complex, important and large component of culture. It encompasses the art, traditions and knowledge that passes down among a group of people and can be seen through dance, music, artwork, storytelling, ceremonies and belief sharing. While sometimes thought of as something “old” or “old-fashioned,” folklife is instead fluid and changes as the community changes. The elements of folklife – doing, making, believing, speaking and teaching – create a shared sense of identity by connecting people to the past through actions of the present.

wooden box full of decorated eggs
Lisa McDonald, Ukrainian egg decorating

The Wyoming Folklife Archive collection at the American Heritage Center (AHC) documents the activities, artworks and traditions of the many diverse groups in the state. Within the collection you’ll find examples of folklife from Basque, cowboy, Eastern European, Hispanic and Shoshoni communities, among many others. Some elements of dances and craftwork might be familiar, while other elements of cuisine and architecture are new. They all nevertheless represent the widespread uniqueness of Wyoming’s many communities.

decorate origami on a stand on a table
Rose Aguilar, Gillette, Okinawan painter and Origami maker

In 2015, an exhibit, The Art of the Hunt: Wyoming Traditions, was shown at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne. It was a collaborative project between the Wyoming Arts Council and the University of Wyoming’s American Studies Program that explored the deep-rooted traditions, stories and skills Wyomingites have that connect them to hunting. Hunting involves more than the pursuit of animals. It can be stories of previous hunts, sharing of knowledge about how to track, strategies, and migratory patterns, as well as the creation of tools used in the pursuit.

The 5-year-long collection of research behind the exhibit is housed at the AHC. Within it contains photos of and interviews with over 100 people involved in Wyoming’s art of the hunt, such as saddle makers, fly fishers, knife makers, ranchers and taxidermists.

In addition to The Art of the Hunt: Wyoming Traditions materials in the Wyoming Folklife Archives collection, you can see photos of blacksmithing, leather working, jewelry-making, painting, woodcarving, ropemaking and more.

wood carving of grass, tree, and barn
Larry Simmons, Glenrock, Woodcarver

You can also listen to song recordings and both audio and video interviews of fly tiers, knifemakers, spinners, weavers, poets, and songwriters.

The Wyoming Folklife Archive collection at the AHC was created by the folklife coordinators and specialists at the University of Wyoming’s American Studies program and builds on the work of the State of Wyoming’s Council of Arts. Today new records showing Wyoming folklife are collected through the combined efforts of the UW American Studies program, the Wyoming Arts Council and the Wyoming Humanities Council.

To learn more about Wyoming folklife, see the Wyoming Folklife Archive collection at the American Heritage Center.

Listen to Wyoming’s Musical Heritage

Ready to experience the sounds of Wyoming folklife? Explore our exhibit “Songs of the West” on Virmuze, which features folk musicians from across the state whose art reflects Wyoming’s rich cultural traditions. From traditional songs passed down through generations to contemporary compositions inspired by Wyoming landscapes, discover how music serves as a vital thread connecting communities and preserving stories. The exhibit includes audio recordings and stories from artists like Mike Hurwitz and Dave Munsick, as well as musical gatherings from the Jackson Hole Hootenanny to the Rock Springs Polka Fest—all part of the Wyoming Folklife Collection that continues to document our state’s living cultural heritage.

Posted in Local history, oral histories, Wyoming, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Traveling With the Ninth Cavalry

Posted on June 17, 2019 by ahcadmin

The 9th United States Cavalry was formed during the Civil War as a segregated unit with African American troopers and white officers. The regiment was stationed in the West in 1867 and served in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming. In 1898 it took part in the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.

black and white painting of soldiers on horses marching in line in arid mountain climate

Frederic Remington “Arizona Territory, 1888”, oil painting, George Rentschler collection, American Heritage Center. Remington’s painting appeared in Century Magazine under the title “A Scout with the Buffalo Soldiers.” Remington was traveling with the 10th Cavalry, sister regiment the 9th, also made up of white officers and African American soldiers.

In 1891, Troop E, located at Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was ordered to Fort Robinson, Nebraska. The wife of one of the officers, Lieutenant Montgomery Parker, had given birth to a daughter three weeks before. She was still weak, so her mother, Mary E. Almy, came to Fort Washakie to help during the move. Mrs. Parker was laid on the floor of the “ambulance” (a covered wagon) cushioned by eight buffalo hides. The new baby, Mildred, was placed in an Arapaho cradle board attached to the ribs of the wagon cover. Between caring for her daughter and granddaughter, Mary Almy kept a journal of the trip which began on May 18, 1891.

circle photo of white house with grassland and sparse trees throughout property.

Fort Washakie, Wyoming, 1895, Mary Wilson Pascual collection, American Heritage Center. Fort Washakie was located on the Wind River Reservation. It was abandoned in 1908.

“I am chief nurse and doctoress and so far am getting along very successfully. L [Lizabeth] stands the trips, excitements and all very well, and her appetite is improving, and I see no reason why she shouldn’t go through all right. [Mildred] loves to cuddle and be cuddled and kissed and fussed over. That makes her such a comfort and plaything.”

Mrs. Almy also took note of the soldiers who created their camp at the end of each day after a difficult march: “This horde of black men got the seven tents up for the officers in marvelously quick time…The escort wagons were mired twice today.” Almy provided details about one such incident. “The escort wagons were ahead. Two first ones decided to drive through the pond, down a steep pitch and up an incline. They got over all right. Number three, the heaviest of all, with trunks and bedding, then came down. Mr. Driver thought he’d take the road…tipping the huge bulky old wagon on its side, down the embankment and into the pond. I thought, ‘Oh, Mary! All the clothes you’ve got are in the consommé!’” Fortunately, the contents of the wagon had little damage.

More excitement was encountered at the crossing of the Sweetwater River. “The men cut down the bank on the farther side of the river to make the ascent less steep. L…took Mildred in her lap and put her feet up on the opposite seat, where the bags and the rugs were piled almost to the top of the ambulance. Mont got in to keep them from falling off the seat, and a lively time those rebellious bags gave him, chasing each other off the seats, on the floor, into the water that slowly oozed in between the cracks, as we bounced over boulders and slipped between the rocks.”

black and white image; nature landscape with hills, two pronghorn in foreground.

Pronghorn in Wyoming, undated, Dan W. Greenburg collection, American Heritage Center. Pronghorn are miscalled antelope — they are actually related to goats.

Hunting was apparently encouraged to supplement rations. “We have had hopes of an antelope all day,” Almy noted, “as we have seen them several times at a distance, but the men are not good hunters, therefore they missed two that are quite close.” Lizabeth Parker also had bad luck. “Close to the road we drove on to seven sage hens. Holmes, the driver, had a carbine. L got out and walked to a good shooting distance and fired and shot too high, of course. She fired again at two, close together, and the ball struck the ground between them. If she had had a short gun, she’d have gotten the two hens.” It was not all disappointment. The Parkers’ “striker”, Greene, “came to the tent and rapped. ‘Can I speak to the lieutenant?’ He had five small fish. Some of the men are catching them in a net here in the Platte River.”

black and white image; dirt road in center of a town -- featuring many wooden buildings

Center Street, Casper, Wyoming, 1890, Looking North, Petroleum Information collection, American Heritage Center.

On June 12 the company arrived in Casper, where, according to Almy, “we attain the commonplace again.” At Casper, the troops were loaded onto railroad cars for the rest of the trip to Fort Robinson. From Fort Robinson Mary Almy mailed her journal to a relative with instructions to return it later, so she could copy it into Mildred’s baby book as a record of “Mildred’s First Journey.”

In 1981 Mildred, now grown and married to General Barton Kyle Yount, sent a transcription of the narrative to the American Heritage Center. “I cannot send the original” she explained, “because the paper it is written on is so old that it is cracking.” Mildred Almy Parker Yount died in 1986.

The location of the original journal is now unknown.

Extracts from Mary E. Almy journal, Collection Number 3596, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Mort Weisinger: Superman’s Superman

Posted on May 20, 2019 by ahcadmin

Among the American Heritage Center’s comic book industry collections are evidence of the way in which industry insiders attempted to legitimize their business following the comic book moral panic of the 1950s. Fredric Wertham’s 1954 monograph, Seduction of the Innocent – which linked comic books with juvenile crime and perversion – and the 1954 United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings led to the denigration of comic books as a form of media. In order to save their business, six publishers, including National Comics (DC), formed the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) to self-censor their work.

The records in the Mort Weisinger papers demonstrate how the editor worked to reclaim a cultural space for his medium after this public castigation. As the editor of DC’s Superman titles, Mort Weisinger was in frequent contact with politicians, writers, and others to promote the comics under his purview. His efforts helped both to keep DC’s characters in the spotlight and to rehabilitate the image of comic books following the panic of the 1950s.

In 1963, DC planned to include a story in Superman no. 168 in which Superman worked on behalf of President John F. Kennedy to inspire children to work on physical fitness. It later appeared in issue 170 (cover date July 1964). According to the story’s introductory text, “White House officials… informed [DC] that President Johnson wanted it published, as a tribute to his great predecessor.”[1] Weisinger wrote to the late President’s brother, bringing both the story and a letter from Robert F. Kennedy’s son to his attention. Kennedy’s reply, indication of his appreciation for Weisinger’s thoughtfulness in writing, helps show the way in which Weisinger sought official approval of DC’s work.[2]

Kennedy letter

Letter from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to Mort Weisinger about Superman 170 that was published as a tribute to John F. Kennedy, June 4, 1964. Box 13, Folder 8, Mort Weisinger papers.

Weisinger further courted official support of DC’s characters by gifting Batman posters to Lester L. Wolff, Representative of New York’s 3rd District. Wolff wrote of the posters, “My staff is convinced they can be a great campaign aid. ‘Batman’ is such a phenomenon. I wish I had his touch.”[3] A decade prior, following Fredric Wertham’s accusation that Batman represented gay propaganda, no politician would have joked about using the character as a campaign aide. By 1966, with the success of the ABC series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, it made sense for a politician to jump on the bandwagon.

Wolff letter

Letter from Representative Lester Wolff of New York to Mort Weisinger thanking him for sending “Batman” TV show posters to his New York campaign office, June 17, 1966. Box 13, Folder 12, Mort Weisinger papers.

As an editor at a member company of the Comics Magazine Association of America, Weisinger’s papers include the CMAA’s newsletter. The June 1966 issue details accounts of comics “in use as teaching aids” in the Bronx, Texas, Mexico, and England, thereby arguing that comics play a role as educational tools much like other media, such as film.[4] A second story discusses the Library of Congress’s growing comics collection, at the time including “more than 12,000 copies of some 2,500 titles that have been published since the 1930s.”[5]

CMAA newsletter

The second page of the June 1966 Comics Magazine Association of America newsletter. Box 24, Folder 1, Mort Weisinger papers.

By 1969, Mort Weisinger received a letter from John C. Baker, the Public Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce, reporting that “others in the Census Bureau are enthusiastic about [Weisinger’s] proposal that Superman become a champion of the 1970 census, through two issues of the monthly Superman comic book and a special 16-page Superman book.”[6] The letter builds upon the use of comics as an educational tool, outlining ways in which a Superman story can explain the function of the census and get children involved with their parents in participating. Baker further invites Weisinger to have the artist and writer of a possible story visit the Census Bureau office, thereby granting more official sanction to comics as a medium capable of contributing to society.

The Mort Weisinger papers capture a critical moment in comic book history in which he used his position as an editor at one of the largest publishers to validate the comic book medium after the public shaming of the 1950s. Mort Weisinger sought official approval from members of the government to demonstrate the educational value of comic books and their ability to comment on critical events like any other form of media. As a result of his actions and those of others in the industry, comic book writers and artists currently enjoy greater creative freedom while the comics themselves now influence other forms of media, generating multi-billion dollar profits for their corporate parents.

[1] E. Nelson Bridwell, “Superman’s Mission for President Kennedy,” Superman 170 (July 1964).

[2] Robert F. Kennedy, Letter to Mort Weisinger (1964), Box 13, Folder 8, Mort Weisinger Papers, Collection Number 07958, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

[3] Lester W. Wolff, Letter to Mort Weisinger (1966), Box 13, Folder 12, Mort Weisinger Papers, Collection Number 07958, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

[4] CMAA Newsletter (1966), Box 24, Folder 1, Mort Weisinger Papers, Collection Number 07958, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming, pg. 2.

[5] CMAA Newsletter (1966), Box 24, Folder 1, Mort Weisinger Papers, Collection Number 07958, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming, pg. 2.

[6] John C. Baker, Letter to Mort Weisinger (1969), Box 14, Folder 3, Mort Weisinger Papers, Collection Number 07958, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Blog contribution by Richard D. Deverell, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History, State University of New York at Buffalo

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Selenium: The Story of Orville A. Beath

Posted on April 29, 2019 by ahcadmin

Wyoming has often given rise to great ideas and new research, and one such man that succeeded in a major discovery, alongside a team of researchers, was Orville A. Beath. Orville A. Beath was born in Wisconsin in 1884, where he would obtain his degrees, a B. A. and M.A. in chemistry. He met his wife, Katherine H. Shepard, in 1912, and they had one daughter, Mary Elizabeth. Mrs. Katherine Beath sadly passed in 1949. Mary Beath would later become a teacher of the Arts and Fine Arts in Tucson, Arizona.

old family portrait of man and woman standing
Photo of Orville A. Beath and Katherine H. Shepard, Box 38, Folder 1 of 2, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Orville A. Beath was a professor of Chemistry at the University of Wyoming from 1914-1964. He and a team, which included Irene Rosenfeld, Carl S. Gilbert and Harold F. Eppson, researched seleniferous vegetation among other poisonous plants.[1] The work that Professor Beath and his associates would come to find about selenium would impact the next decades because of the precedence set by Beath and the team. In O. A. Beath’s book, The Story of Selenium in Wyoming, the foreword, written by Geologist, J. David Love, explains that Beath’s “two greatest contributions were the recognition of the geologic distribution of selenium in rocks and in the soils derived from them, and the role of converter plants that made selenium available to otherwise harmless plants.”[2]

canoe in foreground on lake in front of mountains
Glass Plate Negative of Scenic View, Box 27, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
mountainous area with aspen trees and snow
Glass Plate Negative of Larkspur, Box 25, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Beath’s daughter, Mary E. Beath, donated most of the collection to the American Heritage Center upon her death in the late 1990s. She dedicated much of her time with friends, family, and the acquaintances that her father had made through his work.

Between Orville Beath and his daughter Mary, they contributed a number of photographs, slides, and films to the collection. Much of the visual media in this collection is related to the work that Beath did with selenium and other poisonous plants. The other half of the visual materials is dedicated to family photos and home videos that include Beath’s cabin and their slight obsession with the privy and their local squirrels. The inside joke about the privy seems to be concerning that there was more than likely not a bathroom inside of the Beath cabin, therefore a privy, or better known as an outhouse, was built in order to suffice the need.

cabin and outhouse surrounded by aspens
Photograph of Beath’s Cabin and Privy, Box 30, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 05104, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Photograph of “The Privy”, Box 38, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

In the pictures below, Mary Beath is standing in the doorway, with a smile on her face, of this finished product: the privy.

mary-beath-and-the-privy
Photograph of Mary Beath and The Privy, Box 38, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

The photo below also include that of a squirrel; squirrels are often found in the visual materials belonging to the Beath collection and seem to be of some interest to the Beath’s and their fascination with and respect of nature.

squirrel on a tree stump
Photograph of squirrel, Box 30, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

To learn more about Orville A. Beath and his work on selenium, see the Orville A. Beath papers at the American Heritage Center.

[1] Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

[2] The Story of Selenium in Wyoming, Box 6, Folder 5, Orville A. Beath Papers, Collection Number 400096, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Blog contribution by MaKayla Garnica, William D. Carlson Endowment Intern

#AlwaysArchiving

Posted in environmental history, Family history, Science, Student projects, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman: the protection of our planet before Earth day

Posted on April 15, 2019 by ahcadmin

April 22nd is a day to think about, celebrate, and remember the importance of our planet and its conservation. It is called Earth day. This celebration started in 1970, following the oil blowout near Santa Barbara, in January 1969.  Its foundation came about when Senator Gaylord Nelson, of Wisconsin, witnessed the oil slick from the air. That disaster brought a surge of environmental efforts, most importantly by the government of Richard Nixon, who, in 1970 passed the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. Nixon also created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Man and woman in film room with projector in foreground

Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman in their studio, Santa Fean Magazine, June 1974, p.12, Box 37. Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman papers, Collection #6225, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

But efforts to bring public awareness about the environment and wildlife were already initiated in the early 1960s by husband and wife team Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman, respectively a photographer and a writer. The Grossmans published books on birds of prey, but also ecology as a whole. In 1969, their book “Our Vanishing Wilderness” brought attention to the importance of the protection of all of nature’s species. It surveyed plants and animals in the United States and showed the impact of human behavior on their ecosystem.

Soon followed a documentary TV series, also entitled “Our Vanishing Wilderness.” One episode talked about the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, another about the effects of pesticides on reproduction of pelicans, and yet other episodes focused on the flooding of the Everglades, and the poaching of alligators.  The series aired on PBS in October 1970 and was the first environmental TV series in the US.

image of letter

Press Release for “Our Vanishing Wilderness” TV Series, Box 37, Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman papers, 6225, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

The television series caught the government’s attention, especially the pesticide episode that exposed its devastating effects on wildlife. In 1971, Shelly and Mary Louise were asked to act as consultants on a Senate bill that involved research to find an alternative to pesticides.

consulting

Pest Control Research. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Agricultural Research and General Legislation of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 1971, US Senate, 92nd Congress, s. 1794, box 37, Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman papers, #6225, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Always seeking to expand their exploration of nature, Shelly and Mary Louise spent the early 1970s traveling across Europe and the U.S. to sample, research, and study wild flower evolution and pollination. Unfortunately, while in the Swiss Alps, Shelly died unexpectedly, putting their research to a halt.  A few years later, Mary used the research to write the synopsis, chapter outlines and three chapters of “Our Flowering World”, but the book was never published.

Our Flowering World Synopsis Box 3

“Our Flowering World” book synopsis, box 3, Shelly and Mary Louise papers, #6225, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

black and white image of flower and butterfly on an a flower

Orchid and Swallowtail butterfly, Shelly Grossman’s photographs, box 6, Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman papers, #6225, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

To learn more about the history of conservation and ecology, see the Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman papers at the American Heritage Center and explore other related collections in the guide to environmental and natural resources collections.

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From Orphan to Icon: The Remarkable Journey of Barbara Stanwyck

Posted on March 2, 2018 by ahcadmin

Black and white photo of Barbara Stanwyck holding her Oscar Statue while standing in front of a large Oscar Statue, about 7 feet tall.

Barbara Stanwyck holding her Oscar Statue in 1982. From the Barbara Stanwyck photo file at the American Heritage Center.

The astounding and legendary life and career of Barbara Stanwyck began in Brooklyn, New York. The youngest of 5 children born to common laborers, Stanwyck was originally known as ‘Ruby Stevens.’ She became orphaned by the age of 4. After her mother’s death and her father abandoned the family, Ruby was raised primarily by her older, showgirl sister. Stanwyck left school to earn a living when she was 13, became a chorus girl at 15, and danced cabaret on Broadway in “The Noose” at 18. It was on Broadway that she was introduced as ‘Barbara Stanwyck’ for the first time. At the age of 20, while performing in Ziegfeld Shows, Barbara landed the lead in the Broadway show “Burlesque”, which led to contracts with Columbia Pictures and Warner Brothers.

While in her 20’s, Barbara acted in the films “Broadway Nights” (1927) and “The Locked Door” (1929). She almost gave up on her acting career, but decided to move to Hollywood to pursue film options. A young Frank Capra directed “Ladies of Leisure” in 1930 which was Barbara’s first considerable movie role. People that met Stanwyck described her as dedicated, modest, generous and beloved.

Black and white portrait photo of Barbara Stanwyck wearing a black sweater.

Portrait of Barbara Stanwyck during the filming of “Ten Cents a Dance” in June 1931. From the Barbara Stanwyck photo file at the American Heritage Center.

Barbara was also considered to be outspoken, much like some of the women she portrayed. Hitting the top of the A-list with the likes of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, the role of women in film began to be redefined. Movies such as “Ladies They Talk About” in 1932 and “Annie Oakley” in 1935 paved the way for Stanwyck’s grand talent and Academy Award recognition.

The 1930’s and 40’s brought continued success. In a field traditionally dominated by men, Barbara held her own and became a beacon for other women to follow. Displaying determination, commitment, and tenacity, she rose above ordinary roles. One of her most famous roles was in the 1937 film, “Stella Dallas.” Starring opposite John Boles, this moving film displayed Stanwyck’s incredible acting range as class and station issues arise. In a review of the 1941 movie, “Ball of Fire,” where Barbara starred with Gary Cooper, The New Yorker said, “…[her] confidence is charming; she is like a cocky street urchin in spangles.”   [The New Yorker, Dec. 2013]

From comedies and dramas to thrillers and westerns, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Barbara Stanwyck continued to portray feisty women. In “The Cattle Queen of Montana” (1954), fending off greedy land grabbers and hired killers, she stakes her claim in the cattle business.  Despite the mediocre script, Barbara co-starred with Ronald Reagan and continued to be a shining star. In the 1964 movie, “Roustabout” starring Elvis Presley, Stanwyck played strong-willed, Maggie Morgan, the almost-bankrupt owner of a traveling carnival. Mae West was originally slotted for the role but Stanwyck was cast instead. Barbara’s talent was almost lost on this film, but at least one co-star was so mesmerized by her, he worked hard to live up to her level of professionalism. The only remarkable thing about making this movie, in Elvis’ opinion, was getting to work alongside Stanwyck.

Black and white photo of 4 people standing in front of a trailer with a boom microphone visible in front of the people. Elvis Presley is on theleft wearing a leather jacket, with Joan Freeman and Barbara Stanwyck standing opposite him and Leif Erickson standing behind Barbara Stanwyck. Next to Elvis is a signature of his full name.

The cast of “Roustabout” on set in 1964. From left to right: Elvis Presley, Joan Freeman, Barbara Stanwyck, and Leif Erickson (behind Stanwyck). Stanwyck affixed this photo into her copy of the script for the film. From the Barbara Stanwyck papers, Box 15 at the American Heritage Center.

Barbara transitioned into acting for television and did so with ease. Her television career included The Jack Benny Program (1932-1955), Goodyear Theater (1957-1960), Zane Grey Theater (1956-1961), and The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1960-1961); the latter received a Prime Time Emmy Award. She became a quick favorite in the TV series, Big Valley (1965-1969). Throughout the remainder of her career, she continued to portray strong female leads. Eagerly moving into the 1970’s and 1980’s, her course continued through television with The Thornbirds (1983), a made-for-television miniseries, and The Colby’s (1985-1987), a prime time soap opera spinoff of Dynasty.  Barbara’s role in The Colby’s was brief; she only stayed for the first season. She felt her character, Constance, wasn’t going any place, but Barbara was!

In a letter addressed to, “The Student Writers and Film Historians at The University of Wyoming” Barbara encouraged us to “…pay attention to dialogue… refresh our memories…and re-read a few…” of the scripts (80+) she has donated. She insisted that, “Dialogue is the foundation.”

Scan of a letter written on Barbara Stanwyck's letterhead describing some of her thoughts about film and acting.

Letter written by Barbara Stanwyck that came with a donation of scripts to the American Heritage Center in October 1986. From the Barbara Stanwyck papers, Box 22, Folder 2 at the American Heritage Center.

Often referred to as “The Best Actress Who Never Won an Oscar,” Barbara Stanwyck was presented with an honorary Oscar in 1982 by John Travolta. He later commented that the experience was his ‘Supreme Oscar Moment’. Stanwyck led a fairly personal private life and never remarried after her divorce in 1951 from Robert Taylor.

Generous, humble and, typical of Barbara, at the 1984 Golden Globe Ceremony, where she was awarded the award for for ‘Best Supporting Actress in a Series’, Barbara focused on Ann-Margaret, for her performance in Who Will Love My Children. Selfless, talented and overcoming great odds, Barbara Stanwyck’s incredible life and career spanned the majority of the 20th century. When asked about life and endurance, Barbara would say, “I want to go on until they shoot me.” Barbara’s request for no funeral services or memorials was honored and after her cremation, her ashes were scattered over Lone Pine, California.

The entirety of the Barbara Stanwyck papers are available for research use in the reading room of the American Heritage Center.

Posted in Biography and profiles, Film History, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, popular culture, television history, Women in Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mileva Maravic remembers Gebo, Wyoming

Posted on November 26, 2017 by ahcadmin

110 years ago, the coal-mining town of Gebo was established about twelve miles north of Thermopolis in Hot Springs County. The town took its name from Samuel W. Gebo, an entrepreneurial developer of the coal mines in Washakie and Hot Springs counties. New York investor Rufus Ireland and others were the financial backers who leased the land from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Gebo was the company town of their Owl Creek Coal Company. By 1929, there were about 1,200 employees and family members, with more than 600 employed in the coal mines.

Mileva Maravic (1912-2003) spent her childhood in Gebo. Her papers at the AHC contain historical materials she collected about the town. Also included are reminiscences by Maravic and other Gebo residents.

The excerpts below are from Maravic’s remembrances about the town.

“Everything was owned by the company—the houses, the store, butcher shop, utilities.  Rent was free.  The company charged $1.00 for a load of coal brought in a truck and emptied it in the coal shed by the houses.  A few chose to build their own house or added some rooms to their company house.”

Gebo HS graduation 1930 Mileva back row on right

Mileva Maravic as a high school graduate in Gebo, 1930. Mileva Maravic papers, American Heritage Center

“Gebo was a melting pot of nationalities and cultures.  There were Finns, Czechs, Slavs comprising two groups (the Serbians and Montenegrins).  Other nationalities Hungarians, Bulgarians, Russians, Italians, Scots, Irish, English, and two Japanese families.” (from “Gebo, Wyoming,” by Mileva Maravic)

“The [school] playground had swings, a slide and the monkey bars and a Merry-go-round.

School Playground Gebo about 1921

School playground, ca. 1921 (photo does not include Mileva), Mileva Maravic papers, American Heritage Center

Away from the playground and the school were two small buildings near a pile of large rocks.  They were the outdoor toilets.  One marked BOYS and the other GIRLS.”

“The Owl Creek Coal Company furnished the books.  The children bought paper, pencils, penholder made of wood into which you inserted a metal penpoint.  We also had to buy a bottle of ink which cost ten cents.  The desks had a round hole in the upper right hand corner for the bottle of ink.  The penholder with penpoint dipped in the ink we used when having Penmanship Class.  We practiced many days the push-pull exercises and making large round circles before the teacher accepted the papers which she sent to the Palmer Method Company in Chicago.  They graded the papers and if satisfactory were returned to the School with a Certificate having our name on it.  We also received a Palmer Method Pin we could wear.” (from “The Gebo School,” by Mileva Maravic)

Gebo High School 1930 Mileva front row 3rd from left

Gebo High School, 1930 (note that photo is all girls). Mileva is front row third from left. Mileva Maravic papers, American Heritage Center

“Children entered the Pool Hall at the back door, waited until the clerk came to ask what kind of candy bar, soda pop we wanted.  We could buy with pool hall chips miners sometimes gave us.  A small building near the front of the Pool Hall was the Barbershop.  No women went in the Barbershop.  In the back of the Pool Hall was a round open structure where the Gebo Miner’s Band gave concerts in the summer.” (from “Gebo, Wyoming,” by Mileva Maravic)

Gebo Miners Band undated

Gebo Miner’s Band, undated, Mileva Maravic papers, American Heritage Center

“Growing up in Gebo, Wyoming in the 1920’s was a pioneer life compared to to-day’s living.  It was a simpler life.  It seems though, no matter how rough things were — the place we were young is always close to one’s heart.  Some part of me will always be where I grew up…….Gebo, Wyoming.” (from “Remembrances of Gebo, Wyoming,” by Mileva Maravic)

Gebo HS graduation 1930 Mileva back row on right

High school graduation, Gebo. 1930. Mileva is back row last on right. Mileva Maravic papers, American Heritage Center

By 1938, the coal mines had closed. Mail service to the town was discontinued in December 1955. By 1971 the town was bulldozed, although some buildings and the cemetery remain.

The American Heritage Center is a place to get information not found in many books or even online sources. We have firsthand data and evidence from letters, reports, notes, memos, photographs, audio and video recordings, and other primary sources. We’re accessible onsite at the University of Wyoming and online. No appointment needed to get your information!

Posted in Coal industry, Economic Geology, found in the archive, Local history, mining history, newly processed collections, Western history, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | 41 Comments

Nellie Tayloe Ross: The (First) Governor Lady

Posted on November 4, 2017 by ahcadmin

On Nov 4, 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected governor of Wyoming, and became the first woman governor in the United States. Ross was elected a month after her husband, Governor William B. Ross, died suddenly of appendicitis.

On the day of her husband’s burial, the chairman of the state Democratic Committee asked a delicate question: Would Mrs. Ross consider running for governor herself? The election was a month away. Her supporters thought it was fitting that the first state to allow equal voting rights (Wyoming passed women’s suffrage in 1869) would also be the first to have a woman governor.

Over the next few days, as she and her brother George Tayloe went around and around on the question of whether she should run, he came to know his sister better. She was shocked and sorrowful over her husband’s sudden death, but she was also ambitious. “No one ever wanted it more,” George wrote to his wife. If she did run, she understood that ambition was a quality she would have to disguise. It just wasn’t seemly for a woman to look ambitious.

Nellie Tayloe Ross was a southern woman and, as an archetypal southern woman, she was gracious, funny and strongly loyal to her family and friends. She was also very intelligent. She came from Missouri, the border South, a complicated place for people like her who were born not long after the Civil War. Nellie came out of that place and time a complicated woman.

Nellie Tayloe Ross in Cheyenne home.jpg

Nellie Tayloe Ross in her home in Cheyenne, ca. 1910. Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, American Heritage Center

Her opponent in the election, Republican candidate Eugene J. Sullivan, a Casper lawyer, campaigned hard. Nellie, still deep in grief, did not. Her campaign was conducted by her backers who spoke widely and took out ads on her behalf. Despite her backseat approach to campaigning, she won the election. Ross was inaugurated on Jan. 5, 1925 as the first woman governor by only a few days—Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, who had also been a state First Lady, was sworn in as governor of Texas just over two weeks after Ross took office.

Eleven days later after inauguration, now Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross appeared before the Legislature to review the progress of her late husband. The New York Times ran the headline, “Mrs. Ross Wears Hat Before Legislature,” and noted that she “defied precedent” by “wearing hat and gloves.” Other contemporary media accounts noted that she had “not lost her womanliness” and remained “ever feminine, never a feminist,” as noted in her Times obituary when she died in 1977. “Really, I dropped accidentally into politics,” she told the Times in 1926, saying she preferred taking a stroll along the boardwalk to discussing rumors of a 1928 bid for the Vice Presidency (which never materialized).

Ross as governor 1924-1926

Nellie Tayloe Ross during her tenure as Wyoming governor, 1924-1926. Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, American Heritage Center

More than ninety years later, women politicians are still struggling with the balance of femaleness, ambition and power. As much as we may want to think we’re past caring how female politicians look, the 2016 election in which presidential candidate Donald Trump commented at the first debate that Hillary Clinton “…doesn’t have the look [to be president]” is an indication that looks are still a weapon to be wielded by the opposition. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) commented at the Real Simple/TIME Women & Success Panel in 2014, “When [a woman]’s appearance is commented on publicly during a campaign, it undermines her; it actually hurts her. And it doesn’t matter if the comment is positive or negative. It undermines her credibility.”

Ross also had to dispel the idea that she would use her power to rid the Wyoming government of men, and create an all-woman government (a 1925 man’s worst nightmare). Here’s what Time magazine reported in 1925 that she told the Associated Press when asked about her view of women in politics:

“It is most amusing and amazing to me, for example, to be asked, as I was soon after my election, whether I expected to appoint any men to office? This question, telegraphed to me from the East by a well-known metropolitan newspaper, had every indication of being quite sincere, and was apparently inspired by the fear that the elevation of women to executive office was likely to be followed by the dismissal of all men and the substitution of women in their places.”

Despite Nellie’s election as the first woman governor in the nation, at least one Wyoming woman of her time criticized Ross for not going far enough. In the papers of suffragette Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard of the University of Wyoming faculty there is a letter to national women’s suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt declaring that the “outstanding reason” Nellie was defeated “was due to the advisors that Governor Ross selected, all men.”

But woman’s rights in the political arena were not Nellie Ross’ main concern. According to a WyoHistory.org article about Ross by Tom Rea, “She cared about her family, but she also cared deeply about getting things done in the public sphere. She followed her ambition, saw her opportunities, took up the power available to her, and used it.”

Nellie Tayloe Ross’s papers, including correspondence, news clippings, and photographs are at the American Heritage Center. Much of the material has been scanned and is available for browsing as part of the AHC’s online digital collection.

Her story is also featured in the online exhibit “In Pursuit of Equality,” alongside other pioneering women who, as elected officeholders, helped challenge and redefine what equality means in Wyoming.

Credit is given to Tom Rea’s article “The Ambition of Nellie Tayloe Ross” on WyoHistory.org and Time magazine article (Nov. 4, 2014), “What We Can Learn From Nellie Tayloe Ross, America’s First Female Governor” for supplying text for this post.

Posted in Politics, Ross, Nellie Tayloe, western politics and leadership, Women in History, Women in Politics, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jean Howard, Photographer for the Glamorous Hollywood Set

Posted on November 1, 2017 by ahcadmin

Jean Howard parlayed her extraordinary beauty, ethereal glamour and light-hearted intelligence to become a Ziegfeld girl, a Hollywood starlet, a legendary hostess and the “house photographer” of the film colony.

Her circle included Tyrone Power, Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Cole Porter and Marilyn Monroe. They mingled at Howard’s Spanish-style home on Coldwater Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills; she and her first husband, Charles K. Feldman, who used his success as the first super-agent to become a producer, bought it for $18,000 in 1942.

Everywhere, Howard snapped pictures. One shows Marlene Dietrich almost touching heads with Ann Warner, wife of Jack Warner, as they intensely discussed never-to-be known secrets over a smoky table at the Trocadero nightclub in Los Angeles.

Marlene Dietrich and Ann Boyer Warner

Marlene Dietrich and Ann Boyer Warner, 1940s. Jean Howard papers, American Heritage Center

Another is a scene from a 1950s garden party at the home of Clifton Webb. Humphrey Bogart is sitting in Webb’s lap chatting with an inscrutable Laurence Olivier.

Humphrey Bogart, Clifton Webb, Laurence Olivier at Webb's garden party, ca. 1950

Humphrey Bogart, Clifton Webb and Laurence Olivier at Webb’s home, 1950s. Jean Howard papers, American Heritage Center

Still another shows James Dean as he was about to begin filming for East of Eden. It was Dean’s first major screen role and the actor is seen here on the verge of stardom. This photo and others of Dean were shot in Howard’s backyard.

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James Dean, 1954. Jean Howard papers, American Heritage Center

Jean Howard was born Ernestine Hill in Longview, Texas, and grew up in Dallas. Her father took her to Hollywood one summer in the late 1920s, as a coverup while he was on a two-week spree with a girlfriend behind her stepmother’s back. She later returned to Hollywood and, in 1930, landed a contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer as a chorus girl in Eddie Cantor’s Broadway hit, Whoopee. She also caught the eye of Louis B. Mayer who proposed marriage, promising to divorce his wife. In 1934, when she instead became engaged to Charles Feldman, Mayer threatened to torpedo Feldman’s career, although the threat never materialized. While Feldman and Howard later divorced in 1948, the two remained close friends and even continued to share a home.

Jean Howard with Cole Porter (right of Howard) and Howard Sturges in Athens, 1955

Jean Howard with Cole Porter (right of Jean Howard) and Howard Sturges, Athens, 1955. Jean Howard papers, American Heritage Center

Howard got serious about photography in the 1940s by studying the art and then began to receive assignments from magazines like Life and Vogue. Her photographic work coalesced into a picture book published in 1989 titled Jean Howard’s Hollywood: A Photo Memoir.

Many of her original photographs were stored in shoe boxes until being willed to the American Heritage Center upon Howard’s death in 2000. It is almost accidental that her photographs and other papers were received by the AHC. Originally AHC Director Gene Gressley wrote to Howard in 1980 asking for Charles Feldman’s papers. After finding that Feldman’s papers had already been donated to the American Film Institute, Gressley casually mentioned an interest in her materials, not realizing the treasure trove that would come to the AHC twenty years later.

Jean Howard’s collection consists of biographical materials regarding Howard and Feldman, correspondence, and subject files about her books, but mostly her celebrated photographs and their negatives. Howard’s personal photographs and negatives are also included.

You can also delve further into the captivating world of Jean Howard and her iconic Hollywood photography through an AHC virtual exhibit, “Jean Howard’s Hollywood: ‘The excitement, the glamour, and the good times.‘”

Posted in Biography and profiles, found in the archive, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Photography, popular culture, women's history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment