The Special Collections & University Archives Department contains materials related to the history of Kansas and Pittsburg State University. Special Collections includes printed material, manuscripts, correspondence, business records, and memorabilia which document the culture and inhabitants of Southeast Kansas. University Archives acts as the official repository for Pittsburg State University.
This gallery provides downloadable finding aids for the department's processed collections, and links to available digitized collections in Digital Commons.
SEARCH TIP: Keywords associated with each collection were drawn from the following list. These terms can be entered into the search box on the right.
Agriculture | Health and Medicine | Race and Gender |
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Business and Industry | Military and War | Religion and Philosophy |
Education | Mining | Science and Technology |
Fine Arts | Nature and Geography | Social Life and Customs |
Government and Law | Performing Arts | Social Movements and Services |
Items in Special Collections cannot be checked out but may be used on-site with the assistance of staff. Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information about the collections highlighted here or to schedule a visit, please contact Special Collections & University Archives at: | (620) 235-4883
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Draper, Edythe Squier, papers, 1865, 1907-1974
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of materials relating to Edythe Squier Draper that includes correspondence, photographs, publications and manuscripts, and news clippings. Mrs. Draper was a correspondent for the Parsons Sun in Oswego, Kansas for 22 years.
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Dryan, Frank, papers, 1921-1928
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The Frank Dryan Papers are comprised mostly of photographs; pay stubs obtained by Dryan while working as a coal miner in Crawford County, Kansas; correspondence and documents relating to Dryan’s involvement with Alois P. Swoboda; documents relating to Dryan’s opportunities to invest in silver and lead ore mining in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; and materials relating to the Lockwood Art School, a correspondence school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Dunning, Kay Ireland, collection, 1928-1964
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Kay Ireland Dunning is an alumnae of the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University). Dunning is a retired secondary home economics teacher and counselor of St. Paul High School in Chetopa, Kansas.
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Eastwood family papers, 1918-2008
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The papers in this collection pertain to the Eastwood Family, who settled in the Kansas and Nebraska area. This collection mainly consists of the correspondences from the Eastwood Family, and miscellaneous papers pertaining to the extended Eastwood Family.
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Egbert family collection, 1982-2003
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Mamie Eugenia Egbert is a 1952 Pittsburg State University alumna. Her husband, Donald, graduated from a community college in Garden City, Kansas in 1951. He was a template maker in Wichita, Kansas when he enlisted in the US Air Force. He served through 1957 assigned to the 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. He served in Germany where he helped to form Legion Post #1 in Kaiserslautern. He finished active duty in 1955 and was Honorably Discharged in 1957. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the Army Occupation Medal while in service. Collection contains biographical information, weaving magazines and patterns, family photos, memorials, pamphlets, and miscellaneous items.
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Eighmy, Earle, scrapbook, 1924-1927, 1957
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Earle Eighmy was born in 1904 in Topeka, Kansas, and passed away in 1987. At some point Eighmy lived in Pittsburg and was a fan of the Pittsburg State University sports during the time. Earle married Verna Mae Olson (1904-1986) and they had several children. In the late 1920s, the Eighmy family moved to California. Both Earle and Verna Mae passed away in Henderson, Nevada.
The Earle Eighmy Scrapbook mostly contains newspaper clippings. The central focus of the scrapbook is Pittsburg college football and basketball. There are occasional notes written in the margins of the clippings that denote time period or match outcomes. The dates of newspaper clippings range from 1924 to 1927. A single clipping is dated to 1957. Clippings include articles on match results, schedules of upcoming matches, team lineups, interviews and article photographs. Other miscellaneous material included in the scrapbook includes fight songs, match flyers and photographs. The scrapbook is dedicated to Theodore Barber.
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Elliott, Dorothy Jenkins, collection, 1949-1980
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Personal and professional correspondence, organizational newsletters, textbooks, and news releases collected by Dorothy Jenkins Elliott during her time as an instructor at the Haskell Indian Nations University, in Lawrence, Kansas, and her teaching at Kansas public schools.
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Emmett, Elaine, collection, circa 1960-2000
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Elaine Emmett was a poet and a lecturer for Pittsburg State University. This collection contains some of her poems, bibliographies, biographical material, an interview, and clippings.
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Eshelbrenner, Albert H., collection, 1939-2007
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection focuses on Albert H. Eshelbrenner, of Fort Scott, Kansas, and his brother-in-law, Francis H. Pirnat, of Frontenac, Kansas. Albert H. Eshelbrenner served in the military during World War II, as did several of his brothers and brother-in-laws, including Pirnat. This collection contains correspondence, genealogical information, publications, maps, templets, advertisements, clippings, music, and photographs.
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Eurydice Club records, 1903-1929
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Records of the Eurydice Club, at Pittsburg State University, a women's music organization, that became a chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota fraternity in 1930. The records include a constitution and bylaws, a club history, a scrapbook of photographs, clippings, performance programs, and general information about the University and its music department.
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Exley, Grover, collection, 1921-1958
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection includes newspaper, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, photographs and other miscellaneous materials related to the postal service industry.
Grover Exley was born in 1885 to Thomas and Martha (Morris) Exley. He married Carrie Belle Raymond (1879 - 1960). Together the two had a son named Thomas Raymond Exley (1916 - 1998). Thomas served as an Aeronautical Engineer in San Diego, California during World War II. Grover was a postal worker in Pittsburg, Kansas. Grover Exley passed away in 1961.
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Extension Study Club records, 1918-1988
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The Extension Study Club is a study organization that was part of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Kansas Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Pittsburg Federation of Women’s Clubs. This group would study several subjects after their business meetings by bringing in lecturers; the subjects ranged from sociology to working in Africa to religion. The Study club would also have music performances by club members, the high school or college music groups during their meetings They were an active group in their community and would have fundraisers to help different organizations, such as the Girl Scouts and the Safe House. They would also donate scholarships to high school students.
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Fairchild, Troy E., collection, 1897-1900
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This is a collection of letters published in local newspapers from different members of the 20th regiment Kansas Infantry United States Volunteers (U.S.V.) during the Spanish - American War. Along with a book of newspaper clippings there is a Kansas Service Medal, Rifle practice medal, business card of Troy E. Fairchild, and a Roster of the Kansas 20th Infantry U.S.V.
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Farneti, Millo, collection, 1913-1995
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of Millo Farneti’s poetry, writings, correspondence, financial papers, and other personal documents.
Millo (Milo) Farneti was born on July 30, 1921 in Frontenac, Kansas to Ezio and Albina Farneti. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1948, and found work with the Associated Press. Farneti worked for the AP in Kansas City, New York, and Korea-Japan during the Korean War. From 1955 to 1960, Farneti did freelance work in Kansas City until he was hired by McGraw-Hill. Farneti worked in New York and Italy for 20 years for McGraw-Hill, the NY Journal of Commerce, Time-Life, NY Herald Tribune, and other publications, writing mostly business and financial pieces. In 1980, Farneti returned to Frontenac. Millo Farneti also wrote and published poetry. His poetry has a wide range of topics from war to local happenings, inspired from real events or stories. Millo Farneti passed away in February of 2004.
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Faulkner, Olive J., collection, 1929-1972
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Personal papers and materials collected by Olive J. Faulkner, a graduate of the Kansas State Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University. The Collection pertains to Faulkner’s work as an educator, nurse, and Civil Defense official. The collection includes correspondence, certificates, clippings, manuals, photographs, pamphlets, and a commencement hood.
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Federation of Women's Club, Kansas Club of Pittsburg collection, 1900-1976
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Records from the Federation of Women’s Club: Kansas Club of Pittsburg Kansas. It documents the club’s history with newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and notebooks, and photographs of members from 1906 to 1976.
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Ferrell, James L., collection, 1944-1947
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of service papers, photographs, a diary, newspapers, and German service badges pertaining to James Ferrell’s service in the United States Navy on IE Shima.
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Fiddler's Fund collection, 1970-1981
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The collection of the Fiddler’s Fund consists of letters, newspaper clippings; article, meeting minutes, IRS tax information, deposit checks, non-profit filings, scholarship applications, and bank account balance reports for a musical-support organization.
Created in 1970, the Fiddler's Fund of Pittsburg Inc. was a non-profit organization (501c3) dedicated to raising money and providing scholarships for K-12 students in need of musical instruments and lessons. In 1980, after its dissolution, the Fiddler’s Fund donated its remaining funds to the Pittsburg State University Music Department for scholarships.
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First Christian Church, Cherokee, Kansas, records, 1888-1889, 1921-1936, 1952
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Minute book, charter, property deed, letter, and newspaper clipping relating to the First Christian Church of Cherokee, Crawford County, Kansas, that was established in 1874.
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Ford, Edsel, collection, 1948-1971
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The papers and materials in this collection pertain to poet Edsel Ford. Included are Ford's writings, personal and professional correspondence, bibliographical and biographical materials, clippings, programs, obituaries, and tributes to his life and work.
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Fort Scott Foundry collection, 1894-1919
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of record and ledger books of payments and shipments from the Fort Scott Foundry and Machine Works of Fort Scott, Kansas.
The Fort Scott Foundry and Machine Works was established in 1869 by George A. Crawford, proprietor, and Frank J. Nutz, superintendent, in Fort Scott, Kansas. A. W. Walburn (1852-1930) built up the factory and foundry in the 1870s, later becoming proprietor with F. J. Nutz as superintendent. The foundry produced processing equipment that serviced many fields of production, including boilers, mining machinery, stoves, coal trucks, evaporation systems, sugar processors, saw mills, ore treatment, and farm equipment. The foundry also shipped products internationally. M. Swenson, patentor of the Swenson method of evaporators and inventor of processes and machinery, bought a half interest in the Fort Scott Foundry, and changed the name to the Walburn-Swenson Foundry and Machine Company. The company was prosperous in southeast Kansas with mining and immigrant labor, and eventually established international business. In 1893 the company moved its machines and equipment to a new plant in Chicago, and moved its offices to New York. The company was sold in 1900 and Walburn retired while Swenson moved on to invent a hydraulic method of extracting and evaporating salt. After the company was sold, it became the American Foundry and Machinery Company.
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Fort Scott Weekly Monitor collection, 1867-1869
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection includes transcriptions of articles from the Fort Scott Weekly Monitor mainly focusing on the Cherokee Neutral Lands.
The Fort Scott Weekly Monitor, a newspaper in Fort Scott, Kansas, was published from the mid-1860s until 1904. These transcriptions were compiled by Michael Arthur Guilfoyle (b. 1946 - d. 2010).
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Foster, Stephen C., collection, 1957
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A Pictorial Bibliography of the First Editions of Stephen C. Foster is a bibliography of all first edition cover title page reproductions for Foster’s 204 musical works within his music collection at the Library of Congress. Published by Musical Americana, Philadelphia, 1957.
Stephen Collins Foster was born on July 4, 1826 in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania to William Barclay Foster and Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster. His father had purchased a piano a few years before he was born and when Foster received private tutoring from local school teachers, from whom he informally learned about music, the combination instigated his passion for song-writing. When Foster became a teenager, his early music was inspired by the Irish composer Thomas Moore and from early minstrel shows traveling through Lawrenceville. In 1841, Foster began studying at the Jefferson College at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. After one month, he dropped out, and began publishing his music, mostly for minstrel shows. By 1849, Foster had moved to Cincinnati and entered into a publishing partnership with a New York company called Firth, Pond & Company. In 1851, he married Jane McDowell, but the couple separated several years later. By 1860, Foster was prolific in publishing music, and when the Civil War began, began publishing war songs. In early January of 1864, Foster grew ill and collapsed onto the bathroom floor where he sustained serious injuries to his neck and face. On January 13th, he died from his wounds.
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Fowler family collection, 1829-2009
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of digital images of personal correspondence, photographs, documents and collected materials pertaining to members of the Fowler family of Arcadia, Kansas, and related families. The collection contains primarily family genealogy, family history, and photographs. Also included are World War II letters, newspaper clippings, and other materials about local history in southeast Kansas.
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Francis, Karen Sue, collection, 1972-2002
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of materials relating to two grand jury investigations conducted in Harper County, Kansas. The investigations concern the death of William “Billy” Earl Detwiler in 1974 while he was in police custody, and the investigation of the Harper County commissioners and other county officials in 2002, regarding the Tri-County Landfill issue.
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Gaitskill family collection, 1878-1930
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, photographs and programs relating to several members of the Gaitskill family.
Joseph Ennis (1836-1899) was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army from 1861-1863 in the Co. D, Fourth Iowa Cavalry. He married Pauline Hollibaugh (1848-1931) in 1864. In 1870, they moved to Girard, Kansas, where a daughter was born (Belle Ennis, 1870-1922). Belle would graduate from Girard High School in 1887 and began working in the Girard schools that same year. Belle married Bennet Sudith Gaitskill (1858-1927) in 1892, together they had a son named Joseph Ennis Gaitskill (1894-1952). A daughter was born in 1864 but died the following year. Belle Gaitskill occupied several leadership positions in Girard throughout her life. Ben worked as a lawyer before being elected county attorney in 1888.
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Gardner family photographs, 1925-1999
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of photos, news clippings, and ephemera relating to Eugene “Gene” Vernon Gardner, a professor and chairman of the Department of Technology at Pittsburg State University from 1967 to 1981. The collection consists of family photos, two news clippings, 1940 Kansas State Teacher’s College commencement announcement, and other materials.
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Gardner, Samuel R., collection, 1943-2002
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Papers, artifacts, and photographs collected by 1st Lt. Samuel R. Gardner and his family. These materials primarily pertain to the early childhood, high school years, military service, and posthumous memorial activities involving Gardner. The collections includes: correspondence, visual materials, documents, clippings, artifacts, miscellaneous materials, and scrapbook pages.
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Garrison Family Collection
Brent McDowell
The Garrison Family Collection contains materials from the Garrison Family, mostly the parents and direct family of Gary Lynn Garrison (1944-2024). Records found pertain to his father, George W. Garrison (1910-1988) and his mother Byrtene Loraine Garrison (1910-1985) both who grew up in Southeast Kansas.
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Gastel, Dorothy, collection, 1931-1983
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of school notes and research, education materials, and other documents and books related to Dorothy Gastel and her teaching career.
Dorothy Andrews Gastel, born in 1913, grew up in Barton County, Missouri, attending rural schools. She and her sister, Alta, helped to raise their brother after both of their parents passed when he was seven. Dorothy graduated from Lamar High School (Missouri) in 1931, beginning her teaching career shortly after. She taught at many different schools in Missouri and California before marrying Gene Gastel in 1940. She took a break from teaching to raise six children, but returned to school at Kansas State College of Pittsburg, Kansas to earn a bachelor of science in education in 1962, and a master of science in special education in 1969. Dorothy taught at Lamar Elementary School where she taught special education until her retirement in 1974. She was apart of the Lamar Education Association, attended Special Olympics, and was an active member of community affairs and organizations. Dorothy Gastel passed away in 1983.
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Gerdes, Grace T., collection, 1913-1914, 1952
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Two daybooks belonging to Grace T. Gerdes in which she catalogues her daily life in the year when her second to last child was born (1913), and the year her husband passed away (1952).
Grace T. Floyd was born in 1882 to the Reverend Charles T. and Mary M. Floyd. She was raised in Mound Valley, Kansas. In 1905, she married Charles W. Gerdes (b. 1871) and they moved to a farm outside of Mound Valley in Labette County, where she would live out the rest of her life as a homemaker. Charles Gerdes passed away in 1952. Grace Gerdes passed away in 1969. They had two sons but only one lived to adulthood.
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Gibson family collection, 1913-1915
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of photographs from the Gibson sisters' time at the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School, including Helen and Evva and their friends.
Helen C. Gibson Dubois (1894-1978) and Evva Louise Gibson (1896-1980) were sisters who both attended the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School (now Pittsburg State University). Evva received her first bachelor’s degree in 1918. She received a second in 1922, and a master’s degree in 1925, both from Columbia University in New York. She returned to Pittsburg in 1923 as an assistant professor at the college. In 1947, she became head of the Home Economics Department, serving until 1961, a total of 38 years of service. The E. Louise Gibson Dining Hall on the campus was named after her. Helen Gibson married Charles R. Dubois (1886-1942) and they lived in Pittsburg.
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Girard Chamber of Commerce collection, 1921-1968
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of financial documents, legal papers, correspondence, and publications regarding Girard, Kansas, and the Girard Chamber of Commerce, 1921-1968.
The Girard Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1948, focuses on local businesses, economic climate, and quality of life for residents in Girard, Kansas, founded in 1868. Their mission is to “promote and enhance commerce and community development in the Girard area.”
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Goodwin, Benjamin F., papers, 1864-1945
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection includes pensions, speeches, and special orders of Benjamin Goodwin.
Benjamin Franklin Goodwin, a Civil War veteran, was born in 1834, in Steubenville, Ohio. Goodwin was married to Louisa A. Klaberg (1844-1923) in 1859, and enlisted in the Company C of the 119th Illinois Infantry Regiment in August of 1862. He began as a private and saw promotions to the rank of second lieutenant. He served in such campaigns as the Yazoo River Expedition, the River Campaign, Savannah Campaign, and the Mobile Campaign. The most notable battles he fought in was the Battle of Pleasant Hill and the Battle of Nashville. In the late 1860s, he moved with Louisa to Pittsburg, Kansas. A blacksmith by profession, Goodwin was said to have been personally acquainted with Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. B. F. and Louisa Goodwin had several children, including two sons, Charles W. and Harry F., and a daughter, Pearl. He was involved in local organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Masonic Order. He passed away in 1926.
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Graham, Elmina, collection, 1921-1959
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Elmina Graham was an English Professor at Kansas State Teacher’s College (KSTC), now Pittsburg State University. She and Frances Hashbarger founded the Epsilon Chapter of Theta Sigma Upsilon, and she also started the Sigma Alpha chapter for Sigma Tau Delta. This collection contains correspondence, travel diaries and memorabilia, scrapbooks, histories of Theta Sigma Upsilon and Sigma Tau Delta, photographs and personal items for her and Hashbarger.
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Grand Army of the Republic records, 1882-1979
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The General Russell Circle No. 144 was the Pittsburg, Kansas chapter for the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. The organization was dedicated to making the surrounding area more patriotic through community service projects and special programs. This collection contains minutes and dues ledger books, programs, newsletters, and miscellaneous items.
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Gray, Mary Virginia Holstine, collection, 1901-1991
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A Collection of short stories and music produced, collected, and owned by Mary Virginia Holstine Gray.
Mary Virginia Erskine Holstine Gray was born on January 21st, 1908 in Pittsburg, Kansas to Ralph and Myrta Erskine. She married Lawrence Holstine in 1931 and ran the Ritz Tavern with him until the late 1960s. In the mid-1940s she began to write her own music, and throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s she wrote short stories. In 1967, Lawrence Holstine passed away. After his death, Mary moved to Frontenac, Kansas. In 1971, she married Roland Gray, who passed away in 1974. Mary passed away on Feb. 26th, 1996.
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Greene, Zula Bennington, collection, 1920-1991
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Personal papers and materials collected by Zula Bennington Greene, an author and columnist from Topeka, Kansas. Includes personal and professional correspondence with friends and publishers; manuscripts; newspaper articles and clippings; book reviews; poetry and psalms; programs; printed materials; and photographs and images.
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Gregory, Waylande De Santis, collection, 1923-1988
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Correspondence, writings, photographs, and collected biographical and research materials of noted ceramist and artist, Waylande De Santis Gregory. Includes original documents and research materials collected by Pittsburg State University curator Eugene DeGruson.
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Guardia, Charles E., collection, 1945-1972
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Charles Edward Guardia was born December 19, 1916, in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana and died September 1, 1972, in Pittsburg, Kansas. Guardia received a Bachelor in Arts degree and a Master in Arts degree both from Louisiana State University. After completing his first two degrees he then enrolled at Harvard University, eventually earning a second Master in Arts degree, as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy. Guardia, being a scholar of Elizabethan literature, attend Oxford University in Great Britain, eventually earning a post-doctoral degree. During World War II, he served in the Naval Intelligence division. After his time in the service, he was employed as an editor for the Prentice-Hall Publishing Co. in New York City. He started his teaching career in 1948 at Emerson University in Boston. The following year he began teaching at Tulane University in New Orleans, and worked there until 1954. In 1954 he began teaching English at the Kansas State College of Pittsburg, now Pittsburg State University. He taught there until his retirement in 1972. This collection includes correspondence, photographs, Pittsburg State University materials, research, written work, newspaper clippings, programs, and miscellaneous material.
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Gudgen, Jr., Prentice, collection, 1849-1997
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of correspondence, Kansas history, programs and flyers, publications, city directories, photographs, postcards, maps, stationery, newspaper clippings, miscellaneous, and oversized.
Prentice E. Gudgen Jr. was born on April 15, 1939 to Prentice Everett and Gretta H. Stuessi Gudgen. His father was a coach at Pittsburg State University. He graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1958 and worked for McNally’s Manufacturing for twenty-seven years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Boy Scouts of America, and the Crawford County Historical Society. Gudgen was also a local historian. He passed away on June 16, 2006.
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Gusmerotti, Joseph J., collection, 1919-1968
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Joseph J. Gusmerotti was born to Joseph John and Margarita Malacarne Gusmerotti Sr. in Chicopee, Kansas on April 23, 1907. After graduating from Crawford Community High School in 1926, he moved to Detroit, Michigan and was first employed by the Chrysler Corporation as a typist. Gusmerotti was promoted into many areas of packaging, shipping, and exporting at Chrysler during his career. He also studied at the Chrysler Institute of Engineering from 1939-1941. In 1958, Gusmerotti was promoted to Special Assignments Overseas where he would document the operation of international parts warehouses for Chrysler in multiple countries. After working at the Chrysler Corporation for 42 years, he retired in 1968. This collection consists of documents, letters, and photos regarding Joseph J. Gusmerotti and the Chrysler automobile corporation.
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Hackney family collection, 1921-1969
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Marguerite Hackney was born in Oswego, Kansas in 1907. She graduated from Cherokee County Community High School in 1927. She attended Kansas State College in Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University), graduating with a B.S in 1932, and a Masters in 1940. She devoted her life to teaching along with two of her sisters. Marguerite passed away in 1991. Evelyn was born in Oswego in 1912, and passed away in 1987. She was married to Melvin Hamilton.
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Hagman, Jr., William R., collection, 1970-1991
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The William R. Hagman Jr. Collection includes correspondence; various publications from the tobacco industry; order forms regarding his book collection; and newspaper clippings. His books on tobacco and the tobacco industry are part of the Special Collections book collection. This collection has the following eight series: Correspondence; Book lists; Pipe Lovers; The Tin Collectors Association; The Tobacco Observer; individual issues of various other publications; Order Forms; Advertisements; and Newspaper Clippings.
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Haldeman-Julius collection, 1895-1996
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The Haldeman-Julius Collection includes papers relating to Emanuel Haldeman-Julius’s career in socialist journalism, particularly the Haldeman-Julius Publishing Company in Girard, Kansas. It also includes material relevant to his wife’s families (Haldeman; Addams); correspondence; business documents; writings, and photographs pertaining to the various Haldeman-Julius publications such as The Little Blue Books, the Haldeman-Julius Weekly; and other publishing ventures that Haldeman-Julius undertook from Girard, Kansas from 1919 until his death in 1951. Photos and papers relating to the children of Emanuel and Marcet Haldeman-Julius are also part of this collection.
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Hallstead family collection, 1862, 1868-1910
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The collection is comprised of letters which passed between members of the Hallstead family of Pennsylvania between the years of 1862 and 1910. The bulk of the collection is comprised of letters from Polly Ann (Pop) Hallstead to her brother Andrew, and letters to Polly Ann from her future husband, Nelson (Nels) Walker. In addition there are letters from Mr. Orrin Hallstead to his son Andrew, and a letter from Henry Hallstead (another of Orrin's sons) written from an Army camp during the Civil War.
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Hamlin, Irving, papers, 1912-1938
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The personal papers and correspondence of Irving Hamlin of Evanston,Illinois. The papers include personal correspondence, business records, newspaper clippings, and publications relating to seances, spiritualism, and psychical research.
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Hankammer, Otto Alfred, collection, 1922-1947
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of vocational training manuals, tool catalogs, publications, student essays and coursework of Dr. Otto A. Hankammer. The personal series includes a portion of Dr. Hankammer’s dissertation, and the program for the Epsilon Pi Tau banquet. The collection includes various manuals related to the industrial arts such as concrete, tools, and radios. Information booklets include household management, industrial arts, metallurgy and furniture. The catalog series includes tools, household items, cards, and automobiles. Student essays from Industrial Art subjects range from 1932-1941 and others are undated. The coursework for Morse Code and Radio includes manuals as well as code sheets and practice workbooks. The miscellaneous series includes additional radio coursework, Machine Drafting committee, and the government expenditures for 1929.
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Hanlon family collection, 1898-1904
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The collection includes photos, photocopies of family biographies and photos, and a funeral card. The materials primarily relate to Berthenia M (Shook) Hanlen and her children.
Berthenia M. (Shook) Hanlon was born on the 7th of May 1842 in Green County, Wisconsin. She married John B. Hanlon (1842-1911) in 1868. Together they had seven children, and after moving several times, they eventually settled in Pittsburg, Kansas. Berthenia would pass away in 1904. There are some variations in the spelling of the last name Hanlon, some family members either changed the spelling of their last name or misspelled on the materials in the collection (Hanlen, Hanlin).
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Harding, A. H., correspondence, 1928-1945
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Correspondence, primarily from World War II, of A. H. Harding, with some letters containing newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, medals, currency and other miscellaneous materials.
Algie Hampton Harding was born on January 9, 1909 in Keytesville, Missouri to Al and Jennie Harding. He graduated from Brunswick, Missouri High School. He received a bachelor’s degree from Central College of Fayette, Missouri, and then attended the University of Missouri. On January 21, 1942 Harding married Mary Frances Hobbs of Independence, Kansas. Harding attended Officers’ Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was commissioned as a first lieutenant. Harding served in the 8th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II and was discharged from service in January 1946. Harding practiced law until he passed away in November, 1969. Mary F. Harding passed away in May of 1998.
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Harmon family collection, 1922-1945, 1970
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A small collection of materials and memorabilia that was donated by the Harmon family of Pittsburg, Kansas.
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Harmon, Stephen, collection, 1960-2020
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The Stephen Harmon Collection consists of the career and professorial works of Stephen Harmon consisting of his papers, classes, bibliographies, journals, magazines, leading up to his career at Pittsburg State University.
Stephen A. Harmon was born on June 15, 1945 in St. Louis, MO to Jim and Alice Harmon. In 1968, after marrying Fritzi Drosten, Harmon and Drosten moved to San Francisco. Dr. Stephen Harmon received his B.A. from San Francisco State University in the Spring of 1979 and he received his Master’s degree in June 1981. At SFSU, he spent a year in Madrid, Spain, studying at the Complutense University of Madrid. From Spain, he taught English in Japan and traveled across the Trans-Siberian Railroad. When starting his Ph.D, Dr. Harmon received his first Fulbright scholarship in 1983 traveling to Bamako, Mali. While researching his thesis he met his second wife Bintou Traore. While working towards his Ph.D., Dr. Harmon was a Teaching Assistant at UCLA from 1984 - 1987. He completed his Ph.D. in West African Islamic history at the University of California at Los Angeles in December 1988. Dr. Harmon got his first job as a Visiting Associate Professor at SUNY-College. After one academic year, Dr. Harmon then became an Associate Professor at Arkansas State University from 1989 - 1994. In 1990, Dr. Harmon received his second Fulbright scholarship and traveled back to Bamako, Mali. After his stay at ASU, Dr. Harmon then became an Associate Professor of African and Middle Eastern history at Pittsburg State University. In 2003, he earned a grant to internationalize the curriculum at Pittsburg State that helped lay the foundation for Pittsburg State’s PSU in Paraguay program, part of the Kansas Paraguay Partnership. He also worked in conjunction with PSU’s Military Science program, preparing upcoming soldiers with the cultural and historical background for their service in the Middle East. In 2008, Dr. Harmon gave a talk about rethinking Terrorism at a UN Workshop in Italy. During his stay, Dr. Harmon led student groups to Europe and South America. Harmon married Olive Sullivan in 2014. Dr. Harmon passed away on December 26, 2020, at Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg.
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Harry, John, collection, 1942-1961
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of programs, yearbooks, newspapers, and other items pertaining to the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University).
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Hart, Robert W., papers, 1924-1966
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Personal documents, correspondence, and financial records of Robert W. Hart, former professor at Pittsburg State University.
Robert William Hart was born in 1896 to William and Sarah Hart and grew up in Crawford County, Kansas. In 1916 he graduated from the State Manual Training Normal School (now Pittsburg State University), and found early work as an engineer. Robert served as an ensign in the navy during World War I. He taught in the public schools in Fort Scott and Pittsburg from 1916-1918; 1921-1923. In 1920 he married Retta Statler and they had two children. In 1923 he was hired as an assistant professor of mathematics at the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg, formerly the State Manual Training School. He received a masters degree in 1925 from the University of Illinois. During World War II he served as an instructor at the USNR Midshipman’s School at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. In 1946 he returned to Pittsburg to continue teaching at the school, which was now the Kansas State Teachers College. The following year he was named the head of the Placement Bureau at the college. He also served one year as the mayor of Pittsburg. Robert Hart continued working at the college until his retirement in 1966. He passed away in Pittsburg in 1972.
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Hashbarger, Elmer E., photographs, 1890-1895
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The Elmer E. Hashbarger photographs consist of several albumen print photographs of Hashbarger’s work as a cattle driver.
Elmer Ellsworth Hashbarger was born in Richland, Ohio in 1866 to Andrew and Mary Hashbarger. His family eventually moved to Kincaid, Kansas. Harshbarger worked as a cattle driver in the Oklahoma panhandle. In Beaver, Oklahoma, he married Ida Scott, a marriage that produced four children. In his later years he moved back to the township of Rich, east of Kincaid. Elmer died in 1935.
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Haughawout, Margaret Elizabeth, papers, 1901-1985
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The correspondence, diaries, manuscripts, publications, clippings, and photographs of an English teacher and author. Includes family history and papers relating to several memorial events and publications that celebrated the life and work of Haughawout.
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Heady, Ray, collection, 1958-1988
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of magazines and scrapbooks from PSU alumnus Ray Heady.
Raymond Alex Heady (1908-1991) was born in Pittsburg, Kansas and was one of America's most respected outdoor writers. Heady graduated from the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) in 1930. He also received an M.A. from the school in 1938. Heady taught journalism for nine years in several Kansas high schools. He then taught for two years each at the University of Kansas and the University of Oklahoma before joining the Kansas City Star in 1942. Serving as the outdoors editor from 1958-1973, he won several awards, including the Outdoor Writers of America Association's coveted Jade Award, and the Sears Foundation National Wildlife Federation Award. He also received the Alumni Meritorious Achievement Award from PSU in 1966. In 1980 Heady published the book Hard Head I and Other Stories about the outdoors. Ray Heady was married to Eleanor Wilson Heady and they had three children. Mr. Heady passed away in 1991.
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Heilman, Ron, collection, circa 1980-2000
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of Ron Heilman (aka Ronald Mann) fashion and event designs including photographs, sketches, and magazine and newspaper clippings.
Ron Heilman (1950-2009) grew up near Wichita, Kansas. During his formative years he developed an interest in art and design. During a trip to New York City, the Fifth Avenue retailing, 7th Avenue couture, and Broadway inspired him to pursue designing as a vocation. Ron graduated from Pittsburg State University in 1972 with a BA in Theater, and later received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Costume Design from Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania. Ron Heilman, professionally known as Ronald Mann, began his career in designing costumes for movies and TV shows including Independence Day (1983), Staying Alive (1983), The Dollmaker (1984), and Call to Glory (1984-85). Mann then branched away to start his own fashion studio, Ronald Mann Couture. His designs were worn by Bianca Jagger, Sharon Gless, and Barbara Bosson who wore it to the 1987 Emmy Awards. In 1990, Ronald Mann joined Victoria Royal Ltd in New York. He then became an Event and Floral Designer for weddings and corporate events. He worked out of Los Angeles before moving back to Wichita to be close to family. Ronald Mann passed away June 1, 2009.
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Hess, Harlan, collection, 1959-2001
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The materials and artifacts in the Hess, Harlan, Collection, 1959-2001 were collected by Pittsburg State University alum, Harlan Hess. Included in this collection are official football game programs from 1959-1964, programs from the 1961 National Championship Camellia Bowl game, an oversized scrapbook from 1961-1986, photographs, 1961 team reunion materials, and other memorabilia. There is also a 1959 gorilla football scrapbook that was given to Harlan Hess during Homecoming, October 9, 1998 by Pittsburg State University alum, Pat Alexander, who found the scrapbook in his mother’s home. Included in the 1959 scrapbook are Kansas State College of Pittsburg football news releases, game plans, and gorilla newsletters written by head football coach, Carnie Smith.
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Hibbard, Pauline, diary, 1919
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A personal diary of Pauline Hibbard, written throughout the latter half of 1919, when she was 14 years old. The diary discusses her weekly activities during the summer and school year, such as church, swimming, ice cream eating, and football games.
Pauline Lang Hibbard was born March 3, 1905 in Cherryvale, Kansas to Sherburne and Dixon Hibbard. When she was 25, she became a school teacher in Cherryvale, Kansas. In the early 1930s she moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and in 1940 married Edward L. Stauffacher from St. Paul, Minnesota. At the beginning of World War II her husband was drafted and they moved to Chicago. After the war, her husband became the president of City Service Oil Company of Pennsylvania. Later they moved to Chappaqua, New York. Edward passed away in 1966 and Pauline passed away in 1995 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
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Hobaugh family collection, 1872-1940
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection contains photocopies of personal correspondence, receipts, money orders, loans and farm leases of two siblings, William G. Hobaugh and Daniel F. Hobaugh, who lived in Kansas and Oklahoma in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as other family members and descendants.
William G. Hobaugh was born in Pennsylvania in 1852. He lived in a variety of places in Kansas, finally settling in Frontenac, where he passed away in 1921. His younger brother, Daniel F. Hobaugh, was born in Iowa in 1860, and worked as a blacksmith. He passed away in Braman, Oklahoma in 1921.
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Hobson family collection, 1842-2006
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Records of the family of George and Mary Lane Hobson, natives of Iowa, who settled in Crawford County in 1865 and operated the first post office, school, store, saloon, and dance hall in the area that later became Pittsburg, Kansas.
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Hodgson, Owen, collection, 1925
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection consists of newspapers, bulletins, and photographs, particularly of Owen Hodgson’s college days at Pittsburg State University.
Owen Emry Hodgson was born in 1896 on a farm southeast of Parker, Kansas in Linn County. As a child Hodgson attended a rural school until he entered LaCygne High School, graduating in May 1917. Hodgson subsequently attended summer sessions at the Kansas State Training School in Pittsburg (today’s Pittsburg State University). During World War I, he enlisted in Company B, 353th Regiment, 89th division. During his service, he was wounded by shrapnel and poisonous gas at St. Meichel, France. After the war, he returned to Pittsburg to continue college, graduating in May 1925. In 1920 he married Clara Ella Crosswhite, and they had one daughter. Hodgson taught in Kansas public schools beginning in 1928 until 1965, including serving as principal at Salina High School. In 1935, Hodgson received a law degree from the University of Kansas. In 1977, Hodgson was inducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame. Owen Hodgson died in Salina, Kansas in 1991.
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Holden, Lavon Graham, collection, 1931-1970
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Collection includes newspapers, newspaper clippings, booklets, magazines, partial manuscripts, programs, and miscellaneous materials related to Lavon Graham Holden.
Lavon Graham Holden was born to Charles and Mary Ann (Inks) Graham in 1907. She married Fred S. Holden (1903 - 1985) on January 9, 1927. Together they had a daughter, Bonnie J. (Holden) Crain (1927 - 2002). Lavon graduated Pittsburg High School and studied music at the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University). Lavon was a finalist in the Atwater Kent National Vocal Competition and won a scholarship to the Chicago Conservatory of Music. She directed choirs at the United Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church. She taught vocal lessons in her home for many years. She passed away on November 9th, 1990.
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Hollenbeck, E. W., collection, 1956-1981
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Military clothing and medals from Mr. Hollenbeck’s career in the Army.
E. W. Hollenbeck was born April 8, 1934 in Goodland, Kansas. After growing up “Bill” Hollenbeck attended Pittsburg State University where he graduated giving him a bachelor of science in education in 1956. After his bachelor’s degree Hollenbeck enlisted in the U.S. Army where he served 25 years. In these years Hollenbeck garnered a reputation for upstanding character and moved up in rank until his promotion of colonel in 1978. During his time in the military Hollenbeck also graduated with a master of science degree in education from Wichita State University. Finishing his education Hollenbeck also acquired a certificate of advanced graduate study in counseling and guidance from Boston University. After his education Hollenbeck came to Pittsburg once again but as a faculty member of Pittsburg State University. From his time employed here he was the chairman of the Military Science Department and assistant to the president some years later. He also became the liaison between the University and the Kansas legislature and finally became director of the PSU Business and Technology institute in 1996. Bill Hollenbeck passed in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 2nd, 1997.
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Holmes, Markwood, collection, 1947-2003
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Markwood Miller Holmes was born on August 18, 1899, in Lexington, Nebraska and died January 24, 1994, in Frontenac, Kansas. He started his education in music in 1917 by enrolling in the Horner Institute of Fine Arts, in Kansas City. In 1919, he joined the faculty at the school and began teaching violin and piano. In the same year, he also became the concertmaster of the Institute Orchestra. He subsequently added to his workload by teaching strings at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music. In the following years, he earned degrees from the Conservatory and the University of Tulsa. In 1925, Holmes decided to take his education overseas by enrolling in a school in Paris, France. While in Europe, he toured France, Belgium, Tunis, Algeria, and Morocco as the second violinist of the Vandelle String Quartet. He returned to the United States in 1929 and began teaching at the Kansas City Conservatory in 1930. In the following years, he would become the principal second violinist in the newly formed Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra until 1947. In 1937, Holmes became the head of the violin department at the Pro Art School of Kansas City. From 1943 to 1945, Holmes taught strings in the Fort Scott, Kansas school system. He had his first violin methods book published in 1944. It wasn’t until 1947 that Holmes began teaching at the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now PSU). While employed at the university he taught violin and piano, and composed various compositions for violin and piano. He retired from the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg in 1969 after teaching there for 22 years. After his retirement from PSU, he went to the Fort Scott Community College and taught music theory and violin. He was recognized in 1979 as the Kansas Composer of the Year. In 1980 he received further recognition for being cited as showing distinguished leadership from the American String Teachers Association. This collection includes personal, correspondence, music, performances, writing, photographs, newspaper clippings, media, and miscellaneous materials.
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Honstead, John, collection, 1901-1930
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of records, ledgers, and receipts from John Honstead’s store. The collection also includes Chloe Honstead’s purse and notebooks.
John Honstead was born in Van Wert, Ohio, October 1851. He became proficient in carpentry and by the age of 19 was teaching the trade. Honstead came to Neosho County, Kansas in 1879 where he worked as a carpenter and farmed. A few years later, he moved to Moran, Kansas and became a contractor and builder, building the schoolhouse, businesses houses, and residences. Honstead then went on to operate the hardware and undertaking business in Mulberry, Kansas. John Honstead was also a director at The Citizens State Bank in Mulberry. He and his wife, Sophronia, had three children, Millie, Ivy, and Chloe. John Honstead died in 1936.
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Hoover, Charles Guy, Sr., photographs, circa 1907-1912
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of photographs and biographical sketch relating to Charles Guy Hoover, Sr., the first director of music at the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School, now Pittsburg State University.
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Horn, Shelby, collection, 1984-1989
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Shelby Horn is a local attorney and alumnus of Pittsburg State University. He was also involved with The Little Balkans Review, a quarterly periodical on local history and culture.
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Hotel Stilwell records, 1945-1975
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection consists of guest records, registration cards, financial records and miscellaneous financial documents related to the Stilwell Hotel in Pittsburg, KS.
The city of Pittsburg formed a board of trade in 1889 that concluded that Pittsburg needed a modern hotel. Initial seed money of $100,000 was acquired in July of that year. Arthur E. Stilwell of Missouri, Kansas and Texas Trust company provided further funding, so it was decided to name the hotel after him. In July of 1889, W. C. Lindsey was hired to design the hotel and C. W. Green to build it. The hotel was dedicated on April 26, 1890. The Hotel Stilwell has played an important role in the history of Pittsburg. In 1919 it served as the temporary capital of Kansas. Clarence Darrow issued his reply to the interrogatories of the Scopes “Monkey” Trial from the hotel in 1925. Speeches by William Jennings Bryan, Eugene V. Debs, Theodore Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony and more were delivered from the balcony. The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Sites in 1980.
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House, Joan, collection, 1862-2003
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Joan House is a former special education teacher, and has worked as a volunteer with various historic sites in Southeast Kansas and elsewhere. Ms. House has also worked at the Girard (Kansas) Public Library establishing the genealogical library. She was also an active member of the Crawford County Genealogical Society. She wrote for the Fort Scott National Historical Site newsletter and had a genealogical column in The Pittsburg Morning Sun. The Joan House Collection contains biographies, correspondence, photographs, and newspaper clippings that pertain to Joan House’s school assignments and personal projects. Items in the collection date from 1862 to 2003.
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Housing for All collection, 1994-2002
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection includes professional correspondence, official business documents, financial papers, photographs, and other miscellaneous materials related to the Housing for All organization.
Housing for All, Inc. was formed in 1994 in Pittsburg, Kansas, a non-profit organization to serve as an emergency/transitional shelter for people in need. The organization operated until 2002, when it was merged with the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP).
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Howat, Alexander, collection, 1921-2011
Brent McDowell
This collection contains materials concerning Alexander Howat and his life, but more specifically his role as the president of the United Mine Workers of America union, District 14 in Southeast Kansas.
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Hugo, George B., collection, 1909-1919
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The George B. Hugo Correspondence consists of his book Socialism: The Creed of Despair and 25 letters related to its publication.
George B. Hugo was born in 1866 in Massachusetts to French immigrants. Hugo married Jennie Saulsbury in 1888 in Boston and in 1893 a daughter they named Ruth was born. In Boston, Massachusetts, George worked as a merchant. In 1909 he published his book, Socialism: The Creed of Despair. The book is further described as a “Joint Debate in Faneuil Hall, March 22, 1909 between George B. Hugo, President Employers' Association of Massachusetts, Affirmative, and James F. Carey, State Secretary Socialist Party of Massachusetts.” Hugo died in 1925 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
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Hull and Dillon Packing Company collection, 1928-1940
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A scrapbook of newspaper clippings from local and national newspapers related to agriculture, meat-packing, and the Hull and Dillon Packing Company of Pittsburg, Kansas.
Lewis Hull (1855-1940) moved to Pittsburg, Kansas in 1885 to start a meat business. With modest funds and a hogshead as a smokehouse, Hull gradually increased his business, selling meat to the local citizens. Hull was joined in business by his brother-in-law Thomas Dillon (1861-1952) and in 1891 they opened a packing plant on the banks of Cow Creek in Pittsburg. The company was incorporated in 1904 and from there, the plant expanded. By 1920, lard, hides, and grease were sent or sold to other companies across the nation and overseas. In 1922, Hull and Dillon acquired 1,200 acres of grain and farm stock to raise excess stock. This allowed them to purchase all cows offered and to condition previously unconditioned beeves for local slaughter or shipment. In 1925, the one-story plant was increased to three and in 1928 the plant increased to fourteen acres with electricity and modern refrigeration. The plant slaughtered one hundred hogs and twenty-five beeves a day by 1928, paying $1,187,000 to producers. A major policy of the company was employee relation and welfare. Lewis Hull passed away in1940 and Thomas Dillon in 1952.
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Inge, William Motter, collection, 1937-2005
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The papers and materials in this collection pertain to playwright William Motter Inge. Included are professional correspondence, essays, contracts, photographs, clippings, programs, biographical and bibliographical materials, and items pertaining to the annual Inge Festival held in Independence, Kansas. An extensive collection of Inge’s published works is also available in Special Collections at Pittsburg State University.
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International Association of Machinists, Local Lodge #1030, collection, 1918-1922
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection includes correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, and notes relating to the Local Lodge #1030 of the International Association of Machinists, Chanute, Kansas.
The International Association of Machinists (IAM) was formed in 1888 in Atlanta, GA. By 1918, IAM had a membership of 331,000. Lodge #1030, named the “Liberty Lodge” was organized on March 20, 1918 in Chanute, Kansas by J.J. Dowling.
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Ion family collection, 1886-1946
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Francis William “Frank” Ion (1867-1926) and Edith Champlin Ion (1870-1950) lived in Jamestown and Wichita, Kansas. They had three daughters; Ida May Ion Williams (1899-1987), Adalene Georgia Ion Hoover (1900-1982), and Frances Lillian Ion Rowe (1902-1983). Lillian and Ida went to school in the Wichita Public school system. Lillian graduated from the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) in 1927. She married Fayette Rowe and taught piano lessons from her home. Jack Ion was Lillian, Ida and Adalene’s nephew. Adalene married Samuel Hoover (1900-1929) and was a registered nurse. They had two sons; Francis (1925-2010) and Captain Samuel Hoover (1924-1995).
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Italian Mutual Aid Society of West Mineral Collection
Brent McDowell
The Italian Mutual Aid Society, Carl Marx Chapter was created by Italian miners in West Mineral to serve as a social and mutual aid society starting in 1906 according to the society’s ledger. This society helped hurt miners and their families, as well as families of miners killed while working in Southeast Kansas mines. Groups like these would go on to become unions, the members being important in negotiations with mine owners for better working conditions and benefits such as pay or money that went to the injured or the families of those killed in the mines. Examples from this specific society include giving funds to the widow of a worker who died in a mining accident due to the fault of the mine owners.
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Jarboe, Mary M., collection, 1919-1947
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of letters to Mary DeSchmidt Jarboe from Marcia, Henry, and Fred Crane, along with a book and papers from the MKT (Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) Municipal Band Association.
Mary M. DeSchmidt Jarboe (1905-2002) was a musician who taught music from the age of 16 until she retired in 1970. During her life, Mary studied with music teachers in Parsons, Pittsburg, and Kansas City. Mary was the organist for the St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s Catholic Churches and she was a member of the Daughters of Isabella and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. She was friends with Colorado native Marcia Mae Crane, who also played the violin. They corresponded through letters until Marcia’s death on January 16, 1936. Mary and LaVerne Vincent Jarboe married on April 11, 1930 and had three children.
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Jayhawks Ordnance Works collection, 1941-1945
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection consists of correspondence, newspapers, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and transcripts relating to the Jayhawk Ordnance Works.
The Jayhawk Ordnance Works were built near Galena, Kansas during World War II to produce ammonium nitrate. After the war it was privatized by its operator Kenneth Aldred Spencer and at one point was the world’s largest producer of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. The plant is still in operation as the Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corporation.
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Jefferson Highway Association, Crawford County Division, records, 1915-2023
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Records of the Jefferson Highway Association of Crawford County. The Records consist of correspondence, minutes, newspaper articles, maps, financial expenses, pledges, legal records, a research paper, and related materials.
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Jessye, Eva, collection, 1885-1994
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Papers and collected materials of Dr. Eva Jessye, world-renowned choral director, writer, composer, actress, and celebrated authority on Afro-American music, speech, literature, and art. Associated with this collection are books and recorded music donated by Eva Jessye. These additional materials are kept in the Axe Library Special Collections and can be identified in the library online catalog.
Born in Coffeyville, Kansas, on January 20, 1895, Eva Alberta Jessye started her academic career in the public schools of Coffeyville and Iola, Kansas. At age 13 she attended Western University in Quindaro, Kansas, graduating in 1914. She went on to Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma where she received a lifetime certificate in teaching.
Jessye taught in elementary schools in Taft, Haskell, and Muskogee, Oklahoma before she became a reporter and columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American in 1925. In 1926 she joined a choral group in New York called the Dixie Jubilee Singers. This group would eventually become the world-renowned Eva Jessye Choir. The choir performed spirituals, work songs, ballads, ragtime, jazz, and light opera in a variety of mediums, such as radio, film, and stage. They were regulars on the “Major Bowes Family Radio Hour” and the “General Motors Hour.” In 1927 the Dixie Jubilee Singers worked in Harry A. Pollard’s film, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The same year, Dr. Jessye compiled and published a critically acclaimed collection of songs titled My Spirituals. In 1929 King Vidor directed Hallelujah, the first musical motion picture with an all-Black cast. The film featured the Dixie Jubilee Singers with Jessye as choral director.
Dr. Jessye was appointed choral director for the New York production of the Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein opera, Four Saints in Three Acts in 1934. In 1935 Jessye was selected by George Gershwin to be choral director for the original production of his 1935 folk-opera, Porgy and Bess. For the next three decades, Jessye was associated with almost every Porgy and Bess production worldwide, earning the unofficial title of 'curator and guardian of the score.’
Eva Jessye was also involved in humanitarian efforts. Her experiences as a black woman during the Jim Crow era influenced her involvement in the later Civil Rights movement. She collaborated with African-American notables Marian Anderson, Mary McLeod Bethune, Julia Davis, Eubie Blake, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Paul Robeson. In August 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. selected the Eva Jessye Choir as the official chorus of the historic March on Washington. The choir performed “We Shall Overcome” and “Freedom Is the Thing We’re Talking About.” Tom Mboya, founder of Kenya’s Independence Movement Council and president of the People’s Convention Party, later used the recordings of these songs during Kenya’s struggle for independence. During the 1960s Eva Jessye also appeared in the motion pictures Black Like Me and Slaves.
Dr. Jessye returned to academia in her later years. She established the Eva Jessye Afro- American Music Collection at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1974. She established the Eva Jessye Collection at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas in 1977 and served as that university’s Artist-In-Residence from 1978 to 1981.
During her lifetime Jessye received honorary degrees from Wilberforce University, Allen University, and Southern University, including an honorary doctorate. She also received numerous citations from government, educational, and musical organizations. In 1981, Governor John Carlin of Kansas declared Dr. Eva Jessye to be Kansas Ambassador for the Arts.
In a 1984 interview by Jacob U. Gordon, Jessye was asked what she considered some of the drawbacks of being black and elderly in Kansas. Her reply was, "I often think if I had been white, where would I have been? Perhaps not anywhere. Because I think I had it made, you know. Who's that who said he took the path less traveled by? Robert Frost? I took the color less desirable and it made all the difference."
Dr. Eva Jessye died on February 21, 1992 at the age of 97 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Johnson, Edith Winona, collection, 1931-1940
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of a high school scrapbook made by Winona Perry Johnson during her time at Girard High School (1931-1935), and a small photo album of southeast Kansas, friends, and family members.
Edith Winona Perry was born to Edwin and Emma Perry in Girard, Kansas on December 26, 1915. She was the third of five children. Using her middle name, Winona, over her first name, she grew up and attended school in Girard, attending Girard High School from 1931 to 1935. After high school, Winona completed two years of college and moved to Los Angeles, California. There, she met and married her husband, James L. Johnson, in 1946. Winona passed away in Los Angeles on November 17, 1997.
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KABIE Tour collection, 1961-1962
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of a schedule, magazine, programs, brochures, and other items related to the annual KABIE Study Tour in 1961.
The Kansas-Agriculture-Business-Industry-Education (KABIE) Tour was an annual tour, conducted from 1950 to 1967, sponsored by the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the state universities and other Kansas businesses and associations. The two-week tour took teachers and students to forty communities in Kansas, travelling 2,100 miles. The theme or goal of this tour was to have Kansans see Kansas and all its attributes or a “free society in action” as Dr. M. C. Cunningham, past president of Fort Hays State University, put it. Students could receive college credit or even a scholarship for attending the tour. The tour itself included visiting the Kansas universities, various businesses and factories, and agricultural sites.
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Keeney, Bert O., collection, 1932-2002
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of biographical information, correspondence, Pittsburg State University materials, art topics, financial, legal, photographs, newspaper clippings, media, artifacts, and miscellaneous materials of former university art professor, Bert O. Keeney. Bert Orville Keeney was born November 20, 1909, in Chadron, Nebraska and died August 14, 2002, in Pittsburg, Kansas. He graduated from Rushville High School, in Rushville, Nebraska. He received undergraduate degrees from Chadron State College in English and Industrial Arts. He received a master’s degree from Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University) in Industrial Education. He later attended the University of Minnesota and received a second master’s degree in Education. In 1936, Mr. Keeney began working as a faculty member of the Winfield [Kansas] Public Schools. In 1939 he married Lily Coleman, and the couple had two children. Mr. Keeney served in World War II in the Naval Reserve. He began his college teaching career at Kansas State Teacher’s College in 1946. During his time at KSTC he was able to establish the metalsmithing, ceramics, and sculpture programs. He remained at Pittsburg until he retired in 1977. During his career, one of his pieces “sterling silver coffee services” was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York City. After his retirement, Mr. Keeney focused on developing a studio for sculpture and ceramics at his residence.
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Kellogg, Orrie B., collection, 1910-1953
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of scrapbooks, memorabilia, cards, letters, and other items pertaining to Kansas State Teachers College and Orrie B. Kellogg. Orrie Beam Kellogg (1903-1997) was born in Iowa and attended high school in Cherryvale, Kansas. She was an alumnae of Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University), having graduated with a BA in English in 1929 and a MA in 1936. Orrie was a member of Sigma Tau Delta (English honor society) and Kappa Delta Pi (education honor society). She wrote poetry and taught journalism and English at Neodesha High School in Kansas. Orrie B. Kellogg died on November 26, 1997 in Neodesha.
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Kelly, Peter, collection, 1911-1982
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection includes newspaper clippings, transcripts recorded by Peter Kelly, court stenography notes, a biography of Peter Kelly, and other miscellaneous materials.
Peter Allyn Kelly was born on February 23, 1889 to Edward and Mary Kelly in Weir, Kansas. He was named “top” in his typing and shorthand classes. He married Gladys Burnett in May 1917. They had three children, Patricia, Peter and Allyn. He shortly worked for the Haldeman-Julius Publishing Company, before beginning work as a court reporter in March of 1927, where he stayed until retirement in 1969. He became known for the speed and accuracy of his reporting. He passed away in February of 1970.
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Kemper, Lucille Sturm, collection, 1912-1994
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The is collection consists of photos, post cards, and newspaper clippings largely relating to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad and the “Katy” depot and office in Parsons, Kansas.
In 1870 the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (M.K.T.) Railroad was incorporated in Junction City, Kansas. The railroad connected several military forts in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. In 1870, the town of Parsons, Kansas was founded for the purpose of being a hub where the lines to Junction City, Kansas and Sedalia, Missouri met. The original M.K.T. Station was built in 1871 and was torn down and replaced by a new building in 1895. On March 18th, 1912, the “Katy” Station and Offices caught fire and were completely destroyed. Most vital records kept in the building were lost.
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Kendell, David J., collection, 1933-1974
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The David J. Kendell Collection consists of photographs, letters, diplomas, contracts certifications, pamphlets, new clippings, and other items all pertaining to Kendall’s time as a student at the Kansas State Teacher’s College, and his subsequent teaching career.
David Kendall was born to David E. “Al” and Lottie Kendall in 1929 in Pittsburg, Kansas. In 1933, his father opened a small grocery store (Al’s Grocery) on 112 E Williams St, where Hughes Hall on the PSU campus is now located. Kendall attended the Horace Mann School and the College High School, both run by the college. He then attended the Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University), receiving bachelors and master’s degrees in education. During his student days, Kendall played football for the Gorillas under coach Carnie Smith. After College, David Kendall married Wanda Lehmer in 1951 and had a son (David Kendall Jr.). Kendall had a doctorate in education and during his career was a coach, counselor and a school administrator. In 1974, he retired from the Lawrence Public School system as the assistant superintendent of the schools. After his retirement from the Lawrence school system, Kendall served as the counselor for the Athletic Department at Pittsburg State University for 13 years, before retiring in the spring of 1994. During his time at PSU, Kendall was instrumental in helping foster and develop strong academic achievement by PSU student-athletes. He was inducted into the PSU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995. He passed away in 2006.
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Kennedy, Mary, collection, 1935-1985
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of Correspondence, Newspaper clippings, Photographs, and other miscellaneous materials related to Mary (Goble) Kennedy.
Mary B. (Goble) Kennedy (1918-2008) was born and raised in Weir, Kansas to J. C. (Jonah Corban) and Evah Butler Goble. In 1935 she was crowned as Coal Queen II, during the Pittsburg Coal Festival. Mary was one of the first hostesses on the Kansas Southern Railroad. After attending school at Kansas State University and the University of Oklahoma, she began a career in teaching. In 1944 she married Jack A. Kennedy, who had served the Marine Corps in the Pacific during WWII. Mary and Jack were married for 64 years.
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Kent, David L., collection, 1973-2012
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
David L. Kent is an author of many professional articles and other publications, and has written over one hundred books, the majority being on the topic of atheism. Kent took up anarchism and atheism at an early age. As an adult he rejected all things religious, educational, medical, and the military establishments. Kent is the co-founder of several atheist groups, including Atheist Community of Austin (Texas) and Atheist Alliance International. He is a lifelong member of the American Atheists. Collection contains personal, financial, correspondence, research, newspaper clippings, publications, and miscellaneous materials.
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Kilborn, Nancy, collection, 1914-1921
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Contains photographs and photo albums of the State Manual Training Normal (now Pittsburg State University), students, athletics, trips and the military, brochures of the Orpheus club and Polymnia Club, 1919 Kanza yearbook, U.S. Army Second Training Detachment, The Campus 1921.
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Killam, Howard D., photographic prints, 1949-1979
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Black-and-white (4x5) photographic prints taken in Southeast Kansas of Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT or Katy) Railroad depots, locomotives, and rolling stock taken by Howard D. Killam, Art Johnson, Charles Winters, and Richard Napper.
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King, Kermit C., collection, 1925-1975
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The collection consists of papers and materials related to the life and career of Kermit King. The collection consists of documents, photographs, correspondence, awards, personal jewelry, and miscellaneous material.
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Knadle, Lillian, collection, 1848-1998
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
The Lillian Knadle Collection consists of personal correspondence, photographs, sampler, genealogy records, maps, and other miscellaneous materials.
Ann (Meats) Long was born in 1836 in Burghill, Herefordshire, United Kingdom. She came with her family to the United States around 1848. Ann married McHenry Long and they lived in Benton, Missouri until her death in 1900. Her granddaughter, Lillian Eureka Long was born in 1905 in Cass County, Missouri. Lillian attended the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) and afterwards worked as a teacher in Independence, Kansas. Lillian married Harold P. Hall (1893 - 1950), and after his death, Charles Sam Knadle (1908-1995). The marriages did not produce any children. She passed away in 2000 and is buried next to her first husband in Independence, Kansas.
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Kneebone, James, collection, 1872-1992
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A collection of sheet music, operas, music theory, bibliographies, and recordings.
James C. Kneebone (1938-2005) was born in Pittsburg, Kansas where he studied music. Kneebone graduated from the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (today, Pittsburg State University) with a Bachelor of Music in 1961, and a Master of Music in 1962. He was married to Suzanne M. Thompson (1944-2014). Kneebone collected sheet music, operas, and long plays. He also wrote a dissertation focusing on Ernst Krenek’s music.
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KOAM collection, 1936
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
Court proceedings in Washington, D.C. on March 9 and 10 of 1936 on the application for a construction permit, frequency request, and power request for a radio station in Pittsburg, Kansas by the Pittsburg Broadcasting Co. The proceedings discuss the logistics of building a station and tower, the range and possible interference from other stations, positions and duties of the people involved, and the broadcasting situation.
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Kriegsman, Helen F., collection, 1939-2006
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
This collection consists of newspaper clippings, papers, awards, certificates, and school memorabilia of Dr. Helen F. Kriegsman, a professor who taught at Pittsburg State University.
Helen F. Kriegsman was born on February 27, 1924 in Pittsburg, Kansas. She attended the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1944 and a Master of Science degree in 1947. Helen Kriegsman went on to receive a PhD in Philosophy of Math Education from Ohio State University in 1964. Dr. Kriegsman taught at Labette County High School, Chanute Senior High School and Junior College, and became the supervisor of College High School in Pittsburg before joining the Pittsburg State University faculty in 1960. She became the chairman of the math department in 1967 and held that position until her retirement in 1989. Dr. Kriegsman was also a member of many organizations and served in committees like the First United Methodist Church Board of Trustees, Kansas Association of Teachers of Mathematics, the Pittsburg State University Alumni Association, Alpha Gamma Delta, and the Kiwanis Club. Dr. Helen F. Kriegsman passed away on November 25, 2016.
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Krulish, Mabel A. (Edwards), collection, 1935-1939
Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library
A scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, cards, and more related to Girard High School.
Mabel A. (Edwards) Krulish (1918-2010) was born and raised in Girard, Kansas. She graduated from Girard High School in 1936, and began working in the Crawford County schools. Krulish kept a scrapbook of her senior year and of her sibling’s high school experience. In 1946, she married Frank E. Krulish (1910-2003) of New York. Frank Krulish had served as a US Marine during World War II, fighting in Iwo Jima and was among the first occupying forces in Japan. Afterwards, they lived in New York and California. Mabel and Frank were married for 57 years.