The last academic year was the busiest but most memorable year for the University Archives. What do you think were the top 5 accomplishments for the UA? Please read the brochure we just created “University Archives Academic Year 2015-16 Highlites” below. You could also download the document from here.
President Frenk announced last week that he is starting a new tradition of celebrating the University of Miami’s birthday as Founders’ Day. The birth date of the U is April 8, 1925 when the application for charter of the University of Miami was granted. Please click here to read the message from President Frenk.
The message also provides a link to the charter document found in the Office of the President Records in the Ashe Administration. The document as well as historical images of the University were shown during President Frenk’s inaugural ceremony on January 29, 2016. Please click here for the charter document as well as the short video on UM history shown at the inauguration.
To find out more about the University Founders and their original vision, please come visit the Otto G. Richter Library to see the exhibition “The Pan American University: The Original Spirit Of The U Lives On,” which is on view through July 2016. Please click here for an essay on the exhibition written by our student assistant David Colbus.
Happy 91st birthday to the U! We hope this special day will make more university colleagues and students think about UM’s history and heritage.
Written by Koichi Tasa and Sarah Block
Staff and student assistants at the University Archives recently caught a glimpse of the enormous effort in producing large-scale events when they assisted in planning the celebration of President Frenk’s inauguration, which took place during the last week of January 2016.
The University Archives, which houses a vast expanse of records documenting the history of the University of Miami, provided research and exhibition assistance for the “Firsts at UM” event on January 27 in the Newman Alumni Center as well as the inaugural ceremony, which was held on January 29 at the Bank United Center.
Koichi Tasa says December to January was the busiest time in the decade he has served as University Archivist. “In these months, we gained valuable experience through collaboration with colleagues outside of the UM Libraries,” Tasa said. “We were proud to help bring UM history to life through the materials we preserve.”
Working with the Office of the President, University Communications, and other University departments, Tasa and his staff culled information as well as artifacts, including more than 300 high-resolution images for a video that aired at the event and past inaugural addresses and programs from three previous inauguration ceremonies.
The department’s materials were also featured in an exhibit at “Firsts at UM,” in which President Frenk and UM historian and author Arva Moore Parks discussed key moments throughout the 90-year history of the U. Guests, including several pioneers and trailblazers, viewed and engaged with prized memorabilia such as the second commencement mace of the University and the commencement cap and gown worn by the first University president Ashe. Official portraits of the former five UM presidents, also housed by the Archives, were on display.
“Inauguration 2016 was an opportunity, in addition to showcasing our collections and services, to take an active part in the history as it’s being made,” Tasa says. “An unexpected benefit from this experience was that we got to learn more about our wonderful colleagues, who are already proposing ideas for the U’s centennial celebration in 2026.”
In order to assist in facilitating these ideas, Tasa says the University Archives plans to reach out to more schools, departments, and student groups to archive their organizational history. “We believe that such efforts would be a tremendous help for the next historian to write a new book about the University of Miami at the centennial anniversary.”
Written by Koichi Tasa and Sarah Block
Staff at the University Archives were saddened by the news of President Foote’s passing on Monday. University Archivist Koichi Tasa and Archives Assistant Marcia Heath each have fond memories of assisting the former president with archival materials during his tenure.
“President Foote was a very kind person who was always willing to give his time and knowledge to help others,” says Heath, who helped the former president contribute materials to his presidential archive from 2002 to 2008.
Tasa got to know President Foote in 2010 when he contacted the Archives for assistance in accessing his papers. “He was a very important leader for the U and for our local community,” Tasa said. “We would like to express our sincere condolences to the family.”
A summary of Foote’s legacy is featured in the current exhibition Pan American University: The Original Spirit of the U Lives On, located on the first floor of Otto G. Richter Library:
During the time that Edward T. “Tad” Foote II was formally named the fourth president of the University of Miami, South Florida was in the midst of a crisis. Social instability shook many parts of Miami following a rapid surge in immigration with the Mariel boatlift from Cuba as well as race riots over the death of Arthur McDuffie, both of which occurred in 1980.
Foote, seemingly undaunted by the area’s problems, saw only the opportunity for UM to work closer with the community. In his inauguration speech, he spoke of creating a special task force at UM to examine how the University could offer any assistance to those working to solve immediate community problems. It was also Foote who beautified the campus itself, developing a comprehensive landscape plan for the University that would transform it into a magnificent botanical garden—a living laboratory.
President Foote’s presidential papers, preserved by the University Archives, will be available to the public after 2030 upon approval of the Office of the President.
There will be an interruption in service for retrieving research and special collections materials stored off-site (as indicated in the catalog) from April 20 to May 6 due to the ongoing construction project.
Following this time, access to these materials will resume on a limited basis and require advance notice. Please contact the appropriate person below regarding near-future use of off-site materials. (Please note that this project will only affect access to materials that are stored off-site. For materials housed on-site at our libraries and collections, regular access will apply throughout the project and during 24/7.)
For general inquiries about this project, please contact library.communications@miami.edu.
The University of Miami Libraries (UML) is beginning the first phase of renovations to Brockway Hall, a historic space on the first floor of Richter Library that will serve as the new home of Special Collections and University Archives.
Starting April 2, we will be relocating materials that are currently shelved at Brockway Hall to UML’s off-site storage facility in Miami Lakes. This will result in limited access to materials stored off-site (as indicated in the catalog) from our general collections as well as those from Special Collections, University Archives, and the Cuban Heritage Collection. Further details will soon follow on temporary procedures during each project phase for requesting these materials. Stay tuned for these updates on our website.
We will also be launching a website in the coming weeks that will provide more information about the new space and include detailed updates on this project.
In the meantime, please contact us with any questions pertaining to near-future use of off-site materials. (Please note that this project will only affect access to materials that are stored off-site. For materials housed on-site at our libraries and collections, regular access will apply throughout the project.)
For general inquiries about this project, please contact library.communications@miami.edu.
We thank you for your patience during this time, and look forward to updating you on this exciting project.
University of Miami Archives -- Let's Archive It 