Research Assistance

How We Verify Historical Facts for Patrons

Admin

What was the former name of Henry King Stanford Drive and when was it renamed? This is a real reference question we received recently. I searched the historical publications of the University with the keywords “Henry King Stanford Drive” (*limit the search by selecting “The Exact Phrase”) and was able to spot the April 1980 Veritas article right away.

We like Veritas very much because it is our primary source of information, such as appointments, promotions, and major gifts to the University.

I also knew from my previous experience that the archived telephone directories are a great source to trace such name change as well as to verify organizations’ existence and locations at the University.

The main street of the Coral Gables campus was “Miller Drive” in 1978. Archived telephone directories ( 1977 to 2008 available in our collection) is a great source of information to verify historical facts of the University.

Upon receipt of the answer with the proof in PDFs, the patron, a former student who left the University in the early 1980s, responded that “Thank you very much for taking me back to some of the happiest days of a person’s life namely the University years and in particular the old rustic, bohemian, spacious UM campus and my first digs at Mahoney Hall on MILLER DRIVE.”

Here is an aerial view of the Coral Gables campus in the 1970s. We cannot date the picture exactly, but this must have been the campus the patron described as “rustic, bohemian, and spacious.”

The archived university publications, such as The Miami Hurricane and Veritas are priceless resources for the University community because they allow us to research historical facts about the “U” like never before. We hope the University and Richter administrations will continue investing in digitizing more historical publications and organizational documents so that we can assist the University to celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2025 with research and exhibits.

In the News

Historical images help celebrate Professor Schultz’ 45-year career

Admin
The latest issue of the A&S magazine features historical images of University on the cover and inside.

Although we did not have good pictures of the professor, our historical images were still able to help celebrate Dr. Schultz’s accomplishments at the University in the latest issue of the A&S magazine!

FYI, please go to the link below for the latest issues of the A&S magazine.

Click Here

You can also access the archived issues of the magazine (1998 to 2014) as well as its predecessors (1978-1997) below.

Click Here

In the News

The Oldest Memorabilia of the U

Admin
The oldest memorabilia of the U is the finial from the Anastasia Building.

A few years ago, a colleague at the Newman Alumni Center pointed the finial in the picture and told me that it is the only remnant of the Anastasia Building. I was happily surprised by the discovery so I have been meaning to share it with our patrons. The signage reads “Concrete finial salvaged by Walter W. Watt, BBA ’45 from the demolition of the Anastasia Building (aka the “Cardboard College”) home to the University of Miami during the 30’s and 40’s. Donated to the university by The Honorable James L. Watt, AB ’66 and Susan J. Schlemm Watt, BED ’67.”

I wonder where the finial was placed in the Anastasia Building. Please see the picture below, which I think is the oldest image of the University of Miami because of the sign “Class of 1930” over the entrance. The Anastasia Building was the first campus of the University of Miami which was located in downtown Coral Gables.

I think this is the oldest image of the Anastasia Building because of the sign “Class of 1930” over the entrance.

The finial is placed in a quiet corner of the courtyard so please look for it when you visit the Center next time.

In the News

Sonny Capone, the only son of Al Capone, was a Cane!

Admin

Last December, we received an inquiry for pictures of Sonny Capone from a researcher in Europe who was writing a biography of the only son of the legendary gangster Al Capone. The Office of the President forwarded me the inquiry, I was able to tell my colleagues at the Office that it is a well-documented fact that Albert Francis “Sonny” Capone graduated from the U, and then they agreed for us to provide a permission for the author to use the image from the 1941 Ibis yearbook on the cover of the publication.

Below is the image the author selected, which is one of the only two pictures (both from Ibis) we could provide him from our collection. He kindly sent us a copy of the biography and we will add it to our permanent collection.

See the image below from the 1941 Ibis.

Albert Francis Capone (left) in the 1941 Ibis

See also the image below from the 1940 Ibis. He is listed as “Al Capone(!)”

He is listed as “Al Capone” in the 1940 Ibis

Go to the link below for The Miami Hurricane articles, where he appeared as “Sonny Capone” in 1938 and 1940 who loved golf and infatuated with Rosemarie Neil (could this be a new discovery?).

(Sonny Capone in TMG)

He appeared once as “Albert Capone” in the May 22, 1941 issue of TMG. (link below)

(Albert Capone in TMH)

I hope this example convinces the University community that the historical publications of the University of Miami are invaluable resources for genealogy research! Also, I would like to point out that the patron was able to discover our collections from thousands of miles away. It is the result of the successful collaboration of Richter departments to digitize the UM’s historical resources and make them accessible online.

In the News

The U’s Memorial Ceremony for Dr. King

Admin

The current media spotlights on Dr. Martin Luther King after 50 years of his death made me think we should repost the image below of the University of Miami’s memorial service held after 5 days of assassination we hold in our historical photo collection. The image was also exhibited at our February 2017 exhibition “We Were Pioneers,” which contained a display case on Dr. King’s historic visit to the University of Miami in 1966 as well as the memorial service for his tragic death in 1968.

Please contact us if you would like to find out more about the U’s diversity history including Dr. King’s historic visit to the University in 1966.

“Services Will Be Held for King”
The Miami Hurricane, April 9, 1968

Upon Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, the United Black Students and President Stanford organized a memorial service for Dr. King at the Whitten Student Union patio on April 9. Guest speakers included Senator Harry Cane, Rev. Theodore Gibson, Robert Sims, Cecile Rolle, and Archie Hardwick. Fourteen years after Dr. King’s death, President Stanford introduced Mrs. Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr. King, when she spoke at Gusman Hall on October 29, 1980.

The Miami Hurricane Collection
University Archives, University of Miami Libraries

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Also, read The Miami Hurricane article on the subject below:


(April 9, 1968 article on the service – the picture is the only image we could find from Dr. King’s historic visit to the U in 1966.)