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It’s in the details: a closer look at Old Armory fire in an unlikely place

The following is written by University Archivist David McCartney In the early morning hours of Saturday, May 9, 1970, the building housing the Dept. of Rhetoric mysteriously caught fire and was declared a total loss. Although the cause of the blaze was never determined, many to this day believe it was the work of arsonists.Continue reading “It’s in the details: a closer look at Old Armory fire in an unlikely place”

Ellen Day Hale Paints Her Way into UI History

Through some great research, our University Archivist David McCartney discovers some of the “unknown” facts that are part of new UI Presidential Portrait Gallery in the Main Library, as he explains below.  When the UI Presidential Portrait Gallery was formally dedicated late last year, staff in Special Collections responsible for this display knew that thereContinue reading “Ellen Day Hale Paints Her Way into UI History”

From University Archivist David McCartney: Top 10 historical things at the UI

In honor of Homecoming week here at the University of Iowa, we asked our University Archivist David McCartney to pick the top ten favorite historical things here at the University. The items are in no particular order.  10. The Birthplace of Prime-time TV. Sure, Westinghouse, General Electric, AT&T and other labs were testing television inContinue reading “From University Archivist David McCartney: Top 10 historical things at the UI”

50 Years Ago Today; A Campus in Conflict

By David McCartney, University Archivist Tuesday, December 5, marks the 50-year anniversary of what was to that date the largest anti-war protest on the UI campus. Over 200 demonstrators gathered outside the Iowa Memorial to protest the presence of Dow Chemical representatives who were on campus to interview prospective employees. There were 18 arrests andContinue reading “50 Years Ago Today; A Campus in Conflict”