For the past 22
years. University ar
chivist Keith Rich
ard has been in
charge ot storing
the University's his
tory.
UARDIAN
PAST
c>F
the
On the side of Fenton Hull is an or’
dinury doorknob attached to u
common door that loads to an un
usually fascinating placo.
The door opens to what looks like a
janitor's closet. It's small. There's dirt In
the corners and cardboard boxes lying
purposeless on the concrete floor
An arrow painted on a sign [mints the
way upstairs and beckons the curious to
continue. ''Archives," It reads Treasures
await.
Steep, narrow, stool, gray stairs lead
the inquisitive to the second floor whore
you'll find the memory of this living in
stitution.
The past lives of the University rest
lifeless, quietly housed on shelves Pic
tures and papers are pilod in boxes They
sit side by side with the history of iho fu
ture.
The room is as silent as a library but
less solemn. It is u place that begs in
trigue, with more the atmosphere of an
empty antique store
Pictures of football teams from more
than 50 years ago harig from the boams.
A poster decorates tho end of a bookshelf
— a relic from 1925 when Freshman initi
ation was more a feared rite of passuge
than a rite to party
"Slaughter awaits ye." the sign warns
freshmen, "putrified, pohby, pimpled,
puffed up, pepless pups Bow down your
stinking carcasses, oh cringing cowards
and OBKY the puissant edicts of your
heartless musters."
New txxiks rest next to the aging books
with brown, peeling covers held together
by string. In a cardboard Ihjx on another
shelf is stuff — recognizable, recent stuff,
yet to fie filed
Included is a letter, dated 5-16-91,
from gay and lesbian students to Univer
sity President Myles Brand demanding
that military recruiters be hannud from
campus. A future artifact.
There are novelties carefully displayed
and others that look like nothing but
clutter.
Shiny and dull trophies, autographed
baseballs. Dusty china dishes stacked on
top of one another Their connection to
i
Turn to ARCHIVES. Page 32A
V
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A complala 1920 Duck
foottail uniform it ont
ol many ralica on Uta
ahatvaa in Ota arcNvaa.
Takan In 1870, thia photograph
ahowa a homaataad on tha loca
tion whan tha EMU now atanda.
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fiana DaCdf r
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