Authored by Darya Zvonareva
On May 20 2005 Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton received an honorary doctoral degree at Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) and gave the commencement keynote address during the liberal arts institution’s graduation ceremony. The date turned out to be a pivotal moment in the history of MMC that was officially de-Catholicized.
Continue readingAuthored by Caitlyn Daddona
On May 18th, 2007 Marymount Manhattan College held a commencement ceremony to celebrate the graduating class of 2007. Honored in the ceremony were individuals who had contributed to society and one such individual was Gordon Parks. Almost a year before the Marymount Manhattan College Commencement where Gordon Parks was to receive an Honorary Degree for his commitment to portraying the faces of poverty, race relations and civil rights in his photography, he died at the age of 93 (Grundberg 2006). His son, David Parks, received the degree in his father’s place.
Continue readingAuthored by Hunter Albini
In the heart of Harlem, on Malcolm X Boulevard between 135th and 136th Street, stands the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture. As one of the research branches within the New York Public Library system, it is “one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences” (NYPL 2021, para. 1). New York Public Library purchased the materials from the personal collection of self-described “bibliophile” Arturo Alfonso Schomburg in 1926, who was later appointed curator of the collection (NYPL 2021). One of the lesser-known people involved in the birth of the Schomburg Collection was Catherine Latimer, the reference librarian for the collection and NYPL’s very first Black librarian.
Continue readingAuthored by Michelle Weigel
Collections begin with wants from a collector. In the case of the Clarke family, that want was sheet music. George Clarke loved to play the flute, so much so that he had all three children classically trained to play the flute. On top of that, he also sang, and one could say music was a passion of his. He collected thousands and thousands of music sheets, which were stored in the family library or next to the piano in the drawing-room (Aborn 2021). Their collection can be viewed at their long-time residence Hyde Hall located in Cooperstown, New York. Hyde Hall is now a historic landmark open to guests to come tour and learn about the estate.
One piece of sheet music found in the Hyde Hall archives is “Otsego Polka by J.A Fowler in 1847 and was “inscribed to the Young Ladies of Mrs. Cotes’ Seminary, Springfield” (Otsego Polka, n.d.). This piece was written specifically for the area; Opera pieces were considered for the high class in contrast to folk pieces which were played by the lower class. The “Otsego Polka” combines both worlds, and since it is heavy with the flute, it was a piece George Clarke wanted to have (Aborn 2021). There is a painting in Hyde Hall’s drawing-room, the Gallery of the Louvre by Samuel Morse (Brownlee 2014) were below a piano sat. Guests would gather around and listen to this piece, and more pieces were performed by other guests and members of the Clarke family.
Continue readingAuthored by Shawna N. Fluckiger
The evening of January 4, 1884 terror struck the town of Provo, Utah. Billows of black smoke filled the auburn colored sky. The school house, Brigham Young Academy, burnt to the ground with no hope of salvation (Jensen 1924). The community was always willing to lend a hand when a tragedy such as a fire struck but there was no authority or supplies dedicated to the town’s fire safety. Five years (1890) after the Brigham Young Academy fire, Mayor John E. Booth decided that it was time to act so he organized the first volunteer fire department of Provo, Utah (Walden 1990). Marshal John A. Brown was appointed as chief captain and Hyrum Hatton as engineer (Herald Publishing Co. 1911).
Continue readingAuthored by Laura Baker
On February 3, 1977, Joshua Eilberg sent a letter to Herbert E. Harris welcoming him to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and International Law for the 95th congress. Shortly thereafter, the subcommittee held hearings on May 25th and June 2nd of 1977 regarding H.R. 2051. The legislation, proposed by Representative Hamilton Fish, concerned the first wave of Indochinese refugees who had fled their homelands at the culmination of the Vietnam War (Desbarats 1985, 4; Zucker 1983, 174).
Continue readingAuthored by Brooke Leonard
Barbara Mae Watson was the first woman, and the first African American Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. She was first appointed on July 31, 1968, where she served until 1974, and was appointed again on April 7, 1977 (Office of the Historian, n.d.). She served under Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter.
Continue readingAuthored by Jamie Sloane
Earning one’s cavalry spurs has always been considered an act of honor and respect since the civil war (Montazzoli 2019, 1). However, for the past few decades, people began to question whether or not spur rides were actually an act of honor or just another form of hazing because of the mental and physical stress they entail (Mattson 2012). However, if the army doesn’t consider it hazing, then what is it?
Continue readingAuthored by Ashley S. Guerzo
Thought to originate from the Punta Gorda Herald, a weekly newspaper established in 1893, this antique cast iron printing press was discovered in a small print shop attached to a locally owned variety store on Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda, Florida. Run by a local unsung hero, affectionately called Joe “Mr. Fix-it” Smith, the printing press was used to create letterheads, envelopes, and business cards until 1955 when William Lewis Kennedy, a prominent community figure remembered for installing the town’s first traffic light and wiring numerous homes and businesses including the original Herald news building, purchased the store and adjoining shop (Kennedy Electric Services, n.d.). Kennedy later combined the two spaces into Kennedy Electric Services (still in service today). The store’s previous owner, Kirby Seward, had been founder and publisher of the Herald until 1901 (Larkin 2001). After discovering the press in a storage container, Kennedy’s wife, Adele, donated the artifact to the Florida Adventure Museum in 1998.
Continue readingAuthored by Amanda DeLisi
In 1983, at the Honors Convocation of Marymount Manhattan College, Jacqueline Wexler was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. Wexler, former nun and President of both Webster College and Hunter College, dedicated her life to fighting for educational equity for students of all backgrounds. In 1967, she renounced her vows and successfully gained autonomy from church control of Webster College, proving to the world that she was willing to take on even the Vatican if it meant that she would achieve her goals (Vitello 2012).
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