G a Z E T T E
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G A Z E T T E September 2008 Annual Report for 2007 Vol. XVI, No. 1 Oberlin Heritage Center / Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization P. O. Box 0455, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 2007: A Successful Year “In the Cards” The vibrant and dynamic Oberlin Heritage is supported in part by the Endowment for Center helps make our community an at- History Education, in part by the Commu- tractive place to live, learn, work, and visit. nity Foundation of Lorain County, and in We are proud to provide some of the historic part by fee-for-service projects. Our goal is ambiance that makes Oberlin so special. The to make the position fully self-sustaining by Heritage Center offers many programs, continuing to increase the size of the Endow- tours, and special events throughout the year, ment for History Education from its current both at our site and in other locations in the level of $447,000 to $800,000 by 2010. We are community. We are grateful to everyone who grateful to all of you who have contributed helps to support our organization, whether to this endowment fund and hope that you through membership, volunteering, attend- and others will continue to help us reach our ing programs, contributing to the Annual goal. Fund or the endowment campaign, hosting parents of incoming college freshmen for our Other highlights and accomplishments of bed-and-breakfast fundraiser, or in count- 2007 included: less other ways. The Oberlin Heritage Center attained How rewarding it is to look back each year an all-time high of 722 members, in- and take stock of all that has been accom- cluding 81 Endowed Life Members. We plished with the help and hard work of the salute the fine work of our Membership Oberlin Heritage Center’s great team of Committee, chaired by Ruth Schwae- Board members, staff, members, interns, cards featuring historic photographs of pre- gerle with Mary Anne Cunningham volunteers, and friends and donors from 1933 Oberlin. This enjoyable but very labor- as staff liaison. We are very pleased to near and far. Many good things happened at intensive project was skillfully managed by have many members from near and far, the Oberlin Heritage Center in 2007; some Trustee and Development Committee mem- including several who live elsewhere made headlines, others took place quietly ber Betty Mahjoub. Many individuals and and have no previous connection to behind the scenes, but all contributed to the businesses sponsored individual cards (see Oberlin but find that observing what we organization’s ability to preserve and share the list on page 16). Proceeds from the sale of do gives them ideas for their own his- Oberlin’s history. the playing cards benefit the Endowment for torical organizations. History Education. A sampling of the pho- Much attention was devoted to building the In 2007, 137 volunteers and 17 Board tographs that were selected to illustrate the Endowment for History Education, and we playing cards appears on page 24. members who log their hours (many are now more than halfway to our goal of other volunteers choose not to report their building a permanently restricted fund of Following an extensive search and review of hours) recorded 5,268 hours of service, $800,000 to support a new full-time Museum many well-qualified applicants, the Oberlin representing an increase of 348 hours over Education and Tour Coordinator position. Heritage Center added a full-time Museum the previous year. Volunteers’ names are As part of our strategy to build the Endow- Education and Tour Coordinator, Elizabeth listed on pages 16 and 17. We are grateful ment for History Education, the Oberlin Schultz, to its staff in June. Liz is a recent to each and every one. Heritage Center produced a deck of playing graduate of the Cooperstown Graduate Pro- Oberlin Heritage Center staff members gram in museum studies in New York, where Mary Anne Cunningham and Prue Rich- she participated in many education, collec- ards each received the Ohio Association tions, planning, and exhibit projects. She is a of Historical Societies and Museums’ Out- great addition to our team, and we hope you have had a chance to meet her. Her position Continued on page 2 Page 1 Oberlin Heritage Center staff members and Mature Services workers at the 2007 Annual Meeting. Seated, left to right: Financial Assistant (and Past President) Pat Holsworth, Museum Fellow Laurie Stein, Office Assistant Elizabeth Bates. Standing: Collections Assistant Prue Richards (dressed as Julia Finney Monroe), Museum Housekeeper Deloris Bohn, Buildings and Grounds Assistant Theron Burnett, Assistant to the Director Mary Anne Cunningham, Grounds Assistant Jerry White, Executive Director Pat Murphy. 2007: A Successful Year “In the Cards” Continued from page 1 standing Individual Achievement award A new, historically correct standing seam continues to devote many hours to transcrib- during its annual conference at the Ohio metal roof was installed on the Monroe ing, editing, and indexing oral history inter- Historical Society in Columbus. Both play House. In addition, damaged exterior and views. New interviews were conducted with many critical roles in helping to accom- interior woodwork and plaster were re- Jeanne Pease and Dudley Wood. plish our mission, often behind the scenes. paired and attic insultion was installed. These improvements were made possible The Oberlin Heritage Center was selected Oberlin Heritage Center Executive Direc- by a major grant from the Richard R. through a competitive process to be the tor Pat Murphy received the Oberlin Col- Hallock Foundation. Now Docents do not recipient of a free assessment of its wood lege Bonner Center for Service and Learn- have to dodge drips and buckets while furniture collection conducted by a senior ing’s “Outstanding Community Partner showing visitors the Monroe House! The conservator from the Intermuseum Con- Award” for civic engagement. Jewett House roof is still in poor condi- servation Association in Cleveland. The conservator carefully examined more than The Oberlin Heritage Center continues to tion, however, and will be replaced when improve our graphics and public relations funding is secured. efforts, thanks to a grant from the Stocker A security system was installed at the Little The Oberlin Heritage Center Gazette Foundation. We are currently redesign- Red Schoolhouse. This precaution was Annual Report for 2007 ing our Web site. Part of this project was undertaken in part due to repeated inci- September 2008 Vol. XVI, No. 1 the inauguration of “e-reminders” about dents of vandalism on our grounds. Some the organization’s activities and news. Editor: Pat Murphy modifications were made to hide the elec- Contributors: Mary Anne Cunningham, Pat More than 600 people have signed up for trical service and create a more authentic- Holsworth, Prue Richards, Liz Schultz, this free service. If you would like to re- looking interior. Jim White ceive “e-reminders” and/or press releases, Editorial Advisor & Design: Sally Kerr which are also distributed by e-mail, con- The Oberlin Oral History Committee, chaired Photographers: Dick Holsworth and Oberlin tact Mary Anne Cunningham at <members by Board member Dina Schoonmaker Heritage Center staff members @oberlinheritage.org>. and assisted by staff liaison Pat Holsworth, Page 2 100 pieces of furniture and determined The Oberlin Heritage Center was show- The Oberlin Heritage Center was featured that the collection was in such good con- cased in a full-page advertisement in the on an American Association of Museums’ dition that only six pieces would benefit July/August issue of the American Asso- CD-ROM of policies and plans from from any type of treatment. ciation of Museums’ Museum News, en- small museums that are accredited by the couraging other small museums to be- AAM. Now museums throughout the The Collections Committee, chaired by come members of the AAM. What great country wishing to become accredited will David Mellott with the assistance of staff free advertising! see the great work we do! liaison Prue Richards, works hard to re- view donations and to assure that accepted The Oberlin Heritage Center provides In 2007 the Oberlin Heritage Center wel- items have a story that resonates with the his- excellent opportunities for students to comed 7,860 visitors. Of the total, 5,334 at- tory of our site and our community. Special learn about how nonprofit organiza- tended programs and special events, 748 vis- items donated in 2007 include a glass reagent tions work and to participate in the in- ited as part of twenty-five tour groups, 637 bottle that was patented by Frank Jewett (gift ner workings of a small museum and individuals toured our historic sites, and of the Oberlin College Chemistry Department historical organization. Laurie Stein, 1,141 were other visitors and volunteers. / Norm Craig), and an 1854 world map a former intern and Museum Fellow, Eighteen percent of our visitors came from that has been scanned for digital reproduc- completed her work for us in 2007 and Oberlin and Oberlin College; 33 percent, from tion. A gift of Gail and Reid Wood, the will soon receive a degree in historical Lorain County outside Oberlin; 26 percent, map is of the era of the Little Red School- administration at Eastern Illinois State from the Greater Cleveland area; 3 percent, house. A copy of it is now exhibited there, University. Another former intern, from elsewhere in Ohio; and 20 percent, from and others are in Prospect School’s third-grade Kathy McCardwell, is completing states other than Ohio (37 states and the Dis- classrooms; the original is preserved in our her Master of Library Science degree at trict of Columbia). We also welcomed visi- collection. Millie Arthrell donated a cast- the University of Kentucky.