^'Coe Bibliophile 9 College

Spring, 2001 A newsletter for members of the Coe College Library Association

McCabe Gives Cone's Final Painting to Coe

Marvin Cone was dying of a brain tumor, and Curator and Marvin tidying up the loose ends of his life, when he Cone Professor of Art walked into Coe President Joseph McCabe's Emeritus. living room in 1965. He carried a painting, a Cone graduated from study drawing and a request. He wanted Coe in 1914 with a McCabe to speak at his funeral - the artist major in French. He had an inoperable brain tumor. founded Coe's art The painting was "Remembered Light," department gradually, Cone's last work, and what some consider the until he was teaching great artist's interpretation of a luminescent full-time in that area in life coming to an end. It was his gift to the 1934. In 1960 he retired McCabes. and became artist-in- For the next 35 years "Remembered Light" residence at Coe from was the focal point of the Joe and Peggy 1960-1962. In 1965 he McCabe living room and the treasured re• died of brain cancer. minder of a great talent and a true friendship "When I informed him between Cone and McCabe. Last summer (Cone) that he would "Remembered Light" came to the Coe receive full salary for College Fine Arts Collection, a gift from Joe those two years and that McCabe and a reminder of his generous spirit. all the works he would McCabe, Coe's president from 1958 to paint during that period 1970, died April 9. The gift of his treasured were of course his own painting was one of McCabe's many generous possession, he was Remembered Light, gestures for Coe. Among them, Joe and Peggy simply overwhelmed. I told him his only believed by some to be in 1997 gave back every penny he earned while obligation was to come to the college once a Marvin Cone's finest piece, at Coe: $458,616.67. year and tell me he really was working," is now exhibited in the "Peggy and I had stated in our will that the McCabe recalled. Winnifred S. Cone Gallery painting would come to Coe," McCabe said At the time of the donation McCabe of the last summer. "And I was just realizing that very remembered Cone as a "gentle soul." And Stewart Memorial Library. few people can see it in our home, where we McCabe recalled Eliot Nausbaum of the Des enjoyed having it for 35 years. It was time that Moines Register once telling him when the others had the chance to see it too." painting was part of a touring exhibit in that The painting brings the number of Cone city, that it was Cone's finest work. "He works in Coe's Permanent Collection of Art to believed that, had Marvin lived, this work 60, and provides a bookend to the range of the would have been the beginning of a whole artist's work. One of Cone's early pieces of art, new era in his work," McCabe said. a biology class drawing done in 1912, is exhib• "Remembered Light" is open to interpreta• ited, along with "Remembered Light," his last tion. Cone's wife, Winnifred, who died in painting in oil, accompanied by its pencil study. 1997 at the age of 98, once asked her husband "The sketch shows the subtle use of graphite if the light in the painting didn't suggest that Marvin was so good at, and the painting Chartres Cathedral. "It's not one place," shows a level of abstraction that goes beyond Cone replied. the planes of color he had been working on at Kocher believes the title may also allude to the time," explained Robert Kocher, Coe's the fact that Cone knew his life was ending. Bibliophile

Additions to the Library Teaches the Ease of Finding Information Alumni/Faculty Book and Music Collection By Ann Scholl Boyer

These books by Coe alumni and faculty have been added in Libraries have always been in the business of Coe's Betty Rogers explains that information the past year to the George T. helping people find information. But with the literacy involves helping people locate, evaluate Henry College Archives: advent of computer technology, finding that and use resources to find information, whether information isn't always as easy as locating a it be in a book or on the Internet. Buchan, Vivian. Amerikajin via koshite purezen nijishin o tsuketeboo k on a shelf. "It's something libraries have been doing for iru = Barron's Business Success; At Coe's Stewart Memorial Library, that a very long time," says Rogers, head of refer• Make Presentations with Confi• process has been getting a little easier. ence at Stewart Memorial Library. dence. Tokyo: Surie Nettowaku, Coe is one of the colleges in line to receive Though most students have been exposed to 2000. funding from the Mellon Foundation. The computers since they were in grade school, that Cuninggim, Margaret money will be used for "information literacy." doesn't mean they are necessarily computer Louise. Fifty Years in Alpha sawy when it comes to finding information. Lambda Delta. N.p.: n.p., 1973. Rogers wants to help. Demuth, Charles. Letters of "We're developing materials. We're working Charles Demuth, American Art• with classes to help them understand where in• ist, 1883—1935. Philadelphia: formation comes from (and) how you can Temple University Press, 2000. evaluate it," Rogers says. Goodwin, David ed. and oth• Because of the funding from the Mellon ers. Turning Up the Leaves: A Foundation, Rogers believes students will Sesquicentennial Miscellany of Coe notice "a difference in the focus of our College Alumni Writing. Cedar programs." Rapids, Iowa: Coe Review "We will be hoping to use technology to Press, 2000. teach about information literacy. Focus on the Gorman, Edward. Voodoo education experiences they have in the library Moon. New York: St. Martin's will possibly be different," she says. The fund• Minotaur, 2000. ing "will give us an opportunity to expand our Gracey, Douglas R. Flying programming and work, hopefully, collaborat• Lessons, Ambulances, and Other ively with faculty on developing programming." Airforce Vignettes. San Jose: The library is continuing to expand its elec• Writers Club Press, 2000. tronic resources. Rogers says it is important Henry, George T. Coe College: that the library continues to assist students who A Sesquicentennial Look Through are using these resources. 50 Years of George Henry Photog• "They do need assistance," she says, "just raphy. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: identifying appropriate resources to use. Many WDG Communications, Inc., times they don't get to the right place to find 2000. appropriate information. And even knowing Moore, Roger Hart. A History the difference between scholarly and popular and Genealogy of the Moore Fam•This photo of a window in Coe's Stewart Memorial articles — they don't understand where the in• ily of Fayette County, Pennsylva•Library, taken by fourth grader jordan Narcly, formation is coming from." nia. Conyngham, PA: R.H. appears on a poster of photos snapped by Pierce Being information sawy is important to stu• Moore, 1997 Elementary students. The poster, featuring some dents' futures, whether they plan on continuing Pitts, Lilla Belle. Singing and of the most beautiful windows in Linn County, is their education or working in the business Rhyming. Boston: Ginn, 1957. aptly titled, "Windows of Linn County." Free-lanceworld . Pitts, Lilla Belle. Singing in photographer and teacher Bob Campagna, a guest While students might not always know how Harmony. Boston: Ginn, 1957. teacher in Coe's MAT program, taught students to find information, Rogers says they do like at Pierce Elementary in Cedar Rapids the art of technology. "They do like to find things elec• — continued on page 3photography. The poster is the result of the project.tronically, " she says. Nosek's a True Bibliophile Book and Music Additions- continued from page 2 By Ann Scboll Boyer

Pitts, Lilla Belle. Singing jun• Joe Nosek knows books. Doyle says the college worked with only a iors, songs for youth. Boston: That's been good news for Coe College. couple of out-of-print book jobbers. Ginn, 1953. Over the past decade, Nosek has donated "It took a long time to ever get anything Pitts, Lilla Belle. Singing every money, matched by his employer, Quaker fulfilled," he says. Because of the site, "we've day. Boston: Ginn, 1957. Oats, to Stewart Memorial Library. The turned our out-of-print book selection money has been used to buy books. Nosek also around," Doyle says. "We have an incredible Russell, Vera Evelyn has donated books himself. hit rate. We've been able to fill in some gaps." Sanderson. Songtime 7, Music Edited by Vera Russell. Toronto: "He's a true bibliophile," says Rich Doyle, Thanks, he says, goes to Nosek. Holt, Rinehart and Winston of director of library services. "He does collect Beyond the library, Nosek's fingerprints Canada, 1966. and he knows the book market, especially the can be seen all over the Coe neighborhood. used book market. He's an avid reader, and Nosek started the Mound View Neighbor• Stookey, S. Donald. Explora• tions in Glass. Westerville, Ohio: he's dedicated to Coe College." hood Association in 1992. He has served as The American Ceramic Society, Nosek, who earned a biology degree from president ever since. 2000. Coe in 1974, has lived in the Mound View Though Nosek hasn't been supportive of all neighborhood since 1975. He works as a lab development in his neighborhood, he did sup• Thrane, Susan W. County Courthouses in Ohio. technician in quality assurance at Quaker Oats, port Coe's expansion. Nosek says he appreci• Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana his employer since the fall after he graduated ated the way Coe kept the neighborhood in• University Press, 2001. from Coe. formed about its plans by holding meetings. "It was really good," Nosek says of his col• "It looked real good," Nosek says of the Sound Recordings: lege days. "I had a bunch of wonderful teachers college's plans. "The neighborhood liked Boland, Jan, John Dowdall, and learned quite a bit from them." what they saw." David Miller. Vintage Viennese: Donating to Coe's library seemed a natural Most of the houses cleared out for the ex• Matiegka & Beethoven — trios for choice. pansion were deteriorated anyway, Nosek flute, viola and guitar. Buffalo, N.Y., 2000. "I feel I got a good education from Coe, a says. "And we had some problems with crime liberal arts education. I benefited quite a bit in the area, which isn't good for us or Coe." Boland, Jan and John from that. It's a small way to give something He feels Coe's expansion improved the Dowdall. Crystal to Gold: Pre• back. Books, they last a long time. Students neighborhood. "I see houses close to Coe, fix• cious flutes and guitars from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Buf• can get a lot of use out of thenar2 ing them up^ little morcr he says. falo, N.Y., 1999. Doyle says Nosek helped the library im• The neighborhood association recently mensely by sharing a Web site called took a slice of Daniels Park, south of H Jun, Rose Marie. Broadway Bibliofind.com. Before discovering the site, Avenue, and turned it into an artists' memo• First Take., Vol. 1. New York, 2000. rial area. There, they have installed two stone memorials to artists Grant Wood and Marvin Jun, Rose Marie. Broadway Cone. Recently, a stone bench was installed to First Take, Vol. 2. New York, honor Winnifred Cone, Marvin's late wife. 2000. Soon, geraniums will be planted, as well as white petunias near Winnifred's bench. The flowers were said to be her favorites.

Continued on back page

Joe Nosek, a consistent donor to the Stewart Memorial Library, is pictured in Daniels Park, by two stone memorials to artists Grant Wood and Marvin Cone. Recently, a stone bench was installed to honor Winnifred Cone, Marvin's late wife. Nosek worked with the Mound View Neighborhood Association to create the artists' memorial area. Bibliophile

Joe Nosek— Park and Read continued from page 3 The Gayle S. Whipple "I think it looks nice," '33 Browsing area, a Nosek says. "It's right when reading nook on the first you come into the neighbor• floor of Stewart Memo• hood. It gives pride to a lot rial Library, of people." already offers four Nosek learned about comfy leather chairs for volunteerism from his father, student readers wishing the late Franklin Nosek. "My to park and peruse. Now dad always helped other the first floor will feature people. I'm kind of continu• more bookworm- ing what he was doing." friendly space — two Doug Peters '81 is pictured on the leather couch Nosek's father, who died loveseat-sized leather couches. The furniture he donated for a Stewart Memorial Library two years ago, also worked at is in memory of Frank McDonald, a histori• reading area. Quaker Oats. He used to cally generous library donor, and Doug Pe• give veterans rides to the ters '81, Coe's equipment manager and a loyal Peters, whose personal motto is, "I do every• hospital in Iowa City. He contributor to Coe. thing for the students. I don't care about also helped the elderly "or Peters has previously donated a multi-vol• myself!" anyone in need," Nosek ume encyclopedia to the library, giving $25 a The new furniture initiated further spruce- recalls. month out of his paycheck, which took two ups of the popular area. Four of George Nosek has a sister and two years to pay. This time he's donating $50 a Henry's '49 photos from his recent Coe ex• younger brothers. His sister month for the next four years. Peters said he hibit were installed in the Whipple Browsing Pamela Nosek is an active wanted to offer something especially practical Area. And additional lighting and fresh paint volunteer for the African- for students. "I wanted to give something that also brightened up the area, which is on the American Museum in Cedar would benefit the students. I didn't want main level of the library, just past the Rapids. something that would be a dust collector," said Winnifred $. Cone Gallery.

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Coe's Sesquicentennial celebration is marked with these colorful banners on the front of The Stewart Memorial Library.