G A Z E T T E September 2009 Annual Report for 2008 Vol. XVII Oberlin Heritage Center / Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization P. O. Box 0455, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 440-774-1700 www.oberlinheritage.org 2008: A Year of Celebration, Commemoration, and Collaboration with the City of Oberlin Historic Preserva- Executive Director. Clark stated that the tion Commission and Main Street Oberlin Hallock Foundation Board recognizes that to celebrate and dedicate the new Downtown these grants directly reflected the conviction Oberlin Historic District Ohio Historical So- of its founder, Richard R. Hallock, who be- ciety marker, which stands at the southwest lieved that strong, competent, and imagina- corner of Main and College streets. Events tive leadership was essential for the organi- throughout the year brought people together zation’s survival and that such leadership was to reflect on our history, enjoy the moment, firmly in place for the Heritage Center with and look forward to a strong future. Patricia Murphy at the helm. The gift would perpetuate the grant support that the Hallock Honorary Trustee David W. Clark illumi- Foundation had given in recent years and to nated and entertained the 158 members and encourage others to step up and help the friends who attended the April 2 Annual Heritage Center raise the additional funds Meeting with his presentation on “Oberlin’s necessary to complete its ongoing Endow- First Twenty Years, 1833 to 1853.” Later in ment for History Education campaign. Need- the evening, Clark donned his hat as Rich- less to say, this major gift will have a huge, ard R. Hallock Foundation Manager and lasting impact on our organization, making concluded the meeting with a surprise an- it stronger and more sustainable. nouncement that electrified the crowd. He announced that the Richard R. Hallock Pat Murphy thanked Mrs. Hallock and the Foundation was in the process of making a other Foundation trustees and commented: grant of $1,000,000 for the Oberlin Heritage Center Executive Director endowment. I am deeply privileged to have known Throughout the year Oberlin and the Oberlin Hallock Foundation trustees Mrs. Richard and learned much from both Colonel Heritage Center celebrated the 150th anniver- R. Hallock and Robert O. Sawyer traveled Richard Hallock and Mrs. Hallock. sary of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue and from Georgia and Florida, respectively, to Each believed strongly in giving back the 175th anniversary of the founding of the take part in this very special announcement to their community and their country. college and community. A special highlight and attend the Annual Meeting. This generous gift inspires us all to do was working with the Oberlin-Wellington our parts in our own ways. Rescue Coalition and the Oberlin College Clark noted that for several years the Rich- Archives to kick off the celebrations by bring- ard R. Hallock Foundation had taken satis- Expanding and enhancing the Oberlin Heri- ing the New York–based writer Nat Brandt, faction in making annual grants in support tage Center’s outreach and offerings to school- author of The Town That Started the Civil of compensation for the Oberlin Heritage children and families continued throughout War, to speak to the community at the First Center’s Executive Director. He added that the year. Among the new programs we Church in Oberlin and the Oberlin Public the Hallock Foundation had also made lesser launched were “Saturdays at the School- Library and to students at Oberlin High grants from time to time to offset expenses house” (a free drop-in program for families School. The Heritage Center also collaborated for special educational opportunities for the Continued on page 2 OUR MISSION IS TO PRESERVE AND SHARE OBERLIN’S UNIQUE HERITAGE AND TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, LEARN, WORK, AND VISIT. Page 1 Celebration, Commemoration, Soldier, Scholar, and Collaboration Gentleman Continued from page 1 offered in the summer), “Lessons in the Past” ter of the National Association for the Ad- (offered by appointment to school and youth vancement of Colored People, and Oberlin groups in the schoolhouse with a costumed Area Cooperating Ministries. More kudos ar- interpreter), and “History Makers” (a new rived when the National Trust for Historic weeklong summer day camp). Preservation recognized the “Black Indians” series as a model for diversity programs in the The Oberlin Heritage Center was one of only Trust’s e-newsletter to state and local partner two organizations in Ohio to receive a highly preservation organizations. competitive Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Oberlin Heritage Center’s multitalented fi- Services in July. This three-year, $106,581 nancial assistant, librarian, and Past Presi- grant, which requires a local match, supports dent Pat Holsworth received special recog- Col. Richard R. Hallock, organizational capacity building, operating nition for her ongoing work in documenting 1919–1999 expenses, and staffing, all vitally important the family histories of Oberlin at the 150th to continuing our work. As part of the grant, anniversary celebration of the Oberlin- A 1941 graduate of Oberlin College, the Board and staff will be working to be- Wellington Rescue on September 13 at the Colonel Richard Reid Hallock served come certified by the Ohio Association of Oberlin Inn. his country for twenty-four years as a Nonprofit Organization’s Standards for Ex- dedicated and highly decorated U.S. cellence program. The Heritage Center partnered with the Ohio Army Infantry Airborne Officer. After Historical Society to offer a full-day National retiring from the service to Southern Oberlin Heritage Center personnel and pro- History Day Workshop for local educators California in 1967, he founded a re- grams received several key awards in 2008. in the fall. Museum Education and Tour Co- search and analysis company, and later Trustee, life member, and volunteer Bert ordinator Elizabeth Schultz offered several a commercial real estate firm. In 1993 Latran Jr. was designated “Oberlinian of the training sessions for volunteer docents dur- he and his wife, the former Myriam Year” by the Oberlin News-Tribune, the twen- ing the year. The Heritage Center also con- Lahaurine Johnston, returned to Ober- tieth community recipient of this annual tinued to provide one-on-one guidance and lin to reside at Kendal. award. Latran commented in a letter to the workshops for other area historical societies newspaper editor (January 15, 2008), “I was and museums. A great believer in giving back to the taught well and inspired by my family, friends, community, Colonel Hallock was a teachers, coaches, professors, drill sergeants, The Heritage Center remained attentive to valued advisor to the Oberlin Heritage and others. And I have them to thank for community preservation needs by working Center’s Executive Director, especially making me who I am today.” Many Oberlin with the City of Oberlin Historic Preservation in strategic planning. The Richard R. Heritage Center members and friends gath- Commission, the Cleveland Restoration So- Hallock Foundation, created after ered to fete Bert at a Heritage Center recep- ciety, and the Lorain County Preservation Colonel Hallock’s death, has contin- tion held at the Parish Hall of Christ Episco- Network and other preservation groups to ued his good work. The Hallock Flag- pal Church on March 2. provide programming and technical assistance pole and Garden at the Oberlin Heri- to increase appreciation for preserving old tage Center, dedicated on August 24, The Ohio Association of Historical Societies buildings. Preservation efforts in the twenty- 2004, offer a peaceful setting for rest and Museums presented its “History Out- first century are closely tied to raising aware- and reflection. reach Excellence Award” to the Oberlin Heri- ness that reuse and restoration are ideal ways tage Center at the Ohio Historical Society in to become more environmentally responsible. October for the Heritage Center’s series of four Black History month programs on “Black In- The Oberlin Heritage Center Gazette dians: A Hidden Heritage.” The series included Annual Report for 2008 offerings by the nationally known educator September 2009 Vol. XVII and historian William Loren Katz and were presented with the support and collaboration Editor: Pat Murphy of an array of other organizations, including Contributors: Mary Anne Cunningham, the Ohio Humanities Council, Oberlin Col- Walter Edling, Pat Holsworth, Prue Richards, Liz Schultz, Jim White lege Office of President Marvin Krislov, the Editorial Advisor & Design: Sally Kerr Oberlin College History Department, the Photographers: Walter Edling, Dick Oberlin Student Philanthropy Club, the Cleve- Holsworth, Dale Preston, and Oberlin land American Indian Movement, the John Heritage Center staff members Mercer Langston Institute, the Oberlin Chap- Page 2 The Oberlin Heritage Center donated the ing, Michael Henle, Molly Johnson, Ray Burrell-King House at 315 East College Street Kneisel, and Gene Presti. Many other inter- to Oberlin College in 2006. We all cheered views were edited, transcribed, and indexed when the Oberlin Conservatory of Music by the Oberlin Oral History Committee mem- opened its Community Music School there bers, staff liaison Pat Holsworth, and student in the fall of 2008. It had long been one of the interns and volunteers. town’s most architecturally and historically significant houses, and now it is also an ex- The staff, especially Liz Schultz, worked hard cellent example of adaptive use of a historic throughout the year together with Emerge, home for a community purpose. Inc. on a massive redesign of the Heritage Center’s website, <www.oberlinheritage.org>. Oberlin Heritage Center volunteers demon- This project was funded in part by a grant strated civic pride and creative recycling when from the Stocker Foundation. they stepped up to the plate to salvage and reuse century-old iron railings when they On a sad note, the passing of Eric Nord was were removed from the Morgan Street bridge another major milestone of 2008.