a g i n i n g a w o r i m l d Honoring Willa Cather and her legacy for 60 years THE WILLA CATHER FOUNDATION1955–2015 2014 annual report To Our Friends and Supporters It’s with abundant enthusiasm that we write you as the Willa Cather Foundation reading, viewing a special exhibit, or by encountering her world through our virtual tour, celebrates our 60th anniversary year. Some of you have been supporting the Foundation we’re always ready to share Cather’s enduring novels and stories with new audiences. for decades, and we thank you. Others are relative newcomers, and we’re grateful you’ve In the pages that follow, you’ll encounter an abbreviated history documenting our been inspired along the way to help us further our work. To all, we hope you’ll continue organization’s growth and development. As we celebrate 60 years and look ahead your gracious support long after our next milestone anniversary. enthusiastically to the National Willa Cather Center’s completion in 2016, it feels Willa Cather is one of the most respected and acclaimed 20th century American appropriate to pause for reflection and celebration. We’re very grateful for your continued authors. From her little town of Red Cloud, Nebraska where she came of age, we are interest, enthusiasm, and support. Together, we’ll ensure that our next 60 years are as entrusted with preserving the largest collection of nationally designated historic sites promising and productive as our first 60. dedicated to an American author. As thousands of visitors pass through our doors With thanks and appreciation, each year to pay homage to Cather and tour the places that inspired many of her major works, we’re continually humbled. We’re also reminded of our duty to share her enduring literature in a time when Thomas Reese Gallagher, Board President reading is seen to be on the decline and a crisis of confidence afflicts the humanities. Fortunately, we have many outlets to help inspire the public to discover Cather’s life and work. Whether the first introduction comes by way of attending a dramatic Ashley Olson, Executive Director Highlights of our first 60 years Historically significant Garber Bank acquired. Built Founder Mildred Bennett’s The “Willa Cather Pioneer WCPM President Mildred in 1888 by Silas Garber, The J. M. McDonald The World of Willa Cather Memorial” is formally Bennett edits Early Stories early Nebraska governor Foundation awards challenge is published (the first Cather established in Red Cloud, of Willa Cather. Proceeds and prototype for Captain grant of $5,000 to begin biography). Nebraska. support the WCPM. Forrester in A Lost Lady. restoration of Garber Bank. 19 51 1955 1956 19 57 1959 1960 19 61 Life magazine runs “Willa Temporary quarters set First publication of the Dr. W. K. Bennett acquires title Cather Country” photo essay up in Red Cloud’s Besse “Willa Cather Pioneer to Cather’s childhood home, by David E. Scherman. Auditorium. Early gifts include Memorial News Letter.” donates it to WCPM; funds Cather’s high school diploma immediate repairs to protect 1955and letters. –1961 against deterioration. A Living Memorial to Willa Cather: The WCF at 60 Years ●● 5 WCF-owned historic properties ●● 612-acre tract of native prairie ●● 6 historic sites preserved in partnership with Nebraska State Historical Society ●● 59 Spring Conferences ●● 14 International Cather Seminars ●● 6,575 visitors (2014) ●● 1,645 Opera House patrons (2014) ●● 1,290 historic site tours (2014) The founders signing the Foundation’s articles of incorporation (left to right): Harry Obitz, Mildred Bennett, Frank O’Rourke, Carrie Miner Sherwood, Helen Obitz, and Jennie Miner Reiher. ●● 101 new additions to archive and museum collection (2014) ●● 175 issues of the Willa Cather Newsletter & Review ●● 1,592 donors in last 3 years Our Mission To promote Willa Cather’s legacy through education, historic preservation, and the arts. ●● $151,500 in student scholarships awarded 1 ●● $1.59 million in endowed assets Our Vision ●● $9.49 million in total assets To become a premier cultural center that offers broad educational opportunities for patrons to experience Cather’s work, explore historic landmarks related to her life and All figures as of December 31, 2014 times, foster their own creativity, and embrace the arts and humanities. John G. Neihardt speaks at WCPM participates in dedication of Garber Bank. Guests unveiling of Cather’s include Cather’s friends Carrie bust at Nebraska WCPM officially The Nebraska Legislature Miner Sherwood and Jennie Miner State Capitol, by becomes the Willa Cather designates western Reiher, and her sisters, Nebraska-bred artist Pioneer Memorial and half of Webster County Jessica and Elsie. Paul Swan. Educational Foundation. “Catherland.” 19 6 2 19 6 3 1964 1965 1966 19 67 Willa Cather merit badge Tokyo WCPM chapter Mr. V. H. Fette American “Catherland” sign Cather’s childhood approved by Girl Scouts. established. donates Red Cloud’s Association for State unveiled at the highest home opens to Burlington Depot and Local History point on “the Divide.” visitors after complete to the WCPM. presents Award of restoration. 1962 –1967 Merit to WCPM. Educating Students and the Public From the outset, supporting educators and students has been at the forefront of our on our theme of “Mapping Literary Landscapes,” Minneapolis-based Illusion Theater mission. Educational tours, which, in 1956, were by appointment only and limited to presented My Ántonia on our Opera House stage. Though a familiar story to so many of us, a small museum collection in Besse Auditorium, have grown to include seven lovingly the troupe of young actors restored Red Cloud properties, offered several times daily to students of all ages. In 2014, brought a fresh perspective more than 1,290 visitors took an intimate glimpse at these assets by way of guided tours, and boundless energy to in addition to those who independently toured our Willa Cather Memorial Prairie Cather’s words, moving many and the dozens of Cather-related sites throughout Webster County. in the audience to tears. Likewise, the “Spring Activities” that commenced in 1955 have evolved into our Spring Conference, an annual tradition that fills an early June weekend with the arts, humanities, scholarship, and abundant love of Cather’s literature. Those early days were full of new discoveries and 2014 also marked our return to Europe, as projects, as well as esteemed speakers like we organized “Cather in Europe/Europe and John Neihardt, Maya Angelou, Eudora 2 Cather,” a four-day symposium held in Italy. Welty, and Alfred Knopf. More than 40 scholars, including 12 international Spring Conference today is every bit as exciting. Our 59th annual Spring scholars, were in attendance at the Centro Studi Conference in 2014 welcomed more than 150 scholars and guests for Left to right: Members of the Illusion Theater company Americani in the heart of Rome for this event guided prairie tours, literary presentations, and a keynote address by one of visit the Pavelka Farmstead; Cather scholars in Rome; Road Scholar participants discover Cather country. recognizing the importance of European culture the nation’s foremost humanities scholars, NPR’s Clay Jenkinson. Focusing and travel to Cather’s life and work. Heirs of Mrs. Ethel Barnes Nature Conservancy donate St. Juliana Catholic Church. Burlington Depot and National Park Service purchases 612-acre tract of Anna Sadilek Pavelka (Ántonia) St. Juliana dedicated names Cather’s childhood native prairie near Red Cloud and John Pavelka (Anton Cuzak) at 15th annual Cather home a National with grant support from the were married here. Spring Conference. Historic Landmark. Woods Charitable Fund. 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska donates Grace “Cather Day” in Pulitzer Prize-winners Leon Edel Cather’s proof copy Episcopal Church. Cather joined this church with Red Cloud hosts 35 Cather and Eudora Welty join Cather’s of April Twilights her parents in 1922 and was a member until family members. friend and publisher Alfred A. Knopf added to her death. She purchased two of the church’s as speakers for 1st International the collection. 1968painted glass windows in her parents’ memory. –1975 Cather Seminar. Preserving Cather’s Treasured Places The Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank was dedicated as the Willa Cather Memorial in 1962. 1969. Cather joined this church in 1922 Fittingly, this first museum dedicated to Willa Cather was situated in a historic building and remained a member until her death. erected by Silas Garber, prototype for Captain Forrester in Cather’s A Lost Lady. The Two of the church’s beautiful painted pause for celebration was brief—there was much more work to be done. glass windows were donated by Cather in memory of her parents. In 1976, the The 1960s and 70s brought a surge of property acquisitions and Pavelka Farmstead, setting of the final restoration projects. Cather’s childhood home was acquired in 1960 scene in My Ántonia, was donated. and opened to visitors in 1967. Many of the furnishings came from the estate of Willa Cather’s sister, Elsie. Cather’s lifelong friend, The six sites mentioned above are today Mrs. Carrie Miner Sherwood, lent a helping hand and a good collectively known as the Willa Cather State Historic site, owned by the Nebraska memory to the reconstruction of the house. State Historical Society and managed by the WCF. Later decades would bring about resurgence in ours efforts to preserve sites meaningful to Cather and her work. Red Cloud’s Burlington Depot was donated in 1965. The original two-story section of the depot, constructed in 1897, is Cather’s beloved Red Cloud Opera House was donated in 1991 and a grand reopening the building Cather was familiar with during her last years in celebration was held in 2003, after years of careful restoration.