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Archives Named for McClure, Collector Par Excellence
Art McClure saved stuff. The
basement of his home was a
well-catalogued archive of
pop culture. The late CMSU
professor emeritus of history
had a similar passion for
preserving the institution’s
history, a commitment that
helped to develop the university’s
archives and museum.
McClure’s family, friends
and colleagues remembered
his wit and wisdom when they
gathered recently to dedicate
the Arthur F. McClure II
Archives and Museum in the
James C. Kirkpatrick Library.
McClure joined the CMSU
faculty in 1965. He became chair
of the Department of History
in 1971, a post he held until
his death in 1998. His belief
that historical materials should
be accessible led him to revive
CMSU’s archival holdings.
Named CMSU’s first archivist
in 1985, McClure began the
process to save that legacy one
letter, document, picture and
object at a time. He was assisted
by then graduate student and now
archivist, Vivian Richardson.
McClure was a renowned
author. His dissertation became
his first book, The Truman
Administration and the Problems
of Postwar Labor, 1945-1948,
published in 1969. His research
and writing about American
film and popular culture became
two books, The Movies: An
American Idiom and Memories
of Splendor: The Midwestern
Works of William Inge.
William Foley, professor
emeritus of history and longtime
colleague, remembered that
McClure’s personal collection
rivaled that of any museum.
“We kidded Art about all that
stuff, but he understood the value
of preserving personal history
and popular culture,” Foley said.
He added that many items from
McClure’s personal collection
now rest in many museums and
archives throughout the U.S.
Professor Emeritus Arthur McClure
Eclectic Collection is Researchers’ Treasure Trove
Stepping into the Arthur F.
McClure II Archives and Museum,
you become immediately
surrounded, amazed and
intimated by feelings of history.
From a photograph of
CMSU’s first graduating class
to a recent photo of a Mules
national championship baseball
team, the archives documents
the university’s history as well
as the interests and passions of
various faculty, staff and alumni.
This eclectic collection provides
researchers original materials on
such subjects as world famous
CMSU alumni, turn of the century
antiques, even frontier memoirs.
From financial statements and
sports programs to calendars and
commencement programs, the
Arthur F. McClure II Archives and
Museum seems to have a little
piece of everything.
“We have these archives so
that we can preserve the history of
the university,” explained Vivian
Richardson, assistant director
of the archives and museum
and university historian. “The
archives are utilized for teaching,
writing research papers, finding
information about activities, or
to prepare for homecomings and
class reunions. They are important
to alumni, faculty, students and
the community.”
The archives keeps copies of
every academic catalog, Rhetor
and Muleskinner. There are
banners, pennants and records
about faculty, students and
organizations.
Then there are special
collections — notable pieces
about CMSU alumni, such as
world-famous self-help author
Dale Carnegie and major league
pitcher and proclaimed “world’s
greatest college athlete” Vernon
Kennedy.
The museum’s donated
collections include McClure’s own
20th century American history
and African-American history
collections.
The Nance Middle Eastern
Collection includes artifacts from
Saudi Arabia and southeast and
southwest Asia. Other collections
include the Haymaker Collection
of Guatemalan ceramics, jewelry
and textiles and the Rohmiller
Seashell Collection of some
10,000 classified specimens from
around the world.
There’s also a collection on
Phog Allen, who left coaching at
CMSU and built a legend at the
University of Kansas.
Most of the special collections
have been donated by families.
For example, the Haymaker
Collection came from a family
in Centerview, said Richardson.
The two were missionaries in
Guatemala and all their children
attended what was then Normal
#2, so the family decided to
give back to the university by
contributing the collection.
“Every piece of memorabilia,
every picture and every document
we have in the archives have been
donated. These donations come
from university departments that
are cleaning house or alumni who
might be doing the same thing,”
Richardson explained.
There are prehistoric artifacts
from archaeological research in
the region; World War I and II
weapons; uniforms, gear and
posters; and Native American
objects from the Arctic, Plains and
the Southwest.
“Our collection is very
eclectic,” Richardson added.
“We have resources from
geology, biology, anthropology,
archaeology and history.”
Alumni or former faculty
and staff who have items they
want to donate should contact
Richardson. The museum can
help preserve these items and
memories for future generations.
For more information, contact
Richardson at 660-543-4649 or at
vrichardson@cmsu.edu.
— Kelli McMasters Dec. ’05
winter 2005
central today
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