the reflector - Frederick D. Hill Archives - University of Indianapolis

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THE REFLECTOR PAGE ~~ ~ 4 FEATURE MARCH 27,2002 CENTENNIAL SERIES University historian completes book in time for U of I centennial Gretchen Rush Editor-in-Chief Tucked away on the second floor of Krannert Memorial Library, next to the Writing Lab, is a small office that contains pictures, letters, minutes and memorabilia that document the entire history of the University of Indianapo- lis. Often overlooked by students, this office contains black-and-white photos of Good Hall surrounded only by grass and yellowed posters promoting a college named “Indiana Central.” This office is the University of Indianapolis Archives, and it is the place where Dr. Fred Hill worked for 13 years on a book that covers the 100-year history of the institution. In 1989, at the request of President G. Benjamin Lantz, Hill began working on what developed into the current 400-page book, ‘‘ ‘Downright Devotion to the Cause’: A History of the University of Indianapolis & Its Legacy of Service.” The title of the book was inspired by a quotation from U of 1’s third president, Irby J. Good. Because Hill taught more than 20 history and religion courses at U of I from 1958-1988 and has worked as the university historian since his retirement, His connection with that history of the university expands beyond research. He has participated in more than 40 years of the history. However, when Hill started working on the book, no previous effort had been made to document the university’s history. As a result, Hill conducted years of in-depth research. Neither Hill nor the former president intended for the project to last 13 years or to be finished to coincide with the Centennial Celebration, but Hill found boxes of minutes, catalogs and papers dating as far back as 1905. He read every page. “How some of it still happened to be here, I don’t know,” said Hill. “I found minutes from 1907 in a vault in the accounting office.” In the basement of Esch Hall, Hill also discovered boxes full of minutes from various meetings, including an Indiana Central University (ICU) catalog from 1905 and an almost complete collection of an ICU publication, the Bulletin, dating back to 1908. President Good’s family also donated nine or 10 boxes of his papers from his 29 years as president of the university. The biggest hurdle Hill had to cross while researching the book was finding living people who could help document U of 1’s early years. “I was on the borderline of survival of people I needed to talk to,” said Hill. Twice Hill contacted people connected to the university, and didn’t get to discuss the history of the university with them because they died within a week of the initial conversations. His biggest living resource for the book was Don Carmony. Carmony was an Indiana Central student and long-time trustee. Now 92, he enrolled at ICU as a student at age 15. “He was the only trustee [still alive] with the crucial transition from President Esch to Good,” said Hill. “He was a tremendous resource to me on this book.” The book contains 15 chapters and three topical essays that cover important U of I events throughout the past 100 years. Hill’s favorite chapter, called “Some ‘Good’ Myths Dispelled,” explains that some rumors told about President Good are untrue. Although that is his favorite chapter, Hill said that Chapter 15, “The Legacy of Service,” is the climax of his book because it shows how strategic plans form and grow throughout the years. “It’s an amazing story, with all odds against us,” said Peter Noot, director for publications. “Faculty went years without getting paid, and they were incredibly patient-and creditors, too.” Noot has known Hill since the mid- 1970s, when he took Hill’s world civilizations class. “I’m surprised he still speaks to me because I was always really sleepy,” said Noot. “We had world civ. discussions Friday mornings at 7:30 or 7:45. It was brutal, but he always kept things interesting.” After his undergraduate days, Noot became the retired professor’s colleague. Their jobs of historian and publisher intertwined to complete Hill’s book, and the two have worked closely together since November to prepare the book for publication. “He has treated me like a colleague always, and that’s been really a joy,” said Noot. “He’s done a thousand tons of work, and I came in at the end and I put it in the pages.” Noot said that like his classes, Hill’s explanations are clear because he makes connections that allow the reader to see the big picture as well as the intricate details. “While I read the book, the most fun for me was that it made those early years in particular more vivid, and I felt the connection to those early years,” said Noot. “It made the growth of the university palpable. You could almost see the buildings going up.” Dr. Lynn Youngblood, vice president and provost and assistant professor emeritus of math, has known Hill for 40 years. He, too, had Hill as a professor-for history of western civilization and three religion courses. “He was a true scholar, and yet he came across as someone who knew how to relate very well,” said Youngblood. “Because of the way he taught his courses, I had a deeper appreciation for the importance of history and certainly for the complexity of religion. I am sure I am a more rounded individual and a more cosmopolitan thinker.. ..He was among the faculty that taught me how to think without imposing their own personal views.” Jay Starks, administrative assistant for Career Services, worked part-time as the university’s assistant archivist from 1994-2001. She interacted with Hill on a daily basis for seven years. “I learned so much from him, and I never once felt like he was telling me how to do things,” said Starks. “I feel that the seven years I spent with Fred every day were probably more valuable than any college degree I could have gotten. “He has this marvelous memory. If anything has impressed me so much it is that he can remember dates and names.. ..We had a timeline, and I always had to refer to the timeline. Fred knew the date to everything that happened here .... without looking it up-and he was always right. “He loves this university. I think it’s really special that Fred is writing the book because of the devotion he has to the university.. . .He was all about making this school a better place and making his lifetime career here helping students.” Hill’s book is currently in printing. Within the next month, 500 hardback ($20) and 2000 paperback copies ($10) will be available for purchase in the university bookstore, online and at campus events. The Celebration of the Presidents on May 3 1 will be the first campus event to showcase the book. “It would be a crime if anyone else had written this history,” said Noot. “I swear he knows each alumnus and alumna personally, and he remembers the family connections and where everybody’s from. It’s just amazing , , ‘ I Photo by Gretchen Rush HE’S DONE IT ALL-Dr. Fred Hill works on his book on the history of U of I last year. Hill has been with the university since 1958. Do you know an interesting person who should be profiled by The ReflectoJ, Send your ideas to reflector @ uindy edu STUDENTS* * * * * RECEIVE 10%
MARCH 27,2002 FEATURE THE REFLECTOR PAGE 5 FACULTY RETIREMENT Ed Roehling will retire after 20 years as WICR general manager Cara Silletto Stuff Writer Ed Roehling will be retiring from the University of Indianapolis this June, after 20 years of educating communication students involved with Indianapolis’ own jazz radio station 88.7 FM WICR. Roehling is the general manager of WICR. He also teaches the applied radio class every semester. It includes all of the students who run the radio station, from trainees to managers. Roehling has shared a great deal of talent and expertise with WICR over the past two decades. His previous broadcasting experiences include building three radio stations in Indiana, appraising and selling radio stations and consulting for those in the radio industry. When Roehling came to U of I, WICR was a 10-watt radio station. When he leaves this year, its power will be equivalent to that of a 30,000- watt station. As a teacher, Roehling has helped many students develop their electronic media skills. The one thing Roehling has tried to emphasize to all of his students over the years is the importance of professionalism. He runs WICR as a public radio station, not a college station. He stresses that radio is a business, and he wants his students to know that it is okay to be competi- tive. One way he has done this is by creating a management staff for WICR. The staff consists of eight students, usually upperclassmen, who head many different areas of the radio station’s operation, including program- ming, promotions and the technical aspects. He has given dozens of ARCHAEOLOGY LAB Archaeology Jennifer Marks Stuff Writer Ancient skeletal remains have a home at the University of Indianapolis Archaeology and Forensics Laboratory. While on any given day students on the top three floors of Good Hall are studying skills on WMkh to’,bui€d the$ ~U~UITYS, a students and faculty in the basement of Good Hall are literally studying these remains of the past. Archaeology is actually a branch of anthropology. It encompasses the theories and methodologies used to study people from the past according to Dr. Christopher Schmidt, assistant professor of anthropology and director of dental studies for the Archaeology and Forensics Laboratory on campus. Faculty members specializing in archaeology at the University of Indianapolis do not always conduct archaeological digs in far-off, exotic places. Many times, the specimens are uncovered right here in Indiana. Excavating prehistoric skeletons takes precision, patience, and a great respect for the lives they represent. “Primarily my work focuses on researching the lifeways of prehistoric humans from Indiana,” said Schmidt. “I study skeletal and cultural remains that are accidentally discovered, as well as those that I find on research expeditions around the state.” Each year, archaeology faculty excavate numerous primitive skeletons from hillsides or riverbanks; these remains have either been disturbed by construction work or erosion. Schmidt also examines human remnants being ’ students the opportunity to take on a leadership role and grow from it. Roehling wants his students to understand that a variety of jobs bring worth to a radio station. Another way he has helped students learn that there are different aspects of radio station operation is by bringing in professionals from many different fields to help the students. Some of these professionals include Doug Housemeyer, director of underwriting and advertising, and Scott Uecker, chief engineer for WICR. In addition to his responsibilities with WICR, Roehling has also assumed the role of internship director for the communication department. He has helped many communication students find appropriate internshps around Indiana. His incredible list of contacts has been a big asset for this specific job. Dr.Rob Gobetz, associate professor of communication, said Roehling is the most connected man he knows. “He knows everybody,” Gobetz said. Oftentimes Roehling can write a letter or make a quick phone call to help a student obtain an internship that he or she may not have been offered otherwise. Because he knows so many people in the communication field, he can easily give a recommendation that means a lot to employers. One thing Roehling loves about his position at U of I is the new faces he sees each year as the communication department expands. According to Roehling, the nature of the situation of working at a school is that you are able to start over every year. “It keeps the professional staff young,” Roehling said. Working with students is what Roehling claims he will miss most when he leaves U of I this year. Specifically, he will miss the opportunity to see students develop their skills, move on to become successful, and finish with great communication careers. One of Roehling’s greatest sources of satisfaction in his position is seeing his students grow, on and off the air. Nothing feels more fulfilling to him than to see a freshman blossom into a hard-working intern who then gets a job offer from a company after graduation. The current operations manager for WICR is Jocelyn Schneider, a junior communication major who is in her fifth semester as a radio student. She Photo by January Newbunks A PROFESSIONAL AT WORK-Ed Roehling, general manager of WICR, will retire in June. Roehling has been a prominent figure in the communication department for the past 20 years. oversees a11 the radio station’s day-today operations. “Ed lets us swim, until we start to sink,” Schneider said. This is why she believes she has learned so much about the business. “He lets us run the station and usually only steps in when things may be objectionable.” She added that he cares a lot about his students and looks out for their wellbeing. Roehling holds his students to the same standard as professionals who work at regular radio stations, which is why Schneider believes she has gained an excellent work ethic for broadcasting. Scott Uecker, who has worked with Roehling for five years, says that as a supervisor, Roehling sets the bar very high for his students. Uecker has seen the professionalism that is demanded from them, which he believes has given most of the students the confi- dence to do what is asked of them. Uecker added that employers in the broadcasting field do not want to train their new employees. Employers want them to be ready to work as soon as they finish school. What Roehling demands of students helps them achieve their goal of obtaining good jobs after they graduate. Roehling believes the broadcasting business has been very good to him, but he is not through yet. Although he will be leaving his full-time position at U of I, he admits that he will still be around next year, working on a few projects of his own. In fact, this semester is his busiest yet. The next task for WICR is a technology up- grade, which will happen in the near future. Because this is such a huge project, Roehling is trying to hand over the station in as good a shape as possible for whoever fills his shoes next year. and forensics lab features expert faculty and staff museums and other institutions. Dr. Stephen Nawrocki, associate Drofessor of biolonv and director of U d osteology, is principally interested in excavating those newer remains of people who have died within the last year. He is a frequent contact for out-of-state institutions on such cases and is assisted in his work by graduate students in the Human Biology program. Nawra and Schmidt work as a team to uncover historic gravesites that need to be moved or have been upset by construction. Dr. Gregory Reinhardt, associate professor of anthropology and chair of social sciences, specializes in arctic archaeology. Aided by U of I students, he discovered artifacts at a northern Alaska site a few years ago. Throughout his career, he has accumulated an impressive assortment of Eskimo artifacts. Reinhardt is currently co-editor of two books regarding the work he has done in the arctic. A culmination of many years’ hard work by these U of I faculty members is represented in the Archaeology and Forensics Laboratory. “The archaeology lab is now divided into two separate areas-the traditional Archaeology and Forensics Lab, where all research concerning sensitive materials is conducted, and the Indiana Prehistory Lab, which is located in the old Christian Vocations room,” said Chris Moore, Schmidt’s student assistant. “As an undergraduate, I’m primarily involved in the projects in the Indiana Prehistory Lab.” Moore is also responsible for coordinating most of the undergraduates’ research projects. Both labs are currently hosting are in the process of cleaning and arranging materials excavated from rescue digs that have taken place earlier inharious regions of Indiana. According to Schmidt, “In 2001, the Archaeology and Forensics Laboratory was given an award by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, for the many excavations of human remains that we have conducted over the years as a public service for our community.” An undergraduate degree in archaeology is offered for U of I students. A diverse combination of lab and field experiences, in addition to practical and applied opportunities, awaits those interested in archaeology. According to Schmidt, companies are paying attention to people with liberal arts degrees now more than ever. Today’s working society needs those who can communicate competently in a prepared for preservation at research projects. Undergraduates cross-cultural Aaliyah k Tanning 2839 Shelby St. (Across from Dinnerbell) (317) 781-1950 Show student I.D. & receive *lo% offpackages & Lotions (Does not include unlimited or single visits) GREAT beds with NEW BULBS! First time tanners $1.00 whtudent I.D. manner. Private firms, universities, and government agencies are just a few Dlaces a bachelor’s degree in archaeol- For more information on the undergraduate degree program or the Archaeologv and Forensics Labora- Y ogy can take someone. tory, visit i;ftp://archlab.uindy.edu. Call 916-DELl fOt Carryout, ~
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