The Archives contain historical documents that date back to?university's beginnings
By Maureen Inouye
Forget tropical islands - there is buried treasure right here in the basement of Shipstad.
Housed on the bottom floor of Shipstad Hall, the University Archives and their archivist, the Rev. Bob Antonelli, C.S.C., are often overlooked by students. The remote location is part of the reason, but the Archives contains a collection of documents with historical importance to UP.
"We're the heart of the university; we keep the history," Antonelli said.
Antonelli's friendly demeanor lights up when he speaks of the Archives. He believes that by organizing the university's historical documents, he is fulfilling a calling.
"I'm giving life to others, helping others when they come, call or e-mail. It's a form of ministry, even though no one knows I'm here," Antonelli said.
According to Antonelli, the archives include student records, department records, university publications like "The Beacon" and "The Log," blueprints, graduate theses and at least 10,000 photographs. All of these are located in Room 017 of Shipstad.
Antonelli became the University Archivist in 1999 when his predecessor retired. He taught Hebrew Scripture at Notre Dame University and spent three years at the Holy Cross headquarters in Rome before he was hired by the Rev. David Tyson, C.S.C., a former UP president.
"It's like doing archeology," Antonelli said of his job. When he first arrived at UP, there were piles of disorganized boxes in Shipstad, but he now has a filing system that allows him to find records more easily.
Antonelli admits that few students ever use the Archives; only about 5 to 10 percent of the visitors are students.
"Sometimes history majors or engineers, but mostly we get requests from the (Public Relations) and Administrative offices," Antonelli said. The most requested materials are photographs for alumni reunions and events like retirement parties.
Many students are not even aware that the archives exist.
"I have personally mentioned it to some of my guys, but it is not something that has been given a lot of attention," said Jeff Kuhs, an RA in Shipstad.
Since Antonelli has taken over the archives, the number of visits has increased from 77 in 1999 to 210 in 2006. He attributes this to better organization.
"The longer I've been here, the more organization there's been. And I've gotten to know people, let them know what's available to them," Antonelli said.
Antonelli suggests calling his office, at (503) 943-7116, before dropping by because sometimes he is not there. He has an assistant, Martha Wachsmuth, to help him fulfill requests.
Despite the low number of student visitors, some students do find the Archives useful.
"Rarely do students know about the Archives. But as a freshman engineer, I was required to go look at building blueprints - that was really my first and only requirement for going down there," Kuhs said.
The Archives are stored in the basement of Shipstad for several reasons. First, there is space available there not present elsewhere. With lists and publications going back to the 1930s, the Archives require a lot of room. Second, without windows, there is no concern about ultraviolet damage. Third, despite the fact that most of the Archives are simply paper, they are very heavy. Using a basement means not having to worry about weight.
The Archives are actually a department within the Library. Carolyn Connolly, a Library employee, is working with Antonelli to make the information in the Archives available online through the Library Web site.
As the Archives continue to become more organized, Antonelli hopes to receive more photographs from students. He advises students to write the names and dates on the back of all their photographs. For a full list of the contents of the archives, visit the Library Web site: http://library.up.edu.
Kuhs says the Archives and the University Museum, also in the Shipstad basement, should get more attention.
"They have old building plans, school apparel, things I had never seen before. It's cool to think that things from the past are readily open for our viewing," he said.
