Annual Report of the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center
(July 2005-July 2006)

The importance of public service, historical preservation along with fostering a respectful environment are key elements in the established mission and goals associated with daily operations undertaken by the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center staff on an everyday basis.  These are objectives which have been met in different ways as the wide-range of endeavors performed within this office have contributed to a positive, conscientious and ever-increasing quality level of performance in the process.  The staff currently consists of four full-time professionals including: Monsignor Francis Seymour, Archdiocesan Archivist; Dr. Kate Dodds, Archival Assistant/Genealogist; Mr. Justin Myzie, Records Management Clerk and Alan Delozier, Director/University Archivist.  This report outlines and explains some of the most prominent ways we have facilitated reference assistance, developed collection holdings, promoted public awareness and also highlighted are other key accomplishments made over the past year. 

New Personnel

Our department is pleased to welcome Ms. Maura Kenny, former Processing Archivist of the Rio Grande Collection at New Mexico State University who was recently named Processing Archivist/Assistant Professor and will begin her association with Seton Hall on July 1, 2006.

 Another fine addition to our area is Ms. Jeanne Brasile, who was named our new Library Gallery Director in March, 2006.  This position was placed under the immediate supervision of the Director of Archives & Special Collections (and Dean of University Libraries overall) will work closely on projects and other initiatives with members of the department and campus community at large.   

Major Special Projects 

A number of different initiatives which involve the Archives & Special Collections on a regular basis which often reach beyond the confines of the University Libraries alone have been started, or built upon over the past year.  Among the most prolific of these ventures include…

·         Catholic Institutional Treasures Portal Website Project.  A long-term collaborative effort between various Catholic-administrated institutions of higher education across the nation including the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Catholic University of America, University of San Diego and others including Seton Hall University will involve the digitization and Internet publishing of unique objects representing the material history of the Catholic Church in particular.  Preliminary and major decision-making efforts are made by Dr. Howard McGinn, Dean of University Libraries who helped foster the adoption of this overall program.  The first stage of evaluation involves the adoption of a standardized system of metadata protocols and types of materials to be included whereby the information and images produced can be placed on a centralized web site with various links for greater exposure and opportunity for study.  The Seton Hall University Catholic Portals homepage being developed in partnership between the University Libraries, TLTC Center and the Archives & Special Collections is under development at the present time.  The Archives & Special Collections Center has been responsible for the content which includes introductory text, captions and pertinent object types.  The first material formats filmed include chalices, ciboria, sick call boxes and related items.  Publication of this page is scheduled for the Fall of 2006.

·         Archdiocesan Patrimony.  The creation of an advisory body devoted to identifying and preserving materials, papers and objects related to the history of the Archdiocese of Newark has been endorsed by the Chancery Office.  Each member of the Archives & Special Collections Center who deals with Archdiocesan record-keeping serves on this particular board.  A document on what materials are to be saved along with an initial plan on how to proceed with advisement and/or transfer of materials from the over 300+ parishes and institutions located throughout the entire See has been worked upon.  Preliminary meetings have been held of the board, and further development of this project will be forthcoming over the next year and beyond as the finer points of the overall operation are carried out by this committee and participants alike.   

·         Disaster Preparation & Recovery.  Building upon existing safeguards, the Archives & Special Collections Center in close consultation and partnership with the University Libraries has led to a closer look and improvement upon safety measures in our area.  Under the guidance of Dr. Howard McGinn, Dean of University Libraries, the charge has been made to edit the existing Archives & Special Collections Disaster Plan Guide and to create a newly improved one for Walsh Library as well.  This includes input from a special committee, research and working with the University-wide Disaster Plan already in place. Additionally, plans for increased security and environmental preservation measures are being made to further protect collections currently found (along with future acquisitions) in the Archives & Special Collections Center storage vault.  

·         Shifting Projects.  Movement of books from the Msgr. John Oesterreicher Collection, various Latin and Greek reference volumes from the Archives & Special Collections Center to the fourth floor of Walsh Library where they have been placed in locked cabinets for security and usage upon request.  Various sets of books with attractive spines/covers were placed upstairs in the Msgr. Peterson Room located on the fourth floor of Walsh Library to occupy blank spaces on the bookshelves and beautify this area in the process.  Additionally, removal of phonographic record albums from the vault to an off-site storage center in Orange, NJ where they will be made available for transport to the Archives & Special Collections for listening as needed.   

Reference Requests & Public Service 

The main focus of the Archives & Special Collections Center is public service, and this fact is evident in the number of requests completed over the past year which were handled primarily by Dr. Kate Dodds and the Director with periodic assistance from other staff members.  The following tables offer a breakdown and ratio explanation of research type, time frame, fiscal year and related data comparison overall according to the three major divisions of activity namely: Archdiocese of Newark, Seton Hall University and the Irish/Irish-Life Collection.   

                       Archdiocese of Newark

                      Seton Hall University 

   MacManus Collection 

[* These figures are approximate since they are based on actual statistics representing formal research summaries completed by select members of the Archives & Special Collections Center including Dr. Dodds, Mr. Myzie and the Director.]

Research issues devoted to Seton Hall University-related topics was varied and diverse over this past year.  Individuals who engaged in this type of research were mainly students, alumni and various administrators from different offices across campus.  Among the wide-range of research requests worked upon included the utilization of such traditional sources as: School Catalogues, Galleon (Student Yearbooks) and the Setonian (Student Newspaper).  In addition, Doctoral Dissertations and Masters Theses written by Seton Hall alumni accounted for a major portion of research done in the field of institutional and general academic study.  Otherwise, a wide array of additional resources situated within our collection are often considered and subsequently used in relation to appropriate queries received by our office.  Counted among the most substantial research projects supervised by the Director that fall within this category include…

·         Institutional History.  Dr. Dermot Quinn, Professor of History is currently undertaking research and writing of the 150th anniversary of Seton Hall University due for publication within the next few years.  He also wrote a special piece entitled:  “The Seton Hall Family” which appeared in the Seton Hall University Magazine (Winter 2006). Other articles including one by Mr. Jerry Trombella from the Institutional Research Office entitled: “In The Beginning – Students at Seton Hall” (Fall 2005) and two by Ms. Naoma Welk entitled: “An Armchair Visit to the Village of South Orange” (Fall 2005) and “The Buzz About South Orange” (Winter 2006) also appeared in the same publication.  Special information boxes featured in the Fall 2005 issue of the Seton Hall University Magazine (covering school history from 1856-1897) includes: “Student Beginnings” (First Five Students), “Past Presidents”, “First Appointed Board”, “Faculty Beginnings”, “Seton Hall at a Glance” (Course Descriptions, Statistics, etc. - 1861 and 1897), “First College Graduate” (Louis Firth) and the “First Core Curriculum”.  Special information boxes were also provided for the Winter 2006 edition of the Seton Hall University Magazine (covering school history from 1897-1932) includes: “Seton Hall at a Glance” (Course Descriptions, Statistics, etc. – 1898, 1915 and 1932), “Pirate Pride Begins” (Origin of School Nickname), “Past Presidents”, “A Newspaper Legacy – Setonian” and “Academic Excellence – Middle States Accreditation Statement” (11/1932).  Each of these articles/segments has covered various aspects of the Setonia experience between 1856-1932.  The next three editions will cover the remainder of school history between 1932-1950, 1950-1968 and 1968-2006 respectively.  A special Sesquicentennial 20-page edition of the Setonian (2/2006) included the following articles: “First Woman Dean”, “First Female Students”, “Publications at the Hall”, “Board of Regents”, “The Pub”, “Cool Bands”, “Mother Seton/Bayley Family”, “Olympic Athletes”, “The [School] Seal”, “Basketball”, “History of Greek Life”, “Buildings on Campus”, “WSOU Pirate Radio”, “South Orange & Seton Hall”, “Mother Seton Story”, “History of the Seminary”, “Our Mission”, “University Presidents” and “Trivia Contest” were each aided in large measure by resources obtained via the Archives & Special Collections Center via the Director.  [* See Sesquicentennial and Director’s Report section for more details on articles written by the Director which covers sports history in relation to Seton Hall College between 1856-1932]

·         Seminary History.  Another commemorative book related to Seton Hall will be written by Msgr. Robert Wister, Chair of the School of Theology who is writing a history of the Immaculate Conception Seminary over the next few years.  He has started with a survey of resources related to the subject and reviewing copies of source notes and annotations from the previously published history of the institution by the late Rev. Henry Beck.  Also aided immeasurably in the organization of the Immaculate Conception Seminary Collection of materials transferred from this school to the Archives & Special Collections Center.

·         Student Yearbook.  Assisted Ms. Rosario Reyes, Student Affairs Office and production company – Jostens on production work for the latest edition of the Galleon (Student Yearbook) which will encompass the years 2002-2006 in one volume.  Historic images, Class of 2002 photographs and help with text and captions was also provided for review by the editor.

·         Campus Beautification.  Various requests for photographic and design ideas were received and acted upon over the past year.  Included was a project where dozens of pictorial images from 1856-2005 (mainly architectural scenes) were provided to the Office of Advancement and a number chosen for reproduction and blown-up on poster boards with accompanying captions.  These photographs with a credit to the Archives & Special Collections Center are now on display in the receiving room of Bayley Hall, for view by potential students and other incoming visitors to campus as of March, 2006. Between September, 2005 and April, 2006, four different images (ranging from the 1916 graduating class to a 1980s cartoon depiction of campus) were copied and placed in the hallway leading into the Campus Bookstore.  Dr. Karen Boroff, Dean of the Stillman School of Business requested over two dozen photographs related to the development of this academic department between 1951-2005 including the building, personnel and each of the past Deans as well for placement in the Conference Room utilized by this group.  Helped with images later reproduced and mounted on foam board for display during University Day of 2006.  Worked with Mr. Kevin Lockwood, Building Manager for the Bishop Dougherty Student Center between November, 2005 and March, 2006 on historical themes to be included on a large banner to be created and unveiled in the main glass enclosed stairwell facing the campus green.  
 

·         External Publications - Completed. Professional and academic researchers avail themselves of our resources on a regular basis.  Among those who have utilized our collections for their respective book projects include a biographical work on the life of Motown singer Tammie Turrell entitled: My Sister Tommie by Ludie Montgomery and Vickie Wright (New Romney, England: Bank House Books, 2005) which includes acknowledgments and quotes by the Director in the text.  Acknowledgments for Dr. Dodds and the Director included in Dr. Christopher Sharrett’s book: The Rifleman. (Wayne, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2005) about former actor and Seton Hall student Chuck Connors. 
 

·         External Publications - Pending. Additional assistance was provided in forthcoming volumes including information on the work and research on the Lenape Indians by Dr. Herbert Kraft, deceased archaeologist and former Seton Hall faculty member.  Special research was also conducted to determine if musical groups Buffalo Springfield and/or the Beach Boys played at Seton Hall in 1967 for inclusion in a book about Neil Young being published through Indiana University.  Athletic projects were also handled, and included background notes on a book about Catholic Diocesan boxing programs, student information on Joe Peplowski, student of the 1910s for a book on local New Hampshire sports figures and former 1940s basketball stars Bob Davies and Bobby Wanzer for a history of the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League/NBA.  Another request came in regard to a fact-check on basketball player - Anthony Davis, who allegedly played for Seton Hall during the 1953-54 season for the San Francisco Chronicle. 

·         Anniversary & Commemorative Events.  Many different departments and offices on campus utilize the Archives & Special Collections Center for various specialized projects.  Included among those facilitated over the past year include: 1880s woodcut image for the annual Seton Hall University Christmas Card; scanned images and documents (25 different) related to China and the exchange program with the institution from the early 1980s for presentation to Chinese Educational Officials; calculation of total graduates from Seton Hall between 1856-2004 for University Day speech; photographs of Msgr. Robert Sheeran, University President for his anniversary celebration with the school; over one hundred photographic images for Nursing School Anniversary Gala; scans of photographs and related information for Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and various information forwarded to Mr. Greg Tobin, Assistant to the University President for speech and press release insertion on such topics as former basketball coaches; former University Presidents – Msgr. James Kelley and Msgr. John McNulty and when the actual first day of classes for Seton Hall College occurred in 1856.  Ideas offered in relation to the Annual Alumni Reunion (6/2006) and helped Director of Institutional Research, Ms. Connie Beale with historical information to ultimately be inserted in the 2006-2007 Seton Hall University Fact Book.

·         Other Projects.  Counted among the wide-ranging research initiatives handled through our office over the past year include: background information on the 1988-89 Men’s Basketball team for a halftime segment on the ESPN Classic Network telecast of the Seton Hall v. North Carolina State contest (1/2006) in conjunction with the Office of Sports Information; materials and photographic images of Sister Rose Thering for University Advancement, Thering Endowment Office and Jewish Metro-West of Whippany, New Jersey memorial projects; general background history on the ROTC program and details on women involved with the military at Seton Hall.  Assistance was also offered to Sister Regina Bechtle, SC, editor of Volume III in the Mother Seton Papers series who viewed family letters and verified that our collection holds an actual letter written by University Patroness, the first American-born Saint in history.  Offer of political button information and examples for a project sponsored by Dr. Marc Mappen, Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission. 

·         Publications – Books. Helped with information on background related to Mme. Chegary, who owned land in Madison, NJ later sold to Seton Hall College in the 1850s where the first campus resided and information on Catholicism in Morris County was provided for the book - St. Vincent Martyr: 200 Years of Faith. (Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, 2005) by Michael Riccards.  Assistance with early stages of research on a book focusing upon Michael Corrigan former Bishop of Newark and 19^th century Church politics by Rev. Kevin McKenna of Rochester, New York along with another project on Catholicism in the Ironbound District of Newark, New Jersey by Mr. Edward Jardim, an independent scholar are being worked upon and relied heavily on materials from our collection for background. 

·         Publications – Other. Images of pages from the Book of Genesis found in pre-20^th century Bibles for a Catholic Advocate article (1/25/2006) entitled: “Intelligent Design opens dialogue on the intersection of science, faith” written by Rev. Lawrence Frizzell, faculty member at Seton Hall.  Files on Catholic Women’s Higher Education for Dr. Fernanda Perrone, Archivist at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey were provided and research utilized in the completion of an article on this subject to be published in a forthcoming edition of the journal American Catholic Studies along with other potential articles and a soon to be completed full-length work.  Copy made of the Bishop James Bayley Collection Finding Aid was also provided for a researcher at Ava Maria College in Florida for a potential publication on the life and writings of the first Bishop of Newark.

·         Other Projects. Helped with a survey and observations on the work of religious archivists and their respective operations for the thesis of graduate student Ms. Kathy Mannino of CW Post/Long Island University.  Assisted Mr. T.J. Simmons of the Archdiocese of Newark Chancery Office with various parishes to be included in the annual historic parishes tour and with an exhibit of 1930s-1940s Catholic architectural and objects art which will be on display during the Fall, 2006 semester in the Walsh Library Gallery.

The MacManus Irish Collection and activities related to the history, culture, religion, literature and other aspects of Ireland are an important part of our research base.  This area of exploration is particularly popular among students, faculty and the general public alike.  Counted among the most substantial research projects that fall within this category include…

·         Irish-Related Projects. Copies of early 20^th century Irish Republican Army military broadsides and manuals for Dr. Christine Kinealy of Drew University and Ms. Carol Russell, professional writers and teachers of Irish history.  Student projects assigned by Dr. Dermot Quinn, Professor of History for his Irish History courses resulted in a number of different topics which included: Irish & American Revolution, St. Patrick, Fenian Movement and other which included a large measure of assistance from Dr. Dodds.  A thesis project by Ms. Sarah Kiefer, a student at William Patterson University on the history and symbolism of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Jersey was also undertaken in detail.  Photographic images were copied for an article on the Irish of New Jersey and later published in the pages of the Jersey Journal (3/2006) based in Jersey City.    

Otherwise, In terms of tangible assistance from the Archives & Special Collections Center found or implied in the acknowledgment sections of printed works/film credits show just a small part of our dedication to various educational initiatives.  Various publication and public service projects both pending and completed either had their start or finish here.  Patrons availed themselves of our material holdings in different ways.  Other examples include usage of the Bernard Shanley Collection and his diary of the 1952 Presidential Election for Dr. Michael Birkner of Gettysburg College who is working on a forthcoming book about Samuel Adams, an Ohio politician and his contemporaries Dwight Eisenhower and Robert Taft.  Another project involves research on George Shirley, the first African-American male to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House which is being worked upon by Ms. Pat Cioffi, a local writer from Montclair.  

Internet Homepage/Website - Director

This initiative was originally created by, and has been maintained by the Director of Archives & Special Collections since its inception.  Overall, the introduction of a totally reformatted homepage continues to be one of the most important advancements made to promote and offer more connected options between the research community and the Archives & Special Collections Center at large.  Launched during February of 2003, reception to this homepage has been positive and the site utilized extensively while various additions have been made at regular intervals.  With constant planning and updates made to this resource area we plan to offer a more extended research environment both on-site and off-site than ever before.  The unique part of this website is that a user does not have to scroll down to see each part of the screen interface and a majority of links are only one-to-three levels deep when entering the site in more detail.  Gratitude goes to Dr. Xueming Bao, Associate Professor/Librarian for his work in the technical aspects of website facilitation in line with our regularly submitted original content and edited/updated information as well.   

Like most comparable Internet pages, the front page area is broken down into three general sections which cover major topic areas dedicated to the collection holdings within the titles found as follows:  I. Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center (Introduction),  II. University Archives,  III. Seton Hall History Links,  IV. Office of Records Management,  V. Archdiocese of Newark Collection,  VI. Sacramental Records & Genealogy Resources,  VII. Catholic New Jersey History & Video Archive,  VIII. New Jersey Catholic Historical Records Commission,  IX. Rare Book & Print Collections,  X. Dissertations,  XI. Irish & Irish-American Life,  XII. Civil War & Military History,  XIII. G.K. Chesterton,  XIV. Affiliated Special Collections,  XV. Manuscript & Photographic Collections,  XVI. Artifacts, Ephemera & Related Collections.  On the bottom toolbar are sections devoted to more interactive content and contact options connected to our resources: XVII. Hours & User Policies,  XVIII. Staff & Contact Data,  XIX. News & Reports,  XX. How-To-Donate Materials,  XXI. Books for Sale,  XXII. FAQs & Guest Book,  XXIII. Archival Links.  The third segment situated on the right side of the site features more broad-based web links which include: XXIV. Blessed Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton Resources,  XXV. South Orange (NJ) History,  XXVI. Religious Archival & Internet Resources.

Within the last year the following major sections have been added to this site: XIII. G.K. Chesterton.  This site includes links that show one of our newest specialized book collections content list along with a link to the G.K. Chesterton Institute (located at Seton Hall University) Homepage.  XIV. Affiliated Special Collections, XV. Manuscript & Photographic Collections, XVI. Artifacts, Ephemera & Related Collections (this site includes general descriptions of the D’Argenio Coin & Antiquities Collection, Jaremczuk/Fanelli Sheet Music Collection and Kraft Print & Related Materials Collection) and XXI. Books for Sale section.  Additions and various edits have also been made to existing sections including a full-color graphic of the Setonian school newspaper from 1930 in honor of the Setonia Sesquicentennial.  The special page on South Orange History Resources in Walsh Library (10/2005) and welcome page to Irish & Irish-American Life resources (4-6/2006) has also been updated over the past year. 

The format of this homepage is a success if the site counter is any indication.  There have been approximately 2360+ hits on this page between 7/2005-6/30/2005 and since its inception in February, 2003 there have been 6685+ hits overall.  Broken down, the following figures show approximate usage levels between 2/2003-6/2006…   

Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center (Introduction)………….......177  

University Archives………………………………………………………………………………..514
          (Classification Guide – 358,  Reading List – 577

Seton Hall History Links……………………………………………………………………….....819

Office of Records Management……………………………………………………….………...608

Archdiocese of Newark Collection……………………………………………………….……...739

Sacramental Records & Genealogy Resources……………………………………...……...1753
    Obtain Certificate – 314,
    Closed Parishes – 360,
    Introduction to Index – 392,
    Non-Microfilmed Church Index – 653,
    Cemeteries – 474) 

Catholic New Jersey History & Video Archive…………………………………….……………208
   (Catholic New Jersey History – 587)

New Jersey Catholic Historical Records Commission……………………...………………...523

Rare Book & Print Collections………………………………………………....………………..259
    (Catalog – 1140)

Dissertations……………………………………………………………………………………..184

Irish & Irish-American Life………………………………………..……………………………...497
     (MacManus – 1323) 

Civil War & Military History…………………………………..…………………………………..333
     (Catalog – 1135)

G.K. Chesterton……………………………………………………………………………..…….52

Affiliated Special Collections…………………………………………………………...………...13

Manuscript & Photographic Collections…………………………………………….………….702

Artifacts, Ephemera & Related Collections………………………………………..…………….52

Hours & User Policies……………………………………………………………….…………...453

Staff & Contact Data…………………………………………………………………….……….715

News & Reports………………………………………………………………………….……….504

How-To-Donate Materials……………………………………………………………….....…….187

Books for Sale………………………………………………………………………………….…...7

FAQs & Guest Book………………………………………………………………………....…..222

Archival Links……………………………………………………………………………….....….538

Blessed Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton Resources……………………………………..……….329

South Orange (NJ) History…………………………………………………………...………….156
     (South Orange Books – 70)

Religious Archival & Internet Resources……………………………………………..…………383

    Other Searches handled by Kate Dodds for which fees were collected

     Letters sent in response to Sacramental Requests

     Letters sent in response to Genealogy Inquiries

       Notification letters sent

      Genealogy Researcher Appointments