Rod Library Digital Collections-UNI Historical Collections Index

UNI Historical Collections

	Fifty Years at the Teachers College This book, subtitled "Historical & Personal Reminiscences," was written by David Sands Wright in 1926. Wright taught the first class on opening day of the Iowa State Normal School on September 6, 1876. He was a professor in the Department of Mathematics and the current Wright Hall bears his name. The book contains many photos, including the first faculty and first graduating class.
	Jazz Band One The School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa is recognized as one of the finest college music programs in the Midwest . Offering programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the School of Music offers many ensemble performance opportunities for students including marching and symphonic bands, numerous choral ensembles, orchestra, and jazz ensembles. The jazz studies program has been recognized at the national and international level for the quality of its graduates and for the many outstanding performances and recordings of the jazz band. This audio collection showcases the artistry of the UNI jazz band in recordings made in the 1980's, 1990's, and today.
	Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra The Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra has been entertaining Cedar Valley residents for many decades. This collection of recordings demonstrates the beauty and technique of the music students in the School of Music at UNI.
	Panther Athletics From the gridiron to the hardwood, athletics have long been an integral part of life at UNI. This collection focuses on individual UNI men's and women's sports programs and features a variety of photographs from throughout the years. See Rod Library Special Collections and University Archives for more historical information on Panther Athletics.
	Price Lab School Laboratory schools are unique and began as a concept in experimental education around the turn of the twentieth century. John Dewey, a philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer, started the first laboratory school in conjunction with the University of Chicago. Lab schools can include various grade levels, but all have a connection to a college or university. UNI's lab school experience also began in the late 1800s with the model school idea. For more information about Price Laboratory School, see the essay at the Rod Library's Special Collections and University Archives unit.
	Rod Library Millionth Volume It was a celebration X 3 on October 1, 2004! A good portion of the fourth floor of the Rod Library was transformed for an event to celebrate: 1) the acquisition of the millionth volume, 2) the 40th anniversary of the completion of the first phase of construction of the Rod Library, 3) and to honor Donald O. Rod, the library's namesake and director from 1953-1986, who passed away in 2003. For more information about the library's millionth volume, please see the essay at the Rod Library's Special Collections & Archives unit.
	Sinfonian Dimensions in Jazz The Beta Nu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national music fraternity, began sponsoring an annual jazz concert at UNI in February 1951. The first show consisted of several musicians gathered in the student union, called the Commons, and jamming. By 1953, the show, called "Dimensions in Jazz", had gained such popularity that two shows were scheduled. Performing at the concerts were jazz band ensembles and choruses. The clips of music in this collection are from recordings made of number of those lively concerts.
	Specifications for the Erection of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home Central Hall was built in 1869 as one of Iowa's Soldiers' Orphans' Homes to house children orphaned by the Civil War. These handwritten plans, bound with the original cloth cover, detail the building specifications used for its construction.
	UNI Campanile View photos of the Campanile, its presence on the UNI campus, the chime masters and chimers, the bells, and the clock. The range is through its lifespan (beginning in 1926) and through all seasons. The photos included here are a sample from the Special Collections unit in the Rod Library. The number one photo request in Special Collections is Campanile photos. For more information about the UNI Campanile, see the essay at Rod Library's Special Collections and University Archives unit.
	UNI Yearbook University of Northern Iowa's yearbooks have had several titles over the years. The first yearbook in 1905 was named the "Normal Eyte," followed by the 1906 "Pedagog." The yearbook then became the "Old Gold" and kept that title from 1907 until 1969. From 1969 to 1972, the yearbook changed to the "UNI Quarterly," when publication of the yearbook was suspended. The "Old Gold" resumed in 1979 until the last one published in 1997.
	WAVES On Campus During World War II, the Iowa State Teachers' College provided housing, facilities, and training for units of the U.S. Navy and the Army Air Corps. After the 1942 Fall term, the women in Bartlett Hall moved to the newly-completed Lawther Hall to make room for 1,000 WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). The WAVES remained on campus until May 1945. For more information about the WAVES at UNI, see the Bartlett Hall essay at the Rod Library's Special Collections and University Archives unit.