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University Film Collection
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center [Contact Us]3401 Market Street, Suite 210, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
In 1919 Edward Bushnell was appointed publicity agent for the University of Pennsylvania. In 1925 he was joined by Henry L. Herbert, who assumed the position of Manager of the Bureau of Publicity. Herbert served as manager until 1947 when the office underwent administrative restructuring and the Department of Public Relations absorbed the Bureau of Publicity. Herbert's title changed to Manager of General Publicity. When the Bureau was re-named the News Bureau in 1950, Herbert was appointed as its director. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1962.
Coinciding with Herbert's tenure was that of Florence Bell. She started as a secretary in the Bureau of Publicity and later as Office Manager of the News Bureau. Her principal duty was creating and maintaining the history files, which served as a point of reference for the entire department. These files included draft and final news releases, internal memoranda contributing to the news releases, newspaper clippings (many of which were provided by Burrell's Clipping Service), biographical materials, subject-specific material, and photographs.
In 1954 the Department of Public Relations expanded its work to include two new units, Motion Picture Services and the Office of Radio and Television. From 1954 to 1975, Donald T. Sheehan served as the Director of the Department of Public Relations. During his tenure, Margaret E. (Betty) Gamble assumed responsibility for the administration of the history files In 1975 Sheehan was appointed the Secretary of the University, but his new duties incorporated administrative oversight of the department. After his retirement in 1976, Jack H. Hamilton, the new Assistant Vice-President and Director of Communications, took charge of the News Bureau, Radio-TV Office, Motion Picture Services, and Almanac. Hamilton reported to the newly appointed Secretary, John C. Hunt.
For a brief time, things continued as before. In February of 1978, however, President Martin Meyerson's chief of staff, D. Bruce Johnstone, announced "a unique opportunity to integrate the University's communications services into a single comprehensive unit." Units under Hamilton's charge were combined with those of the Department of Publications Office and renamed the Department of Communications Services. Curtis L. Barnes, Jr., Director of Publications since 1973, was named Director of the merged department. Barnes, charged with streamlining the operation in keeping with the cost-conscious demands of the central administration of the University, conducted broad administrative changes. Within two years Barnes phased out the Motion Picture Service and the Radio-TV Office.
Among the changes initiated by Barnes was the appointment of Edward J. McFall as the director of the News Bureau in 1979. Under McFall's leadership, the department developed the "News Digest," a monthly review of the University in the news. The role of the "News Digest" gradually eclipsed that of the reference files. Maintenance of the reference files continued for a while, but space problems, which were magnified by frequent office relocations, and the advancing state of technology, ultimately led to an ebbing of contributions to these files.
In 1984 the University reorganized the Department of Communications Services, renaming it the Department of University Relations. Ann Duffield, Deputy Director of Communications and former Director of Publications, was appointed as its Director; Ed McFall, former Director of the News Bureau was appointed Associate Director; and Virgil N. Renzulli, Jr., McFall's successor, was appointed Associate Director for the News Bureau. The new, and present, department of University Relations, oversees the News Bureau (renamed News and Public Affairs in 1990) and the campus newspaper Compass.
This collection of film, 1915-1920, 1940-2002, n.d. (71 cubic ft. and 53 oversize containers) documents University life, traditions, and activities during a period of change and growth.
The bulk of the films in the General series were made for the purposes of public relations. Most of these films celebrate anniversaries and focus on all aspects of the University. Included in this first series is a group of films that snapshot the University. Not only are the academic and research strengths of the University discussed, but researchers interested in some earlier traditions will find these films valuable.
There is a sizable group of films in the General series that shows the growth of the University. One could get a sense of the physical make-up of the campus in this series, but to get a true perspective of the vastly changing campus, one should turn to the Campus/Buildings series. This series gives both general and specific looks at the campus from construction to dedication to the occupation of a building.
Pennsylvania has attracted many prominent individuals. This collection contains film footage for visits by: Marian Anderson, U.S. Senator Joseph S. Clark, President Gerald R. Ford, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy, Princess Grace Kelley, U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Lord Mountbatten to name a few.
The remaining series give a researcher an understanding of the University through the people connected with it. The core of University life with all its traditions is best seen by looking at the film footage connected with the Administration/Faculty, the Student Organizations/Activities, the "Alumni/Parents, and the Schools/Departments series. Researchers might expect to find documentation of the tumultuous late 1960's and early 1970's. Although there is a significant amount of coverage for these periods, there is no coverage of any political activism aside from a Press Conference held after a sit-in protesting the schools involvement with Dow Chemical. Instead, a researcher will find images of a campus with many traditions.
The final series, Schools/Departments, is particularly strong in the areas of engineering, medicine (including dental and veterinary medicine), business, and finance. For those interested in humanities, there is material on art and on the University Museum; there is very little for the School of Arts and Sciences.
Ultimately, both the strength and the weakness of the collection lies in the generalized coverage these films provide. On the one hand, the researcher may get a good picture of the University's academic and social traditions. But on the other hand, there is little to help a researcher focus deeply on any topic specifically
This collection is arranged in seven major, topical series. They include: General, Campus/Buildings, Individuals, Administration/Faculty, Student Organizations/University Activities, Alumni/Parents, and Schools/Departments.
The majority of the film in this artificial collection comes from the now defunct Motion Picture Services division of the News Bureau. Yet other offices on campus, such as Wharton Public Relations Office, have contributed to the collection. The Motion Picture Services division began documenting University life in 1954 and was phased out of operation sometime around 1980. The collection was transferred to the Archives in partial shipments each year beginning in 1974 with at least one, but most often several, shipments per year during each subsequent year to 1980. Accretions to the collection have been sporadic with transfers most recently in 1990 and 1994.
Organization
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Theresa R. Snyder
- Finding Aid Date
- February 1990, October 2002