Browse Exhibits (54 total)
Inquiry as Activism: Social Research & Achievement in the National Urban League
In the year 1910, a collective group of racial reformers founded the National Urban League in New York City. Its mission today seeks to advance “economic empowerment, equality, and social justice” for African Americans and other underserved groups. Through research on the disparities of common welfares for African Americans, the National Urban League uses their findings to assist and counsel in the areas of housing, education, job placement, and employment discrimination. The League has generated millions of dollars in funding that has supported educational scholarships, informational programs, and employment networks. They are known for assisting in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the planning of the 1963 March on Washington. Today, the organization comprises 90 Urban League affiliate offices in the states that act as a liaison between the national office and local communities. This relationship helps to ensure the closing of equality gaps that exist in underserved communities, and growth in economic empowerment, educational health, civic engagement, and social welfare.
This is an online version of a physical exhibit that was on display in Kenneth Spencer Research Library from March 2019 through April of 2022. The exhibit was created by Tyler Allen, Student Assistant with the African American Experience Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
February Sisters
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the expansion of the women’s rights movement at the University of Kansas. For years women on campus had been working towards a more equal standing on campus.
Spurred by a lack of action on the Unversity's part to establish an Affirmative Action Program, a group of women calling themselves the February Sisters organized the occupation of the East Asian Studies building on campus to bring attention to the problems women faced on campus. Twenty women and four of their children occupied the building at 1332 Louisiana on February 4th, 1972. The February Sisters fought to bring about an Affirmative Action program planned and directed by women, a campus daycare center financed by the University, the hiring of more women in upper level administrative and faculty positions, an end to unfair employment practices (including the large wage discrepancies between women and male employees), a Women’s Studies department, and a women’s health program.
After achieving some success in a meeting with University Senate Executive Committee the night of the occupation, the following years on campus saw the majority of the February Sisters’ demands realized. The peacefully and successfully protested gender inequality on KU campus. The protest united generations and feminist groups, bringing students and staff together to force institutional change at KU.
This exhibit highlights original documents, photographs, and memorabilia that tell the story of the women’s right movement at the University.
It was created by Molly Herring, Associate Archivist, University Archives, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
Mary Huntoon: Artist & Art Therapist
This exhibit is part of Conserving Campus Collections: A Collaborative Model, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a partnership between The University of Kansas Libraries and the Spencer Museum of Art to bring together the two institutions around common objectives that advance KU priorities.
Mary Huntoon (1896-1970), a Kansas-born artist and early pioneer of art therapy, is well represented in the collections of the Spencer Museum of Art and the Spencer Research Library, totaling over 400 works on paper such as prints, drawings, and paintings, in addition to her personal papers. Mary Huntoon: Artist and Art Therapist, focuses on three themes: Huntoon’s contributions to the development of the field of art therapy; her artistic career; and an inside look at the conservation examinations and treatments completed for the collection. We would like to thank the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for enabling this collaboration.
Unless otherwise indicated, all art on display was created by Mary Huntoon, born Topeka, Kansas, 1896; died Hoyt, Kansas, 1970.
“Art is a graphic expression of an experience. The artist is showing what he saw, what he feels and sometimes what he thinks but cannot put into words.” - Mary Huntoon
Gold Medal Club 1971
Congratulations to the Class of 1971 from each of us at the University of Kansas Libraries. To honor the golden anniversary of your graduation, KU Libraries present this digital exhibition of memorabilia from your time on the KU campus. With a variety of photographs and digitized materials from the University Archives, we hope you will be transported back in time to remember your years on the Hill.
The tabs at the top of this page will guide you through memories of student life, homecoming, commencement, and the political unrest and activism that was so impactful for our campus.
This is an online exhibit from spring 2021. The exhibit was created by Molly Herring, Associate Archivist, University Archives, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
Women's Suffrage: The Lighter Side
When we talk about the history of the women’s suffrage movement, the narrative is often quite serious in terms of focus and tone. We read the rhetoric and arguments for and against suffrage; we learn about the struggles faced – mockery, ostracism, even imprisonment. But in the midst of all this seriousness existed publications and ephemera full of sass, humor, and wit!
Featured here is a selection of items from our collections that show the lighter side of the women’s suffrage movement. Published several years before the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, these items include satirical essays and poems, popular song parodies, and nursery rhyme re-imaginings.
This is an online exhibit from Fall 2020. The exhibit was created by Emily Beran, Public Services, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
Gold Medal Club 1970
Congratulations to the Class of 1970 from each of us at the University of Kansas Libraries. In your honor, enjoy a digital exhibition of memorabilia from your time on the KU campus. With a variety of photographs and digitized materials from the University Archives, located in Kenneth Spencer Research Library, we hope you will be transported back in time to remember your years on the Hill.
This is an online exhibit from Spring 2020. The exhibit was created by Molly Herring, Associate Archivist, University Archivies, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
The 1918 Influenza Epidemic at KU
The current outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID 19) has caused the University of Kansas to modify its operations by severely limiting who is on campus, and moving all course instruction online. This is not the first time that University leaders had to make difficult decisions in the interest of public health. In the fall of 1918, the University administration declared a quarantine for all students and cancelled all activities, including all instruction, as a flu epidemic swept through the city.
This is an online and expanded version of a physical exhibit that was on display in Kenneth Spencer Research Library in the fall of 2018, the 100th anniversary of the 1918 flu epidemic. The exhibit was created by Kathy Lafferty, Public Services, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.