Thompson Library Gallery
1858 Neil Ave.
Columbus, OH  43210

Opening Reception
Wednesday, May 9
5:30 p.m.
Thompson Library Gallery

Ohio is known as the “Mother of Presidents,” having been the home of eight chief executives.  One– Rutherford B. Hayes–had a special relationship with The Ohio State University.  As Governor, he urged the Ohio Legislature to found a new land-grant college funded by land sales under provisions of the federal Morrill Act of 1862.  The Cannon Act, creating the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, passed both houses in 1870.  Governor Hayes nominated the first trustees, one from each Ohio congressional district.  These trustees chose Columbus as the site for the college with a strong endorsement by the Governor.

This exhibit explores Rutherford B. Hayes’ life, from his birth to his death in Fremont at age 70, as told in captions to photographs, paintings, diplomas, letters, documents, clothing, and artifacts displayed on the walls and in cases.  It also illustrates his involvement with The Ohio State University.  The exhibit highlights the periods of Hayes’ life–childhood/education, lawyer, marriage/children, Civil War officer, Congressman, Governor, President, and retired statesman.

A small portion of the exhibit illustrates the creation and evolution of the nation’s first presidential library and museum at Spiegel Grove from its founding in 1916 to the present day with vintage and current photographs of the home, museum, library, grounds, tomb, and White House gates.

“Rutherford B. Hayes: Buckeye President” provides The Ohio State University community a greater appreciation for the contributions of the 19th president to his state, his nation, and Ohio State.

An exhibition of The Ohio State University’s Rare Books & Manuscripts and The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.

The exhibit includes the diary of Mr. James Dunn, a Columbus native who served onboard the USS Mason. The Mason was one of two US Navy ships with largely African-American crews in World War II.

The display also includes literary works selected from the library’s Charvat Collection, from some of the Harlem Renaissance’s best known writers: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, and Claude McKay.

The exhibit pays tribute to Ruby Elzy.  Ms. Elzy was an Ohio State alumna and trailblazing soprano of the 1930s. She headlined at the Apollo and performed for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House. George Gershwin handpicked Ms. Elzy to create the role of Serena in Porgy and Bess.

For more information, contact Jose O. Diaz, Ph.D., Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee,  Diaz.6@osu.edu,(614)-688-4649

Program
Gallery Talk
Thursday, February 16
4-5 p.m

The Ohio State University Libraries highlights John Glenn’s journey into outer space with a free exhibit, “Friendship 7 at 50: An Anniversary Celebration of John Glenn’s Historic Space Flight,” on display at the Thompson Memorial Library. In addition to the exhibit, the OSU Libraries will offer a free program on Glenn’s historic flight on Thursday, February 16, from 4-5 p.m., in the Thompson Library.

Using manuscripts, photographs and artifacts from the John Glenn Collection, the exhibit details Glenn’s selection and training as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, his Friendship 7 space mission, and the public acclaim following his return to Earth.  The exhibit includes several items pertaining to the historic flight, including the hand controller Glenn used to maneuver the capsule; a fragment of the booster rocket recovered in South Africa; a section of the umbilical cable that connected the rocket to the launch tower; a piece of the Friendship 7’s heat shield, and a flight suit Glenn wore at the conclusion of the mission.

The exhibit also includes a circular “orbit computer” slide rule, letters Glenn wrote to his family during his training, and photographs of his experiences before and after the mission.

Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962, in a mission that lasted just under five hours. Taking place during the height of the Cold War, NASA’s first orbital flight gained the United States parity in the space race with the Soviet Union. The mission propelled John Glenn into the national spotlight as an American hero and helped shape his later career in public service as a four-term United States Senator.

The exhibition is from the collection of the Ohio Congressional Archives.  Established in 2004, the Ohio Congressional Archives is a collaborative effort of The Ohio State University Libraries and the John Glenn School of Public Affairs.  Its mission is to collect, preserve, and provide public access to collections of private papers and related materials compiled by or pertaining to members of the Ohio delegation to the United States Congress.

For more information, contact  Jeff Thomas at  thomas.1082@osu.edu

This is a showcase of Shakespeare-related holdings from the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute and the Rare Books and Manuscripts collections. It also features materials from The Ohio State University’s partnership with the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company and their “STAND UP FOR SHAKESPEARE” program. Presented by The Ohio State University Libraries, in association with The Arts Initiative (https://shakespeare.osu.edu/year-shakespeare).

For more information, contact:  Beth Kattelman, Curator; Geoffrey Wilson, Assistant to the Curator.