Archives & Special Collections

The Staubitz Archives are open to researchers. Please email help@xfmlsp.com to set a time and date for your research and a general idea of your topic so your visit can be as productive as possible. Please review the policies and how to use archives pages on our site prior to your visit.

Administrative Records

Administrative records provide information about how Carthage operates. Records from major offices include the Office of the President, Provost’s Office, Office of the Registrar, etc. Some of these records may be restricted. Our collections also contain official publications produced by Carthage.

Academic Life

Academic life is documented through selected papers and theses that provide information about the changing nature of teaching and the curriculum at Carthage. Official catalogs document the content of the curriculum offered by Carthage. Faculty papers provide information about their research interests and course development. Records of departmental clubs document the extra-curricular academic activities of students.

Biographical Records

Biographical records provide information about alumni, faculty, and staff. These files often contain photographs as well as letters, newspaper clippings, and other biographical materials.

Student Life

Letters, journals, and scrapbooks provide a personal glimpse into the world of past Carthage students. Programs, photographs, and records of athletic, musical, dramatic, and arts events, as well as records of political and social groups on campus, are resources for learning about many of the extracurricular activities of Carthage students. Student Government records document student governance on campus. Yearbooks, newspapers, and other student publications highlight literary and artistic creativity as well as document student life at Carthage.

Buildings and Grounds

Photographs, architectural and landscape drawings, and other records assist researchers interested in documenting the growth of Carthage’s various campuses, the construction and demolition of buildings, and the activities that took place in these buildings.

Audio & Visual Media

Audio-visual materials are another way to explore the rich history of Carthage. There are photographs, slides, professional and amateur films, tape recordings, LP records, CDs, videotapes, and DVDs available in the Staubitz Archives.

The Staubitz Archives welcomes all individuals to use its materials, whether you are a part of the Carthage community or a member of the general public.

It is the responsibility of the user to assist in the preservation of archival materials. Appropriate care should be exercised to ensure that future generations of researchers have access to these materials. Visitors are therefore requested to observe the following guidelines:

• The Archives is non-circulating and all requested materials are brought to researchers by Archives staff. Materials must remain in the reading room.
• All archival materials must be handled carefully. Use only one folder at a time and keep the papers in their existing order. Use pencil only and do not write on anything except your own paper.
• Do not separate out materials for reproduction.
• If you wish to publish material from the Archives, please credit: [Document Name], [Collection Name], Staubitz Archives, Carthage College.

Staubitz Archives Reproduction Policy

This policy provides the parameters for reproducing items in the Staubitz Archives by means of photocopying, scanning, digital photography, or publication.

Photocopies

• Users may photocopy documents that are in good condition on the public photocopier. Archives staff should be consulted prior to photocopying any item to ensure that brittle or large items are not damaged.
• The staff reserves the right to refuse reproduction privileges based on the condition of the item or internal restrictions.
• Reproductions are to be used within the definition of “fair use” under copyright law of the United States and are provided for research and study use of the grantee only. Reproductions must not be duplicated or made available to any other person or institution without written permission from the Staubitz Archives.
• Reproduction of non-print media will be duplicated only if the request is in accordance with the above regulations. It is the duty of the requesting party to secure permission and/or rights from the copyright holder or department of origin.

Photographs and Scanning

• The Staubitz Archives will supply photographs for publication or personal use.
• Photographs will not be loaned out for use. All photograph copies are and remain the property of Carthage College.
• The copyright for a majority of the photographs in the Staubitz Archives is held by Carthage College. For the photographs which were not taken by employees of Carthage College, the copyright is held by the various studios or photographers. It is the responsibility of the requestor to verify copyright and gain permission for use on all photographs.
• Supplying a photocopy or photograph is not an authorization to publish. See below for our rights and permissions statement.
• The photograph credit line should read as follows: Photograph courtesy of the Staubitz Archives, Carthage College and/or “x” Collection, Staubitz Archives, Carthage College.

The Staubitz Archives staff appreciates donations of unique materials. If you have items that would help to document the life of the College, we encourage you to take the following steps:

• Contact the Archives. The Archives staff works closely with donors to identify those materials that should be preserved. Please contact the Archives to discuss your materials’ eligibility. Due to staff and space limitations, the Archives cannot accept every donation.
• Send your materials to the Archives. After working with donors to identify materials appropriate for preservation, staff will advise donors on transporting items to Staubitz Archives. The legal transfer of the materials from the donor to the Archives occurs when the donor reviews and signs a gift agreement formally making a gift of the collection to the Archives. Please refer to this Deed of Gift form when dropping off your donation to the archives.
• Student paper donations: Carthage students that want to donate papers to the Archives may submit this Student-Paper release form.

Rights and Permissions

Unless otherwise restricted by copyright or by the donor and agreed to by the Staubitz Archives at the time of acquisition, all literary rights are conveyed to the Staubitz Archives. Donations become the sole and irrevocable property of the Archives. All donor access and use restrictions will be specified in the donation agreement. The Archives can assume no responsibility for the abuse of literary or copyright restrictions by users of research materials.

The Archives reserves the right to reevaluate and reappraise historical material in its holdings and to deaccession them when appropriate. Deaccessioned collections and items weeded from collections during processing, due to duplication, irrelevance, limited use, or deterioration, will be offered to the original donor or agent if so requested at the time of donation. If the donor does not wish to reclaim the material or cannot be located, the Staubitz Archives reserves the right to offer the material to other repositories or discard the items.

In 2016, the College formed a group to take up the task of systematically acquiring and displaying art on campus. The group, Developing Art in the Library (DALI), was originally formed to cover the walls of Hedberg Library with art. The group has since expanded to include the Library and Archives, the Art Department, the Office of Marketing and Communications, and Advancement. The Carthage Art Collection Committee is dedicated to procuring, inventorying, preservation, and promotion of art on campus.

DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THE CARTHAGE ART COLLECTION COMMITTEE

• A comprehensive catalog of the visual art objects currently owned by the College
• A reasonable appraisal of the value of visual art objects currently owned by the College
• Appropriate insurance coverage
• A budget proposal for needed facilities for art preservation
• A budget proposal for art acquisition
• A proposal for creating “named display spaces”
• Proposals for special event art showings in conjunction with the Art Gallery and Art Department
• A written policy regarding visual art collection, preservation, and display, including
  • Definition of a governing body (committee) to make decisions
  • A donation acceptance and de-accessioning policy
  • Standards for cataloging all college-owned visual art objects
  • A plan for the appropriate preservation of Carthage’s visual art objects, including facilities
  • Policies for the acquisition of student art - past and present
  • Policies for temporary display of student art
  • Policies for temporary display of other art

Current projects include creating an accessible inventory for campus art, a future art walk, and ongoing art collection policies for campus.

Request the installation of Carthage-owned artwork

Please contact Carol Sabbar in the Hedberg Library for questions or suggestions.

Galleries and Displays

The College’s Archives collects, preserves, and distributes digital material. This repository is an important tool for preserving our College’s legacy and facilitating digital preservation and scholarly communication. An inventory of the visual art on campus is housed in the Archives. Click on the link below to look at the collections.
Carthage’s Visual Art Inventory (coming soon).

The official portrait of each Carthage President is displayed in the Hedberg Library. Please see below for information about each president. Visit the portraits in person on the southern staircase in Hedberg Library.

Francis Springer — 1847-1855

Born in 1810, Rev. Francis Springer preached and taught in Springfield, IL, before moving to Hillsboro, IL in 1847 to assume the presidency of Hillsboro College. He continued his leadership at Illinois State University after the move to Springfield, but resigned in 1855.

After his resignation, he served as school commissioner and superintendent of schools in Springfield before joining the 10th Illinois Cavalry as chaplain. Springer remained army chaplain in various capacities until the end of the war, when he resumed preaching in Illinois. Wittenberg College granted him an honorary D.D. in 1869. Rev. Springer died in 1892.

Simeon W. Harkey (Acting President) — 1855-1857

Simeon Walcher Harkey was born in Iredell County, North Carolina, on December 3, 1811. He graduated from Gettysburg Lutheran seminary in 1834, and in 1850 was elected as professor of Christian theology at Hillsboro College.

Harkey was influential in transferring the location of Hillsboro College from Hillsboro to Springfield, IL, where the name of the college became Illinois State University. After President Springer’s resignation in 1855, Harkey became acting president until William M. Reynolds took leadership in 1857. When Reynolds resigned in 1862, Harkey served as acting president again from 1862 to 1866.

Harkey also was president of the general synod of his church in 1857 and in 1865 he served as chaplain at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois. Wittenberg College gave him the degree of D. D. in 1852. Dr. Harkey died on March 1, 1889 in Knox County, Illinois.

William M. Reynolds — 1858-1862

Simeon W. Harkey (Acting President) — 1862-1966

Simeon Walcher Harkey was born in Iredell County, North Carolina, on December 3, 1811. He graduated from Gettysburg Lutheran seminary in 1834, and in 1850 was elected as professor of Christian theology at Hillsboro College.

Harkey was influential in transferring the location of Hillsboro College from Hillsboro to Springfield, IL, where the name of the college became Illinois State University. After President Springer’s resignation in 1855, Harkey became acting president until William M. Reynolds took leadership in 1857. When Reynolds resigned in 1862, Harkey served as acting president again from 1862 to 1866.

Harkey also was president of the general synod of his church in 1857 and in 1865 he served as chaplain at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois. Wittenberg College gave him the degree of D. D. in 1852. Dr. Harkey died on March 1, 1889 in Knox County, Illinois.

Benjamin Suesserott — 1866-1869

Milton Valentine — 1869-1873

David Loy Tressler — 1873-1880

Reverend David Loy Tressler was born in Loysville, February 15, 1839. He attended Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg and graduated in 1860 before enlisting in the Union Army as Captain of the 133 Pennsylvania Volunteers. In 1870, he entered ministry in Lena, Illinois, before becoming president of Carthage College in 1873. He died of Pneumonia in February 1880.

William Wiles (Temporary President) —  1880-1881

Rev. H. L. Wiles, D. D., was born in Frederick Co., Md., July 15th, 1840. At eighteen, he entered the Freshman class at Wittenberg College, and graduated at twenty-two with the second honors of his class, maintaining a very high degree of scholarship all through his course. He immediately entered the Theological Department from which he graduated in 1864. In the spring of 1864, he received and accepted a call to the Lucas pastorate, in Richland Co., Ohio. He was offered the presidency of Carthage after President Tressler’s death, but declined after initially accepting the post.

“Rev. H.L. Wiles has tendered his resignation to the Board of Commissioners. At the time of his election, in May last, the Board believed that immediate and prompt attention to the general and especially to the financial interest of the college were of paramount importance. But Dr. Wiles regarded himself bound by sacred ties to his congregation at Wooster, Ohio, which he thought he dare not severe [sic] at that time. At the extra session in October (1880) the Board so emphasized the necessity of his personal presence and services in the college and the churches of its territory that Dr. Wiles was virtually constricted to either resign his position and work at Wooster just before the consummation [of his Presidency] or [sever] his relations to Carthage College. He chose the latter (Wiles Correspondence, 1881).”

In the year 1876 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by the Faculty and Board of Wittenberg College. During the first year of his ministry he was married to Effie J. Routzahn of Springfield. Two sons were born to them.

L.F.M. Easterday (Acting President) —  1880-1881

L.F.M. Easterday was born in 1839. He graduated from Illinois State University and was a member of the faculty at Springfield before assuming the position of principal and instructor at the newly opened preparatory school in Carthage, IL. After two years, the preparatory school became Carthage College, and Easterday taught mathematics and astronomy at Carthage for many years before resigning in 1883 to take a post at the University of Nebraska. After the death of President Tressler, Easterday served as acting president until the appointment of J.A. Kunkelman.

L.F.M. Easterday married Abbie Hunsaker of Carthage, IL. He died in 1913.

J. A. Kunkelman — 1881-1883

Born in 1832, Rev. John Alleman Kunkelman, D. D., preached in Indianapolis and Pennsylvania. Due to failing health he resigned and moved to Nebraska. In 1881 he was called to the Presidency at Carthage College.

After his resignation he went back to his pastoral duties in Pennsylvania at the the Church of the Holy Trinity. Rev. John Alleman Kunkelman died in 1908.

J.A. Detweiler — 1883-1884

Following the resignation of Reverend Kunkelman, Detweiler was a member of the faculty that was elected to President after the faculty resigned en mass in 1883. The Faculty resigned again at the end of 1884.

E.F. Bartholomew — 1884-1888

Edward Fry Bartholomew, born in 1846, was a Pennsylvanian native who earned his B. A. degree from Pennsylvania College (later known as Gettysburg College) and his M. A. degree from the same college.

Bartholomew became the chair of the Natural and Physical Sciences at Carthage and soon became president in 1884 and stayed until he left in 1888. Even after leaving, though, he kept in close contact with the college. Bartholomew passed away in 1946.

Holmes Dysinger — 1888-1895

Holmes Dysinger, born in 1853, was a Pennsylvanian native who attended Pennsylvania College, receiving his A. B. in 1878 and later his M. A. in 1881. He married Ada Frances Ray in 1886 who bore him five children.

After graduating Dr. Dysinger spent time teaching across Pennsylvania until he took up presidency of Carthage in 1888.

John M. Ruthrauff — 1895-1900

Born in 1846, Ruthrauff was an Ohio native who thanks to his life on the farm, possessed a character that was admired throughout his life. His educational training included time at Greensburg Academy, Mount Union College, and Wittenberg College. After encouragement from Dr. Samuel Sprecher he enrolled and completed his theology studies and organized a mission congregation in Louisville, Kentucky.

After serving as president on the Rock River Assembly, which he organized and developed, and serving as a Trustee for Carthage he became president of the college in 1895 and served until 1900, leaving with reluctance.

Frederick L. Sigmund — 1900-1909

Frederick Lester Sigmund, DD. was the former pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Carthage, Illinois which already had close ties with the college. Sigmund worked extensively with Henry Denhart to found the endowment for Carthage, thus ensuring the long term survival of the school. He was also known for his fundraising and work to make the college more responsive to the needs of its students.

Harvey D. Hoover — 1909-1926

Harvey D. Hoover was born in 1881. HIs higher education began at Gettysburg College in 1895 and after two years he went to Susquehanna University to finish his undergraduate degree and graduating from the Theology department in 1902. He was elected president of Carthage College from 1909-1926. He then took a position at Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary teaching practical theology. He died in 1958.

N.J. Gould Wickey — 1926-1929

President Wickey grew up in Littlestown, Pennsylvania. He got his Bachelors of Divinity at Pennsylvania College in 1912 and his Master of Art from Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1915 before attending Harvard in 1916. He later became a traveling fellow to Oxford on behalf of Harvard in 1919-1920. Prior to becoming President of Carthage, he was a professor of Philosophy at Concordia College, in Moorhead, Minnesota and the pastor of a large church in Fargo, North Dakota. After leaving Carthage, he later settled in Eugene, Oregon as the pastor of Saint Mark’s Lutheran Church. Secretary of the Board of Education at the United Lutheran Church of America (1944). He was the executive director of the National Lutheran Council Education Conference.

Jacob Diehl — 1929-1933

Jacob Diehl graduated from Gettysburg 1903, and was the principal of Ferguson Township High School in Pennsylvania for a year before attending seminary where he graduated in 1907. After Seminary, he studied in Leipzig Germany for two years. He started at Carthage in 1915 as a Faculty member. Diehl became president of the College in 1929 and served as pastor for Trinity Lutheran at the same time.

Rudolph G. Schultz — 1935-1943

Rudolph Schultz, a World War I veteran, focused his tenure on increasing enrollment, getting the school out of debt after the great depression and increasing funding. He worked heavily to reach out to surrounding Lutheran Congregations by encouraging faculty and administrative personnel to speak at local services and meetings. This outreach eventually lead to greater ties to the Synod. In addition to this work, Schultz raised the academic standards of the college, making it more rigorous.

Erland Nelson — 1943-1949

Erland Nelson was the first non-pastoral president in history. He helped steer the college through declining enrollment during World War II. During the war, he worked to help Japanese American students attend Carthage while they were in internment camps. After the war, he helped expand the campus by adding additional dormitories for the returning GIs and a new dining hall to accommodate the influx of students. He also started counseling services on campus for students, expanded the music department and hired the first professional librarian while president.

Morris Wee — 1949-1951

Morris Wee graduated from St. Olaf, and Luther and then was a pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin before becoming President of Carthage College. Started the CHEY program Worked on refurbishing the campus. After his tenure at Carthage, Wee returned to ministry at First Lutheran Church in Duluth for 3 years before moving to Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for 10 years. Morris Wee retired in 1972 and died in 1995.

Ruth Wick (Acting President) — 1951-1952

Ruth Wick was the Vice-President of the college during the tenure of Morris Wee and was acting president after his resignation. She previously taught at the University of Wisconsin. Wick’s stint as Vice President was notable for two reasons. First, she was the first vice president of the college, and second, was more highly involved in the administration of the institution under Wee as he worked to secure funding for campus improvements.

Harold H. Lentz — 1952-1977

Rev. Harold H. Lentz served as president of Carthage from 1952 to 1976, leading the college during a period of transition. During his tenure as president, the college moved from Carthage, Ill., to Kenosha. Lentz authored The Miracle of Carthage, which chronicled the growth of the college from its inception in 1847 to 1974. His other scholarly works include A History of Wittenberg College: 1845-1945 and Reformation Crossroads. Lentz earned a bachelor’s degree in 1932 from Wittenberg University. He earned a bachelor of divinity degree from Hamma Divinity School, Columbus, Ohio in 1935; a master of arts degree from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, in 1939; and a doctorate with honors from Yale University, New Haven, Conn., in 1943. In May 1987 Carthage awarded an honorary doctor of humanities degree to Lentz for his dedication and leadership to the college. He also received honorary doctorates from Wittenberg University and Carroll College.

Following his ordination in the United Lutheran Church in America in 1935, he served nearly 15 years as associate pastor and as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Ashland, Ohio, before he became president of Carthage. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor.

Erno J. Dahl — 1977-1986

Erno Joyce Dahl was born on November 11, 1928 in Waco, Texas, United States and received his Bachelor’s degree at Luther College in 1952, his Bachelor of Theology degree at Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, in 1955. Doctor of Philosophy, Durham University, England, 1957. Prior to leading Carthage College, Dahl was a Professor theology at Texas Lutheran College, Seguin, before becoming dean in 1964. From 1968-1970, he was a dean at Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, 1968-1970, and was vice president academic affairs from 1970-1977. Mr. Dahl was President Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin, from 1977-1987.

Alan R. Anderson, Alan R. (Acting President) — 1986-1987

Born Sept. 30, 1921, in Rockford, Ill., Anderson graduated from Rockford High School in 1939 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1950 Anderson graduated from Carthage with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Anderson worked at Carthage for more than 35 years. In 1953 he became director of admissions and was later appointed administrative assistant to the president and vice president of development. Anderson was president of Carthage from 1986 to 1987. He received an honorary doctorate of laws from the college in 1988. In 2004 he was presented the Carthage Flame Award, the college’s highest honor. Mr. Anderson passed away September 28, 2008.

F. Gregory Campbell — 1987-2012

F. Gregory Campbell came to Carthage from the University of Chicago, where he had been special assistant to the president, secretary of the Board of Trustees, and senior lecturer. In addition to his 16 years in Chicago, Campbell held administrative and/or faculty positions at Yale University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a historian, he specialized in international relations and Central European history. He was awarded two Fulbright grants, a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and a Lewis-Farmington Fellowship at Yale. Dr. Campbell retired in 2012.

Campbell holds a B.A. from Baylor University, an M.A. from Emory University, and a Ph.D. from Yale University.

Gregory S. Woodward — 2012-2017

Gregory S. Woodward served as the 22nd president of Carthage College. He took office in August 2012 and left in June 2017 to assume the presidency at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University.. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and master’s degree from Ithaca College. Mr. Woodward was a fellow in higher education at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and a graduate of Harvard’s New President Institute. He previously served on the music faculty at Cornell and at Valparaiso University, and was an ongoing guest lecturer in the School of Music at Yale University.

During his presidency, Mr. Woodward worked to strengthen campus-wide engagement and collaboration, and foster a college culture that values collegiality and a spirit of hospitality toward others.

John R. Swallow — 2017-

President Swallow graduated from Sewanee in 1989 with honors in both mathematics and English literature. He went on to earn two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in mathematics, all from Yale University. Joining the faculty at Davidson (North Carolina) College in 1994, he taught there for 17 years — 10 of them in an interdisciplinary humanities program. President Swallow returned to his undergraduate alma mater in 2011. He was appointed Sewanee’s provost the next year and its executive vice president in 2014, holding responsibility for the institution’s strategic planning and execution, day-to-day operations, and operating budget.