MS 713 - Jesse & Florence Currier Collection
MLA Citation
Tags
| Title | MS 713 - Jesse & Florence Currier Collection |
|---|---|
| Subject | BGSU Centennial History |
| Introduction | The Jesse and Florence Currier Collection covers the years from 1906 to 1977, and mainly documents the careers of husband and wife. The collection includes such files as the personal and professional correspondence of the Curriers, samples of Jesse's writing, newspaper clippings, and several files on the Curriers' activities and awards they received. Jesse's scrapbook, a family photo album and loose photographs of family, friends, and activities at Bowling Green State University are also included, as well as various ephemeral materials. The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in August 1995 with the cooperation of Lois White of Bowling Green, Ohio. The literary and property rights of the collection have been dedicated to the public, and duplication is permitted for scholarly research purposes. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection. The register was prepared in April 1996 by Christie Batt, undergraduate intern in history. |
| Biographical Sketch | Jesse Jewett Currier, a Delaware, Ohio, native was born in Madison County on December 14, 1906. He graduated from Carroll High School in Carroll, Ohio, in 1925. Jesse received his bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1931 and his master's degree from Ohio State University in 1937. He worked as a feature writer for the Columbus Dispatch and served as a correspondent for several other Ohio newspapers from 1932-1937. Mr. Currier was also the director of adult education courses for the Delaware, Ohio, Public Schools from 1935 to 1937. By 1937, he was a journalism professor at Ohio State University. On December 21, 1936, Jesse married Florence K. Liebendorfer, who was born in Delaware, Ohio, in approximately 1909. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1931. Florence had taught English and journalism at Willis High School until she married Jesse. In 1940, Jesse became the first director of the journalism program at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and was instrumental in establishing the journalism major there in 1946. In addition to his directorship duties, he also taught journalism courses, served as publicity director, and supervised student publications at the University. Mr. Currier also wrote a book entitled "The Beginnings of Ohio Journalism" in 1942. He served as the executive secretary of the Northwestern Ohio Newspaper Association for a time later in life, and in February of 1967, the organization gave him an Outstanding Service Award. On May 20, 1966, the student journalists at Bowling Green State University honored Jesse for twenty-five years of service. He resigned as director of the journalism department in early 1967, but continued to teach until health considerations forced him to stop during the spring of 1969. Jesse Currier died on July 22, 1969. Prior to his death, Jesse donated money to the B.G.S.U. Foundation, and the first scholarships given in his honor were awarded in 1971. With a generous donation in 1973, Florence Currier permanently established the scholarship fund in her husband's memory. The B.G.S.U. division of the Kappa Tau Alpha journalism honor society also named itself the Jesse J. Currier Chapter in honor of the late journalism program director in 1971. Florence Currier began her career at Bowling Green State University in 1942. Mrs. Currier was a house mother for the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, and she and Jesse served as resident counselors there until 1947. Florence was instrumental in bringing additional national sororities to campus as well as establishing the Panhellenic Council. Mrs. Currier was appointed Dean of Women in 1949, a position which she held until her retirement in 1963. In addition to creating the first handbook for female students, Florence was credited with developing residence hall activities and establishing the counselor system for those halls. Mrs. Currier also founded the Association for Women Students, as well as establishing and serving as the advisor of Cap and Gown, a senior female honorary that evolved into the Mortar Board. To honor her upon her retirement in 1963, the University created the Florence Currier Award. Florence also received the Honorary Alumnus Award from the B.G.S.U. Alumni Association in 1975, becoming only the fourth person to receive the honor up to that point in the University's history. For a time after retirement, Mrs. Currier moved back to Delaware, Ohio, but eventually returned to Bowling Green. She died on August 18, 1995, in the Otterbein-Portage Valley Retirement Center in Pemberville, Ohio. |
| Scope and Content | The Jesse and Florence Currier Collection very adequately documents the professional careers of both husband and wife. The newspaper clippings provide a great deal of information about the professional lives of the Curriers. Although most of the articles relate to retirement or service awards, these materials do an excellent job of summarizing the activities and achievements of Jesse and Florence during their entire careers. The documents concerning Florence's Honorary Alumnus Award demonstrate the impact of her contributions at Bowling Green State University. The large collection of articles and research materials for the Columbus Dispatch "You Ought to Know About" series provide a sample of Jesse's work in journalism early in his career. Further representations of his work are provided by course work at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as an additional undated paper presentation and newspaper article. The collection also contains the professional and personal correspondence of Jesse and Florence Currier both as individuals and as a couple. With the exception of the letters between Jesse and Frank E. Pollard, which deal with the publishing of Jesse's thesis, these documents are very scattered, and for this reason, provide little significant insight into the work and leisure activities of the couple. A scrapbook that dates from 1906 to 1969 documents the life and activities of Jesse Currier from childhood to the end of his life through photographs and various ephemeral materials. However, the scrapbook contains little information for time period between the mid-1930s to the late 1950s. Jesse's diary from 1926 gives a brief glimpse into his activities as a student at Ohio Wesleyan University. The collection also contains a family photo album and loose photographs of the Curriers, relatives, friends, and University life. However, most of the photographs are unidentified. Jesse Currier's funeral book relates the names of family members and friends. A small file records Florence's activities with the Shakespeare Round Table. Her work to permanently establish a scholarship fund in her husband's name is also documented. The collection provides little other information on Florence's life outside of work. The collection is completed by various documents including several certificates and appointment books. |
| Series Description | CORRESPONDENCE PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE PROFESSIONAL CORRESPONDENCE CORRESPONDENCE FROM DR. JOSEPH A. DEL PORTO CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN JESSE CURRIER AND FRANK E. POLLARD CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE CURRIERS AND FRANK J. PROUT CORRESPONDENCE FROM WORLD WAR II SOLDIERS TO THE CURRIERS SUBJECT FILES MATERIAL RELATED TO THE HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD GIVEN TO FLORENCE CURRIER JESSE J. CURRIER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND MATERIALS SHAKESPEARE ROUND TABLE MATERIALS ARTICLES AND RESEARCH MATERIALS FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH "YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT SERIES" LITERARY PRODUCTIONS ARTICLES AND PAPERS WRITTEN BY JESSE CURRIER DIARY OF JESSE CURRIER ENGLISH 209 COURSE WORK BY JESSE CURRIER TERM INVESTIGATION; "A COMPARISON OF NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION AND CIRCULATION SCHEMES IN ENGLAND AND THE UNITED STATES" LEGAL DOCUMENTS JESSE CURRIER'S CONTRACT WITH BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS APPOINTMENT BOOKS OF JESSE AND FLORENCE CURRIER FUNERAL BOOK OF JESSE CURRIER NEWS CLIPPINGS OF THE CURRIERS SCRAPBOOK OF JESSE CURRIER PRINTED MATERIALS CERTIFICATES PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS PHOTO ALBUM |
| Inventory | Box 1 Folder
Box 2 Folder
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