FROM THE ARCHIVES: JJG Receives Significant Collection of Historical Artifacts ; In April of this year, Dr. Robert E. Sterling, professor emeritus "In 1969, I was asked to develop and teach a local history of history at JJC, donated hundreds of photographs, original course. As a young, non-tenured history instructor, how could college documents and historical ephemera to the college I say no? But really - local history? I quickly discovered that archives. The materials donated by Dr. Sterling serve as the very few resources were available for teaching such a class, most significant acquisition of historical documents to the except musty old histories of Will County written in 1878 and college archives to date. 1907. In an effort to record local history as well as to study it, my students began taping oral history interviews with The materials cover the college’s history from its beginnings elderly residents in the community. Many interviewees were in 1901 to the present day. Within the collection are original willing to share old photos and documents as well as their copies of the programs for the first and second commence¬ memories. I was hooked! For the next forty years, I avidly ment ceremonies at Joliet Township High School (where collected anything and everything related to the history of Joliet Junior College began), from 1900 and 1901; an intact the Joliet region, including JJC.” copy of the “First Report,” a publication that chronicles the planning, building, dedication and implementation of the high It was this dedication to his students, community and profes¬ school in downtown Joliet; the minutes for the first student sion, that led Sterling to build a collection that grew beyond government meeting at JJC in 1929, as well as, hundreds the first of local history classes he taught at JJC and eventu¬ of photographs showing the growth of JTHS and JJC over its ally led to the publication of seven pictorial histories of the 113 year existence. Joliet region, including a centennial history of JJC published in 2001. All of Dr. Sterling’s publications are available in the The collection, however, might never have existed if it were JJC Library, including the previously mentioned oral history not for Sterling’s course assignments in the early part of his interviews which are located in the college archives. career at JJC. Dr. Sterling recently recalled the collection’s Visitation and viewing of materials in the college archives unintentional beginnings: DEDICATION ■jjijljet CownsWP ...pffegww u 000 t>. TOcOncs&as, Bpttl 3tB, 2:30 »• September 25, 1929. Rev Duncan C. Milner invocation Tne first meeting of the student r ■*., Czibulka n UUSIC ^ » in room SM. ” *S “athe nominated and unn ■ ani SpBn6ler was d eleeted t.„o„rarv Cost of Grounds, Building and Equip ^ Mason “«S made, seeended and ? * ln”"- A motion ^ ’ ‘“d ■»*““> ‘*«t dobort Baled . editor of "rhe B1 „ ' 3 Suot J. Stanley Brown ,b8 •*■*««• ‘o the Counoil, * Sketch of School's History . Supt. J motion that an election for a Coi „ Missuh large b, held ■ ' Ch°‘m MUSIC-( a) Magnolia Serenade * Brhams (b) Hungarian Dance. No. those practice t , ' “ ^ of B.pt. 2S, .„a -■Urlr toaohors who .were not aM, , THAYER'S ORCHESTRA ** tata in tta lt ADDRESS-- The High' Sch°°' ' IkLlls." * motion that the oh«ir„,n b. . ' "“T - ^ oaggy about the alpo-t-- Gounod seconded, and carried, . „„tt music-fous, thayer;s orchestra '• Motion Was mnrio carried that the Council ad ■ ’ ** 11 adJ°nrn and meet the 7th period Vh ' Sept- 2?, F 10d* The meeting: -7-jR . s WJS adjourned. Helen 3ice Sec. Pr0, Tgnt is open to the public. To schedule a visit, please contact the JJC Library for available times. The Sterling Collection will continue to serve as an educational resource for students and the community at large. The primary documents in the collection are invaluable to anyone researching the history of Joliet Junior College and its relationship locally to the Joliet community, and nationally to the development of higher education in America. Looking for a safe, secure place to Currently, the documents are being organized and donate your JJC memorabilia? catalogued to begin the digitization process. Once that is complete, the materials will be available digitally within the Joliet Junior College Library The JJC Library Archives is always looking for ephemera from our page on the Internet Archive, much like the college college’s past. If you have materials you would like to donate, or yearbook collection and the Wordeater collection. have any questions about materials in the library archive, When Dr. Sterling delivered his collection to the JJC please contact; Archives, he commented that he hoped his dona¬ tion would encourage others to donate their college Joliet Junior College Library photos and documents. As the College Archives 1215 Houbolt Road continues to expand, it provides an important Joliet, IL 60431 glimpse into the history and development of ph: 815-280-2665 the college.