Rapids Historical Society
Volume 36, number 6!
March 2015
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Inside this issue: Cover Story: March program Letter from our President, page 2 Open Door, book review by Tom Dilley page 4 Searching for Doc Lavan, by Robert Schichtel, page 5 Happening in History, page 6 20th Century Retailing, book review by Chris Byron page 7 Photo Sleuth, page 7
Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society
Next Program: Who the Heck is Abner Doubleday: Baseball and the Civil War. Save the date: April 9, 2015, 7:00 p.m., at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
Op en D oor : Th e on e H u n d r ed Year H is t or y of Gr an d R ap i d s J u n i or College/ Com m u n i t y College by Walt Lockwood and Mike Klawitter Co sponsored by: Grand Rapids Community College Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Grand Rapids Historical Society
Thursday, March 12, 2015, 7:00 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Author Walter Lockwood and GRCC archivist Mike Klawitter will present highlights of the newly published book Open Door, a 100 year history of Grand Rapids Junior/ Community College. They will feature a sampling of the characters, the events, and the images that have made up the college’s surprisingly rich history. The first junior college in Michigan opened its doors in 1914, the inspiration of G.R. Central High Principal Jesse B. Davis. Grand Rapids Junior College would spend its first 11 years occupying the third floor of Central, with Davis serving as high school principal and first president of the college. With the blessing of the University of Michigan, and under the jurisdiction of the Grand Rapids Public Schools, GRJC enrolled 49 students who had to meet U of M admissions standards and navigate classes duplicating the first two years of the University’s Arts and Sciences program. From the beginning, Davis expected excellence from both faculty and students. Neither group disappointed him. From just after World War I to the mid 1950’s, President Arthur Andrews led the college with a passionate commitment to Davis’s tradition of excellence. Like Davis, Andrews was a progressive educator deeply involved in the junior college movement. He secured (in 1925) the college’s first building. Through the Depression and World War II, Andrews’ strong leadership would preserve the college’s existence when circumstances conspired to end it. The four chief executives who followed Andrews were deans instead of presidents. Andrews’ unilateral leadership style (in 35 years, he operated with three or Continued on page 3
Grand River Times!
1
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Dear GRHS Members,
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history of West Michigan; to discover its romance and tragedy, its heroes and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on to new generations through books, lectures, and education projects.
Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president Matthew Daley, vice president John Gelderloos, treasurer Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Thomas Dilley Tim Gleisner Marilyn Hamill Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Nan Schichtel Wilhelm Seeger Jeff Sytsma Jim Winslow Kurt Yost John Morrison, editor
Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Web site: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
2
There it is for all to see in every issue of the Grand River Times just to the left of the president's letter, the statement "the Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on through books, lectures, and education projects." Pretty clear, right. Well, not really. The society does not have a collection, nor means to store a collection, so we don't collect objects. We collect stories. We collect information and try our best to pass it along in written form, on social media or at programs. I believe it is because of that statement that, from time to time, we receive a package with Gina Bivins, objects inside. Most common are photographs of people that the GRHS President sender does not know. The photography studios all have Grand RapIds addresses, so the owner passes them our way. Two rather large photos we received appear to be a Rotary International event on a stage. The Wilding Film Mfg. Co. 329-331 Monroe Ave. Grand Rapids Michigan is stamped on the back. We were recently sent a room key for the Pantlind Hotel with only a form letter from the Post Office stating that the item was found in the mail in its present condition. It is a real, honest to goodness key, not a card you swipe. Is there a hotel out there who hands out a metal key anymore? Why would someone drop it in the mail after all these years? Because the tag clearly reads “The Pantlind Grand Rapids 2, Michigan Drop In Any Mail Box We Guarantee Postage.� Why the Post Office sent the key to the Historical Society is anyone's guess. Once in a while there is a book. This past month a copy of A Place to Call Home; One Family's Journey by Betsy Goolian arrived. It is the story of Armenian emigrants who came to Grand Rapids. One copy will be offered to the library. Grand Rapids Public Museum has a wonderful exhibit on the different ethnic groups that came to this city. The volunteer educators who give programs to school children will benefit from knowing a personal story so will be getting the other copy. The March program will be the history of Grand Rapids Community College. I was a student there in 1967 and '68 when it was called Junior College. I have great memories of my time there. The changes since then are remarkable. I look forward to hearing the whole history of this 100 year old institution.
About the Grand Rapids Historical Society. The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight programs each year, beginning in September and running through May, including lectures, audio/video presentations, demonstrations, collections, or special tours. Programs are co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Membership. Membership is open to all interested persons with annual dues of $30 per family, $20 for seniors and students, or $400 for a lifetime membership. The membership year runs from May to the following May. Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society receive eight newsletters each year and a subscription to our annual magazine, Grand River Valley History. Members also receive a 20 percent discount on books published by the society as well as books published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Change of Address. If you will be permanently or temporarily moving to a new address, please notify GRHS before your change occurs. Let us know your new address and the date you plan to leave and plan to return. Email to grhs.local@gmail.com, or mail to Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Continued from cover
fewer administrative staff) made it necessary for Deans Terrill, Visser, and Fink to create an administrative organizational structure. They also moved the college to an open door admissions policy and undertook to change its nature from primarily a transfer institution to one more heavily invested in occupational training. Fink began a strong push for separating the college from GRPS. Dean Francis McCarthy led GRJC through a period (1965-’75) of dramatic increases in enrollment, faculty hiring, and expansion of facilities. In 1974, the crushing failure of a college redistricting election indicated the voting public had failed to understand the need for separation. Superintendent Philip Runkel chose a close associate, Richard Calkins, to be the seventh chief executive of the college. With the restored title of president, Calkins would guide the college for the next 23 years, arguably the most visionary and productive of GRJC leaders, orchestrating a golden age of college expansion of programs, technology, and facilities. In 1991, after a successful redistricting election, Calkins
Welcome to New Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: Jeffrey & Janice Johnson Teresa Dittmer Cheryl Iveson Lucia Gooder
helped celebrate the birth of Grand Rapids Community College, a newly independent institution. Calkins and Juan Olivarez, the president who followed him, were instrumental in promoting diversity and opening the doors of the college wider than ever before. They oversaw the rapid growth of occupational programs in response to community needs. Present President Steven Ender, who has seen the 1914 enrollment of 49 rise above the 18,000 mark, has guided the purchase and renovation of the downtown Davenport University campus, the renovation of aging central campus buildings, and the dramatic shift to performance-based contracts for faculty and staff. Over 100 years, the college has helped anchor the central city and inspire its renaissance. Remarkable leaders have guided GRJC/GRCC through every threat to its well being, through explosive growth and dizzying change, and have never lost sight of Jesse Davis’s commitment to excellence in all things.
Join the Grand Rapids Historical Society or Give a Membership as a Gift The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight lectures each year, which are co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Members of the society enjoy these benefits: The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Published and mailed to members eight times a year, it includes current items of historical interest, details of upcoming lectures, historically relevant activities, and short articles. The Grand River Valley History is the society’s annual magazine. Featured are illustrated articles by local history researchers and contributions from the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the City Archivist, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. 20% Discount on all books and other items published by the society. Please enroll me as a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: ___ New ___ Renewal ___ Gift ____ Individual/Family Membership: $30.00 per year ____ Senior Citizen or Student: $20.00 per year ____ Lifetime: $400.00 one-time fee Name: Address: City/State/Zip Email: Please make check payable to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail it with this form to: Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503
Grand River Times!
3
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Open Door: Grand Rapids Junior/Community College 1914-2014 by Walter Lockwood The Jewel In Our Midst A Review by Thomas R. Dilley It is disturbing to admit, as one of its tens of thousands of graduates, that the arrival of the centenary of Grand Rapids Community College, came as a surprise to me. Yes, it had always been there, and I know hundreds of people whose adult lives and careers began in its classrooms. But, like many others, I had never really given it much thought, either about what it has become or how it has impacted our community.
All of that changed with the reading of Walter Lockwood’s superb history of the College, Open Door: Grand Rapids Junior/Community College 1914-2014, released in November 2014. The book is everything that GRCC (or GRJC, if you attended when I did) deserves in the year of the 100 th anniversary of its founding, and it is everything one could hope for in a history of this remarkable institution. From Lockwood’s capable and experienced hands, the history and accomplishment of the many who created, fostered and defended the College are delivered and (perhaps for the first time) critically analyzed in thoughtful, welcoming prose that is refreshingly distant from the usual
4
self-aggrandizing reportage filling the pages of the countless corporate and college histories on the shelves of unread libraries. This is a college history that deserves to be read, and will enlighten many about the processes that, from its earliest days have made Grand Rapids Community College one of the most consistently vibrant elements of the Western Michigan community. That, together with a vast array of carefully captioned photographs spanning the entire history of the College, would be enough to secure for this book its just place in local and regional history. But, there is more. In the telling of the GRJC/ GRCC story, Lockwood has also included a useful recitation of the history and politics of local education during the past century. Names and stories that might have drifted away are brought back into the light they deserve. Jesse Davis, Arthur Andrews and Richard Calkins, relentless promoters of the College; Benjamin Beukema and Jay Pylman, progressive Superintendents; and even legendary coaches John Bos and Gordon Hunsberger are all discussed and credited for their roles in the centurylong history of the College. All of this results in a history not only of the College, but of the educational system in which it was fostered, grew and ultimately triumphed. This book, written, designed, created and edited within the College, should be acquired and read by the thousands of the College’s (like me, sometimes unappreciative) graduates, and especially by all those who may think of it all as “just JC”. Actually, there are two jewels in this story. One obviously is the College itself. The other is this book, a great and worthy edition to the history of our city and region. Thomas R. Dilley, Grand Rapids Historical Commission and Grand Rapids Historical Society.
Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Searching for Doc Lavan (Part 1) by Robert J. Schichtel Most baseball fanatics are only too aware of Baseball-Reference.com. It’s the premier website for baseball research of both a casual and analytical nature featuring historical information and analysis on all players with major league experience, I’ve been a baseball fan baseball franchises and teams, since about age seven in the midmanagers and season and career fifties when I found out about statistical records. Updated daily, it’s Topps Baseball Cards, the Detroit the reason you no longer see the Tigers and Charles Frost’s Rocket Baseball Encyclopedia. Baseball. I have fond memories of Baseball-Reference has taking the old road to Briggs many great features including one Stadium with my father and which allows the user to order up a brothers to see a Tigers’ day list of all major league players who game. It was a real adventure. call Michigan their birthplace. It also Playing Rocket baseball at then shows their specific birthplace. One Franklin Park and at many of the night with a little bit too much time city’s great parks expanded my Doc Lavan. Photo courtesy of Legendary on my hands I decided to list all circle of friends and my view of Auctions. www.legendaryauctions.com. players born in Michigan, mostly for my city. The Rocket’s train trip to entertainment and nostalgia. It was see the Detroit Tigers play was both. It was also the beginning of an interesting exercise in great fun whether the Tigers won or not. Sometimes it was baseball history, Grand Rapids history and the importance the first time a kid went to a professional game or, for that of recognizing those who have earned their place in both. matter, went on a train. It fostered a feeling about About twenty players claimed Grand Rapids as belonging to something special and going somewhere their birthplace. Since I first ordered the list two more without your parents’ supervision. players have been added to the roster, former Whitecap Summertime brought opportunities to play whiffle and Detroit Tiger Casper Wells and Miami Marlin Ed ball in your own backyard transforming it into your Lucas. Not all players in the group lived in Grand Rapids a favorite stadium where you could imitate your favorite substantial length of time. It should be noted that Wally players’ mannerisms, batting, throwing, and maybe, Pipp, a star with the New York Yankees, was not listed spitting. even though he was strongly associated with our city. He Grand Rapids has always been a baseball town. It listed his birthplace as Chicago, Illinois. has supported baseball in various forms since the 1880s Some of the twenty plus players on the list simply through professional minor league, semi-professional, had a cup of coffee, a brief major league experience of a college and high school and little league. Many major handful of games. They were major leaguers playing the league players made stops in Grand Rapids either on their game on the big stage. Their teammates were Ty Cobb, road to the big leagues or on their way back at the end of Carl Yastremski, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, and their careers. Grand Rapids almost always had a minor Robin Roberts, all Cooperstown Hall of Famers. league team in the first half of the 20th century. They Only four on the roster had logged more than one competed against teams from around the state much like thousand games. This mark can be a little deceiving the West Michigan Whitecaps do against the Lansing because pitchers don’t play every day. All four were Lugnuts and the Great Lakes Loons. The Grand Rapids position players, not pitchers. Ottawa Hills grad and Chicks helped fill the baseball void in WWII and beyond. Detroit Tiger star Mickey Stanley, Union High, Boston In the second half the century the city had an exceptional Red Sox and California Angel outfielder Rick Miller, semi-professional league for many years which featured Hudsonville High’s John Vander Wal who had a 14-year the Grand Rapids Sullivans who regularly competed on the career with multiple teams, and Doc Lavan. national stage and provided playing opportunities for many In Part 2 coming in April, Schichtel will tell us about future major leaguers. Robert J. Schichtel is a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Schichtel is a retired Grand Rapids Public Schools teacher, and a long-time girls basketball coach at Catholic Central. He is currently teaching at the Kent County Jail.
his quest to discover Doc Lavan.
Grand River Times!
5
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Happening in History: February 2015 If you have history-related events you would like included in our calendar, please let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com. Reading the Great Lakes Thursday, February 5, 2015, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE
“Storms and Sand: A Story of Shipwrecks and the Big Sable Point Coast Guard Station." A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Camps Thursday, March 12, 2015, 7:00 pm Main Library – 111 Library St NE Medical anthropologist Barbara Rylko-Bauer will discuss her book A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Camps. The book details her mother's experience after she was arrested in 1944 for suspicion of resistance activities. For 15 months she endured three Nazi concentration camps and a 42-day death march, spending part of the time working as a prisoner-doctor to Jewish slave laborers. Jadzia's struggle continued after the war as she attempted to rebuild her life, first as a refugee doctor in Germany and later as an immigrant to the United States. A book signing will follow the presentation.
Come explore the Lakes with the Grand Rapids Public Library! They’re reading a range of titles including mystery, history, fiction, and nonfiction all taking place in the Great Lakes region—from Chicago to Cleveland. This book club is led by librarians and takes place the first Thursday of each month. Additional copies of the book are available to be checked out on Level 4 of the Main Library. For a complete list of books, visit www.grpl.org/rtgl. March selection is Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr. Western Michigan Genealogical Society Saturday, March 7, 2015, 1:30 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE The Lines that Define: the Boundaries of our State, Counties, Townships, Villages, and Cities. Presented by Morris O. Thomas. The various geo-political units such as states, counties, townships, villages and cities all have boundaries which influence our history and quality of life. This presentation will examine some of the origins and impacts of the many lines on maps that create a cultural and historical legacy in Michigan.
West Michigan Postcard Club Monday, March 9, 2015, 7:00 p.m. Faith United Methodist Church, 2600 7th St NW Free and open to the public Although Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, many of these historic structures are no longer standing. This presentation will feature lighthouses that no longer exist, along with some that still stand, but are little known. Grace Truman grew up near Lake Superior and has loved lighthouses since childhood. She has volunteered at four lighthouses and served on a lighthouse association board of directors. Grace is also a co-author of
6!
Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 7:30 p.m. DeWitt Student Center, Kuyper College 3333 East Beltline NE The speaker is Leonard Shippey, and the topic is to be announced. Visit www.grcwrt.com for details. Grand Rapids Torch Club program. Membership is not required to attend and guests are always welcome. There is a $29 meeting charge for members ($33 for guests), which includes the meal, and reservations are required (torchclubgr.org). The social hour and dinner are an integral part of the Torch experience as they offer the opportunity for members and guests to become acquainted and share and exchange knowledge and ideas. •
The Holocaust Survivor in America: Revisiting the Pawnbroker. Robert Franciosi, Ph.D, Torch Club member and GVSU faculty member. March 10, 2015
Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
20th Century Retailing in Downtown Grand Rapids by Michael Hauser & Marianne Weldon This new book in Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series is a wonderful look at a time when retail flourished along Monroe Avenue and other streets in downtown Grand Rapids. Separate chapters on Herpolsheimer’s, Steketees, and Wurzburg’s feature bits of the stores’ history as well as photos, postcards, advertising and promotional pieces. Another chapter features speciality retailers including Jacobson’s, May’s, Houseman’s, the Boston Store, as well as shoe stores, candy shops, jewelry stores, and other outlets. Last, but not least, is a chapter on the dime store block, including such emporiums as Kresge’s, Woolworth’s, Green’s and Grant’s. The authors have found gems among the archival collections at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Public Library as well as their own personal stockpiles. They have uncovered photos of the Christmas windows at Wurzburg’s, Herpolsheimer’s
Garden Store, the lunch counter at Grant’s, the sheet music department at Grinnell’s and many other treasures. Downtown Grand Rapids glory days live on through the pages of this book and the memories those pages bring back to all of us who remember those special times. Michael Hauser grew up in Grand Rapids and worked at Steketee’s and Herpolsheimer’s. He is currently the marketing manager and historian for the Detroit Opera House. Marianne Weldon is the collections manager for art and artifacts at Bryn Mawr College outside of Philadelphia. The authors have collaborated on other books: 20th Century Retailing in Downtown Detroit; Remembering Hudson’s: The Grand Dame of Detroit Retailing; and Detroit’s Downtown Movie Palaces.
-M. Christine Byron
Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Sleuth With March Madness upon us, enjoy this vintage photo of a city basketball team. Although undated, this image from the Robinson collection features young men wearing uniforms bearing many Oakdale Park or Boston Square business names. Can you help the library identify them? If so, email Heather Edwards at the Grand Rapids Public Library at hedwards@grpl.org, or call 616 988-5402, extension 5497. Last year, the Grand Rapids Public Library added more than 25 names to its photo index with help from the public, including Grand Rapids Historical Society members. Thank you! Grand River Times!
7
Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Op en D oor : Th e on e H u n d r ed Year H i s t or y of Gr an d R ap i d s J u n i or College/ Com m u n i t y College by Walt Lockwood and Mike Klawitter
Thursday, March 12, 2015, 7:00 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Inside this issue: Inside this issue: Cover Story: March program Letter from our President, page 2 Open Door, book review by Tom Dilley page 4 Searching for Doc Lavan, by Robert Schichtel, page 5 Happening in History, page 6 20th Century Retailing, book review by Chris Byron page 7 Photo Sleuth, page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, visit www.grhistory.org
