Library: Archives & Special Collections: Complete Collection Listing

Collection List

George K. Arthur Political Papers [1961-1910] Buffalo native George K. Arthur has been active on the local political scene for nearly half a century. Notably, he served on the Erie County Board of Supervisors from 1964-1967, as Ellicott District Councilman from 1970-1978, and then as Councilman-at-Large in 1978, eventually serving as Common Council President from 1984 until his retirement in 1996. Along the way, he ran for mayor in 1985 as the unendorsed Democratic candidate, narrowly losing to incumbent Jimmy Griffin. In 2010, he served as Secretary of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority. –Art Voice 04/22/2010
George Borrelli Political Newspaper Clippings and Material [1962-2003] Mr. George Borrelli worked extensively within the Buffalo-area media world, writing for local newspapers including the Buffalo Courier-Express as well as the Buffalo News, among other print and media and journalistic outlets.
Andrew Brown Choral Arts Collection [c. 1968-1991] A tenor soloist at St. John Baptist Church, Andrew Brown (1929-1977) became the church's minister of music in 1955. There, he organized a hundred-voice choir and personally established concert series as well as composing popular and renowned spiritual songs such as "My Prayer to Thee," "In Jesus' Name," "Come and Go with Me to My Father's House" and "Lord, Lord." A native of Buffalo, NY, Brown was also involved locally and elsewhere in organizing, establishing and conducting church choirs while promoting his love of gospel music. Installed as an instructor of music at Buffalo State College (then State University College at Buffalo), Brown became the director of the Pilot Musical Experiment Program in Gospel Music in 1967. Due to the program's success, it was instituted into the College's curriculum the following year. He directed the annual "Gospel Festival Comes to College" and remained active in teaching and community groups until his death in 1977. In 1978, a Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Andrew Brown, the first director of Buffalo State College All-College Choir, by Dr. Joseph Wincenc, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, of the Buffalo State College Performing Arts Department. Since 1978, scholarships and awards have been given annually to outstanding students who participate in Choral Arts at Buffalo State. With encouragement and support from Dr. Joseph Wincenc and Miss Rosalie Turton, former director of the Buffalo State Alumni Association, an Andrew Brown Chapter was established in 1987 by Reather Walker Diamond (BSC '76), coordinator of the Buffalo State All-College Gospel Choir, 1973-1982. The main object of this Chapter is to provide educational enrichment and assistance for people who have little or no background in music or singing. The Chapter's future goal is to maintain an Archives and Music Library to preserve the tradition, legacy, and ideals of African-American Choral Arts directors and accompanists in the educational process of learning, searching, and serving mankind.
Edward H. Butler - Family Papers [1880-1956] The Edward H. Butler Family played a prominent role in the development of the Niagara Frontier for nearly 100 years (1880 - 1976). Edward H. Butler, Senior published the first edition of the Buffalo Evening News on October 11, 1880. Upon his death in 1914, his son, Edward, assumed the role of editor and publisher of the paper. At his death in 1956, his widow, Kate Robinson Butler ran the paper. Shortly after her death in 1975, the paper was sold to Blue Chips Stamps. Buffalo State College has enjoyed a long relationship with the Butler family. Three generations of members of the Butler Family served as Presidents of the College Council. E. H. Butler Library was named after Edward H. Butler, Senior. Kate Butler Wickham, daughter of Edward H. Butler, Junior donated her mother's personal correspondence to the library in 1977. In 1976, she donated all correspondence of her grandfather and father covering the period 1880-1956. In 1985, the Buffalo News donated all business correspondence of the Butler Senior and Junior connected to the Buffalo Evening News. In 1987, The Buffalo News donated the "Kirchhofer Papers". Kirchhofer, editor of the News, was in the process of writing a history of the paper when he died suddenly. His research materials and the papers he had taken from the Butler family files (1880-1976) were kept together as a collection.
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Stephen & Rachel Cain Collection (Buffalo Evening News) [c. 1930-1970] Stephen P. Cain was born Sept. 29, 1901, in Dalton, N.Y. He grew up on May Street in Buffalo. He was a 1922 graduate of Canisius College, where he served as the first editor-in-chief of the college’s yearbook, The Azuwur. After graduating, he sought work as a reporter at one of Buffalo’s six newspapers at the time. Mr. Cain later wrote about his experiences as Canisius yearbook editor and his job hunt; these writings are in the collection. He described himself in this self-written 1968 biographical sketch: “Entered newspaper field after graduating in 1922 from Canisius College with a B.A. degree. Has been city editor, assistant city editor, political editor and columnist, Albany legislative correspondent, chief rewriter and reporter on Buffalo newspapers. In free lance field has credits innovational magazines — short fiction in Extension and old Street & Smith publications, True (factual) and Reader’s Digest, an original piece. Many articles on the local scene in the Buffalo Evening News Saturday Magazine.” Over the course of his newspaper and free-lance writing career, he wrote other biographies of himself, which are in the collection. They include: “Served as a publicity man, speech writer and statementeer in several Republican campaigns, working both out of organization headquarters in the Ellicott Square and with individual candidates. Have been associated with such outstanding Republicans as Walter Mahoney, Ray Lawley, Herm Grannis, Mike Catalano, Harold Becker, Ray Biondolillo, Joe Carroll, Bernie Bird and others,” and “City editor, political editor and columnist, rewrite man and reporter, Buffalo Evening and Sunday Times, Scripps-Howard. City editor and rewrite, Akron, Ohio, Times-Press, Scripps-Howard. City desk, rewrite, reporter, Buffalo Evening News. Reporter, political writer and Albany legislative correspondent, Buffalo Courier-Express. National credits include stories in True and an original article in Reader’s Digest. A few fiction stories in Extension Magazine and Street and Smith publications. Graduate of Canisius College, Class of 1922, with a degree of Bachelor of Arts. Member of DiGamma, Canisius Honor Society. … Wife, Mrs. Rachel King Cain, is in Who’s Who of American Women and society editor of the Buffalo Evening News … Prior to that, she wrote a society column for the Buffalo Evening News.” During his career, he met and reported on many well-known local, national and international personalities. He left reporting at an early age due to arthritis and turned his talents to free-lance writing. He wrote a fictional account of growing up in Buffalo, as well as several non-fiction pieces. He died Sept. 14, 1975, at age 74 in Buffalo.
Robert Cantrick - Original Music Collection [1990s] As Dr. Robert B. Cantrick (1917-2006), composer and music professor at Buffalo State College, 1969-1985, indicated in correspondence dated 2005, his intention throughout the last thirty years of his life was to "formulate fundamental concepts of music which are applicable to all cultural traditions and historical eras.” This mission seems to have been in the back of his mind since 1970 and the contents of his archive documents his attempts to bring this life-long project to fruition. The project was evolutionary in its scope. He was constantly pushing towards greater comprehensiveness and clarity as can be seen by the sheer volume of notes and revisions within the contents of the archive, as well as evidence of extensive and close reading not only in music but especially in philosophy as well. Project completion was never realized as he passed away not long after the above-mentioned letter to a prospective publisher as it turned out, was written.
Margaret Goff Clark-Children and Young Adult Literature Collection and Papers [c. 1930-2004] Margaret Goff Clark was born March 7, 1913 in Oklahoma City, USA. At five, she and her family moved to Olean, New York. She attended Columbia University and State University in Buffalo, earning a bachelor’s degree in education. She began writing when her children were young and published her first book, "The Mystery Of Seneca Hill" in 1961. As a result, Ms. Clark was adopted into the Seneca Indian tribe in 1962. Many of her books are based on her experiences traveling to parks and nature areas. She cottages in Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. "Death At Their Heels" was written in 1975, after visiting it one summer. Most recently, Ms. Clark has been writing books about endangered species in Florida, including the manatee and the Florida black bear. Her 1993 book on the endangered Florida panther was dedicated to her husband Charles R. Clark. In addition to books, Ms. Clark has contributed over 200 short stories to magazines such as "American Girl, The Instructor, Teen Talk" and other Canadian and American magazines. Margaret Goff Clark passed away in 2004. –taken from Goodreads.com on 05/07/2018
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Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain Family Papers Collection (reproductions) [1884-1908] Samuel Langhorne Clemens wrote under the pen name of Mark Twain and authored several seminal pieces of American literature including, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain lived in Buffalo, NY from 1869 to 1871 and owned a stake in the Buffalo Express newspaper. Jane Lampton “Jean” Clemens, his youngest of three daughters, was born in Hartford, CT and suffered epilepsy from age fifteen until her death at the age of twenty-nine.
College Club of Buffalo [c. 1914-1994] In 1913, a small group of members in the Association of College Alumnae (today known as the American Association of University Women) established the College Club. It was organized to promote the social and intellectual interests of college educated women in Buffalo and its vicinity and maintained a clubhouse for this purpose. In 1914, 172 members met and adopted a constitution naming the organization the College Club of Buffalo, Inc. The first clubhouse was a rental property on Park Street, Buffalo; and in 1915 the Club moved to its present location at 264 Summer Street, Buffalo, NY.
Courier-Express Newspaper Collections [1926-1982] The Courier-Express newspaper was born in 1926, with the merger of the Buffalo Courier and the Buffalo Express to form the Buffalo Courier-Express. William J. Conners, owner of the Buffalo Courier, was the person instrumental in bringing the two papers together. During the 19th century numerous newspapers existed. The Buffalo Courier-Express merger can trace its roots back to 1828. From 1828 to 1926, twelve separate newspapers merged during those years, ending with the formation of the Buffalo Courier-Express; quite a chronology for the history of this newspaper. The Courier and then the Courier-Express took a liberal position on all issues. In the late 1970s, the Courier-Express was sold to Cowles-Media, an out of state publisher. Cowles Media decided to close the paper in 1982. The September 19, 1982 issue was the last one for this very popular Buffalo newspaper. Cowles Media donated the library to the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and Buffalo State College.
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Creative Education Foundation [1915-2007, bulk 1950-1980] Founded in 1954, the Creative Education Foundation is the recognized world leader in Applied Imagination. Alex Osborn, an adman and educator, not only founded CEF, but also invented brainstorming and co-founded the ad firm, BBDO. His classic book, Applied Imagination, continues to inspire the work of CEF. Along with Sidney Parnes, Osborn developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process. For more than 50 years, CEF has been teaching adults and children in organizations, schools and communities how to use this proven process to develop new ideas, solve problems and implement solutions. -taken from Creative Education Foundation, A History of CEF,
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Creative Studies: Assorted Donor Collections
The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York [c. 1920-2015; bulk 1960-2015] Western New York as a way to collect, safeguard, and provide access to materials that document the LGBTQ+ communities of Western New York and Southern Ontario. In 2009, the archives were transferred to SUNY Buffalo State’s E. H. Butler Library. Housed in the Archives and Special Collections, the archives have expanded to more than 300 linear feet of items and become the region’s largest LGBTQ+ collection. More than 80 individuals, groups, and diverse organizations are represented in the tens of thousands of documents and items that include photographs, local organizational records, multimedia materials, pamphlets, posters, clippings, awards, signs, banners, plaques, published materials, as well as an array of ephemeral items and other pieces that date back to the 1920s. Stewards of the collection are thrilled to be able to contribute to global projects such as the “Wearing Gay History Project” and the “Digital Transgender Archives” as well as the “New York Heritage” site and our local digital platforms in order to make the essential historical material available to students, communities, researchers, and other scholars from around the world. Through generous funding, SUNY Buffalo State is able to hire and teach students on the importance of material of this nature as well as to be able to have their expertise add to descriptive knowledge bases for description and access. The SUNY Buffalo State Madeline Davis LGBTQ+ Archives is actively soliciting donations of materials and further support. As Madeline Davis herself has said, “Our community has a past, but no history.” The presence and continued growth of the many collections in the Archives help to assure that our shared history will only grow in scope and importance. Any contributions to the collections will help fill in historical gaps, assuring that we have a past, a history, and a future.
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Dr. Fraser Drew - Langston Hughes Correspondence [1950-1967] Langston Hughes was born on 1 February 1902 in Joplin, Missouri, and died on 22 May 1967. His maternal grandmother raised him in Lawrence, Kansas. According to Hughes, his grandmother inspired him to write, as she was a natural orator of black traditions. After his grandmother’s death, Hughes returned to his mother in Cleveland, Ohio, until he graduated from high school in 1920. In 1921, Hughes enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University, but left after one year. For a few years, Hughes worked various blue- and white-collar jobs while he spent most of his time writing, as that was his passion. Langston Hughes began to publish numerous poems, and by 1926, he published his first book of poems, The Weary Blues. In 1929, he graduated from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Conscious of the importance of race relations and politics, Hughes published The Way of White Folks in 1934. The spectrum of Hughes’ writing grew as the years went by. He began to write many politically inspired poems, plays (such as Mulatto and Don’t You Want to Be Free?), and autobiographies. Hughes also wrote books that supported his consciousness of race relations like Jim Crow’s Last Stand and Montage of a Dream Deferred. Writing was Hughes’ main contribution to black history, though he also served as a social activist. He traveled the world, expanding his horizons on black issues and became well-known as a radical democrat. Langston Hughes faced many obstacles during the prime years of his publications as his critics viewed him as being too extreme. He was able to hurdle these obstacles as he persevered. Today, Hughes is remembered as an essential figure in black history. He had the ability of writing the relevant problems within that community at a time when the American public consciously ignored such issues. Langston Hughes devoted his time to writing poems, novels, dramas, and numerous articles. Fraser Drew had the opportunity to keep in contact with Hughes during the peak of his career. Dr. Drew was a professor of English at SUNY Buffalo State for decades; he retired in 1983. He received his Ph.D. in English Literature from the University at Buffalo in 1952. His interest in African American literature motivated him to follow Langston Hughes’ career closely, and this led him to reach out to Hughes directly. Hughes responded by keeping open communication with Drew for a number of years. The SUNY Buffalo State Archives and Special Collections contains the correspondence between Drew and Hughes.
William Engelbrecht - Iroquois Ceramic Coding Papers [c. 1969-1995]
The Diane English Script Collection [1988-1995] Diane English was born in Buffalo, New York where she attended Nardin Academy and SUNY Buffalo State. Throughout the 1980s English wrote several series including: The Lathe of Heaven, Foley Square (1985-1986) and My Sister Sam (1986 and 1987 seasons). She is best known for writing and producing the sitcom Murphy Brown for CBS that ran for 10 years (1988-1998) totaling 247 episodes; and writing and directing the 2008 feature film, The Women. Additional sitcoms written in the 1990s include, Love and War (1992-1995), Double Rush (1995), Ink (1996), The Louie Show (1996), and Living in Captivity (1998).
Arthur O. Eve Collection

Audrey Barrett Gleason Fashion Illustration Collection [1959-2014, bulk 1960-1980] Audrey Barrett Gleason was a full-time fashion illustrator from 1959-1982 for Sattler’s Department Store, McCurdy’s Department Store, Wm. Hengerer’s Department Store, and L.L. Berger, Inc. In addition, she trained in art at the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as the Albright Art School, and produced a number of art exhibitions in western New York at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, Carnegie Art Center, and Art Dialogue Gallery.
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David Lampe Poetry Collection [c. 1960-present] The David Lampe Collection of archival and book material represents the first holdings obtained under the E. H. Butler Library's "Special Collections of Special Professors" initiative. Dr. Lampe, a native Iowan, earned his PhD from the University of Nebraska, and taught at Buffalo State College for over 35 years. His areas of interest and research range from Medieval to modern poetry. Dr. Lampe's subject expertise is reflected in his donation to E. H. Butler Library. The collection is comprised of two parts, representing Dr. Lampe’s collection of monographs as well as correspondence/subject files.
Fronczak Room Collections The Fronczak Room Collection is a repository of primary source and other materials related to the Polish-American community in Western New York, one of the largest ethnic communities in the area. It includes papers, manuscripts, publications, flyers, official documents, photos, paintings, WWII memorabilia, and other items.
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Great Lakes United Environmental and Ecological Issues Collection [1984-2004] Great Lakes United “organizational members were brought together by the awareness that the world’s largest fresh water ecosystem was under very serious threat. These concerns attracted the attention of individual members who recognized the need for an integrated approach to recovery. The Basin contains twenty per cent of the world’s available surface water and is home to a broad variety of natural habitats. GLU members saw, on the one hand, a basin with abundant water resources and aquatic habitats, with biologically rich coastal waters, blue ribbon trout streams, and sparkling inland lakes. On the other hand, members were keenly aware that over two-thirds of the Basin’s original wetlands had been lost, thousands of miles of rivers had been impaired, and miles of shoreline had been degraded.” Great Lakes United works to preserve and protect the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and their surrounding ecosystems. Their research material focuses on the eight U.S. Great Lakes states as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and underscores the organization’s work in collecting relevant resources and petitioning the ruling bodies of the Canada, the United States, and First Nations.
Guilford Microfilm Collection
Gustav Holst Hammersmith Collection [c. 1930-1954]
Ida Kempke and Charles Root - Textbook Collection [c. 1750-1960]
Jackie Jocko Music Collection [c.1940-2018] Jackie Jocko (born John Giaccio; 21 January 1929 - 8 August 2019) was a musician, singer, and songwriter from Buffalo, New York. His albums included: “Lover, Come Back to Me” (1952), “Jackie Jocko – Mr. Excitement – From Coast to Coast” (1961), and “Like Wow!” (1962). Following an active national music career, he returned to Buffalo in 1972, and was locally most well-known for the 20 years he played at E.B. Green’s Steakhouse. He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Born in the Buffalo, New York North Fillmore neighborhood, he began playing piano by ear at two years old. He took classical piano lessons at age nine and was playing in taverns on Hertel Avenue by the age of 12. In his teens he played piano with a 10-piece orchestra at Buffalo venues, such as the Kleinhans Music Hall and the Statler Hotel. He met his partner and drummer, Joe Peters, in 1948. They would play together for the next 70 years until Joe's death in March of 2016. Jocko described Peters as, “his partner in life and music.” Jocko and Peters played their first show together at Carl’s Lounge on Jefferson Avenue near Genesee Street. Jocko left Buffalo at the age of 18 with Peters. He received his first record contract from Bill Randall of WERE Station in Cleveland, and a major record deal in 1952 from Mercury Records to produce “Lover, Come Back to Me.” He also spent some time in 1952 as the headliner for New York’s famous Birdland night club. In 1962, he signed with Strand Records to produce “Jackie Jocko – Mr. Excitement – From Coast to Coast” in 1961 and “Like Wow!” in 1962. Jocko and Peters developed a show together following the records and played for five years at the Sahara in Las Vegas, two years at Harrah’s in Reno, and two years touring Hawaii. Jocko and Peters returned home to Buffalo, New York in 1972 and played at the Cloister on Delaware Avenue, the Everglades on Hertel Avenue, and St. George’s Table in the Westbrook Hotel. Jocko invested in a restaurant named Jocko’s Supper Club on Broadway, but later shifted to Fanny’s, a former club on Sheridan Drive in Amherst, New York. His last location was E.B. Green’s where he would play for the next 20 years until 2016.
John C. Gowan Collection [1949-1986] John Curtis Gowan was born May 21, 1912 in Boston, Massachusetts. Graduating from Thayer Academy, Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1929, John Gowan was only 17 when he entered Harvard University, earning his undergraduate degree four years later. A master's degree in mathematics followed; he then moved to Culver, Indiana, where he was employed as a counselor and mathematics teacher at Culver Military Academy from 1941 to 1952. Earning a doctorate from UCLA, he became a member of the founding faculty at the California State University at Northridge, where he taught as a professor of Educational Psychology from 1953 until 1975, when he retired with emeritus status. Dr. Gowan became interested in gifted children after the Russians gained superiority in space with the 1957 launch of Sputnik. He formed the National Association for Gifted Children the following year. He was the group's executive director and president from 1975 to 1979 and over the years wrote more than 100 articles and fourteen books on gifted children, teacher evaluation, child development, and creativity.
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Joseph Haeffner - WBEN and WBEN-TV Records and Papers [1920s-1980s]
Lester Glassner African American Experience Collection: Artifacts, Sheet Music, and Ephemera [c. 1850-2005] Born February 23, 1939, Lester Glassner’s childhood was spent among a variety of towns and cities in upstate New York, including Buffalo, Geneva, Auburn, and Lockport, as he moved frequently with his parents who, by necessity, followed employment opportunities occasioned by the war. Life in the years during and immediately following World War II offered little in terms of nurturing a bright and cheerful childhood. Lester, as a young boy, must have sensed this and either by chance or sheer determination, frequently accompanied by his mother Beatrice, was able to find his way out of this lack-luster reality through two unusual venues: the 5-and-10-cent stores and the movie theatres. Lester had a certain amount of after-school freedom. He went to the movies and as he recalls in his book, the B-rated Hollywood movies, trashy, low-budget and dumbed-down as they were, had a healthy contempt for reality. The stars who populated these films became the basis of a vast collection of signed "8 by 10 glossies" that he amassed over a period of years, as well as the impetus for an active interest in early theatre architecture and interior decorator of movie houses. The other venue was the "5-and 10s" as they were called, such as Kresge's, Neisner's, Grants, and Woolworth's. Every time the Glassner family moved, there was a new one to be explored. Wandering the aisles of these magical stores offered a virtually endless variety of wonders for an imaginative child. He loved all the plastic tawdriness of this merchandise, and as he recalls, the fantasy-filled contents of the dime stores were his "tickets to a land that lay somewhere over the rainbow - object lessons in how to survive the dreariness of war and post-war reality." At the time of publication of Dime Store Days, Quentin Crisp noted in the foreword that Lester's memory "dwell[ed] not on the sparseness of these years but on the brittle ornaments with which he desperately tried to decorate them." In the years following the publication of the book, Lester Glassner lived with his various collections in a small private museum, actually a 4-story town house on E. 7th Street which was also his almost comfortless home until his death.
Lit-Mus Study Club (of Buffalo) Papers [1930s-1990s] The Lit-Mus - short for "Literary" and "Music" -- Study Club is an on-going African American women's study group that originated in Buffalo in 1922. It was founded by Florence Jackson Lee, Amelia Anderson and Ora Lewis Anderson in the hopes of fulfilling its mission to study topics in the arts, humanities and social sciences that would enable the club's women to improve their community. It became part of the Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs as well as an affiliate of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs. In 1928, the Study Club introduced Negro History Week to Buffalo. The Club maintains a scholarship fund that has assisted many local students with their education and supports many local charities. It has also enabled the community to have greater access to African American literature and has donated books to libraries and schools. In order to preserve the records of the Club, it was deemed advisable to house them in the Special Collections area of the Buffalo State College's E.H. Butler Library.
Lois Lenski Children and Young Adult Literature Collection [1930-1974] In 1957, the well-known author-illustrator, Lois Lenski (1893-1974), presented a collection of her books, original illustrations, and manuscripts, as well as extensive files of research materials to the E. H. Butler Library of SUNY Buffalo State College. Lois Lenski was the author and illustrator of over 200 children’s books and winner of the coveted Newbery and Caldecutt award in children’s literature. She was best known for her hands on research in compiling her works. Periodic generous gifts from Miss Lenski have considerably enlarged the initial collection, and it is considered one of the most complete collections in the country. The collection contains not only the originals manuscripts, both longhand and typescript, of several of her books, but also, in many instances, includes her notes, original sketches, and correspondence showing the inception of ideas. It is extremely valuable as resource materials for in-depth studies of how a recognized author created the books which have won her the top awards in the field of children’s literature. By examining the notebooks and correspondence, students can become aware of Lenski’s methods of research in obtaining the materials she needed when writing her books. Lenski’s approach to the environmental background of her regional stories, as illustrated in her correspondence with children and concerned adults, is a technique unique to Lenski, and one which should be of special value to individuals interested in the writing of regional realistic fiction. Numerous boxes and folders contain copies of her books, photos, manuscripts, notes, drawings, awards, and work of students whom inspired Lois Lenski to write and publish.
Lydia Fish Local Church Collection
Manny Fried Collection [bulk 1950-1980] Dr. Emanuel J. Fried was born on March 1, 1913 in Brooklyn, NY. As a young boy, Fried’s family moved to Buffalo, NY where he finished elementary and secondary education and wrote his first play at the age of 14. Fried worked as a bellhop and elevator operator, concessionaire, theater usher, salesmen, and newsboy. His first play written as a teenager was about an entertainer while working as a bellhop. Dr. Fried continuing acting under the stage name Edward Mann and became close friends with theater and film director Elia Kazan while living in New York City. In 1939, he returned to Buffalo and was employed as a template maker for Curtis-Wright airplane factory. While employed at Curtis-Wright he was active with the UAW—CIO Volunteer Organizing Committee and the UE for United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers and also organized employees at the Wurlitzer, Spaulding Fibre, Buffalo Bolt, Columbus McKinnon, Wales-Stippit, Pratt & Letchworth, Otis Elevator, & Blaw-Knox. In addition, Dr. Fried led the Labor Writers Workshop and was a representative to the Buffalo AFL-CIO Council. Questionable activities while representing several unions resulted in his blacklist from unions and employment for several years. He served in World War II in the 20th Infantry and worked up to the position of lieutenant until discharged in late 1945. During the McCarthy Era, Fried was a person of interest by the Un-American Activities Committee on two separate occasions in which he refused to answer questions. Most notably from a 2007 interview “my answer will be, I will not answer. The first and the Fifth” “or in other words, it’s none of your business”. For a short time Fried served as director of the Buffalo Contemporary Theatre that produced shows about the working class. Dr. Fried attended the University of New York at Buffalo, earning a Bachelor and Masters of Arts in Humanities in 1971 and a Ph. D in English in 1974. Dr. Fried taught English and Creative Writing courses at Buffalo State College and retired in 1983 but continued to teach part-time until 2008. In 2009, Dr. Fried donated his collection to the E.H. Butler Library Archives and Special Collections. The collection of 36 boxes includes plays, letters, correspondences, audio and video tapes, and FBI papers. In addition, Dr. Fried granted Buffalo State College permission to perform his plays for the educational benefits of students with no fee charged for performances. Dr. Fried died on February 25, 2011 at his Kenmore Nursing Home, he was 97.
Tom Fontana Collection [c. 1973-present] Tom Fontana, a Buffalo native and 1973 graduate of Buffalo State College, is the award-winning writer and producer of three acclaimed television series, "St. Elsewhere," "Homicide: Life on the Street," and "Oz." Tom has generously placed his collection of scripts and materials associated with the production of the television series and the television movies in the Archives & Special Collections of E. H. Butler Library. His collection also contains videotapes of many of the episodes in the series’ he has written and produced. Tom's accomplishments include involvement as a writer and producer on the series "Tattinger's," "Home Fires," and "The Beat." He wrote the ABC special "The Fourth Wiseman," "Firehouse: the Movie" a pilot for CBS, and "Homicide: Life Everlasting", a TV movie of the week for NBC. He also wrote a made-for-television movie "Judas" that premiered on February 15, 2002 at Canisius High School in Buffalo, NY. The premier honored a fellow graduate of the school, Sean Rooney, who died September 11th during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Tom taught a class on ensemble writing at Buffalo State College in the fall of 2003. On November 19, 2003, Tom's new play "The Day Jack London Got Pinched," based on the memoirs of the 19th century writer, premiered at the college. On November 24, 2003 Tom was inducted into the Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame at the Shea's Performing Arts Center. Past inductees include Lucille Ball, Buffalo Bob Smith, Broadway's George Abbott and Michael Bennett, playwright A.R. Gurney and jazz musician Grover Washington Jr. Tom's portrait, by Buffalo artist George Palmer, will hang in the lobby of the Shea's theater. Tom has written several plays which have been produced in New York City, San Francisco, and at the Studio Arena in Buffalo. His collection contains one of his unpublished plays entitled "A Slice of Buffalo, A Peace of Paris."
Lydia Fish Folklore Collection

Alex Osborn Creative Studies Collection [1951-2003; bulk 1951-1965] Alexander Faickney Osborn was born in the Bronx, New York, on May 24, 1888. He attended Hamilton College where he was awarded Ph.B. and Ph.M. degrees in 1909 and 1921 respectively. Osborn’s career began with positions in newspaper reporting at the Buffalo Times and Buffalo Express; the assistant secretary for the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce; sales manager of the Hard Manufacturing Co.; and began his renowned advertising career with the E. P. Remington agency of Buffalo. He served as a council member for the University of Buffalo from 1951-1959, and founded the Creative Education Foundation in 1954 study what he coined “deliberate creativity.” Osborn was heavily involved with SUNY Buffalo State and helped found, what is now, The International Center for Studies in Creativity, the first program in the world to offer a Master of Science in Creative Studies. Alexander Osborn died of cancer in Roswell Park Memorial Institute on May 5, 1966, at the age of 77.
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Charles Rand Penney Art Library & Papers [c. 1900-present] A native of Buffalo, NY, Dr. Charles Rand Penney made his life and career in Western New York, working first as a lawyer and later pursuing a life-long love of collecting and lecturing about art and antiques around the world. In 1995, he was honored with a Doctorate of Fine Arts from the State University of New York for his commitment and contributions to the arts, especially in Western New York. In 1999, he received the Red Jacket Award from the Buffalo History Museum for his commitment to raising awareness of the shared heritage of Western New York. Whether traveling to Papua, New Guinea or up the Niagara River to Olcott Beach, Dr. Penney’s collection signified his approach to learning about new people and places, eventually growing to include more than 100 different themes. In the early 1990s, he donated a collection of Western New York Art to the Burchfield Art Center at Buffalo State College (resulting in the renaming of the Center to the Burchfield-Penney Art Center). His collection of Historical Niagara Falls Prints was donated to the Castellani Art Museum in 1993. In 2008, he donated his entire collection of Niagara County art, artifacts, and research materials to the History Center at the Niagara County Historical Society, eventually resulting in the opening of the eponymous Penney Gallery.
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Frederick Law Olmsted (Microfilm) Papers [1777-1952] Landscape architect. Correspondence, letters, books, journals, drafts of articles and books, speeches and lectures, biographical and genealogical data, business papers, scrapbooks, maps, drawings, and other papers encompassing Olmsted's career and private life. The papers focus on Olmsted's career as a landscape architect, specifically as a designer of parks and the grounds of private estates and public buildings and as a city and regional planner.
Hank Nuwer Hazing Collection [c. 1970-2022] Hank Nuwer, a 1968 graduate of Buffalo State College, is a social critic and author. Hank credits Buffalo State professors and students for contributing to his success as an author and journalist. In 1999, he wanted to give something to the college in honor of Professor Fraser Drew, who inspired him to write, and in honor of a fellow classmate, the late Joe Nikiel. Hank has authored more than 18 books, one of which, Broken Pledges, was made into a 1994 TV movie, "Moment of Truth: Broken Pledges." His research on binge drinking and hazing in schools and higher education has made him a sought after expert by CNN and other national television networks doing special reports on those topics.
Muriel Merritt Poetry Collection [1972-1974]
Nash, Rev. Dr. J. Edward Rev. Nash was involved in the efforts to bring branches of the Urban League and the NAACP to Buffalo. He was a long-time leader and treasurer of the Western New York Baptist Association. For 32 years he was secretary of the Ministers Alliance of Buffalo. That inter-racial body was one of the most influential religious groups in Buffalo.
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Neighborhood Housing Services of South Buffalo Records [1979-1986]
New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) Collection [c. 1949-2021]
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New York State Geographical Association Records [1935-1947] The New York State Geographical Association Collection was donated to Buffalo State College by the estate of Dr. Katheryne T. Whittemore. Dr. Whittemore (1899-1981) was an instructor and administrator at the College for thirty-seven years, serving specifically as a professor of geography from 1925-1962 and having been appointed to the newly-created post of director of the Division of Arts and Sciences in 1957. She was an active member of the New York State Geographical Association, of which she often assumed a leadership role in its meetings. The New York State Geographical Association (NYSGA) first met in 1935, beginning as an informal organization of interested geographers, educators and students, with open membership. The stated "original purpose of the group was to promote research in the geography of New York State" (from folder 1-11). The NYSGA developed ties with state educational systems as well as the New York State Department of Education. Papers presented at the annual meetings highlighted the organization's scope and purpose, including scholarly and research topics and roundtables on local and state geography, settlement, conservation, soils, land utilization, water supply, weather, climate, economic geography, impressions of teaching through the world and travelogues. The collection reflects the academic interests and the socio-political atmosphere of the 1930s through the 1940s. Notably, no meetings were held during the War Years of 1943-1946. The New York State Geographical Association remains an active organization; information that post-dates this collection as well as other data on NYSGA can be found at http://www.nysgaonline.org/.
Niagara Linguistics Society Records [c. 1985-1990]
Panhellenic Association - Buffalo Alumnae Records [1946-1988]
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
Richard B. Morris Historical Papers [c. 1976]

Sallie G. Randolph Presidential Biographies and Literature Collection [c. 1984-1991] A frequent speaker at programs for lawyers and writers, Sallie Randolph has taught law, writing and journalism in a variety of educational settings. At UB Law School she developed a copyright compliance and directed a publishing and copyright clinic. She has also taught media law for journalism majors at Buffalo State College and professional writing for numerous institutions. Sallie Randolph is a member of the Bar Association of Erie County and a former chair of its Intellectual Property Committee. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association, and belongs to several IP-related sections and committees. Writers’ organizations of which she is a member include the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), Biographers International Organization (BIO), the Authors Guild, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Romance Writers of America (RWA) and several others. She has served on the ASJA Board of Directors and as a former chair of its Legal Resources Committee. Select publications include being the lead author of Author Law A to Z (Capital Books, 2005) and co-contributor of the legal chapter for The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing: A Professional Guide to the Business, for Nonfiction Writers of All Experience Levels, edited by Timothy Harper (St. Martin's Griffin, 2003).
Paul G. Reilly Indian Collection [1948-1976] Paul G. Reilly served as attorney of record for the land claims initiated by the Seneca Nation of Indians and the Tonawanda Band of Seneca before the Indian Land Commission between 1948 and 1976. This collection is unique because it is the most complete collection of primary source materials on the Iroquois/Seneca Indians treaties and agreements found in one location. It contains materials culled from primary and secondary sources by Reilly, Fleming and Reilly, Counselors at Law between 1948 and 1970. Mr. Reilly, in preparing for these legal cases, over a period of forty years, collected a great volume of photocopies of treaties between various Indian nations and the United States Government, chapters from history books, maps and other supporting materials. These photocopies were made from the original materials held at the National Archives, libraries and other depositories across the United States. Some of the materials that were collected and cited in the briefs for the Seneca Indian Land case of 1971 are not included in this collection. All those documents cited in the case can be found at the National Archives.
Anne Rogovin - Teaching Materials Collection and Papers [c. 1970-1992]
Milton Rogovin Correspondence Collection
Shakin' Street Gazette, Student Newspaper [1973-1974] Up through the 1960s music criticism was fairly limited. Daily newspapers had a few writers and occasional freelancers to cover events but they leaned toward "serious" music and art and were often out of touch when writing about pop music. Hit Parader was just about the only publication that went beyond the popular fan magazine genre. By the early 1970s Rolling Stone magazine had set a precedent for better information on pop music and Creem magazine had made a case for a lighter, more irreverent approach with other publications like Crawdaddy falling in between. The job "rock critic" or "rock journalist" had been created. As an aside to the professional publications, myriad "fanzines" were created by music fans who wanted to focus on a specific band, genre, or scene.
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William Schmidt Commercial Art Collection [1936-1975] Mr. William Schmidt (Buffalo State, Art Education, 1950), the creator of art designs on plastic covers for commercial products contained in plastic, requested that his special art work be deposited in the Buffalo State College E. H. Butler Library's Special Collections. He helped to set up the Schmidt and Eckert Award, offering several scholarships annually to Art Education majors at State University of New York at Buffalo. William Schmidt was drawn to art all his life, beginning his path as an artist as a young child. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the Pacific theater. His powerful and often harrowing artwork depicted the experiences of GI's and Japanese prisoners. Many of his pencil sketches and ink drawings are of the battle of Iwo Jima. He also attended the Art Institute of Buffalo, where much of his work would take on an abstract quality. After the war, he became a freelance designer working under Mr. Sidney Schulman of the Transparent Bag Company of Buffalo. Together, they handled many of the Western New York area's most important plastic bag accounts, and was one of the most successful businesses of its kind during the 1950's and 1960's. Although Mr. Schulman sold the Transparent Bag Company in December of 1981, the legacy of the company lives on in the William Schmidt Collection.
Michael Shea Papers [c. 1898-1918] Michael Shea was born in Buffalo’s Old First Ward in 1859 and played an instrumental role in developing the city’s theater and entertainment scene. Between 1882 and 1934, Michael Shea was one of the leading purveyors of middle class entertainment in Buffalo and operated a number of popular vaudeville halls and later movie theaters. Shea's Performing Arts Center (originally Shea's Buffalo) is a theater for touring Broadway musicals and special events in Buffalo, New York. Originally called Shea's Buffalo, it was opened in 1926 to show silent movies. It took one year to build the entire theatre. Shea's boasts one of the few theater organs in the US that is still in operation in the theater for which it was designed.
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Rita Smith Collection [1930-1988, 1997] Rita Irene Smith was born and raised in Western New York. She attended D’Youville College and upon her completion of school, began working at the Buffalo Courier- Express, as a copy girl. She published her first articles with the byline Rita I. Smith in 1944. Committed to her life as a journalist, Rita was fascinated with the world at large and began traveling alone in the mid–1950’s. Among Rita’s many adventures, she dined with the Queen of England and was invited into the home of the then King and Queen (Hope Cooke) of Sikkim. In her travels she discovered Mother Teresa, nearly 20 years before she would win the Nobel Peace Prize. Rita was devoted to telling the story of the people that didn’t live in the spotlight, whose stories might go untold or unnoticed. She used her clear voice to shine a light and tell stories of the diverse people she met from around the globe. In 1957, Rita traveled to Egypt, South Africa, and the Holy Land by herself. In 1967, she went on a two month tour around the world, alone, without reservations or an itinerary. She adventured out into the world and made her way around it. Rita spent her life traveling Australia, New Zealand, India, Peru, Mexico, Sikkim, The Soviet Union, Soviet Central Asia, Hong Kong, and so many more places. When she returned to Buffalo, she delighted her readers with the stories of the people she met and the places she saw. She brought the world to Buffalo’s doorstep and shared her unique voice that is still relevant today.
Society of Women Geographers [1975-1980] The Society of Women Geographers (SWG) Collection was donated to Buffalo State College by the estate of Dr. Katheryne T. Whittemore. Dr. Whittemore (1899-1981) was an instructor and administrator at the College for thirty-seven years, serving specifically as a professor of geography from 1925-1962 and having been appointed to the newly-created post of director of the Division of Arts and Sciences in 1957. She was an active member of the Society of Women Geographers as well as other influential organizations. The Society of Women Geographers began in 1925 as an organization that would bring together women of diverse intellectual backgrounds, enabling them to share knowledge gained from their experiences and fieldwork. As the SWG website says, "In naming [the] organization the Society of Woman Geographers, the founders took 'geographer' in its broadest sense to include such allied disciplines as anthropology, geology, biology, archaeology, oceanography, and ecology. Specialized aspects of the arts round[ed] out the broad spectrum of worldwide interests and professional activities of the Society's members." The Society of Women Geographers remains an active organization.
Eleanor T. Murray Studio Arena Collection [bulk 1960-1990] The Studio Arena Theatre was established as Studio Theatre in the 1920s and operated in a second floor lodge meeting hall on the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Anderson Place. In 1934, Studio Theatre moved to a concert hall on the second floor of the Teck Theatre, until that building was converted to a movie house three years later. Studio Theatre School was incorporated with the playhouse as an educational institution in 1936 under the New York State Board of Regents. In 1937, having purchased the former Universalist Church at 305 Lafayette, the Studio Theatre was at home there for many years. In the early 1960s, the resident theatre movement was beginning, and Studio Theatre began its evolution into a professional equity theatre under the leadership of Neal Du Brock. In a mere forty-day transformation, the former Town Casino at 681 Main Street was transformed into Buffalo's only not-for-profit professional regional theatre and was renamed Studio Arena Theatre in 1965. Studio Arena Theatre was a key player in the resident theater movement. Eventually it moved across the street into the former Palace Burlesque Theater at 710 Main Street in 1978 and became a cornerstone of the Buffalo Theater District. Studio Arena Theatre operated until 2008 when it closed citing $3 million in debt. It was reopened in 2012 under the new name 710 Main Street and under the management of Shea’s Performing Art Center. It was renamed again in 2016 as Shea’s 710 Theatre in an effort to clarify management.
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SUNY Buffalo State Oral History Project [1975-1994] The SUNY Buffalo State Oral History Project was extensively conducted from 1975 to 1985 and was primarily directed by Sister Martin Joseph Jones, the first archivist. The full selection of recordings span 1975-1995. Interviews and materials are currently being digitized from audio cassette to digital media that will be made available through the Buffalo State Digital Commons.
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SUNY Buffalo State Photograph Collection [1871-2009] The collection spans from 1871-2009 and is subdivided into: Activities & Events; Sports; Buffalo & the Surrounding Community; Campus Buildings; Organizations; Departments; Faculty; Students. The collection is exceptionally robust and contains approximately 8,000 print images spanning all areas of student life, from dorm construction in the 1940s to dance marathon costume parties held in the mid-1980s.

William Tallmadge Music Collection [c. 1925-1975] Dr. William H. Tallmadge (1916-2004), Professor of Music and charter member of the Sonneck Society (now the Society for American Music). Dr. Tallmadge taught music at Buffalo State College from 1949-1976, specializing in jazz and American folk music. Indeed, he developed the first course for credit in the United States on the history of jazz. Dr. Tallmadge's work is especially notable for the attention he paid to recording and studying African American church music of the early 20th century, though it is believed that none of these recordings are maintained within this collection. Dr. Tallmadge continued to teach at Berea College after his retirement from Buffalo State College.
Irving Tesmer Western New York Geological Literature Collection [1800s-1900s]
Western New York Foreign Language Education Council Records [c. 1974-1987]
Western New York Geographical Association Records [1935-1947]
Peter Yates Musical Composition and Material Collection [mid 20th century] Peter Yates (1909-1976), along with his wife Frances Mullen, is perhaps best remembered for his founding of the concert series Evenings on the Roof in Los Angeles. It grew literally on the roof of the 2nd floor of the Yates’ home, designed by Rudolf Schindler, one of the first of many artists and musician to emigrate from Europe to southern California during the early years of World War II. This concert series was to give most of them a much needed opportunity to have their music performed in an extremely supportive setting. (The reader is urged to consult the early chapters of D. Crawford’s Evenings On and Off the Roof for extensive coverage of this most important aspect of music history in the United States.) Mr. Yates’ appointment as Chair of the Music Department at Buffalo State College in 1968 met with many “raised eyebrows,” due to his lack of experience in higher education teaching and administration. He was, after all, an interviewer with the California Employment Service for most of his pre-Buffalo years. Additionally, he had earned only minimal academic qualifications, a BA degree from Princeton. However, having served as associate editor of Arts and Architecture, 1940-1967, as a contributing editor to Arts in Society, as well as author of two well-received books -- An Amateur at the Keyboard (1964) and Twentieth Century Music (1967) plus his long and unparalleled association with many of the most important contemporary European and American composers, the usual and traditional resume expectations were overlooked in lieu of this newer and richer experience.
Lance Zavitz Radio Show Transcripts Collection [1935-1940] Lance Zavitz was a reporter, editor, church editor, columnist and self-described “commentator” at The Buffalo Evening News newspaper from 1933 to at least 1960. He wrote columns, editorials and book reviews. He also worked on the newspaper’s “church page,” and gave speeches/talks to community groups. Zavitz was born on March 28, 1899, and died Feb. 27, 1987 in Gerry, NY. He was a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Canada; at that time, he lived on Fishery Road in Cold Spring, Cattaraugus, N.Y., with his wife and four children. The U.S. City Directories 1821-1989 shows his profession in 1941 as a “rewriteman” for the Buffalo News who lived on LaFayette Avenue; in 1956, the directories show him as still working for the newspaper but now living on Leroy Avenue. Several records show he became a lay pastor and later minister of the Ellington Congregational Church in Ellington, N.Y., where he presided over funeral services. Town of Ellington, N.Y., sesquicentennial (1824-1974) records refer to him as having served as “pastor for 15 years” in 1959, when he “decided to become a part of the Billy Graham evangelist team.” Other references to Zavitz cite him as “Graham's news bureau chief” (a 1964 article in Harvard’s Crimson newspaper) and press agent (1965 article in the Lima, Ohio, News). Zavitz also is listed as a contributor to Christianity Today (June 24, 1966, Volume 10, Number 19).

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The collection subjects include materials from the Archives & Special Collections, as well as the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center. They are broken into various categories by subject and are meant to assist researchers looking for additional materials related to a topic or approaching the collections for the first time. The categories below are not exhaustive, but show areas of strength.