Library: Archives & Special Collections: WWI, WWII & Veterans

Collection Subject: WWI, WWII & Veterans

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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Dr. Walter M. Drzewieniecki Collection Dr. Walter (Wlodzimierz) Marian Drzewieniecki was born in Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland, on December 14, 1914. He graduated from a Polish military school and received his commission as an officer in 1937. He participated in the defense of Poland in September 1939 and was decorated several times for bravery with the order of Virtuti Militari and the Polish Military Cross (with two bars). After the Polish defeat, Drzewieniecki joined the Polish underground. At the end of 1940, he escaped occupied Poland to the Middle East, where a large Polish army was gathering.
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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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First Baptist Church of Niagara Falls First Baptist Church is one of the oldest and most active churches in Niagara Falls. They can trace their beginnings to 1843 to a lot on First Street proposed by Augustus Porter, for the express purpose of a church. First Baptist continued to see growth in the late 1800's, even despite a "dormant" period between 1874-1885 in which many members left for other congregations. After this time, a new spark of activity began in at the church. The church continued to grow and with the bigger presence of nearby railroads, it was determined to seek a new location for First Baptist. The old church was used until 1901, at that time they moved to their current location at the corner of Main and Fourth in downtown Niagara Falls. Soon, additions were made to the church, including Sunday school rooms and a gymnasium. Though the area of downtown Niagara Falls has drastically changed many times over the years, First Baptist continues to be an anchor for the community.
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Kratzke, Howard Leonard Howard Leonard Kratzke was born on January 20, 1917. He left home after his junior year of high school to join the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). During his three years of service in the CCC, he rose through the ranks to the grade of Sergeant. He received a Letter of Commendation from Brigadier General George Marshall for his work in the forests of Oregon and Washington.
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Whittington, Richard J. | WWI Postcard Collection The WWI Postcard Collection contains pictures and illustrations representing prevalent cultural themes from war time. These postcards paint a thousand words about life on the front and capture the spirit of one of the worlds greatest eras. This website is drawn from Mr. Richard J. Whittington’s private collection of nearly 5,000 cards and images from the years immediately preceding and including the First World War, circa. 1890-1918. The purpose of the site is to offer public access to the many moods, emotions, sentiments, and passions that were unleashed by this conflict.
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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.
WWII Prisoner of War Taped Interviews In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Archives & Special Collections has digitized a series of WWII POW interviews conducted in 1990 by Mark Rieman as part of a Master’s Thesis in History. The collection includes eight interviews with veterans spanning 1-2 hours each and discusses their enlistment, boot camp, wartime experiences, capture, treatment, liberation, and reflections on their time serving in the military. To a person, they embodied the spirit of patriotism, honor, and commitment to preserving the freedoms of a country they loved. We are honored to host this collection and thank Mark Rieman and all of the veterans who agreed to be interviewed for their willingness to commit their experiences to history.
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Contact an Archivist

Daniel DiLandro, MLS, CA
College Archivist & Special Collections Librarian
Email: dilanddm@buffalostate.edu
Phone: 716-878-6308

Hope Dunbar, MLIS, JD
Special Collections Archivist
Email: dunbarhm@buffalostate.edu
Phone: 716-878-4790