Diverse Friends' Programs Spotlight Declaration of Independence Signers and History of Muncie's Organized Labor

The Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library at Ball State University sponsored two free programs in November and December, 2006. Both were held in Bracken Library’s Forum Room and were open to the public.

Founding Fathers and Signers of the Declaration of Independence was presented by Tom Schnuck on Monday, November 13, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Schnuck showed examples from his outstanding collection of documents from the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and he shared insightful stories about the Founding Fathers.

Organized Labor in Muncie: An Oral History was presented by Professor James J. Connolly, former state representative Hurley Goodall, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Emeritus Warren Vander Hill on December 5 at 7:30 p.m.

This program focused on an oral history project sponsored by the Center for Middletown Studies to record the history of labor unions in Muncie.

The taped interviews were digitized to be made available as part of the Middletown Digital Archives in the Digital Media Repository. The oral history collection is part of a Muncie Labor Archives that were officially dedicated as part of the evening’s program.

For more information or to join the Friends, contact John B. Straw, Executive Secretary for the Friends and the Alexander M. Bracken Library and Ball State University Libraries’ Director for Archives and Special Collections Research Center, JStraw@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5078.