Francis J. Michelini Papers, 1954-2019, bulk 1970-1975
File
Identifier: 02-02-001
Scope & Content
The Francis J. Michelini Papers contain an assortment of materials ranging from the end of Dr. Farley’s administration into Dr. Michelini’s administration, such as institutional and personal correspondence, handwritten notes, cards, briefs, budgets, applications, development material, calendars, a cookbook, newspaper articles, reports, bulletins, scrapbooks, publications, photographs, objects, oral histories, memorandums, committee meeting minutes, policies, speeches, academic department files, as well as files concerning outside institutions such as the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority and collaborative academic programs such as the Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program. In addition, this collection contains Dr. Michelini’s inaugural film from 1970 as well as audio recordings of President Nixon’s visit to Wilkes College on September 9th, 1972 and Dr. Michelini receiving the Henry D. Paley Memorial Award for "Outstanding Advocacy Service to American Higher Education," awarded by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities on February 7th 1991, with guest speaker Senator Ted Kennedy. This collection provides historical information regarding Wilkes College before, during, and after Hurricane Agnes in June 1972 and the recovery efforts made by the Wilkes College community and the Wyoming Valley. For more information on cleanup and recovery efforts, see the Flood Recovery Task Force, Inc. Records finding aid.
Dates
- 1954-2019, bulk 1970-1975
Access:
Open for research. There is a box of restricted materials containing personal addresses and administrative and faculty applications that will be restricted for the next 80 years from creation until 01/01/2072.
Biographical Sketch:
Francis J. Michelini, known to generations of Wilkes students and faculty as “Dr. Mike,” was born on November 9, 1925 in Clifton, New Jersey. He attended Seton Hall College but World War II military service interrupted his studies when he joined the Army Air Corps. He served in the Rhine Campaign in the European Theatre of Operations as a radio operator with the 9th Air Force and 3rd Army. After the war, he returned to Seton Hall College to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. In 1952, he married Anne Marie Sterner (December 3, 1927-2007) and they were married for 55 years before she passed in 2007. They had three children, Michelle Michelini Hardiman, Lisa Michelini Spengler, and Lucia Michelini. In 1950, he earned his Master of Science degree in Biology at the University of Delaware and his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania in June 1955.
In 1955, he accepted a position at Wilkes College as the third full-time faculty member in the Biology department. From 1962 to 1963 he spent a year at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. as Assistant Program Director, where he traveled extensively supervising programs inaugurated in more than 300 college and universities throughout the country. He returned in 1963 and became Dean of Academic Affairs, where he developed many majors and programs, specifically in environmental sciences and engineering. He became the second President of Wilkes College from 1970 to 1975. Described at the time as one of the worst natural disasters in United States history, Hurricane Agnes devastated the Wilkes-Barre community, including the Wilkes College campus on June 23, 1972. Dr. Michelini’s leadership in establishing “Operation Snapback,” a recovery plan to ensure the campus would be ready for classes in the fall of 1972, allowed the college to survive over $15 million in flood damage. During the devastation, all 58 campus buildings were inundated. During the summer of 1972, National Guardsmen and crews of volunteers, which included Wilkes faculty, students, parents, and friends, assisted in cleanup and recovery efforts. Michelini became a valued member of the Flood Recovery Task Force, Inc. an organization dedicated to rebuilding the Wyoming Valley. He was the co-chair with Reverend Lane D. Killburn of King’s College on the Flood Recovery Task Force Committee on Private Educational Institutions. Together they worked to convince the Nixon Administration that the two relief bills, the Disaster Relief Act of 1970 and the Agnes Recovery Act of 1972 should include private institutions in order to remain valuable pillars of the Wyoming Valley. Senators Hugh Scott, Senator Richard Schweiker, and Congressman Dan Flood supported their proposal and brought this issue to Congress. On August 3, 1972, President Nixon delivered a message to congress endorsing this proposal. Congress agreed and added Section 4 of the Agnes Recovery Act to include remedial relief for private institutions. This assisted not only Wilkes College and King’s College but seven private schools in the area, including Bishop Hoban High School, Central Catholic High School, Wyoming Seminary, Wyoming Seminary Day School, Electronic Computer Center, St. Aloysius Elementary School, and Holy Name Elementary School.
A grant of $50,000 from the Haas Community Fund enabled the College to establish the Wilkes Community Effort, WCE, to provide services for flood victims in Luzerne County. These services included student labor for cleanup and home-repair work for elderly or needy flood victims, arranging transportation of individuals from their temporary post-flood homes in trailer parks to the polls on Election Day and to cultural and athletic events at Wilkes throughout the year, and providing educational workshops and recreational activities for flood victims. On September 9th, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited Wilkes College to provide a $4 million check to aid the college in recovering from Hurricane Agnes. To the astonishment of many, the College completed summer classes in the upper floors of its buildings and began the academic year on September 25 1972. While the government aid helped Wilkes recover greatly, the total losses to the college totaled $10 million. President Michelini decided to fundraise and find other sources of revenue to aid the college in recovery. He traveled around to various organizations with Director of Development Thomas F. Kelly to fundraise for the college. Dr. Michelini continued to rebuild the college in the years that followed. He received recognition from the United States Congress and numerous awards for his direction and leadership of recovery efforts after Hurricane Agnes.
In 1975, fellow presidents asked him to serve as the President of the Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities, an organization supported by 80 independent colleges in the Commonwealth created to represent the public policy interests of those institutions and their students. His service in that position earned him recognition from state and federal associations with awards in 1991 such as the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities “Sheepskin Award” for exemplary service to Pennsylvania higher education, and the “Henry D. Paley Memorial Award for Outstanding Advocacy Service to American Higher Education” awarded by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Since 1992, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvannia awards the “Francis J. Michelini Award for Outstanding Service” every year to individuals who have distinguished records of service to higher educations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During and after his presidency at Wilkes, Dr. Michelini served on many organizations and institutions. From 1971 to 1979, he served on the Governor’s Science Advisory Committee, appointed by Governor Milton Shapp, and from 1975 to 1979, he served on the Pennsylvania Science and Engineering Foundation. From 1979 to 1982, Michelini also served as Chairman of the Washington, D.C. based State Associations Executive Council. For twenty years, he served as a Board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Michelini was so highly respected among federal and state officials that many governors reappointed him to various positions. For twenty years, Michelini served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education and was the Chair of the Higher Education Council from 2002 to 2013. Both Governor Mark Schweiker and Governor Edward Rendell reappointed him to these positions as well. In 2000, the Secretary of the Army appointed Dr. Michelini to the Army to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. The Secretary of the Army awarded Dr. Michelini the Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2004. On November 10, 2015, Wilkes University dedicated the residence hall at 80 West River Street in Dr. Michelini’s honor. During this dedication ceremony, the AFROTC Honor Guard presented the colors in recognition of Dr. Michelini’s service to his country in World War II. Wilkes University also named The “Michelini Greenhouse” on the roof of Wilkes University’s Cohen Science Center in his honor in 2013.
In 2012, Dr. Michelini and other Wilkes presidents, Christopher N. Breiseth, Robert Capin, Joseph E. Gilmour, professor emeritus Jim Rodechko and Robert B. Heaman established an Oral History group with the intention of interviewing past Wilkes administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Michelini would frequently return to Wilkes’ campus to participate in these oral history interviews up until his passing. He passed on September 12, 2019 at the age of 93. At his memorial in October, 2019, Thomas F. Kelly, 1969 Wilkes graduate and retired vice president of external affairs at Binghamton University, recalled Dr. Mike’s leadership during an uncertain time in the college’s history: “Dr. Mike assured us that we could do it—that saving Wilkes was a noble and worthy task.” Kelly accompanied Dr. Mike on fundraising campaigns and said many organizations were impressed with him because “they saw a charismatic leader with great energy and a great strategic plan for restoring Wilkes. When Wilkes needed a hero, Dr. Michelini was there and Wilkes can be forever grateful.”
In 1955, he accepted a position at Wilkes College as the third full-time faculty member in the Biology department. From 1962 to 1963 he spent a year at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. as Assistant Program Director, where he traveled extensively supervising programs inaugurated in more than 300 college and universities throughout the country. He returned in 1963 and became Dean of Academic Affairs, where he developed many majors and programs, specifically in environmental sciences and engineering. He became the second President of Wilkes College from 1970 to 1975. Described at the time as one of the worst natural disasters in United States history, Hurricane Agnes devastated the Wilkes-Barre community, including the Wilkes College campus on June 23, 1972. Dr. Michelini’s leadership in establishing “Operation Snapback,” a recovery plan to ensure the campus would be ready for classes in the fall of 1972, allowed the college to survive over $15 million in flood damage. During the devastation, all 58 campus buildings were inundated. During the summer of 1972, National Guardsmen and crews of volunteers, which included Wilkes faculty, students, parents, and friends, assisted in cleanup and recovery efforts. Michelini became a valued member of the Flood Recovery Task Force, Inc. an organization dedicated to rebuilding the Wyoming Valley. He was the co-chair with Reverend Lane D. Killburn of King’s College on the Flood Recovery Task Force Committee on Private Educational Institutions. Together they worked to convince the Nixon Administration that the two relief bills, the Disaster Relief Act of 1970 and the Agnes Recovery Act of 1972 should include private institutions in order to remain valuable pillars of the Wyoming Valley. Senators Hugh Scott, Senator Richard Schweiker, and Congressman Dan Flood supported their proposal and brought this issue to Congress. On August 3, 1972, President Nixon delivered a message to congress endorsing this proposal. Congress agreed and added Section 4 of the Agnes Recovery Act to include remedial relief for private institutions. This assisted not only Wilkes College and King’s College but seven private schools in the area, including Bishop Hoban High School, Central Catholic High School, Wyoming Seminary, Wyoming Seminary Day School, Electronic Computer Center, St. Aloysius Elementary School, and Holy Name Elementary School.
A grant of $50,000 from the Haas Community Fund enabled the College to establish the Wilkes Community Effort, WCE, to provide services for flood victims in Luzerne County. These services included student labor for cleanup and home-repair work for elderly or needy flood victims, arranging transportation of individuals from their temporary post-flood homes in trailer parks to the polls on Election Day and to cultural and athletic events at Wilkes throughout the year, and providing educational workshops and recreational activities for flood victims. On September 9th, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited Wilkes College to provide a $4 million check to aid the college in recovering from Hurricane Agnes. To the astonishment of many, the College completed summer classes in the upper floors of its buildings and began the academic year on September 25 1972. While the government aid helped Wilkes recover greatly, the total losses to the college totaled $10 million. President Michelini decided to fundraise and find other sources of revenue to aid the college in recovery. He traveled around to various organizations with Director of Development Thomas F. Kelly to fundraise for the college. Dr. Michelini continued to rebuild the college in the years that followed. He received recognition from the United States Congress and numerous awards for his direction and leadership of recovery efforts after Hurricane Agnes.
In 1975, fellow presidents asked him to serve as the President of the Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities, an organization supported by 80 independent colleges in the Commonwealth created to represent the public policy interests of those institutions and their students. His service in that position earned him recognition from state and federal associations with awards in 1991 such as the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities “Sheepskin Award” for exemplary service to Pennsylvania higher education, and the “Henry D. Paley Memorial Award for Outstanding Advocacy Service to American Higher Education” awarded by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Since 1992, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvannia awards the “Francis J. Michelini Award for Outstanding Service” every year to individuals who have distinguished records of service to higher educations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During and after his presidency at Wilkes, Dr. Michelini served on many organizations and institutions. From 1971 to 1979, he served on the Governor’s Science Advisory Committee, appointed by Governor Milton Shapp, and from 1975 to 1979, he served on the Pennsylvania Science and Engineering Foundation. From 1979 to 1982, Michelini also served as Chairman of the Washington, D.C. based State Associations Executive Council. For twenty years, he served as a Board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Michelini was so highly respected among federal and state officials that many governors reappointed him to various positions. For twenty years, Michelini served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education and was the Chair of the Higher Education Council from 2002 to 2013. Both Governor Mark Schweiker and Governor Edward Rendell reappointed him to these positions as well. In 2000, the Secretary of the Army appointed Dr. Michelini to the Army to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. The Secretary of the Army awarded Dr. Michelini the Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2004. On November 10, 2015, Wilkes University dedicated the residence hall at 80 West River Street in Dr. Michelini’s honor. During this dedication ceremony, the AFROTC Honor Guard presented the colors in recognition of Dr. Michelini’s service to his country in World War II. Wilkes University also named The “Michelini Greenhouse” on the roof of Wilkes University’s Cohen Science Center in his honor in 2013.
In 2012, Dr. Michelini and other Wilkes presidents, Christopher N. Breiseth, Robert Capin, Joseph E. Gilmour, professor emeritus Jim Rodechko and Robert B. Heaman established an Oral History group with the intention of interviewing past Wilkes administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Michelini would frequently return to Wilkes’ campus to participate in these oral history interviews up until his passing. He passed on September 12, 2019 at the age of 93. At his memorial in October, 2019, Thomas F. Kelly, 1969 Wilkes graduate and retired vice president of external affairs at Binghamton University, recalled Dr. Mike’s leadership during an uncertain time in the college’s history: “Dr. Mike assured us that we could do it—that saving Wilkes was a noble and worthy task.” Kelly accompanied Dr. Mike on fundraising campaigns and said many organizations were impressed with him because “they saw a charismatic leader with great energy and a great strategic plan for restoring Wilkes. When Wilkes needed a hero, Dr. Michelini was there and Wilkes can be forever grateful.”
Extent
49 boxes (35 document boxes, 1 record box, 3 artifact boxes, 6 oversized boxes, 1 film box, 3 photo boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Provenance:
The Michelini papers were initially transferred to the Wilkes University Archives prior to 2012. The 16mm inauguration film and 35mm Agnes flood photographs were donated by Francis J. Michelini on September 22, 2016 to the Archives. Dr. Michelini donated the scrapbooks to Wilkes University Archives in July 2019 during an oral history visit. After Dr. Michelini passed, his daughters, Lisa Michelini Spengler and Michelle Michelini Hardiman donated remaining objects, photographs, and documents concerning Dr. Michelini’s administration and response to Hurricane Agnes in December 2020. The United States National Guard took the aerial shots of the 1972 Agnes flood photographs, and Jim Kozempchak took the community and campus photographs while he was a contracted photographer for Wilkes College.
Acquisition:
The Michelini papers were initially transferred to the Wilkes University Archives prior to 2012. Systems and Public Services Librarian Elizabeth Sullivan created an inventory of the collection in 2012. The 16mm inauguration film of Michelini and the 358 35mm Agnes Flood slides were accessioned on September 22nd 2016. The scrapbooks were accessioned in July 2019. The remaining objects and materials donated by Dr. Michelini’s daughters, Lisa Michelini Spengler and Michelle Michelini Hardiman, were donated in December 2020.
Condition:
Many of the materials in this collection are flood damaged. The flood damage includes pages that are stuck together, runoff ink making a few documents illegible, and crinkled and damaged paper. Mitigation efforts were made by librarian Elizabeth Sullivan to remove mold from documents in 2017
Copyright Status:
Copyright remains with Wilkes University.
Processed By:
Suzanna Calev, Archivist, Spring 2020- Spring 2021.
Series Description:
The Francis J. Michelini Papers, 1954-2019, are divided into fourteen series: Series I: Administration, 1954-1987, Series II: Newspaper Clippings, 1969-1976, Series III: Post Administration Files, Series IV: Correspondence, 1966-1976, Series V:Departments, 1945-1976, Series VI: Institutions, 1965-1976, Series VII:Programs and Committees, 1955-1976, Series VIII: Students, 1965-1971, Series IX: Agnes Flood Oral Histories and Film, 1970-2019, and Series X: Scrapbooks, 1946-2017, Series XI: Photographs, 1970-1972, Series XII: Oversized Objects, Series XIII: Flood Publications, 1955-2017, and Series XIV: Restricted, 1968-1973. Series I: Administration, 1954-1987 is divided into two subseries: Subseries I: Farley Administration, 1961-1987, bulk 1961-1970, and Subseries II: Michelini Administration, 1967-1975, bulk 1970-1975. Series V: Departments, 1945-1976 is divided into three subseries: Subseries I: Wilkes College Departments, 1962-1976, Subseries II: Institute of Regional Affairs Department Files, 1945-1975, and Subseries III: Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Files, 1945-1973. Series VII: Programs and Committees, 1955-1976, is divided into three subseries: Subseries I: Programs, 1957-1974, Subseries II: Committees, 1955-1976, and Subseries III: Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program, 1969-1972.
Series I: Administration, 1954-1987
Series I: Administration, 1954-1987, is divided into two subseries: Subseries I: Farley Administration, 1954-1987, bulk 1961-1970 and Subseries II: Michelini Administration, 1967-1975, bulk 1970-1975. These subseries are separated based on administrative materials from the first Wilkes presidential administration, the Eugene S. Farley Administration, and the second Wilkes presidential administration, Francis J. Michelini Administration. In cases where folders contained materials from years that overlapped both presidencies, the archivist decided to put these folders in the Michelini administration subseries.
Subseries I: Farley Administration. 1961-1987, bulk 1961-1970
Subseries I: Farley Administration is arranged alphabetically by subject and contains memorandums, applications, speeches, policies, pamphlets, committee meeting minutes, development materials, briefs, and budgets from the Farley presidential administration. Within this subseries, there may be correspondence dispersed among other materials, but the folders are not strictly correspondence as they are within Series IV.
Subseries II: Michelini Administration, 1967-1975, bulk 1970-1975
Subseries II: Michelini Administration is arranged alphabetically by subject and contains addresses, agreements, applications, committee meeting minutes, programs, budgets, reports, memorandums, development pamphlets, calendars, cookbook, policies and procedures, notes, and faculty information from the Michelini administration. Folders that contain sensitive information in the form of administrative applications during the presidential process and residential addresses have been removed to Restricted Box #1. Many materials within this series contain reports, memorandums, and information regarding Dr. Michelini’s leadership and direction after Hurricane Agnes in June 1972.
Series III: Post Administration Files, 1983-1994
Series III: Post Administration Files contain Wilkes materials that Dr. Michelini collected after his presidential administration. Dr. Michelini stayed involved at Wilkes in other capacities after his presidency. He remained in close contact with successor presidents, Bob Capin, Christopher Breiseth, Tim Gilmour, and Pat Leahy. In Summer 2016, the past presidents decided to create a Past Presidents Oral History Group with the goal of interviewing Wilkes staff, faculty, and alumni on their tenures at Wilkes. Oral History interviews on Hurricane Agnes and Dr. Michelini’s administration can be found in Series IX: Oral Histories and Film, 1970-2019, and can also be found in the Past Presidents Oral History Project Collection.
Series IV: Correspondence. 1966-1976
Series IV: Correspondence, 1966-1976, is arranged alphabetically by last name of the creator and/or recipient and contains handwritten letters, carbon copy correspondence, and notes to and from various individuals and institutions. It should be noted that there is correspondence dispersed in other series in this collection, however, the majority of the correspondence contained within this series is strictly letters, carbon copy correspondence, and handwritten notes. Many of this correspondence is written by Dr. Michelini or Dr. Farley to various corporate bodies and individuals regarding Wilkes College events, proposals and programs, local politics, and recovery efforts of the Hurricane Agnes devastation in Wilkes-Barre. The correspondence is a mixture of professional and administrative correspondence and personal correspondence.
Series V: Departments, 1945-1976
Series V: Departments, 1945-1976 is arranged into two subseries and one subsubseries: Subseries I: Wilkes College Departments, 1962-1976, Subseries II: Institute of Regional Affairs Department files, and Subseries IIA:Wyoming Valley Sanitation Files.
Subseries I: Wilkes College Departments, 1962-1976
Subseries I: Wilkes College Departments, 1962-1976 is arranged alphabetically by Department Title and contains files from various academic departments at Wilkes College including bulletins, notes, memorandums, correspondence, guidelines, reports, and publications. There is correspondence from faculty chairs and deans to President Michelini and President Farley during their presidencies.
Subseries II: Institute of Regional Affairs Department Files, 1945-1975
Subseries II: Institute of Regional Affairs Department Files, 1945-1975, is arranged alphabetically by Folder Title and contains administrative department files such as budgets, publications, correspondence, reports, and memorandums. The Director of the Institute of Regional Affairs, Hugo Mailey, played a huge role in creating programs and regionalizing the Wyoming Valley area in the 1960s. These materials are very fragile and flood damaged. Many documents are stuck together and have ink faded. For more information on Hugo Mailey and the Institute of Regional Affairs, please see the Hugo Mailey Papers, 1953-1989.
Subseries IIA: Wyoming Valley Sanitation Authority Files, 1945-1973
Subseries IIA: Wyoming Valley Sanitation Authority Files, 1945-1973, is arranged alphabetically by Folder Title and contains company policies, incorporation documents, correspondence, publications, financial and environmental reports, meeting minutes, ordinances, and leasing agreements. These documents are flood-damaged with faded ink, deteriorated paper, and documents that have stuck together during recovery efforts. Hugo Mailey established the Wyoming Valley Sanitation Authority in 1962 as a means to regionalize sewage treatment plants. Fourteen town municipalities joined the authority and although many believed his regionalization efforts would fail, it still exists to this day.
Series VI: Institutions, 1965-1976
Series VI: Institutions, 1965-1976, is arranged alphabetically by Corporate Name, and contains correspondence, forms, applications, publications, bulletins, accreditation reports, promotional pamphlets, institutional address lists, budgets, memorandums, plans, policies, procedures, and other corporate files that were exchanged between the Farley and Michelini administrations. The correspondence in this series is different from Series IV: Correspondence because it contains other types of documents, and not solely correspondence. You will find institutions listed in the Correspondence series as well.
Series VII: Programs and Committees, 1955-1976
Series VII: Programs and Committees, 1955-1976 is divided into three subseries: Subseries I: Programs, 1957-1974, Subseries II: Committees, 1955-1974, and Subseries III: Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program, 1965-1972.
Subseries I: Programs, 1957-1974
Subseries I: Programs, 1957-1974, is arranged alphabetically by Program Title and contains correspondence, memorandums, class outlines, syllabi, applications, pamphlets, publications, surveys, and other files from various academic and institutional programs at Wilkes College and in the Wyoming Valley. Some of the materials are flood damaged and ink is faded, or pages are stuck together.
Subseries II: Committees, 1955-1976
Subseries II: Committees, 1955-1976, is arranged alphabetically by Committee or Council Name and contains meeting minutes, memorandums, correspondence, news bulletins, newspaper articles, petitions, proposals, publications, from internal Wilkes academic and administrative committees and outside committees within Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County. Some of the materials in this series are flood damaged.
Subseries III: Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program, 1969-1972
Subseries III: Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program, 1969-1972, is arranged chronologically by date and contains materials related to the creation of the Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program. This series includes materials such as grant applications, correspondence, meeting minutes, proposals, news articles, reports, publications, opposition reports, and program outlines. The Hahnemann-Wilkes Medical Program was established in Fall 1972 and was spearheaded by Joseph Dipalma, Dean at Hahnemann, Dr. Wilbur Oaks, Professor at Hahnemann Medical College, Dr. Ralph Rozelle, the Wilkes College Graduate Division Chairman, Eugene S. Farley, Chancellor of Wilkes College, Dr. Francis J. Michelini, President of Wilkes College, and officials of the General Electric Corporation. These members developed an affiliation agreement between Wilkes College and Hahnemann Medical College to hold the first two years of the program at Wilkes College, the next two years at Hahnemann Medical College, and the following two years within a network of cooperating Wilkes-Barre hospitals and under the training of Hahnemann personnel. Students in this medical program received their degrees in six years, compared to eight years, which reduced the cost of medical education and enabled more physicians to enter Hahnemann and Wilkes Barre healthcare systems. The medical program was a huge success between the years of 1972-1982 with the last students receiving their bachelors in May, 1985.
Series VIII: Students, 1965-1971
Series VIII: Students, 1965-1971, is arranged alphabetically by Folder Title and contains deans lists, correspondence, proceedings, handwritten notes, dormitory agreements, memorandums, promotional student pamphlets, press releases, guidelines on student publications, administrative guidelines on student protests, student action committee meeting minutes, and student publications. This series focuses on student activism and student life during the transitions between the Farley and Michelini administrations, specifically involving student unrest and protests from 1965-1971. These materials reveal Wilkes administration’s reactions to students’ activism in the late 1960s through the early 1970s. From 1969-1970, Wilkes College students along with other university students across the United States participated in campus protests, sit-ins, and demonstrations to oppose the war in Vietnam. On October 15, 1969, Wilkes College students participated in a nation-wide moratorium for peace in Vietnam. The following year in May, 1970, approximately 200 Wilkes College students participated in a “May Day” demonstration at Public Square to protest the war in Vietnam. The rally was sparked by killings of Kent State University students in Kent, Ohio on May 4th, 1970. This series contains flood-damaged materials.
Series IX: Agnes Flood Oral Histories and Film, 1970-2019
Series IX: Agnes Flood Oral Histories, 1970-2019, is organized chronologically by date. The Media Preserve, Inc. digitized the 16mm inauguration film and the President Nixon/award ceremony recording. The film is 16 minutes long. he recording of President Nixon’s visit to Wilkes College on September 9th, 1972 is approximately 7-8 minutes followed by a recording of Dr. Michelini receiving the Henry D. Paley Memorial Award for "Outstanding Advocacy Service to American Higher Education," awarded by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities on February 7th 1991, with guest speaker Senator Ted Kennedy. The oral histories were conducted by Public Services and Systems Librarian Elizabeth Sullivan, Wilkes’ 2nd President, Francis J. Michelini, Wilkes’ 4th President, Christopher Breiseth, Wilkes’ 5th President, Joseph E. Gilmour, Professor Emeritus Jim Rodechko, and Professor Emeritus Robert Heaman. This group formed in the Summer-Fall 2016 with the purpose of recording institutional history from the perspectives of Wilkes administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni. The oral histories in this series include perspectives from Dr. Michelini on the devastation and aftermath of Tropical Storm Agnes during his presidency as well as stories and reflections from his daughters, Lisa Michelini Spengler and Michelle Michelini Hardiman.
Series X: Scrapbooks, 1946-2017
Series X: Scrapbooks, 1946-2017, is arranged in chronological order by date. These scrapbooks were created and compiled by Dr. Francis J. Michelini and document his life at Wilkes as Biology Professor, Academic Dean and as President. These scrapbooks contain photographs, correspondence, publications, newspaper articles, handwritten notes, and reflections. The archivist digitized the scrapbooks in their original plastic-metal ring binders but once digitized, removed the binders and placed the scrapbooks into acid free folders for long-term preservation. Sensitive information has been redacted from various pages within each scrapbook containing personal addresses and/or phone numbers.
Series XI: Photographs, 1970-1972
Series XI: Photographs, 1970-1972, are arranged by call number. This series is organized into two 35mm photo boxes of slides taken by the National Coast Guard and Wilkes College Faculty member and photographer Jim Kozempchak and family. In the April 24th 2017 oral history interview, Dr. Michelini discusses the possible origins of these photographs and poses Kozempchak as a likely source, but in later email exchanges, Dr. Michelini believes the aerial shots were taken by the United States National Coast Guard. Many of the photographs documenting the campus prior to the flood were taken between 1970-1972 before the flood hit. The photographs that document the devastation and recovery efforts were taken in late June-July of 1972. The film was developed in 1975.
Series XII: Oversized/Objects
Series XII: Oversized/Objects, is arranged alphabetically and contains various objects that relate to Dr. Michelini’s time at Wilkes as well as commemorative items. These oversized objects include jackets Dr. Michelini wore during the Tropical Storm Agnes cleanup, Christmas music records, ruler, trophies, snifter commemorative glasses, small commemorative glasses, posters, commemorative plates, ashtrays, a framed drawing, a book end, and a 1975 autographed baseball from the 1975 Wilkes baseball team.
Series XIII: Hurricane Agnes Flood Publications, 1955-1973
Series XIII: Flood Publications, 1955-1973, is arranged chronologically by publication date and contains published news articles, books, photo albums, and accounts of the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes. There are some personal reflections, post-its, and email commentary dispersed through one of the publications, A Portrait of Agnes. Included in this series is also a publication that documented the 1955 Delaware Valley Flood.
Series XIV: Restricted Files, 1968-1973
Series XIV: Restricted Files, 1968-1973, is arranged chronologically by series and folder title and contains sensitive information regarding administrative and faculty applications, personal addresses, contact information, student records, and letters of recommendation. For most retention schedules, applications would be disposed of after a certain number of years, however, the archivist has decided to keep these files in the restricted series because there is correspondence along with these applications that reveal relationships between Wilkes College faculty and administrators and other academic administrators and faculty members across the U.S. These applications provide historical context to the interconnectedness of the academic world in the U.S. in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The restricted items will be lifted approximately 2072.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
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Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu