Today marks the 40th anniversary of the start of hearings by the Senate Watergate Committee that investigated criminal activity by White House officials and the Committee for the Re-Election of the President.  While the hearings played out on national television and radio, President Richard M. Nixon continued to carry on with his job and enjoy time with his family.  Featured below are a couple of images from the Oliver F. Atkins photograph collection that illustrate the continuation of normal activities for Nixon and his family.

Richard Nixon and his family share a laugh (May 1973). Oliver F. Atkins photograph collection, Box 22, Folder 1. George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives. Copyright not held by George Mason University Libraries. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections and Archives.

Richard Nixon and Pele pose with a soccer ball in the Oval Office (May 1973). Oliver F. Atkins photograph collection, Box 30, Folder 6. George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives. Copyright not held by George Mason University Libraries. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections and Archives.

Atkins was the Chief White House Photographer, and through 1973 and until Nixon’s resignation and departure from the White House in August 1974, he captured a side of White House life that was increasingly at odds with the ongoing turmoil outside.  Over the course of the next year, we’ll look back at some of those images from the collection.

This past Friday, April 26 2013 marked the inauguration of Mason’s sixth president, Dr. Ángel  Cabrera. The event was a ninety-minute celebration of both old and new, both tradition and innovation.  Beginning with a staid traditional  procession accompanied by an orchestra and choir, the ceremony ended with a rousing recessional by the Mason pep band, the Green Machine and their leader Dr. Michael “Doc Nix” Nickens.  The program featured speeches by Virginia Secretary of Education, Laura Fornash;  James T. “Til” Hazel accompanied by other Mason Founding Fathers; and AOL founder Steve Case.  Dr. Cabrera, in full academic regalia, was invested by Rector of the Board of Visitors, Daniel Clemente. Vintage video footage and photographs of the university’s past were juxtaposed with modern videos promoting the Mason IDEA and a spoken word performance by Mason student Sha’air Hawkins.  Dr Cabrera emerged later in a jacket and an open collared shirt with no tie to give his inaugural speech before leading the inaugural party from the stage to the Green Machine’s rendition of Battle Without Honor or Humanity.

George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera speaks at the Installation Ceremony during his Inauguration at Patriot Center, April 26, 2013. Photo by Alexis Glenn, Creative Services, George Mason University.

We thought it would be appropriate to look back on previous CEOs at Mason and see how they assumed office.

Portrait of John Norville Gibson Finley in academic regalia. George Mason University photograph collection Box 76, Folder 1. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

George Mason’s first leader was John Norville Gibson Finley, for whom Finley Hall is named. At the time of his elevation to the Directorship of the University of Virginia’s branch college in Northern Virginia (July of 1957), he was currently serving as Director of another institution of higher learning, the Northern Virginia University Center, an extension center for the University of Virginia operating at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington.  On July 20, 1957, University of Virginia President Colgate W. Darden, Jr.  sent Finley a letter instructing him to take charge of the newly created two-year branch at Bailey’s Crossroads.  The college was not called George Mason in 1957, rather it was called University College of the University of Virginia.  It would later be named George Mason College of the University of Virginia in December 1959.  We have no record of any actual “inauguration” for Director Finley, but it can be assumed that there were more pressing agenda items for the University to attend to as classes were set to begin on September 23.

Since the college was only a two-year branch of the university, Finley was not referred to as “President.”  His title was “Director,” one that would be used at the college until it became a four-year institution in 1966.  Though he was not given the fanfare of an inauguration Finley was, however, honored upon his retirement in December 1963 with a dinner. In 1972 the former North Building was renamed for him.

Robert Reid, who was Mason’s first Director at Fairfax, was hailed as Director as part of the new Fairfax Campus’ Dedication on November 12, 1964. The event was attended by U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Stuart Udall; Virginia Governor,  Albertis S. Harrison, Jr.;  and several hundred public figures, students, and local citizens.  During the Dedication, the University of Virginia’s Chancellor of Community Colleges, Joseph L. Vaughan installed Dr. Reid as Director in a brief ceremony.  Reid’s speech was about three minutes long and contained less than 300 words.

Photograph by Oliver Atkins of director, Robert H. Reid addressing the George Mason College Dedication, November 12, 1964. Oliver F. Atkins Photograph Collection Box 3, Folder 10. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

George Mason University President Lorin A. Thompson in academic regalia. Photo was taken in his office in Finley Building (formerly North Building), Room 208 on February 6, 1973. George Mason University photograph collection Box 3, Folder 4. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

On March 1, 1966 George Mason College became a four-year degree-granting college, though still part of the University of Virginia. Its chief executive would now be called “Chancellor,” and on July 1, 1966 Dr. Lorin A. Thompson was asked by the university to serve as Chancellor of George Mason College for one year until a replacement for the departing Robert Reid could be found. Thompson was a well-respected member of the faculty in Charlottesville and Director of the university’s Bureau of Population and Economic Research there.  Already sixty-four years old, he agreed to the one-year term.  But finding him to be an effective leader for George Mason, the university continued, successfully, to ask him to remain for another year every year until 1972. Under Dr. Thompson’s tenure the college moved rapidly forward, increasing in student body by five-fold, acquiring over four-hundred-twenty additional acres of land, and becoming an independent institution on April 7, 1972. At the first-ever meeting of the Board of Visitors of the now-independent George Mason University on May 31, 1972 the Board unanimously appointed him Mason’s first President, and once again Thompson accepted on the condition that it would only be for one year.  Dr. Thompson’s seven-year “temporary” assignment was not marked by an inaugural ceremony, though the then recently-completed Arts and Sciences Building was renamed for him in 1973.

Upon the retirement of Dr. Lorin Thompson, Dr. Vergil H. Dykstra took office as Mason’s second president.  In a ten-minute ceremony on July 2, 1973 the former vice president at the State University of New York at Binghamton met with both Thompson and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Robert C. Krug in his new office in Finley Hall. There, Thompson and Krug presented Dykstra with the keys to the President’s office and a set of quill pens and inkwell that were described as replicas of the ones George Mason himself used. Eighteen Mason administrators were on hand to welcome Dr. Dykstra and say goodbye to Dr. Thompson.  A university photographer captured the very brief ceremony.

Photograph of new president of George Mason University, Vergil H. Dykstra (right), shaking hands with Vice President for Academic Affairs, Robert C. Krug (left) while former president, Lorin A Thompson (center), looks on. Dykstra is holding the keys to the office in his left hand. The keys were just presented to him by Thomson during the July 2, 1973 ceremony in the President's Office in Finley Hall. George Mason University photograph collection Box 3, Folder 35. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

End of Part One.
Please click here to read Part Two.

University President, Dr. Robert C. Krug, at his desk at George Mason University, Fairfax Campus. Photograph is undated, but is most probably ca. 1977 or 1978. George Mason University photograph collection Box 2, Folder 15. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

This post is a continuation of the the original post entitled Mason Inaugurations Through the Years.

Dr. Robert Krug became George Mason University’s third president although he never interviewed for it. The unexpected resignation of President Vergil Dykstra in April 1977 came as a surprise to many, but to none more so than Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Robert C. Krug.  Krug was appointed Acting President immediately following Dr. Dykstra’s departure having learned of his new position after returning from a short vacation.  He accepted the position with the stipulation that he did not wish to remain President; he would only fill in until a new president was chosen.  His official duties began without fanfare on April 1, 1977.  Dr. Krug’s most important goals during his short term as president were to effectively define and manage the budget and to oversee the emergence of the School of Law in Arlington, which he accomplished successfully. He also oversaw the completion of the first on-campus housing, and began the work of establishing a computer system for the university. Though his title was Acting President, Dr. Krug was later was named President Emeritus by the Board of Visitors at the end of his term.

The ceremony hailing Dr. George W. Johnson as Mason’s fouth president on Saturday April 7, 1979 was Mason’s first-ever presidential inauguration.  April 7 was also University Day, the day Mason celebrates its becoming an independent university beginning in 1972.  The first inauguration of  a George Mason president was also designed to be a celebration of a successful year at Mason.  Just a few months earlier the George Mason University School of Law had been created, and Mason had been approved by the state legislature to grant doctoral degrees.

The ceremony was held in the gymnasium of the Physical Education Building (today known as the Recreation and Athletic Complex or RAC). It began with a procession of Mason faculty, representatives from over sixty other colleges and universities, members of the Board of Visitors, Mason faculty, and students. The Mason Symphonic Winds Orchestra and Mason Chorus performed the music. Speakers included Dr. J. Wade Gilley, Virginia’s Secretary of Education; State Senator, Omer L. Hirst, who noted that Mason was “on the threshold of greatness”; alumni, faculty, and student representatives. Johnson’s inaugural speech entitled “Promise” stressed his desire to educate students to become “citizens” not merely professionals. Dr. Johnson was invested by Rector of Board of Visitors, Harriet “Happy” Bradley. The festivities ended with an inaugural ball held in the lower level of the Student Union Building (now known as Student Union Building I). A live band was on hand to play music from the 1940s through the 1970s.

Dr. George W. Johnson at his inauguration, April 7, 1979, Physical Education Building, Fairfax Campus.George Mason University photograph collection Box 13, Folder 10. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

Dr Alan G. Merten was inaugurated Mason’s fifth  president on April 4, 1997 in Patriot Center.  The event was a star-studded affair, as attendees included Virginia Governor, George Allen, U.S. Senator Charles Robb, and former Mason Presidents Drs. Vergil Dykstra, Robert Krug, and George Johnson.

George Mason University Presidents from left to right: Drs. Alan G. Merten, George W. Johnson, Robert C. Krug, and Vergil H. Dykstra at Inauguration for Alan Merten, April 4, 1997. George Mason University photograph collection Box 80, Folder 3. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

After his investiture by Rector Marvin Murray, Dr. Merten gave his inaugural speech, during which he urged all members of the university community to be advocates of the expression of dissenting views and to “hold George Mason (the man) in their hearts” for his commitment to freedom and human rights. A reception was held afterwards on the plaza near Mason Hall.

Dr. Alan G. Merten and wife Sally at his Inauguration, April 4, 1997. George Mason University photograph collection. Copyright held by George Mason University. Restricted to personal, non-commercial use only. For permission to publish, contact Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries, speccoll@gmu.edu.

Detail from "Drugs store", Midwest commercial architecture photograph collection, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University.

The newly digitized Midwest Commercial Architecture Photograph Collection consists of 32 photographs depicting commercial buildings in rural northwestern Ohio with Central Union Telephone Co. signs indicating recently installed telephones. There are a variety of commercial buildings present in the photographs, as well as telephone poles, merchants’ signs, displays of goods, customers, horse drawn wagons, and bicycles. Three of the photographs do not depict buildings but, instead, one is of a telephone operator office, and the two others depict three men posing humorously for the camera. The photographs date from the early 1900s.

The details shown here are examples of signs found in the photographs. Details above are from “Laundry office”, “House with telephone sign”, and “Piper’s Grocery storefront”. Details below are from “Building with Bell telephone sign”, “Lease & Twining storefront”, and “A.D. Baumhart: The Druggist Store”. Each image of a telephone sign links to the larger photograph.

The Central Union Telephone Company was originally based in Chicago and in 1883 took over the Midland Telephone Company, a Bell organization also based in Chicago. Many Bell patents expired in 1893 and 1894 resulting in an increase of competing telephone companies. By the early 1900s the Central Union Telephone Company was headquartered in Indiana and was organized to develop telephone service in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. Mergers in the telephone industry in the early 1900s resulted in Central Union Telephone becoming part of Indiana Bell, Illinois Bell and Ohio Bell. In 1920 Central Union Telephone Company was purchased by the Ohio Bell Telephone Company which emerged from the Cleveland Telephone Company. In the 1920s telephone service in Ohio was unified under Ohio Bell. [More information can be found at the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History].

Images from other collections that feature the Central Union Telephone company in Ohio and Indiana can be found on SC&A’s Pinterest board.