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Jeff Hancks, the Baxter-Snyder Professor of Regional and Icarian studies at Western Illinois University, is the co-author of a new pictorial history of WIU.
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Hancks (left) signs a copy of "Western Illinois University" for Marilyn Pruitt, who works in the office of Advancement and Public Services at WIU. Hancks signed copies of his book in the Garden Lounge of the Leslie F. Malpass Library during National Library Week last month.
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Faculty and staff in the Archives and Special Collections Unit, located in the Leslie F. Malpass Library at Western Illinois University, use a map and pins to track reference calls.
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Hancks, Author of New WIU Pictorial History, to Sign Books May 9 at New Copperfield's

May 7, 2009

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MACOMB, IL -- Preserving and promoting the history of western Illinois is the purview of Jeff Hancks, the Baxter-Snyder Professor of Regional and Icarian Studies at Western Illinois University. Along with Adam Carey, a graduate student in WIU's history department, Hancks is doing just that with the new pictorial history book "Western Illinois University."

Hancks, who works in the Archives and Special Collections Unit at Western Illinois University Libraries, said the book tells the unique story of WIU, with special emphasis on the University's growth and development since 2000. Co-authored by Hancks and Carey, "Western Illinois University" not only provides an update to WIU Professor Emeritus John Hallwas' "First Century" published in 1999, but also is a testament to how Western provides educational opportunity -- one of the University's core values -- for its students, as Carey's work on the book was in fulfillment of an applied project for his master's degree in history.

"Western's first centennial was commemorated excellently by Dr. Hallwas' 'First Century: A Pictorial History of Western Illinois University,'" Hancks explained. "But Adam and I felt there was enough else to cover about the University, since its founding in 1899 through 2008 -- and particularly in the last 10 years -- for this new pictorial history of Western. We were fortunate enough to have Dr. Hallwas' book, as well as Dr. Victor Hicken's 'The Purple and Gold: The Story of Western Illinois University,' to draw upon for our book," he added.

The book includes well over 200 images documenting the pictorial history of the University, from its inception as the Western Illinois State Normal School -- an institution commissioned to concentrate solely on the training of rural teachers -- to its current state, which includes its Macomb and Quad Cities campuses, both poised for significant growth in 21st century. The authors' book also features a chapter covering the terms of Donald S. Spencer and Alvin Goldfarb, Western's ninth and tenth Presidents (respectively), and highlights the University's 2006 venture into doctorate studies, with its offering of a doctorate of education in educational leadership.

Hancks will be signing copies of "Western Illinois University" at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at New Copperfield's, located at 120 North Side Square, Macomb. The book will be available for purchase at both signing events.

A Resource for the Region
Published by Arcadia Publishing, Hancks' and Carey's book is a result of the kind of projects for which Dr. Lillian Snyder endowed the Baxter-Snyder Professorship.

"Dr. Snyder's gift provides a base of funds to draw from, for projects like 'Western Illinois University' and for the Baxter-Snyder Professor to travel throughout the region -- to the historical societies and historical venues -- and present information about the region's rich history. My job is to promote regional history any way I can," Hancks said.

Snyder, originally from Nauvoo (IL), was a Western Illinois University professor emeritus of sociology and anthropology and passed away in November 2005. She taught in WIU's department of sociology and anthropology as the first social work professor until her retirement in 1985. In retirement, Dr. Snyder continued her social work research in aging, alcoholism, mental health and social justice. Additionally, she was a leading voice on promoting communal studies, especially Icarian Studies.

"When the endowed Baxter-Snyder Professorship was established, University Libraries renamed the 'Center of Icarian Studies,' located in the Archives and Special Collections Unit, to the 'Baxter-Snyder Center for Icarian Studies,' in honor of Snyder and her mother, Florence Baxter Snyder," Hancks explained. "The Baxter-Snyder Center for Icarian Studies houses the world's largest collection of books, manuscripts, photographs and other materials documenting the utopian Icarian experiment," he added.

The Archives and Special Collections Unit at Western also houses a number of other historical collections, including the Center for Hancock County History, which includes The Mormon Collection, as well as newspapers, periodicals, photographs, oral histories, manuscripts, books and other documents pertinent to Hancock County; the Decker Press Collection (Decker Press was a publishing company once located in Prairie City [IL] and received national attention in the 1940s, when it published works by such noted authors Edgar Lee Masters, August Derleth, Hubert Creekmore, David Ignatow, Kenneth Patchen, Kenneth Rexroth and Louis Zukofsky); Digital Image Collection, a digital database of historic images from the west central Illinois region; and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) at Western Illinois University, which is one of seven depositories in the state administered by the Illinois State Archives.

"University Archives and Special Collections' mission is to collect for 16 counties in this part of the state, and it's a really great resource for the region. I don't know if most people realize that they can utilize our collections, whether they are affiliated with Western or not. I would guess that well over half of the individuals that utilize our services are members of the regional community," Hancks said.

The unit also provides help to patrons calling from places as far west as California, as far east as New Hampshire, as far north as Saskatchewan, Canada, and as far south as Florida.

"For about a year, we have been putting pins in a map to help us track every question we answer from around the country and continent," Hancks noted. "It's surprising how much of an impact the archive has."

In addition to the newly published "Western Illinois University," Hancks has also co-authored "Tales of Two Rivers VII" with Hallwas. "Tales of Two Rivers" is published by the Two Rivers Arts Council (TRAC) and will be available in late May.

For more information, contact Hancks at (309) 298-2717 or JL-Hancks@wiu.edu. Copies of the book can be ordered online at www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738561417.

Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing