Massie, Larry

McFarland, Jodi

Smith, Jenifer A.

Wagenaar, Larry J.

English

Digital Commons@Hope College

Hope CollegeDigital Commons @ Hope CollegeThe Joint Archives Quarterly College PublicationsSpring 1994The Joint Archives Quarterly, Volume 05.02: Spring1994Jodi McFarlandLarry J. WagenaarLarry MassieJenifer A. SmithFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.hope.edu/jaquarterlyPart of the Archival Science CommonsThis Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at Digital Commons @ Hope College. It has been accepted forinclusion in The Joint Archives Quarterly by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Hope College. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@hope.edu.Recommended CitationRepository citation: McFarland, Jodi; Wagenaar, Larry J.; Massie, Larry; and Smith, Jenifer A., "The Joint Archives Quarterly, Volume05.02: Spring 1994" (1994). The Joint Archives Quarterly. Paper 15.http://digitalcommons.hope.edu/jaquarterly/15Published in: Joint Archives Quarterly, Volume 05, Issue 02, Spring April 1, 1994. Copyright © 1994 Hope College, Holland,Michigan.The ointAJrc.....~Volume 5 Number 2 Spring 1994Holland's Great Bank Heist of '32This diagram appeared in a special edilion or The Holland Sentinel, Sept. 29, 1932.Trail of Holland Bank Bandits and Gun Fight Victims'l ,• ~ •COlilIN\JU • 0 wcp CtU6NT U,lr • •~011 7noSf • ,•• 0· ,r r- • 5z S ;0" /0 zr ~z ~HOW J>~NDITS E.SCAPE.DF~OM TH E. CITyl~Jodi McFarlandBaby-faceNelson. AI Cap-pone, John Dill-inger. Their verynames call up themafia of the 19JOs.complete with thedrama of gun bal-ties and policechases.Those notoriouskingpins seem farremoved frompeaceful Hollnnd.but in 1932Holland cltpcrienc-cd criminal excite-ment of its ownwhen sub·mnchincgun toting banditsheld up the FirstState Bank, nowFirst of America,on Eighth Street,AI about 9:30 onthe morning ofSept. 29, 1932.between five andseven banditsenlcrcd the bank.pronouncing thephrase bank tellersdread: "This is a(Cllnl'..-.Ioo r-F ~lSo You've Been Assigned the Archives...So ii's your job 10 care for the stuff in the church's c1osel-that forgotten room somewhere in the basement? It's full ofaton of old bulletins. funny looking ledgers and dustyphotogrnphs of people no one k.nows.May~ you're a volunteer for a small historical societymuseum and have been appointed the "archivist"· and it hasleft you looking for the dictionary to figure out what thatmean!>. Or you have an attic full of family memories and it'stime to make sense of it all. What do you do?Of course getting a handle on an "archives" is mosl often aninvolved process, but there are a few things you can do that(Conunucd on pqc 4)From the DirectorSince our last issue I have had the opportunity to processa number of new archival collections that aro nowavailable for use. These include the large collection of radiopastor Rev. Harry Hager. the WHTC archives, the recordsfrom one of Hope College's major governing boards. and thcpapers of RCA missionary Jeannelle Veldman.The Harry Hager Collection revealed the techniques of aman who served as a precursor to the major TV evangelists.The local radio station lold me stories about the early days ofthis new medium - and what it look to gCI it off the ground inHolland. The Academic Affairs Board is currently telling thestory of how the academic program is fannulated. and con-stantly improved, at Hope College.Each of these collections was an experience in learningabout something new. But looking back on the last few mon-ths. it was Jeannette Veldman's papers that I enjoyed the most.In processing the papers of individuals, i( seems like eachtime I am getting to know someone personally. Over the pastSC\ieral years I have had the opponunity to speak with MissVeldman on many occasions. including JUS( a few days beforeshe passed away earlier this year. We spoke about her elt-perienccs and it was a privilcge to hCllr about all of her effonsin various RCA l1li~~ions.11 was in the procc!tsing ofhcr collection. though, that I rcal-Iy got to know her. Her voluminous correspondencc IOld ofher long-suffcring in China in thc ycars leading up to WorldWar II. hcr internment by the Japanese. and persecutIon dur-ing the communist takeover . She shared the vision of missionsduring her ......ork In Arabia in letters to friends and the chaptersof a proposed book funher revealed her decp faith and com-nlltmenl.In my work as director I end up doing many things. Someare mundane, likc handling thc budgct or filling out paper-work. Other tasb, like hclping people find things in theirresearch, processing collections, or visiting with a donor archighlights of the day. My cltpcrience wilh Miss Veldman'scollection was just thllt kind of highlight. Maybc a fcw rays ofher sunshine will fall on others who use the collection and itslegacy in the years to come.Larry J. WagenaarDirector1994 Spring SpeakerLarry MassieWednesday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.The Joint Archives has announced its Spring Speaker for1994. Dr. Larry Massie. a historian known for his storytellingllbility and p:lssion for Michigan History, will be joining us forhis illustrated presentation, "Romance of Michigan's Past."Massie has authored many books on Michigan history, in-cluding one on Holland which was published by (he HollandChamber of Commerce.The Siltth Annual Spring Speakcr this ycar will be the firsthcld in the evcning so that all will be able to attend. Massie'sprogram will begin al 7:30 and will be followed by a receptionin the Joint Archives reading room. This program is open tothe public and (hcre is no admission charge.2Part of a SeriesWomen in Holland's HistoryBy uamining th~ many colt~ctiofU at th~ Joint Archi~'~swhich highlight wom~n and womm's organiwtionr on~ cancJMrly su th~ intellectual, social, and political ways in whichth~s~ indidduals and groups ha\'e shaped Hol/fmd's history.The Woman's Christian T~mperance Union "u/{l~ lasting con-tributions to /he character of HoI/and.Established in 1877, (heHolland chllpter of the WOllllln'sChristian Temperance Unionbecame very innuential in statepolitics. During Prohibition, theHolland chapler becme thelargest in the state of Michigan.One of their goals in 1929, writ-tcn in the organization's annualrepon, was to gCI Holland youth10 sign the "Youth's Roll Call."The document read:Emma Kollen I)icters.)rcsident, WCTU. 1927Our Nation stands upon the threshold of a new epoch ofnational life. With President Hoover I WANT PRO-HIBITION TO SUCCEED. I WANT TO GIVE PRO-HIBITION ITS CHANCE. That the constitution may beprotected and orderly government presen'ed, I declarem) purpose 10 abstain from the use of all alcoholic li-quors as a beverage. to suppon and defend the Eigh-teenth Amendment and thus to contribule 10 thc successof prohibition. IWith the repeal of prohibition in 1933, the WCTU ultimate-ly failed to succeed at this mission. Thcse wOlllen, however,did have a las(ing impac( on local and state politics. Perhapstheir greatest legacy was giving women's ideas a public forumand a strong voice.I "'nnu~lll.cpon, wCTU. 1929. in \\·\llTUln'. Chrhllan Ttnlpt'rllllrt Un~," M...,ords.HQI1~nd Ih~l)I"lr.l Tru~ CollccllOAGreat Bank HeistCCOIlI1Il11Cd from pq.e IIhold up. ,. Just then a customer began to enter the bank. and.taking in the scene. turned on his heel and ran down EighthStreet. shouting the alann. The bandits shot their way out ofthe bank with some $70,000 in cash and bonds, in the processinjuring bystandcr Petcr Dejongh.The bandits ned 10 their getaway car, spraying an estimated100 bullets from pislOls and sub-machine guns al storefrontsalong Eighth Street. Bullet scars may still be secn on the Cen-tral Aveue side of Resthaven's Warm Friend.The bandits' Studebaker squealed away. with three of Ihebandits sustaining bullet injuries. and was pursued by a posse-filled car. As the bandits roared ou( of town on SiltteenthStreet, a second gun bailie occurred. Bandits stopped GeorgcBoennan. forcing him to park his tTUck across the road. Theensuing e;(change of bullets whizzed over Bocnnan's head ashe lay face down on the road. Police officers hastily retreated(Conllnued 011 pqe J)wThe Joint Archives QuarterlyThe Processor's TableWomen Missionaries •III the Reformed ChurchAssigned to the Archives(CoaIuu:d from pqc I)will go a long way to preserve your collection. The first is totake a look at the physical surroundings of the materials. Is itin an auic or basement that has wide tcmperature and humidityfluctuations (a terrible place for archives)? Consider moving itto a "safer" place somewhere on the main floor of yourbuilding. Is Ihe material exposed 10 hannful ultraviolet radia-tion from the sun? A move away from the windows would be agood idea.Secondly. you need to take a look al exactly what you wantto keep and decide how to organize it. There is little need tokeep matcrials on St. Louis. even if it is from 1823. if you'relocated in western Michigan (consider sending it to an archivesin Missouri).If )-ou run into a dOlen copies of the same magazine issueprobably one - or at the most two - will be enough. On theother hand organization ean be a somewhat trickier issue,sol1lCthing where a little professional guidance can go a longway.This summer at the Joint Archives of Holland you will havethe opportunity to learn some of the basic lools of the tradeprofessionlll IIrchivists use every day. We will be hostingArchives 101: Basic Archivlil Skills Workshop Saturday.June 18. It is designed for those who find themselves caringfor "archives" but do not have professional training. Theworkshop will be useful for the layperson - not jusl fuJI oflechical jargon and expensive procedures no one can use.Dr. Richard "Dick" Harms will be our presenter for theday. Dick has done a number of our workshops and is con-sistently complimented on his easy-to-understand approachand dry wit. The fee is $30 for this day-long workshop whichincludes lunch.(C"nllnkiW from PIIJlC 2)when the bandits swept the street with sub-machine gun fire.The bandits sped off again. leaving a trail of nails strewn intheir wake. which flattened their pursuers' tires. and the trailwas lost ncar Burnips.No convictions were ever made in relation to the bank rob-bery of '32. although there were suspicions that the banditshailed from Chicago. To this day it remains unsolved in thefiles of the Holland Police Depanment.Great Bank Heist of '32I. Oll~. France' PlYlps. in 11w IntrllilloflC'l'r-l.ndtr. December S. 1941. ISbegan a nursing school which served Iraq, Kuwait. Bahrain.and Oman. Veldman served as a missionary for nearly 40years (until 1967): her papers provide us with an inspiring ex-ample of a very courageous and intelligent woman who wascalled to dedicate her life to helping olhers.The fascinating stories of these and many other women mis-sionaries can be found in the Western Theological SeminaryCollection of the Joint Archives of Holland.Jeannette VeldmanAt Hope CollegeInspired. perhaps. bythe earlier work ofwomen at foreign mis-sions. JeannelleVeldman received acall to become missionary at the young age of 18. Aflergraduating from Hope College, Ms. Veldman continued herIraining as a nurse and began her long career of missionaryservice in 1930 at Hope Hospital (buill by none other thanJohn One) in Amoy. China. Afler the communist governmentovenook Arney in 1949. Veldman was foreed to leave thecountry. InSlead of rclUrning to the United States. however.Veldman tooL on another assignment.lhis time at the Refonn-ed Church in America's Arabian Mission. While Ihere shebyJenifer A.SmithCollections ManagerOne of my duties as Collections Manager is 10 creale a cod-ed record of each of OUT collections and send it to a nationalbibliographic dalabliSC (OCLC). While creating these recordsfor our Western Theological Scminllry Collection I hllvediscovered many collections that arc especially noteworthy.One particularly significant group is the many collections wehold which document the role of women missionaries of theReformed Church in America.Women have been involved with mission work at least since1875. when the Women's Board of Foreign Missions wasestablished. These women originally supported missionaryschools through prayer and monetary gifts and later began seT·... ing as missionaries themselves.Frances Phelps Otte. a Hope College educated woman,travelled to Amoy. China with her medical missionary hus-bllnd. John OUe. Allhough nOl a mIssionary herself. she serv·ed by writing about the tremendous strides of the medicalll1i~­sionaries and encouraging OIhers to help:Surely great II'omlersJUlI'e been per/ormell iI/the hospitals in lheAmoy Missioll. Shallf10r th, sam#! 1m'" nm-/Hlthy and eftan I\hiehS1(lrled Ihe medicallI'or4 in our del/omina-tioll inspire /IS af! togrellfer fili/II anll COl/se-quellt resufts ill ti,ecoming years ill spite ojall fhe present hall-llicaps oj war and trou-ble in the lI'orld today?It is Jar us to cominuethis el'u-unJinisheds)'mphOflY oj 10l'e andun'ie#!. I3t£, 10 ,S\3\\ )\uu\l,u3.lD s,\lUU\\O\\paJsanbaH u0!J;)a.IJ0:J ssa.lPPVG'6£# 1!WJ8dOIVd39VlSOd -s-nuO!lez!ue6JO1!l°Jd-UON1lv6v 1\"\ 'plll'll'lil • <ndlliln ,,:1:1[[,\) a-..klllIB' "'il.... I'" ~ 'I""U "'-"'.' YI • '"-'11''' ""II •••", tl'- ".' "111' 'I' 'II113.lN3:J IUllV3S311 )..llOl...o.;lllPU"II0 H JO S"A!'{~JV ~U!Oi J'{.lFor ntorc information call (616) 394-7798Name _Registration $30.00Includes Lunch, Refreshments and all materialsPlease make checks payable 10 The Join( Arehil'es ofHolland. No ealreel/arion after June 1.State-Zip. _Return to: Archives 101 WorkshopThe Joint Archivcs of HollandHope College CampusHolland, MI 49423Institutional Aflililltion (if any)Address _City _Archives 101 ScheduleJune 18, 1994BreakSession II: Accessioning New Materials,Appraisal of Historical Value, and Conser-vation of Deteriorating Paper ItemsLunch (provided)Session III: Arrangement and Descriptionof Archival Materials, Providing ReferenceHelp. Security, and Dealing withPhotographsEvaluation and Final RemarksRegistration and CoffeeSession I: Collecling Archival Materials,How Do I Do It?3,308:309,0012,001,3010:30IOA5.

The Joint Archives Quarterly, Volume 05.02: Spring 1994

https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=jaquarterly

The Joint Archives Quarterly, Volume 05.02: Spring 1994

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Digital Commons@Hope College