One of Donna Axum Whitworth’s gowns on view at “Cowtown Stardom: Fashions of Fort Worth’s Famous.” The red dress belongs to actress Ruta Lee, from Hello Dolly.
Axum’s Gown Sneaks Out for a Night on the Town
Earlier this month one of Donna Axum Whitworth’s gowns got a few nights away from the archives when it appeared in a fundraising exhibit titled “Cowtown Stardom: Fashions of Fort Worth’s Famous.” Axum was the first Miss Arkansas to win the title of Miss America and she donated her papers to Special Collections in 2009. Axum was born in El Dorado in Union County and graduated from U of A with a BA in speech and drama, as well as a MA in speech and drama. In 1988 she was named one of U of A’s Distinguished Alumni. The Donna Axum Whitworth Papers (MC1806) contain many materials related to her reign as Miss America in 1964, including photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, gowns, and more. Thanks to Cat Wallack for sharing this great photo of the dress!
From the Archives: #OTD 145 Years Ago, a Thanksgiving Holiday for Arkansas
On November 24, 1870, amidst the turmoil of Reconstruction, Governor Powell Clayton proclaimed a Thanksgiving holiday for every Arkansan. This proclamation, held in Special Collections, was published just seven years after President Lincoln had created the official federal holiday we now celebrate every November. Read more about this rare archival resource over at 365 McIlroy. Thank you Joshua! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Annual State of the Libraries Event Scheduled for December 10th
The annual End of Semester, State of the Libraries will take place in Mullins on Thursday 12/10, from 11:00-2:00pm. There is sign-up sheet on the fridge in Mullins’ Staff Lounge if you’d like to bring a treat to share, and also one to sign-up if you’d prefer to help with clean-up during or after the event. The Staff Lounge will be mostly closed for set-up from about 9:30am onward, so please plan your break schedule accordingly. Please pass this information along and feel free to contact a member of the Right Hands committee if you have any questions.
Reminders:
- New KIC Scanners are now located in MULN 221 and at the Physics Library!
- Schedules for Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball, along with this season’s parking information for Men’s and Women’s games, are now available online.
Out of Office Notices
| Name | Will be Out | Need Anything, Please Contact (479-575-XXXX) |
| Lisa Lindsey | 11/20-11/28 | Serials: 5-5415 |
Calendar of Libraries’ Events – Mark Your Personal Calendars!
| Date | Event |
| 11/30 | Open Enrollment Period for Benefit Selections Closes |
| 12/3 | Overview of iPRES 2015 with Fritz and Parker, 3-5pm, MULN 486 |
| 12/4 | RazorGift Donation Deadline, details on the Staff Senate website |
| 12/6 | Book Signing and Author Talk w/ Amy Allen, 2pm, FPL |
| 12/10 | Annual State of the Libraries Meeting, MULN Staff Lounge |