WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby donates rare historic books to U of M's College of Biological Sciences in honor of Itasca centennial
MEDIA NOTE: Media who would like to arrange a private viewing of the books may contact Peggy Rinard at (612) 624-0774. To get photos of the books, contact Patty Mattern at mattern@umn.edu
Contacts: Peggy Rinard, College of Biological Sciences, (612) 624-0774
Patty Mattern, University News Service, (612) 624-2801 or mattern@umn.edu
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (10/16/2009) — WCCO-TV News Anchor Don Shelby has donated a set of rare books by Itasca explorer Henry Schoolcraft to the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences in honor of the 100th anniversary of the university’s field station at Itasca State Park.
The six-volume set is the first comprehensive effort to document the history, geographic distribution and cultures of the Native American tribes of North America. Published between 1851 and 1857, the first edition set is valued at $20,000.
Schoolcraft, an American geographer and ethnographer, is best known for his discovery of the Mississippi headwaters and for his Native American studies. Accompanied by an Ojibwe guide named Ozawindib, he discovered the headwaters in 1832 and named the area Itasca, which combines adjacent syllables from the Latin words veritas (true) and caput (head).
Born near Albany, New York in 1793, Schoolcraft attended college and joined his father in the family’s glassmaking business. But at the age of 25, he left to explore the western frontier. He took part in several government expeditions, and began his studies of Native American tribes in 1822. His wife, Jane Johnston, whose mother was the daughter of an Ojibwe chief, shared her knowledge of Ojibwe language and customs with him.
Congress commissioned Schoolcraft to write his opus, “Historical and Statistical Information, Respecting the History, Conditions and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States,” in April 1847. The material was collected and prepared under the direction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Illustrated by Seth Eastman, the six books were published by Lippincott between 1851 and 1857.
Shelby presented the set to the College of Biological Sciences at Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories during a recent centennial celebration for alumni and donors. The occasion also marked the beginning of a campaign to raise $8 million to rebuild and modernize the station’s rustic facilities. The university will seek two-thirds of that amount from the Minnesota Legislature, and the College of Biological Sciences will seek one-third from private donors.
“I am very grateful to Don Shelby for his generosity and for his interest in supporting the university’s field station at Itasca,” said Robert Elde, dean of the College of Biological Sciences.
The books will be displayed from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in the Cargill Building, 1500 Gortner Ave., St. Paul. The display is part of a centennial celebration for the university community and the public that will include a presentation on environmental research at Itasca, screening of a new video about the station, and drawings for prizes and refreshments. Admission is free, but reservations are required. RSVP to Katie Hoffman at hoff0530@umn.edu or (612) 625-2247.
For more information about Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories, go to http://www.cbs.umn.edu/itasca/
