Malcolm Price Laboratory School Cornerstone Contents, 1952
Scope and Contents
On October 30, 1952, the cornerstone of the new campus laboratory school was laid. According to The Alumnus, volume 36, number 4 (December 1952), page 3:
"A metal box encased in the cornerstone should provide some distant future generation with a panorama of life and educational methods in this year of 1952 Contents of the metal box include a photograph of college officials instrumental in the planning of the building, architects from the firm which drew up the plans and teaching department members, and copies of daily newspapers.
Literature pertaining to the Campus School is also in the box, articles like a statement of the philosophy of the school, staff list for 1952-53, a Teachers College catalog, a copy of the campus school student newspaper, copies of the school schedules, guides for student teachers, Hudson School and Campus School handbooks, evaluation of student teaching and a college directory."
The school, later named the Malcolm Price Laboratory School, closed in June 2012. When the building was demolished in the spring of 2013, the cornerstone box was recovered. The box was opened, with some difficulty, on June 29, 2013, at the annual picnic of the Alumni and Friends of the Price Laboratory School. Professor Katherine F. Martin was present to accept the contents of the box on behalf of the Rod Library. Professor Martin delivered the contents to Rod Library Special Collections and University Archives on July 1, 2013.
The metal cornerstone box was still sound, but the contents of the box had deteriorated. Most of the material showed moisture damage. There did not seem to have been any substantial leakage. In all likelihood, ambient moisture in the box and in the surrounding masonry caused the damage. Most documents in the cornerstone were quite damp and showed some evidence of mold when Professor Martin received them. Some documents had partially or almost completely disintegrated. Staples and other metal fasteners were completely corroded.
The contents of the box were air-dried in Special Collections and University Archives for a year. In August 2014, Special Collections staff assessed the condition of the material. All material was completely dry. There was no evidence of active mold growth. However, conditions during their sixty-one years in the cornerstone box had rendered some pieces both unusable and potential sources of mold growth. Consequently, those pieces were photocopied, and the originals were discarded. If a piece was photocopied or discarded, that action is noted in the inventory below.
Dates
- 1952
Creator
- Malcolm Price Laboratory School (Organization)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Access
This material is fragile and must be handled with great care.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code § 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Extent
3.75 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Appraisal, Destruction, and Scheduling Information
The following original materials were discarded upon processing due to poor condition and active deterioration. For some items, photocopies were made and retained in their place. Others had copies elsewhere in the University Archives collections.
- Iowa State Teachers College Bulletin, January 1951 (the college catalogue)
- Source of Pupil Population in Iowa State Teachers College Campus School for the Ten Year Period, 1940-1950. 1 mimeographed sheet
- Student Teacher Ratings and Comments on the Evaluation of Supervision at the Edison Affiliated School, Department of Teaching, Iowa State Teachers College, fall quarter 1951. 5 stapled sheets. Comments section not present.
- Student Teacher Bus Schedule. 1 mimeographed sheet
- Department of Teaching Staff, 1951-1952. Three stapled sheets.
- The Little Panther (TCHS yearbook), 1950
Processing Information
Inventory developed by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson, July 2013, with scanning by Assistant Archivist Dustin Witsman, August 2014; updated, August 29, 2014 (GP). Updated by Library Associate Dave Hoing, January 2018. Linear feet updated on August 31, 2017.