Jack Hovelson and Ruth (Vial) Hovelson collection
Scope and Contents
The Jack and Ruth Hovelson collection dates from the 1950s and consists primarily of materials related to Jack and Ruth’s time as students at the Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa). The collection includes many ephemeral materials from their school days, such as campus event programs, athletics programs, restaurant placemats with Ruth and Jack’s signature, alongside their friends’; a calendar; commencement and baccalaureate programs; and student activity / organization certificates. Also included are campus publications such as student handbooks, the Lawther Hall handbook, and directories from 1950, 1952-1953, and 1956-1957.
Jack Hovelson wrote for the College Eye and the collection includes clippings, writing and journalism assignments, and columns representing his work. All of his College Eye articles are accessible online via IndexUNI.
The collection contains a variety of photographs from ISTC in the 1950s, which feature campus events, such as athletics and other activities.
Finally, the collection includes a handful of non-Iowa State Teachers College items, including booklets for electrical and mechanical work, and toys / games, as well as a few external publications.
Dates
- Creation: 1952 - 1954, Undated
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Materials are open for research.
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Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the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.
Biographical / Historical
Jack Hovelson was born on November 27, 1932 in Osage, Iowa. He graduated from the Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) in 1957. While at ISTC, he was involved in the Social Science Club, Sigma Tau Gamma, Alpha Phi Gamma, and the College Eye and Old Gold staff. Following graduation, Hovelson worked in journalism for his entire career, including at the Fort Dodge Messenger, the Waterloo Courier, and served as the head of the Des Moines Register’s Northeast Bureau in Waterloo, Iowa, from 1968-1996. He additionally worked on a short assignment for USA Today in Washington D.C. Post retirement, Hovelson served as the University of Northern Iowa student newspaper, the Northern Iowan, advisor and was active in his church and community. Hovelsen passed away on February 13, 2024.
Ruth Vial Hovelson was born on December 23, 1934, near Laurens Iowa. She attended ISTC and earned a two year teaching elementary diploma in 1954. While at school, she was involved in Phi Sigma Phi and the Women’s Chorus. She taught fifth and sixth grade in Alta, Iowa, and spent one year at the Orange Township elementary school. She later worked as an Avon representative and was active in her church and community. She passed away on March 19, 2019.
Jack and Ruth met while they were both students at ISTC. They married in 1956 and had two daughters. The collection includes a corsage from Jack to Ruth, and the form they filled out for their newspaper wedding announcement.
Extent
2.15 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Rosemary Beach donated these materials to SC&UA.
Processing Information
Collection processed and finding aid written by processing archivist Tessa Wakefield, January 2025.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin