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Donald E. Shepardson Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 12/06/02/01

Scope and Contents

The collection has been arranged into four series. The first, Personal Materials, dates from the 1970s-2000s and includes three groupings. Shepardson's Photographs consist of assorted images of people as well as what appear to be various war / battle reenactments. The second grouping, Ephemera, includes newspaper articles authored by Shepardson concerning history and international affairs; materials related to West Point; and assorted magazines, recognition certificates from UNI, UNI ROTC, and the Department of the Army. The final grouping in Series 1, Miscellaneous, is comprised of one page of Shepardson genealogy and several partial essays / papers possibly written by Shepardson that are focused largely on European history and the World Wars. It is not clear if Shepardson authored these items, which is why they are not in the publications series of this collection.

Series 2, Correspondence, dates from 1976-1980 and 1994-1996. Much of it focuses on Shepardson's efforts to have his "A Faraway Country" script picked up for television production. Also included are letters with Peter Lang Publishing Inc. (1994-1996) concerning publication of Rosa Luxemburg and the Noble Dream, as well as a 1979 letter from UNI President John Kamerick.

The third series, Publications, contains partial copies, drafts, and completed versions of some of Shepardson's publications. Please see the inventory for a complete list. Additionally, there are a few miscellaneous publication-related material including setting text instructions, preparing artwork instructions, and a two page biography.

The final series in the collection, Classroom Materials, makes up the bulk of the collection. Included are syllabi and documents detailing the course's topic. Please consult the inventory for more information. The majority of this series consists of transparencies, presumably used in Shepardson's teaching. These feature various historical figures and events, such as battles, maps, and more.

Dates

  • 1970s-2016

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions. Materials are open for research.

Technical Access

Some photographs are stored on CDs and require playback equipment.

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. If you are unsure where to begin, please consult the Copyright LibGuide. Please note that it is not the library's responsibility to locate or contact copyright holders for a patron, and neither the library nor library employees are responsible for copyright violations of the materials to which they facilitate research access.

Please see our full General Use and Service Policies for more information.

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 ยง 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

Donald E. Shepardson was born on May 14, 1936, in Port Huron, Michigan. He graduated with his bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1961 and earned his masters and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1964 and 1970 respectively. He also was a United States Air Force veteran, having served in Korea.

Before coming to the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Shepardson taught at Western Illinois University, Bowling Green State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He began his nearly 50 year career at UNI in 1970.

Shepardson's research interests included Modern European, Modern Diplomatic, and Modern Military History. Courses he taught included Humanities, General History, History of 19th and 20th century Europe, and Diplomatic and Military History. He also published works such as Rosa Luxemburg and the Noble Dream (1996) and Conflict and Diplomacy from the Great War to the Cold War (1999). He was recognized for his teaching in 1995 when he received the UNI College of Social and Behavioral Science Outstanding Teaching award as well as in 1999, when he was a recipient of the Iowa Regent's Award for Faculty Excellence.

Shepardson taught until his death in March 2017.

Extent

5.0 Linear Feet (6 boxes)

Arrangement

  • Series 1: Personal Materials
  • Series 2: Correspondence
  • Series 3: Publications
  • Series 4: Classroom Materials

Bibliography

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid written by Archival Processor Tessa Wakefield, May 2019.

Title
Donald E. Shepardson Papers
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository