Daily Northwestern archives reveal cultural shifts

A quick search of the keyword “Dillo” in the archives of the Daily Northwestern reveals a rich history of the student festival. The very first Dillo Day, known at the time as the “‘I Don’t Think We’re in Kansas Anymore’ Festival and Fair”, was celebrated in 1973.

The Daily archives contain this fact and many others. The collection is “arguably the strongest source of information” on the University’s history, according to NU Archivist Kevin Leonard.

“For a long time, the University was not tasked with collecting its historical documents exhaustively. So for the 19th and early 20th century, (the archives) is not only a great source of information, but sometimes it’s the only source of information available,” Leonard said.

Archived issues of the Daily are digitized. Students, faculty, staff and alumni can access these issues, dating back to 1871, through NU’s library search. The archives are searchable by text; all it takes is one keyword to find all available mentions of a chosen term.

History teacher Lauren Stokes stated that a simple search can lead to discoveries about the University over a period of time.

“Sometimes if you do a full-text search you just get into the thick of it and you don’t fully understand, ‘What was the culture of the Daily like back then? “Said Stokes. “I like to look up a topic in The Daily, then read around it a bit. »

During the 1918 flu epidemic, for example, articles on epidemics, reactions and quarantines could be found alongside articles on poetry, original cartoons and tobacco advertisements.

Beyond small details, reading the Daily’s archives can reveal big cultural shifts in NU’s history, she said.

When Stokes wanted to research student responses to the 1918 flu epidemic, she uncovered a deeper history of gender dynamics, editorial board controversies, and World War I.

During the war, NU men were subject to the Selective Service Act of 1917. The draft made room for more women to edit male-dominated campus publications, such as The Daily, Stokes said.

“The men are coming back from the war, and there’s a clash,” Stokes said. “The men say, ‘We came back from the war, we want the Daily to come back,’ and the women say, ‘We can do that too. » »

The Daily’s editorial board in May 1917 was made up entirely of men, except for the positions of female editor and deputy editor. In January 1919, the majority of council members were women. But by the end of 1920 the board had reverted to its male-dominated status and the designated position of “female editor” was back.

Stokes said she wouldn’t have seen the distinction without reading about her initial research into the flu epidemic at the University.

“I didn’t know I would go to 1918 and find this story about breaking down gender barriers at the Daily Northwestern, but I did,” Stokes said.

These editorial controversies are just one example of the larger storylines that can be found in the Daily’s archives.

Interested students and researchers, such as Bienen and Weinberg freshman Lily Walters, have used the archives to investigate personal curiosities and learn more about NU’s history.

“The more you find out, the more you learn about these people whose lives have preceded you,” Walters said.

Walters began browsing the archives after developing an interest in Asbury Hall. Walters often passed by 1830 Sherman Ave, where the hall once stood, and found that the building stood out for her. After speaking with the University Archivist and perusing the archives herself, Walters discovered that the 1830 building, once known as Asbury Hall, was a center for progressive activism on campus, primarily by students of color, in response to racial segregation in the 1950s and 60s.

Walters said she found the process of investigating the newspaper archives deeply rewarding.

“It was so much fun. I had the best time,” Walters said. “I felt like I was creating and uncovering my own mystery as I went.”

E-mail: lillianali2026@u.northwestern.edu

Twitter: @liliannnali

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