Albin O. Kuhn by Fabian Bachrach
Albin Owings Kuhn (1916-2010) was UMBC's first president (then called chancellor). He began his career in higher education at the University of Maryland, College Park; after completing his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees there, he served as a professor of agronomy and chair of the Agronomy Department. In 1965 when Kuhn was serving as executive vice president of the University of Maryland, Dr. Elkins asked him to be the head of the University of Maryland Baltimore campus. Kuhn agreed on condition that he would also oversee the creation of the new campus in Baltimore County – what would be become UMBC. The initial planning, development and construction of the campus was led by Kuhn who remained the campus leader until 1971; he retired from the University of Maryland System in 1982.
Dr. Kuhn's official portrait was made by Fabian Bachrach (1917-2010), a scion of the legendary family of photographers that stretched back four generations--more than 140 years. The first Bachrach studio was founded in Baltimore, and, at one time, there were studios in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington, D.C.
Bachrach, Fabian, 1917-2010
ca. 1970
gelatin silver prints; black-and-white photographs; 20 x 16 in.
50UMBC-056
Fine Arts Center by Baltimore Sun
The Fine Arts Building was originally intended to house a television studio, as well as the Departments of Music, Dance, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Eventually English, Philosophy, Ancient Studies, and American Studies were located there. When the Performing Arts and Humanities Building was completed in 2014, many of the departments originally in Fine Arts moved to the new building; the Fine Arts Building underwent major renovation during 2014 to 2016, and the departments of History, Africana Studies, Gender & Women's Studies, Judaic Studies, Global Studies, Religious Studies, Modern Languages, and Literature and Intercultural Communications moved into new spaces there.
Baltimore sun
Baltimore Sun Photographs
1975
gelatin silver prints; black-and-white photographs; 5.7 x 9.2 in.
P2014-01-0083
Pioneering Africana Studies Faculty Members by William Boyd
The African-American Studies Department planning committee meeting in 1973 included Dr. Daphne Harrison (second from left). After Dr. Njaka stepped down, Dr. Harrison served as Acting Director of the department; a search was instituted that resulted in the appointment of Dr. Willie Bediako Lamousé-Smith as the new department chair in 1975. The department revamped its curriculum and added new courses in the areas of the African diaspora in Africa, North America, and the Caribbean. In addition, the W.E.B. Dubois Distinguished Lecture Series was established. Harrison succeeded Lamousé-Smith as chair, serving from 1981 to 1992. Harrison gained international renown for her book Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920 and later became the first director of the UMBC Center for the Humanities. On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the department in 1995, it was renamed the Africana Studies Department.
Boyd, William
University Photographs
1973
gelatin silver prints; black-and-white photographs; 4 x 5 in.
UARC Photos-07-01-0005
Chess Master Larry Kaufman by William Boyd
UMBC's fascination with chess began early in the campus history. A query was sent to The Retriever in October 1967 asking What can be done about organizing a chess club at UMBC?" By 1968, an intramural chess tournament was hosted by the Chess Club with three divisions resulting in a playoff of the three divisional winners. The tournament was expected to take about five weeks to conclude. In 1972, the Chess Club invited chess master Larry Kaufman, an MIT graduate who was ranked 16th in the nation, to play simultaneous games against UMBC Chess Club members and any others who wished to participate. Twenty-two contestants played against Kaufman on Wednesday, September 20, 1972 in simultaneous matches. Kaufman won all games except one draw against graduate student Mike Woodward, M.S. '75, biological sciences. Skip Boyd's photograph captures the intensity of the moment.
Boyd, William
University Photographs
9/20/1972
gelatin silver prints; black-and-white photographs; 5 x 4 in.
UARC Photos 09-01-0138
Bartleby, Volume 1, Number 1 (Spring 1972). Cover design by Judith Deluca.
Although not UMBC's first literary journal, Bartleby is UMBC's longest running and continues to be one of our most well-known traditions. Originally based out of the English department, Bartleby has been published in several different formats and has, at times, accepted student, faculty, staff, and Baltimore-area submissions of poetry, literature, and artwork. Since 1989 the publication has accepted submissions that are student authored only. Bartleby is now funded by the SGA, managed and edited by UMBC students, and published every spring semester. The first issue carried the celebrated moniker, Bartleby, after a Herman Melville character. The journal has had several other titles, including Soup, Imagine, and Samsdatz, but has been published as Bartleby for the past 14 issues.
Deluca, Judith
University Publications
Spring 1972
little magazines;; 6.8 x 10 in.
UPUB E3-006_1
Farm House, Westchester County, New York by Walker Evans
UMBC's legendary Photography Collections are recognized nationally as among the top ten such holdings among U.S. colleges and universities. The collections were begun in 1973 with the acquisition of a portfolio of photographs by Walker Evans, one of the foremost image makers in the history of the medium.
Evans, Walker, 1903-1975
Walker Evans Photography Collection
created 1936, acquired by UMBC 1973
gelatin silver prints; black-and-white photographs; 4.5 x 6.5 in.
P73-01-013
Memorandum from Abraham Fox to Homer Schamp with subject, Classroom Disturbance.
Fox, Abraham
President's office records, Collection 50
5/20/1970
correspondence; 11 x 8.5 in.
50UMBC-016c
Memorandum from Abraham Fox to Homer Schamp with subject, Classroom Disturbance.
Fox, Abraham
President's office records, Collection 50
5/20/1970
correspondence; 11 x 8.5 in.
50UMBC-016d
Access from I-95 to UMBC Campus
Kuhn recognized that having an interchange at I-95 and Route 166 would be critical for UMBC, so he approached Governor Tawes in 1966 and asked for the interchange to be put into the I-95 plans. When Tawes asked John B. Funk, Chairman of the Maryland State Roads Commission, to make the change, Funk resisted by saying: We’re just about done, we don’t want any more projects.” Tawes replied: You’re going to have to put one in to have access to UMBC.” The final plan included right-of-entry for the State Highway Administration to construct a section of Metropolitan Boulevard across the corner of UMBC’s property, connecting the access to I-95 to Rolling Road. A letter from Dr. Calvin B.T. Lee to Dr. Elkins requests a letter to be written to the Maryland Department of General Services granting the State Highway Administration the necessary legal right-of-entry.
Kendig, R.E.
President's office records, Collection 50
3/9/1972
correspondence; 11 x 8.5 in.
50UMBC-009a_b
Letter from Albin Kuhn to Norman V.A. Reeves and Howard Rawlings
Dr. Kuhn wrote a ten-page response to the February 10, 1970 letter from the UMBC Caucus of Black Faculty and Staff, setting out his views and offering advice for pursuing solutions to the problems outlined by Reeves and Rawlings. Your discussions and your statement… refer to appropriate representation of blacks and, obviously, this is a problem which must receive immediate and continuing action.” He said that of the 2,286 students then attending UMBC, 74 students identified as African American. Up to that time UMBC did not recruit any students, instead relying on information supplied to high school guidance counselors and personal appearances by counselors at high school college nights. During the current year,” Kuhn stated, an attempt is being made to develop active recruitment of black students under the able leadership of a black official in administration.”
Kuhn, Albin Owings, 1916-
President's office papers, Collection 50
3/17/1970
correspondence; 11 x 8.5 in.
50UMBC-012