Collections : [Western Connecticut State University Archives and Special Collections]

This is a small collection of the records of the Town of Danbury. It includes Selectmen, financial, School Board, Town Clerk, and Town Counsel records. Materials document town construction projects, social welfare, roads, the School Board, the airport, the 1955 Danbury flood, the agreement between the town and the AFSCME/AFL-CIO, the 1934 project for sewers, drains and treatment plant, town audits, town taxes and 1950s fallout shelters. These documents include announcements of upcoming Town Meetings, school bonds, budgets, property transactions, petitions, tax revaluation and appeals, town financial statements and a ledger of Registered Physicians in Danbury.

Davida Blakeslee was born in Thomaston, Connecticut in 1910, and was a 1929 graduate of Danbury Normal School. She received her B.S. from Teachers College of Connecticut at New Britain in 1958, and her Master of Education from the University of Hartford in 1961. She taught in public schools for more than 30 years. This collection is comprised of a scrapbook she made as a keepsake for her time at the Danbury Normal School.

The role of the the Division of Academic Affairs has evolved in name and purpose over the history of the WCSU. Currently the division is headed by the V.P. of Academic Affairs & Provost. The Division of Academic Affairs collection includes: administrative records, accreditation records, admissions data, institutional research and assessment records, and strategic planning information.

The records of the Office of Finance and Administration contain records from the following departments under the V.P. for Finance & Administration: Fiscal Affairs, Institutional Services, and the Division of Public Safety. Also incuded are University Events' invitations and programs from commencements, convocations and events from 1906-2007.

The Division of Student Affairs is responsible for oversight of university functions affecting student life and for setting and enforcing related policies. The division's records consist of administrative information, committee files, annual reports, and budgetary records as well as files pertaining to student organizations. The records of the Division of Student Affairs span the dates 1926'-2006, and are organized into seven series: (1) Athletics/Recreation, (2) Campus Ministries, (3) Career Development Center, (4) The Counseling Center, (5) Health Services, (6) Housing/Residential Life, (7) Student Life, and (8) Student Affairs.

Don Stitt is an actor, writer, director, choreographer and composer who began his career in the mid 1960s. He received his MFA from WCSU in 2007. The collection includes his written work created throughout his career in the theater.

Dr. Ellen M. Rosenberg was a member of the anthropology department at Western Connecticut State University. This is a collection of research papers completed by students of her "Religion in Society and Culture" course in 1975. The papers profile congregations in the Danbury Area.

The photographs and photographic negatives in this collection come from The Echo's 'Photo Morgue'. Some of these photographs were used in issues of The Echo, others were unused. They are kept in the original negative sheets. Some negative sheets have hand-written notes describing the subject, date, and photographer of the photographs. Other negative sheets are blank.

Edward Eliscu, actor, lyricist, playwright, screen and songwriter, producer, and director was born in New York City on April 26, 1902. The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, scripts, lyrics, music, and other writings.

Smedley was an active member of the Socialist Party in the 1930s. He ran for Comptroller of Waterbury, CT on the Socialist platform in the municipal election of 1939 and in 1948 he was the Socialist Party candidate for U.S. Senator from Connecticut. Smedley was also an attorney for numerous labor and advocacy organizations. This is a small collection of his correspondence.