Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

 Introduction

The James McBride collection, which documents the establishment and early development of BGSU’s Firelands College, was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in 1999 by Mrs. James (Margaret) McBride. Dr. James H. McBride was the first dean of BGSU’s Firelands College, and served as its dean from 1966-1973.

The collection consists of five and one-quarter linear feet of office files, scrapbook materials, and reel-to-reel audiotapes, which cover the years 1965 to 1985. The majority of the collection consists of scrapbook materials which include newspaper articles, pamphlets, brochures and other such documents.

There are no restrictions on the collection’s use for research purposes. This register was completed by Quiana Williams, Student Archival Assistant, in October 2009.

 Biographical Sketch

BGSU’s Firelands College, located in Huron Ohio, first opened its doors on September 25, 1968. Its goal was to offer higher education and non-credit lifelong learning classes to those who reside in Erie, Huron, Ottawa and the surrounding areas. Since its opening, thousands of students have earned degrees and taken non-credit classes.

Dr. James H. McBride, revered by former colleagues as a “man devoted to education,” served as superintendent of schools in Norwalk for fifteen years and in Amherst for one year before becoming the first dean of Firelands College in June 1966. McBride served as Dean of Firelands until 1973 when he stepped down and became Firelands’ coordinator in the office of community services. He retired in 1983. McBride died in his home in Huron in 1997 at the age of 84. In his honor, the auditorium and arboretum on the Firelands campus are named after him.

 Scope and Content

The James H. McBride collection documents twenty years of information regarding the establishment and early development of the Firelands College located in Huron, Ohio. The collection consists of office files, scrapbook materials, and reel-to-reel audiotapes. The office files (1965-1976), which are arranged alphabetically, include information regarding fund raising, planning committee files and site maps for the campus.

Scrapbook materials (1966-1985) mostly contain newspaper articles, but also include brochures, pamphlets, flyers and other such documents. Because of the brittle nature of the news clippings, photocopies were made and are included in the collection while the originals were disposed of. Also included in the collection are clipping files on the Little Red Schoolhouse, which was once located in Huron County, but was dismantled and moved to BGSU’s main campus. The collection ends with three 1965 reel-to-reel audiotapes of an Erie, Huron, and Ottawa Vocational Education meeting and a Chamber of Commerce special award dinner.

This collection illustrates how Firelands College was first established and how it developed during its beginning years.

 Series Description

SUBJECT FILES

SUBJECT FILES
Office Files
1965-1976.
Arranged alphabetically.
Includes documents regarding Firelands College and its advisory committee, board of trustees, building committee, fund raising, donors, and the Committee on Educational Development. 2.5 linear feet.

SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS

SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS
1966-1985
Arranged chronologically
Includes newspaper articles, brochures, pamphlets, flyers, and other such documents regarding Firelands College. 2.5 linear feet.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDINGS

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDINGS
Audio Tapes (3)
April 29, 1965, May 27, 1965
Recordings of an Erie, Huron and Ottawa Vocational Education (EHOVE) meeting and a Chamber of Commerce special award dinner. .25 linear feet.

 Inventory

Box 1

1. Establishment of a tri-county campus of BGSU (Firelands), 1965-1966
2. Advisory Committee, 1966
3. Agendas (committee/board meetings), 1964-1966
4. Athletics-file on Ohio Regional Campus Basketball Tournament, 1973
5. Board of Trustees, 1966-1967
6. Building Committee, 1966
7. Bylaws of COED (Committee on Educational Development), 1966
8. Campaign (fund raising), 1966-1968
9. Code of Regulations, 1965
10. COED-Executive Committee/Board meeting minutes, 1975
11. COED-Memorial Gifts (many in memory of Dr. Prout), 1966-1967
12. COED-Resolutions, 1965-1966

Box 2

1. COED-Tax Files, 1969-1981
2. Contacts (fund raising), 1966
3. Donors-Industry, 1966
4. Donors-Merchant, 1966
5. Donors-Individuals, 1966
6. Donors-Special Gifts, 1966

Box 3

1. EHOVE (Erie, Huron, Ottawa Vocational Education Committee), 1965
2. Exemptions (Tax), 1966
3. Financial Papers/Reports, 1966-1976
4. Founding Fellows-Special Donor Requests, 1966-1976
5. General Information (publications on Firelands), 1966-1970
6. Legal Papers-mostly involving real estate, 1966
7. Master Plans, 1965-1966
8. Miss Firelands Contest, 1971, 1972

Box 4

1. Name for College, 1966
2. News articles on the establishment of Firelands, 1965-1969
3. News releases on establishment of Firelands, 1966
4. Nominating Committee, 1966
5. Ohio Board of Regents-matching funds, 1966
6. Sewer and Water District, 1966

Box 5

1. Steering Committee, 1966
2. Survey Committee (site), 1966
3. Tri-County office equipment, 1966
4. Site maps and blueprints, 1966

Box 6

1. Scrapbook materials, 1966
2. Scrapbook materials, 1967
3. Scrapbook materials, 1968
4. Scrapbook materials, 1969
5. Scrapbook materials, 1970

Box 7

1. Scrapbook materials, 1971
2. Scrapbook materials, 1972
3. Scrapbook materials, 1973
4. Scrapbook materials, 1974

Box 8

1. Scrapbook materials, 1975
2. Scrapbook materials, 1976
3. Scrapbook materials (on the Little Red Schoolhouse), 1969-1976
4. Scrapbook materials, 1977

Box 9

1. Scrapbook materials, 1978
2. Scrapbook materials, Jan. 1979-Feb. 1980

Box 10

1. Scrapbook materials, March 1980-Dec. 1980
2. Scrapbook materials, Jan. 1981-July 1982
3. Scrapbook materials, Aug. 1982-Aug. 1983
4. Scrapbook materials, Sept. 1983-Aug. 1985
5. Scrapbook materials, Sept. 1985-March 1987
6. Scrapbook materials, Non-Credit Lifelong Learning (Continued Education), Fall 1975-Summer 1986
7. Scrapbook materials, Firelands Class Schedules, 1981-1985

Box 11

1. Chamber of Commerce Special Awards Dinner (1 tape), April 29, 1965
2. Reel-to-reel tapes: EHOVE Meeting (2 tapes), May 27, 1965

Manuscripts by Subject | Education Collections | BGSU Centennial Collections