It’s not very often that a reference librarian gets to attend a House Science Committee briefing, but this week I had the wonderful opportunity to attend one. Being the self-proclaimed weather gal at the Library, I was thrilled when an invitation to attend a committee briefing related to weather was forwarded to me by my …
The names Jay Gould and James Fisk Jr. are linked in American business history in the age of “robber barons.” Together, they controlled the Erie Railroad, were part of the Tammany Hall set, and wrangled with J.P. Morgan over the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad. James Fisk, Jr.was born April 1, 1835 in Pownal, VT. His …
Today’s post is by 2012 Junior Fellow Brian Horowitz of the University of Maryland, College Park. The Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is both the Maryland state reptile and the official mascot of the University of Maryland (UMD). The bronze statue of Testudo, a gift from the class of 1933, sits with pride on the campus at College …
With summer winding down and our interns returning to school, we are featuring a Five Questions post with intern Shayela Hassan. Shayela’s assignment in our division gave her the opportunity to immerse herself in the Library’s collection of cookery and food history books. 1. What is your background? I’m a first-generation American girl born to …
A number of years ago I was asked for help in finding information on someone who supposedly worked for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, and in the process, I was surprised to discover that the Manuscript Division has some of the company records. Ever since then, every time I run across a mention of this …
There is something about a full moon that affects us (sometimes literally!) and our admiration of it can be found in art, literature, music, and poetry. The full moon is revered in many cultures across the globe. In North America, tribes of Native Americans gave varying names to the full moons according to the season, …
Today’s guest post is by 2012 Junior Fellow Alec Korte. A life worth living is a life worth insuring. The above quote was the bedrock on which Judge Willard Phillips, a Massachusetts lawyer, founded the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1835. The anchor that held that bedrock firm was the leadership at the top, which …
1. What is your background? Excluding five years in California, I have lived most of my life in Bowling Green, Ohio, home to its namesake university as well as the National Tractor Pulling Championship. I am currently enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, where I am studying Mechanical Engineering and, eventually, Business as part of …
The 30th Olympiad of the Modern Era, aka London 2012, is here! This is the third time London has hosted the Olympics. The first time was in 1908 (4th Olympiad) and the second was in 1948 (14th Olympiad). I thought it would be fun to examine how the Olympics have changed in the past 100 years , so I’m going to …
John Jacob Astor was born July 17, 1763, in Walldorf, Germany (near Heidelberg). He came to the United States after the American Revolution and began trading furs, shipping them to Europe via New York. Business was good, and Astor was well on his way to making his fortune when he got a boost with …