Northwest Missouri State University

05/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/21/2026 10:01

10 gems in Northwest’s archives, collections

10 gems in Northwest's archives, collections

May 21, 2026

Glass negatives produced by John Cameron and donated to Northwest in 2025 by Mary Sullivan are an extraordinary addition to the University's Archives and Special Collections - but its holdings contain so much more.

Archives and Special Collections fosters the institutional memory of Northwest by acquiring and preserving materials that document the history of the campus, its programs and people who have helped shape them.

Here are 10 other unique items housed at Northwest.

1960s-era Bobby Bearcat mascot head

The art department crafted the fiberglass head for the first mascot costume in 1966.

"The American Woods," 14-volume set

The renowned collection by Romeyn Beck Hough was published between 1888 and 1928, and each book includes framed pages with slices of actual trees.

Hickory sticks

Northwest possesses two sticks awarded to the winner of the rivalry football game played with Truman State University from 1931 until 2011, when the Bearcats won the last meeting. Northwest has the original piece of hickory, measuring 30 inches, and a replacement that was used during the 1940s, while the original was declared lost until it was found in a vault.

Jean Jennings Bartik collection

Bartik received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Northwest in 1945 and went on to make history as one of the world's first computer programmers. During World War II, she was tasked with computing ballistic firing tables for the U.S. military and was later selected as one of six human computers to work on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the world's first successful electronic "general purpose, programmable" computer. Her collection contains manuscripts, books, manuals, photographs, awards and a miniature model of the ENIAC.

John and Mary Dieterich collection

John "Jack" Dieterich and Mary Garrett were Horace Mann Laboratory School students and children of Northwest faculty who married and went on to serve as Peace Corps volunteers in Chile during the early 1970s, a tumultuous period in U.S. and Chilean politics. The collection from their estate includes photographs, letters, journals, posters and memorabilia from their time in South America.

Ray L. Miller collection

A Maryville native and 1937 Northwest graduate, Miller had an illustrious military career that included World War II service and participation in D-Day as a tank destroyer artillery officer. After graduating from George Washington Medical School, he served as a physician for the Truman family in the White House. The collection contains Miller's medical equipment, military artifacts, and mementos from his service and friendship with the Truman family, including written correspondence from the president.

Percival DeLuce Memorial Collection

After the 1970 death of Olive DeLuce - who established the fine arts department at Northwest in 1915 and taught at the college until 1959 - the institution accepted a collection of drawings, paintings, prints and furniture dating back to the 18th century from the DeLuce estate. The collection includes artwork produced by Olive as well as her father, Percival, a renowned artist who maintained a studio in New York.

Women's Athletic Association scrapbooks

Before the renovation of Martindale Hall began in 2024, staff uncovered a set of scrapbooks from the 1920s and 1930s that document activities at Northwest, such as synchronized swimming and dance clubs affiliated with the WAA, which governed women's sports before the widespread adoption of Title IX and reorganization of the NCAA. The records capture an early era of University athletics and student organizations.

Froebel gifts

Chloe Millikan, who taught elementary education at Northwest from 1928 to 1961, acquired a collection of Froebel gift boxes that include dolls children played with at Horace Mann. Froebel gift boxes were a forerunner to a child-centered approach to education that remains fundamental to instruction at Horace Mann today.

Blanche Dow collection

Dow was a member of the Northwest faculty for 30 years before becoming the president in 1949 of Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri. She also served as the president of the American Association of University Women and as an advisor to the White House during the administration of Franklin Roosevelt. The collection includes correspondence files, papers, photographs and various awards.

Do you have items to donate to Northwest Archives and Special Collections?

Northwest accepts records, memorabilia, photographs and other items related to the institution's history. Contact Archives and Special Collections at [email protected] or 660.562.1192 to discuss items that may be of interest to the University.


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