Search

This collection holds the papers of Robert O. Blunk, Jr. from 1923-2011 and includes some material in regards to his late wife, Katherine J. Blackwood Blunk. Box 1 of the collection begins with generic information regarding Blunk including his biographical information, certificates and similar materials, World War II Memorabilia, correspondence excluding World War II, and printed materials. Certificates and awards, printed materials, and correspondence from Katherine Blunk are also available. The remainder of the folders in box 1 pertain to community art and Blunk’s own sketches and published artwork. Notable materials include the Save the Arches campaign and the Chanute/Wright Memorial plans, photos, and correspondence. Box 2 categorically contains letters and envelopes pertaining to or from World War II, maintained in chronological order from 1939-1971 (primary 1942-1945). Box 3 holds many sketchbooks from Blunk’s early career (~1950s) as well as materials from the scrapbook held in box 6 along with other artifacts from Blunk’s career. More sketchbooks and free sketches can be found in box 4, in addition to oversize memorabilia from the Chanute/Wright Memorial. Box 5 contains two bound scrapbooks from the Viking House and boxes 7 and 8 contain material intended to go to the Beach Museum.

The Correspondence Series is comprised of two boxes that extend over an 81-year period, starting in 1913 and ending in 2004 and arranged in alphabetical order. Majority of correspondence relate to the purchase of milling equipment such as elevators, dryers, flour packers, and sifters; the purchase of the Lemon Mill in Bedford, Indiana and the Ginger Feed and Elevator Company, Jeffersonville, Indiana; the sale of the company’s products such as corn meal, dog food, flour, livestock feed, and Glu-X; and the sale of the Seymour Mill. Correspondence between Phil Robertson and G. Terry Sharer, discusses historical milling machinery the Robertson Corporation donated to the Smithsonian in 1979. In 1980, Phil Robertson attended a reception hosted by the Smithsonian on the acceptance of the historical machinery. Equipment donated to the Smithsonian Institute.
The Financial Records are house in six boxes. Five boxes, 1928-2004, are filed in alphabetical order. They include annual meetings with statements of profit and loss, account ledgers, accountant's compilation report, auditors compilation report, balance sheets, cash flow statements, capital investments, estate transfers, financial statements, income tax basis, income tax returns, purchase orders from companies such as Advance Fabricators, Bearings Incorporation, Creason Corrugating, and Insects Limited, and sales and production figures. One box consists of the 1959 Ewing Mill appraisal, a Peoples bankbook, cash books, check stubs, financial ledgers, a payroll ledger from 1916 to 1917, production ledgers, sales slips, and a 1916 shipment register.
Minutes are stored in four boxes. (1960-1997, 2007-2009) are stored in two boxes and give insight on the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals of the Robertson Corporation. Each set of minutes contain travel plans, the price of crops on the market and a general overview of the company. There are two boxes of formal minutes in minute books (1960-2009).
The Subject Series (1874, 1881-2004) is the largest of all of the series. It is housed in nine boxes and contains insurance policies, newspaper clippings and class notes from when Joe E. Robertson attended Kansas State University in the 1940s. Listed alphabetically, the series covers the purchase and sale of mill property and equipment, contracts, events, feed and grain, flour standards, general milling information, history of the companies and employees, inventories, newspaper clippings, patent information, research, and one of the later important pieces of the corporation’s history: how the company eventually turned to Glu-X as a main product. Aerial view of the Ewing Mill in Brownstown, IN.
The Photographs Series (1900-2000) consists of four boxes of photographs and one box of glass negatives. It includes aerial views of the corporation, views of the mills, the after effects of a large snowfall, exhibits, and fires. Some of the photographs date back to 1900. This series is a picture book of change and innovation with photos ranging from horse and buggy to early automobiles, then on to large loading trucks. An interesting set of photos shows construction of the Ewing Blending Plant. With the photos in order, one can see each step of the construction from beginning to end. Not all photographs are business-related as there are family photos of each family member inside and outside the office. Notable family photos include a photo of Phil Robertson at the Smithsonian and photos of the Robertson's as boys and men.
Oversize Materials are stored in three boxes and includes newspaper clippings, Robertson Corporation abstract, loan application, mortgage, feed lists, equipment blue prints and printed material. Ewing, Indiana. Printed Material is the second largest series in the collection and is comprised of eight boxes. The largest section in this series is Articles that includes items from Milling and Baking, The Northwestern Miller, and Random Lengths. Brochures and pamphlets dot the landscape of printed material and include research findings from respected institutions or from attended research symposiums. Many of the magazine articles deal with World War II or the Russian grain embargo. There is also a collection of books pertaining to the history of milling and includes a copy of The Robertson Corporation 1880-2000 written by R. R. Phil Robertson. Family member Richard S. "Dick" Robertson wrote Recollections of My Life in Brownstown, Indiana, included in the collection. These recollections are snap shots of Dick's life in Brownstown. The Artifacts Series is stored in one box and includes flour slicks, commemorative coins, packaging bags for Glu-X and Triple-R dog food, and promotional items.
The Artifacts are stored within the department's Artifact Collection. Box 40 in this inventory lists the artifacts.

This collection documents the activities of the Henry Rogler family and the Rogler Ranch Incorporation, also known as Pioneer Bluffs Ranch, from 1874 to 1993. It contains information on the family history, family correspondence, corporate records, photographs, and the Tallgrass Prairie.
The Family History series is comprised of one (1) box and includes information pertaining to the personal lives of family members separate from the work of the ranch. Included are obituaries, family stories, marriages, divorces, Henry Rogler as Kansas Legislator, and Wayne Rogler’s time as a Senator.
There is a wealth of information in the six and one-half (6.5) boxes of the Family Correspondence Series. This series has two sections. One is arranged alphabetically and the other is chronological by decades. The alphabetical section has information pertaining to life on the ranch, college life, married life, individuals living in other states, grandchildren, anniversary cards, birthday cards, and sympathy cards. The chronological section is made up of correspondence written to Helen Rogler, Henry and Maud Rogler, and Wayne Rogler from their friends and associates.
The Ranch Records Series (1925-1988) consists of fifty-three (53) boxes and is the largest part of the collection. It includes ranch records beginning in 1894, while Henry Rogler was living with his parents, Charles W. and Mary Mariah Satchell Rogler. Included are account ledgers and journals (1894-1900; 1920-1959), cattle book records (1960-1973), and yearly records (1925-1988). There is a gap in the account ledgers and journals between 1901 and 1919. The early yearly records between 1925 and 1948 are not complete. The records include some banking information on cattle bought and sold, the inventory of cattle, feed purchases, land leased from other ranchers and farmers, correspondence to ranchers, farmers, and companies, monthly bills, and taxes showing what was spent on operating the ranch and a list of employees.
The Tallgrass Prairie Series (1957-1984, undated) is made up of six (6) file folders in one-half (.5) of a box. Tallgrass Prairie vehicle bumper stickers and postcards were removed from this series and placed in the Artifact Series.
The Photograph Series (1882-1987, undated) consists of one and one-half (1.5) boxes. Included are members of the Rogler family and Kansas State University class photographs from 1898 to 1902, cattle, grass and oil leaks. There are also three (3) photograph books that include photographs of the Rogler family and the ranch.
The Scrapbook Series (1918-1978) consists of three (3) scrapbooks in two and one-half boxes (2.5). Scrapbook one (1) includes newspaper clippings about Wayne Rogler, the Bluestem Prairie and Henry and Maud Rogler. Scrapbook two (2) contains newspaper clippings about Kansas History and the Rogler family. Scrapbook three (3) contains newspaper clippings, cards and letters to Henry and Maud Rogler on their 50th, 60th, and 65th wedding anniversaries.
The Artifact Series (1934, 1951, 1958-1959, 1981, undated) contains blank postcards that Henry and Maud Rogler and Wayne and Elizabeth Rogler collected on their travels. Also included in this series is a dried corsage that Maud Rogler wore on her 50th wedding anniversary on July 21, 1951. There are two (2) envelopes with clips of human hair belonging to Susan Ferris Sauble, mother of Maud Rogler, and Helen Rogler, daughter of Henry and Maud Rogler.
The Rogler Ranch Records have been assigned Accession Number P1993.12.

This collection includes approximately 120 items, housed in one document box, relating to Samuel Fremont Goheen’s career as mayor of Manhattan, Kansas.
Series 1 consists of correspondence dating from 1915-1918, including letters to and from Goheen concerning Manhattan city government and greeting cards.
Series 2 consists of business documents, 1914-1917, including hand-written drafts of proclamations, heath and sanitation recommendations, and tax levies are within this series.
Series 3, financial documents, consists of one ledger titled "Day Book" with entries dating 1912-1919. It contains entries concerning the sale of groceries, coal, and real estate property.
Series 4, literary productions, contains four pieces of handwritten poems, a manuscript entitled "A Quaker Wedding," and an ink drawing.
Series 5, the largest portion of the collection, is comprised of printed material with items dating from 1912-1933, including newspaper clippings about World War I, prohibition, the jitney business, community sanitary precautions, and city ordinances, as well as pamphlets and single pages from pamphlets.
Note: The original state of the Samuel Fremont Goheen papers has made it difficult to accurately date and locate the source of many of the items. Dates have been drawn from item content or subject matter.

This collection documents the history of the Sigma Xi honorary society at Kansas State University and includes the following records: check register (1963–1983); secretary records that contain member lists, committee records, meeting minutes, correspondence, and election data (1923-1924 to 1964-1965, 1967-1968 to 1980-1981, and 1986-1987); membership lists (paper: 1936-1937 to 1984-1985, 1996-1997 to 1997-1998, and 2004-2005; digital: 1992-1993 to 1996-1997, 2000-2001, and 2004-2005); annual reports (1998, 2005); chapter information; historical data; and some correspondence with the national organization. Additional digital content includes award recipients, membership lists, committee minutes, executive minutes, banquet programs, and calendars (1992-1993 to 1996-1997, 2000-2001, and 2004-2005).

The Smith, Bottomly, and Lill Family Papers, 1827-1984, document four generations of a family. The collection focuses primarily on George Smith between 1827-72, to a lesser extent on his children and grandchildren (the Bottomlys'), and then increases in volume with the next generation (the Lills'), especially between 1934-45.
In the first series, journals and diaries, there are four items. Included in one of the journals is an interesting account of George Smith's trip from Iowa to Nebraska by wagon in 1865.
Correspondence (1828-1984), the second series in the collection, is housed in three document boxes and comprises the largest series in the collection. Items within the series are organized chronologically. The bulk of the items are the incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1934-45 between Percy and Helen Lill and their seven children, most of whom were either attending Kansas State College, preparing for military duty, or actively fighting overseas in World War II. Correspondence among family and friends, while the Lill brothers were attending K-State, describes student life. Also included in the collection are some letters by their mother, Helen Bottomly Lill, when she attended K-State from 1900-05. Perhaps the most significant items in the collection, however, are the early Smith family correspondence from 1828-41 because of its description of life in Vermont and the settlement of the Midwest particularly Iowa.
Contained in the third series, literary works, are speeches and essays housed in five folders. Although some of the works are undated, most were, apparently, penned by George Smith.
In the next series, education, there are a variety of items including diplomas, school programs, teachers' certificates, and grade cards. These items are diverse and cover the period from 1927-1953 and are contained in two folders.
The fifth series, medicine, contains a single item, a 1921 handwritten cold remedy.
The sixth series, Booth Association, is housed in one folder. This organization was formed on November 15, 1854, in New York by descendants of the Booth family of England, who claim to be the lawful heirs of the Booth family estates. Included in the materials are the association's constitution and by-laws, a membership fee receipt, certificate, and newsletter made out to George Smith, and a broadside removed to a larger flat box because of its size.
In the seventh series, financial documents, there are many items dating from 1837-1953; ledgers, receipts, bank statements, tax information, and related pieces. These materials are organized chronologically with the ledgers filed separately at the end of the series.
Genealogy, the eighth series, is separated by surname. There are some original handwritten items placed at the beginning of the series but most of the materials are photocopied, typed, or handwritten reproductions of original documents. These materials, contained in eleven folders, provide biographical information about the families.
The ninth series, printed materials, consists of Christmas and greeting cards, advertising cards, certificates, and miscellaneous items. These are housed in five folders.
The last series, photographs, are separated by family surname, specifically, or more generally, as family and friends. All negatives and tintypes are identified. Unidentified photographs are filed at the end of the series. Photographs of locations in Kansas, particularly of the campus at K-State, have been removed and placed in the University Archives photograph collection.

This collection combines from many sources stereographs from people connected to Kansas State University, as well as one record box of stereoscopes with miscellaneous parts in various conditions. The Morse Department of Special Collections created the alphabetical arrangement and storage of this collection.

This collection includes biographical material, correspondence, material by subject, printed material, photographs, cassette tapes, computer disks, VHS tapes, reel-to-reel film, and artifacts. The biographical material consists of newspaper clippings about Stewart M. Lee and his work in the consumer interest. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically and includes letters from such people as Elizabeth Hanford Dole, Betty Furness, Virginia Knauer, Nelson D. Rockefeller, and Caspar Weinberger.
The Subject series is arranged in alphabetical order with fair trade making up the bulk of the series. Other topics in this series include product advertisement, consumer interest, Ralph Nader, packaging deceptions, President Ronald Reagan's consumer activity, President George Bush's consumer activity, President Jimmy Carter's consumer activity, price fixing, alcohol and tobacco, trading stamps, weights, and measures, and warranties. The printed material is arranged in alphabetical order according to the type of material and newsletters make up the bulk of this series. Some newsletters included are Better Business News & Views, COCO Intercom, The Consumer Affairs Letter, Consumer News, The Insurance Forum, Status Report, World Consumer.
Photographs include advertisements for the 1986 Super Bowl games. The Media series includes consumer information such as buying habits, money management, real estate tips, becoming an informed shopper, buying furniture, buying vehicles, buying a home, seat belt safety, airbag safety, helmet laws, and brand names.
Oversize items are posters explaining the Universal Product Code (UPC), grades for best and second best, and the size of olives.
The Artifacts include examples of products that Dr. Lee took with him when doing presentations or testifying before the House, Congress, and other government agencies. Some artifacts included are cereal boxes, laundry detergent boxes, toothpaste boxes, empty vegetable cans, empty soda cans, plastic packaging for corn chips, product labels for bathroom tissue, and the suitcase he used to carry the items in.
The Addition Series consists of boxes 16-20 and includes biographical information, literary works, subjects, photographs, and media. Some topics of interest are Amway Case, Consumer Week, and a photograph of President Gerald Ford.

This collection includes diaries, literary works, documents by subjects, and college diplomas from Stuart and Rose Pady from 1921 to 1998. There are 66 diaries, 18 from Rose and 48 from Stuart. Stuart’s diaries describe his youth and early study in Canada, his work at the New York Botanical Gardens, trips to Canada, Alaska, and the Arctic to trap and study airborne microorganisms. Rose’s diaries describe planning and costs for their travels, records of her family’s daily lives, and details as to how she supported Stuart’s academic career. The literary works include Stuart's publications and dissertation. The subject documents include newspaper clippings, a college Sigma Xi certificate, college notes on mycology, and photographs of lab experiments and family photos. Oversize materials include college diplomas.

This collection includes biographical information, correspondence, research materials, photographic materials, and other documentation of Tessie Agan and her professional studies, especially related to farm home design, space utilization, urban renewal, and aging. It contains pamphlets on the proper design of a farm home with other printed materials devoted to kitchens, living rooms, dining areas, cupboards, storage walls, and proper lighting. The collection also contains studies on the amount of time and labor spent on laundry and cleaning the bathroom, as well as the benefits of "garbage grinders" in a kitchen. Other areas of the collection are devoted to public housing needs for elderly and diverse populations, space requirements for preschool children, and research on children from a social service perspective.