Former Gov. Tom Kean to Highlight Archives at Drew University in Madison

Former Gov. Tom Kean, who donated many of his papers and speeches to Drew University, will answer questions about his experiences as governor of the state of New Jersey at an upcoming talk at the United Methodist Archive and History Center on the Drew campus.

Kean served as governor from 1982 to 1990 and later as president of Drew. He is the subject of a talk by doctoral student David Reagles, who hopes to bring the former governor’s historical papers to life during a talk titled “A Day in the Life of After the talk, Kean will answer questions from audience members.

The talk will take place on November 4 at 7 p.m. in the Wilson Reading Room of the United Methodist Archive and History Center on the Drew campus. The talk about Gov. Kean is one in a series planned this fall to highlight some of the Special Collections and Archives owned by Drew University.

The series, called “Out of the Vault,” will be led by doctoral students at Drew and are free and open to the “Our intent for the ‘Out of the Vault’ series is to showcase the rich special collections and archival materials of the Drew Library,” said Christopher J. Anderson, Head of Special Collections, Archives and Methodist Librarian. “We want attendees to learn about the history of our collections and to experience them first hand.”

The schedule includes:
• A rare glimpse at original writings by such notable figures as Albert Einstein, Susan B. Anthony and Louisa May Alcott in a talk on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. titled “What they Wrote: Historical Manuscripts.” Drew has a collection of handwritten documents from more than 900 historical figures. That talk will be moderated by doctoral student Zannah Bingham Buck.

• A talk about historical books published in small sizes for easy transport, including copies of Bibles and hymnals that are more than a century old. Doctoral student Brian Shetler will moderate the talk titled “Tiny Treasures” on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.

For those who can’t attend the talks in person, display cases in the lobby of the archives will display some of the historical artifacts featured in the series. This fall, for the first time, the Wilson Reading Room in the United Methodist Archive and History Center will remain open until 9 p.m. to allow researchers evening use of the special collections materials.

For additional information about the United Methodist Archive and History Center, call 973.408.3590, or email speccol@drew.edu.

About Drew University
Drew University is a private, liberal arts university located in Madison, N.J., in the New York City metro area. Ranked among the top liberal arts institutions nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and Washington Monthly, Drew is also listed in Princeton Review’s Best 379 Colleges.

The Drew promise—We Deliver Full-Impact Learning to the World—emphasizes the university’s commitment to borderless education that enables a student’s greatest success in a globally connected world.

Drew has a total student enrollment of more than 2,000 in three schools: the College of Liberal Arts, the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies and the Drew Theological School. The undergraduate program offers degrees in 30 different disciplines, while Caspersen and the Theological School offer degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Information courtesy of Elizabeth Moore