A DM iNi STRATiv E


New Archivist to Sort through MAC’s History O


ne hundred and twenty years add up to a whole lot of history.


VariableBounce Asynchronous Springs for Safer Bounce


The MAC possesses a generous trove of memorabilia and records documenting its fascinating and difficult evolution from the Multnomah Amateur Athletic Club (a club football team and gym) to today’s mix of diverse sports in a first-rate athletic and social facility. Exhibit cases in the Sports Pub and elsewhere highlight the amazing collection of photos, trophies, and medals earned by members over the years. Not on exhibit – at least not yet – are early records of the MAC, designs for the numerous facilities and expansions, and some great photographic rarities.


DoubleBounce Premier Shock-Absorbing Safety System


10'x17' Rectangular VariableBounce Technology


Showroom Hours: Monday-Friday: 10-5


503.473.8130


7400 SW Macadam Ave. Portland, OR 97219


www.portlandtrampolines.com


When Norm Rich, our general manager, asked me to become MAC’s first club archivist, he set a few goals: organize the paper records, historical photographs, and memorabilia into a resource for future use; conduct oral history interviews to capture first-person accounts of MAC history; and give the members a greater appreciation of MAC’s history through occasional articles in The Winged M and historical exhibits. As both a historian and a trained archivist, I was intrigued by the opportunity to work with these interesting collections. So, what are “archives” and what is an archivist (ARK-uh-vist)? Archivists are sometimes trained as specialized librar- ians, but many come to the field directly from history studies. When we speak of an “archive” of documentation, we usually mean a body of related materials of various physical types pertaining to the history of a public body, organization, business or career. These can include photographs, manuscripts, typed or copied correspon- dence and minutes, graphics, scrapbooks, memorabilia, books, recordings, and more. The “archives” is a collective noun referring to the department or institution that holds collections like these, such as the National Archives. In smaller institutions, including MAC, the “archives” comprises things that might normally be considered library or museum materials, too.


Like most organizations, MAC has not saved everything. We need to augment the


18 | The Wınged M | JANUARY 2012 MAC archivist George Vogt.


clothing collections, particularly old team uniforms. While we hold a good collection of Board minutes, we do not have many committee minutes, which typically are kept by committee secretaries or chairs. The easiest and most efficient way to build collections is to collect in the moment. The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is still looking for that 1950s poodle skirt that it didn’t collect at the time. If you have mate- rials like these, or anything else of possible historical interest, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at gvogt@themac.com. More than one of my MAC tour guides has likened MAC to a city, which suggests to me that there must be a “million stories” in this particular city. What stories or general topics pique your interest? Where should I start in interviewing long-time members of MAC? I would appreciate hearing your suggestions.


George L. Vogt is the retired executive


director of the Oregon Historical Society. Previously, he directed the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Hagley Museum and Library (home of the du Pont family and the world’s largest business archives), and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (its first Yankee). He holds a doctorate in American history and received archival training at the University of Virginia and the National Archives. WM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71