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Author, professor honored with exhibit

Christina Romero

Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: News

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Media Credit: Christina Romero

Provost Abe Harraf views the James A. Michener exhibit at the grand opening Friday. The exhibit includes a selection of his writings, both fiction and non-fiction. Materials also include his thoughts on the craft of writing and his popularity with the American public in the mid-20th century.

The Centennial Celebration at Michener Library honored James A. Michener for what would have been his 100th birthday with the opening of the James A. Michener exhibit.

"He was one of many leaders," said Kay Norton, president of the University of Northern Colorado. "The type of leader envisioned to cross the threshold of this institution and then go out and be an educator of people throughout the world."

The construction of the exhibit started last summer, but the planning started three years ago.

"It's basically so people can see what we have in the collection," said Kacy Guill, head of the archival service. "It was in a back room where nobody could go and we wanted to make it more accessible to students and other people."

The exhibit is on the second floor of the library and features Michener's writing rather than his personal life. He was a professor of social sciences at UNC, but also was amerced in his research that contributed to his writings.

Michener traveled the world and his travels were the foundation of his stories.

Places such as the Caribbean, Poland and various states across America contributed to the setting in Michener's novels.

"His trust in us to do it right was well funded," said Gary Pitkin, dean of the libraries, about the money Michener gave to the library.

According to Pitkin, Michener mentioned various places where he would have enjoyed placing a majority of his materials, but UNC became the home of his belongings.

After negotiating and settling on reserving Michener's materials at UNC, Michener gave the library officials an envelope that was only to be opened after his death.

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