English professor and Cather scholar Sue Rosowski reads a letter in the special collections section of Love Library. The collection of correspondence, diaries, photographs and manuscripts donated to UNL LIbraries features writings that helped author Willa Cather with characters in My Antonia and her Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel One of Ours.

Cather relative gives collection to UNL Libraries

UNL Libraries has received a collection of correspondence, diaries, photographs and manuscripts that provide a context for many of Willa Cather's novels.

Dubbed "The George Cather Ray Collection," the donation comes from Ray's daughter, Mary Weddle, a relative of 1895 University of Nebraska alumna Willa Cather.

The collection is largely composed of the papers of Frances (Franc) and George P. Cather, aunt and uncle of Willa Cather. The materials relate particularly to Cather's works My Antonia and the 1923 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, One of Ours.

For example, among the collection are papers concerning Grosvenor P. Cather. He was Willa Cather's first cousin and was the first Nebraska officer to die in battle during World World I. The letters G.P. wrote to his mother, Frances, inspired Willa Cather to create the character Claude Wheeler who appears in One of Ours. George Cather Ray, for whom the collection is named, is the grandson of Frances and George P. Cather. Ray earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1930 and a bachelor of law degree in 1931 from NU. Ray served as a naval officer in World War II and was awarded a Juris Doctor in 1969 by the university. His daughter, Weddle, is also a Nebraska alumna, having earned a bachelor of arts from NU and a doctorate from the University of California, Davis.

Of further significance, the collection reflects the early settlement period in a new state. Frances and George P. Cather were among the first settlers in Webster County. Frances, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, had strong interests in music and botany - the latter surfaces in letters she wrote concerning her newly adopted geography. As leaders in their community, the Cathers' letters and other documents provide a wealth of historical, social, political and environmental information on this region of Nebraska.

According to Katherine Walter, chair of special collections for UNL Libraries, the addition of this latest collection will further strengthen the library's Cather holdings, which include rare books and other materials in the Robert and Doris Kurth Cather Collection and the Philip and Helen Cather Southwick Collection.

"The materials in the collection are wonderful resource not only for Cather scholars but also for those interested in early Nebraska history and those particularly interested in World War I history," Walter said. "We are delighted that Mary chose to donate the materials to University of Nebraska-Lincoln."

Capitalizing on the donation of these rare materials relating to the works of Willa Cather, UNL is planning spring 2002 symposia focusing on the Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

Susan Rosowski, Adele Hall Distinguished Professor of English and director of UNL's Cather Project, said plans are under way to invite interdisciplinary research and teaching using the newly acquired George Cather Ray Collection of documents and photographs.

A symposium, Great Passions and Great Aspirations: Willa Cather and World War I, will convene April 4-5 to draw attention to the collection and will include paper sessions and exhibits of photographs and World War I posters. Also featured will be presentations by scholars, including Mary Weddle, donor of the collection.

A sister symposium set for April 6 is titled Literature and Opera: Willa Cather and The Bohemian Girl. To be held on the UNL campus, it will include the international opening of the opera The Bohemian Girl.

On April 7, tours of Willa Cather sites in Red Cloud will be sponsored by the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial.

For more information about these events and about the call for papers, call Margie Rine at the Cather Project, 472-1919.

Nov. 2 Thompson Forum explores terrorism

A U.S. senator, two experts on Afghanistan, a medical specialist and an expert on political security will discuss terrorism in the world at a special E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues on Nov. 2.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., will join a panel of University of Nebraska experts to discuss "Terrorism: Where Do We Go From Here?" at the forum, which begins at 2 p.m. in Kimball Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. The forum is free and open to the public.

Hagel will open the forum with a 30-minute speech, "The World Redefined." He will then join the panelists to discuss the affects and consequences of the terrorist attacks on America.

Hagel's speech will describe "a new seriousness of purpose" for America. He will lay out three stages the United States and the world will move through in shaping national and international policy in a world forever changed by terrorism. Hagel will also discuss the personal effects the attacks have had on every American's values and priorities.

Panel members are:

• Dr. Steven Hinrichs, University of Nebraska Medical Center;
• Patrice McMahon, assistant professor of political science at UNL;
• Thomas Gouttierre, dean of international programs and director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha;
• Peter Tomsen, former U.S. Envoy to Afghanistan and now visiting ambassador in residence with the Afghanistan Studies Center at UNO.
• Harvey Perlman, UNL chancellor, will moderate. The two-hour forum will allow time for audience questions.

Because of security concerns, the university will not allow backpacks, bookbags or other large parcels into Kimball Hall. No storage is available in the building. Handbags and other items may be subject to search.

The forum is free and open to the public. Doors open at 1 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. Because seating is limited, a live video feed will be provided in the Nebraska Union's Georgian Suite. The forum will also be broadcast on UNL's internal TV system, Campus Channel 4, Lincoln community access channel 21 and KRNU 90.3 FM radio. It also can be viewed via NebSat Channel 104 at Learning Centers in Scottsbluff, Norfolk, Grand Island and North Platte, UNK Communications Center room, UNMC College of Nursing, and UNO Eppley Auditorium. It also will be on <www.unl.edu>.

Hagel was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. Among his committee assignments is the Senate's Foreign Relations committee, where he is the ranking member of its subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Before assuming his present position in 1974, Gouttierre lived and worked for nearly 10 years in Afghanistan as a Peace Corps Volunteer, a Fulbright Fellow, and as Executive Director of the Fulbright Foundation. Gouttierre served on the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission to Afghanistan as Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Winter and Spring of 1996/1997. He was a member of the International Rescue Committee's Citizens Commission on Afghanistan Refugees from 1988-1993.

Hinrichs, a medical doctor, is director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory and associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at UNMC.

As laboratory director he has been responsible for developing a program to identify biological agents of mass destruction. Under his direction, the laboratory was one of the first public health laboratories in the country to develop Internet-based test ordering and reporting capabilities with the goal of real time identification of emerging epidemics.

McMahon teaches and researches international relations and international security, focusing on the former Soviet bloc. She has lived and worked in Poland, Russia, Bosnia and Thailand. This past year, she twice visited Bosnia to study ethnic reconciliation and democracy promotion.

Tomsen was Special Envoy on Afghanistan with the rank of ambassador from 1989-1992 for President George H.W. Bush. In this capacity, he met many Afghan tribal leaders, commanders and ulema who remain active today. Tomsen has served in a number of foreign posts. He teaches courses in American foreign policy and Eurasia at UNO's Center for Afghanistan Studies and is researching a book on Afghanistan.

Virology Center wins regents' approval

The University of Nebraska board of regents Oct. 19 approved establishment of the Nebraska Center for Virology at UNL. The center, established with a $10.7 million competitive grant to UNL from the National Institutes of Health, links virology researchers at UNL, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University.

"The Nebraska Center for Virology brings together our world-class virology researchers and is an example of how collaboration among universities can lead to great accomplishment," said Prem Paul, UNL vice chancellor for research. "We are very excited about the potential of the center for improving human health and the treatment of viral diseases."

Center researchers conduct basic research on the ways viruses and other infectious agents cause disease and use this knowledge to develop new ways to treat and prevent the spread of disease. They study some of the most devastating human and animal diseases, including AIDS, HIV-associated cancers, and chronic infections caused by herpes viruses and prions, the organism that causes mad cow disease. The center's studies of how viruses replicate and cause infection and cell death also will lead to a better understanding of human neuroimmune disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, and have broad implications for other research areas.

The center is directed by Charles Wood, Lehr/3M professor of biological sciences at UNL and a molecular virologist whose work on HIV transmission and related diseases in Africa is at the forefront of international virology research. Wood's research programs involve scientists at UNL, UNMC, Harvard University, the University of Miami, the University of Zambia and the Zambian Ministry of Health.

"We are pleased that the Board of Regents has recognized the Nebraska Center for Virology and the importance of our research on viral diseases," Wood said. "The Center is a team effort and we have a strong commitment to building a nationally prominent biomedical research program in Nebraska."

Co-directors of the center are Dr. Howard Gendelman, David Purtilo distinguished professor at UNMC and director of UNMC's Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders, and James VanEtten, William Allington distinguished professor of virology at UNL.

The center is funded largely by external grants. Its initial $10.7 million NIH award supports four major research projects and key technical facilities needed by the center's researchers, recruitment of new scientists and students, and its administrative offices at UNL. The grant also funded initial salary and start-up costs for five new researchers, four at UNL and one at UNMC - a critical component in building the center.

"These new researchers will create the critical mass of expertise that is needed to take the center, and Nebraska, to the forefront of virology research," Wood said.

Seven alumni return for Master's Week activities

Seven UNL alumni will return to campus Nov. 7-9 for Master's Week, an annual event that honors successful Nebraska graduates and connects them with students.

They are Shawn D. Buchanan, Thomas W. Burnell, Cheryl G. Butler, Jeannine Falter, Mellanee Kvasnicka, Glenna Luschei and John Rosenow. The Masters will fill their days visiting various student, faculty and community groups. Their schedules are listed on the Nebraska Alumni Association's Web site http://www.unl.edu/alumni/ma sters.htm.

Buchanan is president and CEO of All American Meats Inc. in Omaha, a wholesale distributor of beef products. All American Meats was created by Buchanan in 1996. It has grown to more than $30 million in annual sales. Buchanan was born in Chicago and raised in Gary, Ind., and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of high school. Instead, he attended Nebraska on a baseball scholarship, earning his bachelor's degree in 1991.

Burnell is senior executive of GenomicFX Inc. of Austin, Texas, a livestock genomics company. He had an 11-year career with Contigroup Companies Inc., formerly Continental Grain Co. He held positions leading the animal nutrition division, marketing and research, research and technical services, national accounts and sales management. Burnell earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1984 and 1985 from UNL in animal nutrition and animal science; and his Ph.D. from University of Kentucky in 1987 in nutrition.

Butler is director of recruiting and hiring for news at The Washington Post, after nearly 20 years as deputy news editor and assistant news editor there. Butler was with the St. Paul Dispatch from 1972-1981 as assistant news editor, copy editor and layout editor. She started her career as a wire editor at the Lincoln Evening Journal after earning her bachelor's degree in journalism in 1968 from the University of Nebraska. Butler has always been interested in the development of young journalists and taught at the Editing Program for Minority Journalists at the Maynard Institute for Journalism and Education.

Falter is vice president of aircraft modifications and completions marketing and design at Duncan Aviation in Lincoln and is a leadership educator. Falter was the first female production manager in a business aviation service company, joining Duncan Aviation in 1981. She worked previously at Gates Learjet Corp. as an aircraft designer. At Duncan, Falter has directed or managed aircraft completions and design. Falter is a leadership educator, youth and peer mentor. She earned her bachelor's in textiles, clothing and design, (1976) master's in human development (1995) and Ph.D. (2000) from UNL's College of Human Resources and Family Sciences.

Kvasnicka is an English teacher and English Department chair at Omaha South High School. A recipient of a Ph.D. in English from UNL in 1997, she prepared her dissertation on the educational tradition in the life and works of Willa Cather. Kvasnicka is an officer of the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation and a director of the Cather Teachers' Institute. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in English in 1969 and 1976 from UNO.

Glenna Luschei is founding editor and publisher of Solo Press, and poet laureate of the city and county of San Luis Obispo, Calif. She is also founding editor and publisher of Cafe' Solo magazine. Luschei's works have been published in 19 books, many anthologies and literary publications. Luschei earned bachelor's degrees in English, Spanish and philosophy in 1956, and in education in 1961, and her master's in English in 1962, all from the University of Nebraska; and a master's in Spanish from University of California, Santa Barbara in 1988.

John Rosenow is founder and president of the million-member National Arbor Day Foundation. Under his leadership the foundation created the Tree City USA community forestry program, the Tree Line USA recognition program for utilities, the Building with Trees program for builders and developers and the Conservation Trees and Trees for America public education projects. The foundation manages Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City and oversaw the construction of Lied Conference Center. Rosenow earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering in 1971 from UNL.

Master's Week was founded in 1964. The program brings successful alumni to students through class visits, campus tours and meetings with clubs and organizations. More than 200 alumni have returned to campus as Masters since the program's inception.

NU faculty nominate alumni for the program. Masters are selected by a committee appointed by the chancellor. Master's Week is sponsored by the Chancellor's Office, the Student Alumni Association, Innocents Society and the Black Masque Chapter of Mortar Board.