[bell tolls] [birds singing]
Beloit College is a place students come to learn.
- Recognize that? - Yeah.
- I'm gonna have to actually wear
the white gloves for that one.
So this is the "Nuremberg Chronicle."
It was printed in 1493.
Published in Germany.
- It's also a place Fred Burwell never left.
I was a student here between '83 and '86.
I love these kinds of things.
Even these sorts of things just give you a real picture
of the time period.
It's never dull in the sense
you're always gonna find something new.
There are mysteries I'm still trying to solve
after 30 years. [chuckles]
[lighthearted music]
- Angela: Finding something new in something old
is Fred's job as the Beloit College archivist.
A journey that started at the library
back in his college days.
- I went through this mysterious cage door
near the map area,
walked into the space
where there were piles and piles of photographs,
boxes of stuff higgledy-piggledy on shelves,
and I went back downstairs to my boss at the circulation desk
and I just said, "What is that place?
I like it, I wanna know more about it."
- Angela: As Fred grew older,
the job of organizing chaos in the college archive
never grew old.
- I fell in love with work
and next thing I know, years passed.
- Angela: Today, Fred is a walking, talking, encyclopedia
on all things related to Beloit College.
[upbeat music]
- We have a letter written to President Irving Maurer,
who was president here from 1924 to 1942.
From Helen Keller, it's hand-signed by her
in kind of large block letters and pencil.
- Angela: In addition, Fred can tell you
about the college connection
to the "Indiana Jones" movies.
- Roy Chapman Andrews grew up in Beloit.
Went to Beloit College, class of 1906,
became a famous explorer.
George Lucas, the filmmaker, has been cagey
about who Indiana Jones was based upon.
At the very end of the book, there's an Afterword,
which talks about it being inspired by the expeditions
of Roy Chapman Andrews to outer Mongolia in the 1920s.
[upbeat music]
- Angela: Fred's also an explorer of sorts,
on his own expedition.
- On top of that, I guess I love that whole
puzzle-solving thing, the detective work.
There's so much hiding back there
that I haven't even turned over myself after 30 years.
- Angela: The volume of work Fred handles is limitless.
The piles of records, documents, and memorabilia
are never-ending.
- I've learned to live with piles everywhere.
Just the nature of the beast.
Some people can't stand it.
Other people walk in the door and go, "Ah!" like that,
'cause they like that.
I don't mind it.
Some people will joke that it's job security or whatever.
This is a nice glimpse into a time period.
- Angela: It's a job that still excites Fred
even after all these years.
- If you wanna work with old stuff
this is one of those collections
that could be pretty fascinating.
[gentle music]
The thing that I discovered that I loved so much
about the archives was actually working with students.
So, Claire, what have you found today?
Seeing the light bulb go over their head,
suddenly they're turned on to history.
- Whoohoo, monsoon! - You've done it all?
- Yay! I'm so excited to leave behind the full collection.
- That will be your legacy. - Yeah, I guess so.
- You get some students who think, "Oh, I don't like history.
I'm not interested at all."
I say "Oh, what sport do you play?"
"Baseball."
This is the 1898 baseball team.
This team had some fascinating characters,
among them Ginger Beaumont.
Five years later, and...
the first batter in the First World Series.
- Angela: Fred will also tell you
that same Beloit baseball team produced a player
for the Baltimore Orioles
and a future governor of South Dakota.
- There's something different about having
that physical experience with the actual materials,
than seeing it online. [inspiring piano music]
It connects you to history in a way that nothing else would.
And speaking of that time period,
do you recognize who that is?
This is Richard Nixon.
- No way. - Yes.
This was his visit in the early '50s.
And he came back in 1968
as part of the campaign for President.
- Girl: That is so great.
- Angela: Connecting future generations to history
is key to his work.
- I call myself the campus pack rat, in a way.
Something that seems mundane and recyclable now,
I can see that it could be valuable in 50 years,
or more, or less!
I like stories,
and the archives are full of them.