Herbert L. Ganter Papers, 1883/1979, bulk 1915/1965

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Herbert L. Ganter Papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries

Summary

Extent:
11.00 Linear Feet
Creator:
Ganter, Herbert Lawrence, 1904-1980
Language:
English French
Preferred citation:

Herbert L. Ganter Papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains correspondence, clippings, photographs, publications, and other material collected by Herbert Ganter, W&M Class of 1927 and Archivist of the College of William & Mary from 1948-1974. Included in the collection are correspondence, photographs, and journals written by and collected by Ganter while a student at William and Mary, correspondence and clippings about information from Swem Library's holdings while Ganter was College Archivist, and correspondence pertaining to the restoration of Williamsburg in the 1930s.

A large portion of the correspondence is between Hebert L. Ganter and his parents, while he was a student at the College of William and Mary. Many of the clippings concern the restoration of Williamsburg, the 1928 Presidential election, and the sesquicentennial celebration at Yorktown. Of particular note is a scrapbook kept by Ganter while a student at William and Mary as well as numerous photographs from his trip to Europe in 1926 as well as an album of postcards (predominantly French) that he collected while on that trip.

The bulk of the collection is Ganter's research notes regarding William Small, Virginia History, and the history of the College of William and Mary, obtained from a variety of sources, including primary sources in London.

Clippings, funeral notice for Frederick William Sollee, 1942, print of Trinity College (Dublin) Library, Souvenior Program fo D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," 1915

Includes two nitrate negatives

The leather cover is experiencing red-rot. Nitrate negatives were removed from within the scrapbook but remain in the box for now. Subjects include campus buildings and scenes, Bruton Parish Church, the Kappa Alpha House (now the Alumni House), and football programs.

This box contains note cards with bibliographical and historical notes, usually related to William and Mary history.

This box contains note cards with bibliographical and historical notes, usually related to William and Mary history.

Artifacts: 1927 class ring, literary key with his name and attendance dates engraved on the back, gold necklace with W&M temple seal round pendant, Omicron Delta Kappa key, a 1968 penny in a tiny glass bottle with stopper, a pin made from California gold an featuring profile of Native American, medals received from St. Mary, a locket, a fleur-de-lis pin, a pocket watch with chain, Kappa Alpha pins and ribbon, and Sacred Heart medals.

One copper-colored key that once belonged to Herbert Ganter, class of 1927 and College Archivist from 1948-1974. The key contains a knight's helmet and a shield containing a cross on the front. The bottom of the key reads "ilu et les dames" in French. The key is approximately 0.25in. x 0.25in. It is in fair condition with some corrosion on the back.

Signed & numbered color sketch of a ballerina

Photographs of Bishop Randolph (1907), Phi Beta Kappa National Council at Ohio Wesleyan Univ. in Delaware (1928), Executive Officials in charge of Williamsburg Restoration (circa 1929, sent by Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn)

Double-sided cardstock sheet with a pasted image of different women on each side (pages likely removed from a magazine)

Broadside - Heffers, 1876-1976 (Cambridge)

Oversized Publications focused on D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," 1965

Several Geological Survey Maps of Virginia, 1956, 1967 May

Several Broadsides from The Observer (London), circa 1957

"Historical Map of Virginia," 1930

Catholic Prayer document

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Optometry License for Hebert J. Ganter, Galveston, 1922 Dec. 28

Membership Certificate of Herbert J. Ganter to the Texas Optical Association

Several 19th c./early 20th c. photographs of unidentified people (probably family) and a farmstead (likely in Texas)

Biographical / historical:

Born in Galveston, Texas, Herbert Lawrence Ganter received a B. A. degree from the College of William and Mary in 1927 and a law degree from the College in 1930. Ganter was a member of Kappa Alpha Order, Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the F.H.C. He served as assistant director of the sesquicentennial celebration at Yorktown and was archivist of the College from 1948 to 1974. He died in 1980 at the age of 76.

Acquisition information:
Mss. 90 G15 Gift of estate of Herbert Ganter, purchases, and transfer from the Development Office on 10/9/1981 and 2/11/1987; Mss. Acc. 1985.53 somtime in 1985; Acc. 2000.1 was transferred via Wilford Kale on 1/17/2000; Mss. 2003.75 gift via Frances Robb; Acc. 2008.148 was transferred along with other materials by Jeb Stuart Rosebrook when he left the employ of the Society of the Alumni sometime prior to 2007. A note on the paper the items were wrapped in indicates it was acquired from Ganter's estate after his death.; Acquisition information for material received after 7/13/2009 is available by consulting a Special Collections Research Center staff member. .
Custodial history:

Acc. 1999.077, Acc. 2000.01; Acc. 2008.148; Acc. 2010.700; Acc. 2011.547; and Acc. 2011.595 were previously part of UA 6.068 in the University Archives and were added to this collection in September 2011.

Processing information:

Minimally processed by Elizabeth Engelken in August 1990. Acc. 2010.700 accessioned and minimally processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in November 2010; accessioned and minimally processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in August 2011; Acc. 2011.595 accessioned and minimally processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in September 2011. Collection fully processed by Kim Sims, University Archivist, September 2016.

Physical / technical requirements:

The fragile nature of the contents inside of boxes 26 and 27 may limit handling.