The Anatomy of the Ursinusiana Collection
The Ursinusiana Collection, located on the second floor of the Myrin Library, contains all of Ursinus’s historical artifacts and records.
From papers and publications to personal objects and even sports and alumni memorabilia, here is a sampling of some of the treasures you’ll find.
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1. College Seal
The Ursinus College seal, first
used in the 1888-89 college
catalogue. It reads, “Super
Firmum Fundamentum Dei,”
which translates to “On the
Firm Foundation of the Lord.” -
4. Pipe
A pipe that belonged to the Bomberger family.
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7. Shovel
A shovel used by Robert Patterson to break ground on Bomberger Hall on April 22, 1891. In 1920, it was also used to break ground on the Alumni Memorial Library (now the Berman Museum).
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10. Organ Pipe
A pipe from the old Clark Organ that was in Bomberger Hall before the Heefner Organ.
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13. Athletics Emblem
An athletics emblem from 1933 framed and mounted on web felt.
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2. Gold Pocket Watch
A gold pocket watch
presented to John H.A. Bomberger
in the 1880s. -
A football practice jersey used
during 1963-67. -
8. Flag
An Ursinus flag, a gift from William G. Wiest ’63, that was flown over the South Pole (in Antarctica in 1964) and the North Pole (in 1997) by Dr. H. Craig Heller .
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11. Sweater
An Ursinus sweater and a ticket stub (in the left pocket) from a football game dated Sept. 17, 1955.
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14. Trowel
A ceremonial trowel used by Robert Patterson in laying the cornerstone for Bomberger Hall in 1891.
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3. Field Hockey Stick
A field hockey stick from 1927 that belonged to Isabel Johnson ’27.
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A graphite on paper sketch by E.S. Paisley reproduced from the first annual college catalogue in 1869.
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9. Image of Zach
An image of 16th-century theologian Zacharias Ursinus, the only remaining piece of a large disk that hung during commencement ceremonies in the 1980s and 1990s.
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12. Stump and Branch
A stump and branch from the sycamore tree that stood in the Patterson Field end zone.
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15. Grandfather Clock
A 1929 grandfather clock from the Shaw-Bernard collection, willed to the college by Mr. J. Maxwell Bernard. It was made by J.E. Caldwell of Philadelphia. The top right finial was lost during a flood in Myrin Library in 2003.
