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Hamblin, Robert. My life with Faulkner and Brodsky. Cape Girardeau: Southeast Missouri State University Press, 2017. 

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"The past is never dead. It's not even past."  William Faulkner

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"The past is never dead. It's not even past."  William Faulkner

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In 1978, Southeast Missouri State University English Professor Dr. Robert Hamblin met Louis Daniel Brodsky, a St. Louis businessman and avid Faulkner collector. Their collaboration and friendship led to the university's acquisition of the L.D. Brodsky Faulkner Collection in 1988 and the establishment of the Center for Faulkner Studies in 1989. While the Center now houses one of the four largest collections of Faulkner materials in the world, its creation and continued operation were not without conflict. This Padlet contains a press release documenting the attainment of the collection and the founding of the center, as well as an editorial from the community paper emblematic of the controversy that surrounded these developments.

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Contractual Agreement between Southeast and L.D. Brodsky

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Contractual Agreement between Southeast and L.D. Brodsky

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“Brodsky Collection Transfer of Ownership.” The President’s Office Records: Series VII: Bill Stacy Collection, Box 4044, Folder 001-008,  Special Collections and Archives, Kent Library, Southeast Missouri State University.

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Press Release about the Center For Faulkner Studies

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Press Release about the Center For Faulkner Studies

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“Faulkner Center created at Southeast Missouri.” The President’s Office Records: Series VII: Bill Stacy Collection, Box 4044, Folder 001-008, Special Collections and Archives, Kent Library, Southeast Missouri State University.

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Press Release about the Center For Faulkner Studies

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Press Release about the Center For Faulkner Studies

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“Faulkner Center created at Southeast Missouri.” The President’s Office Records: Series VII: Bill Stacy Collection, Box 4044, Folder 001-008, Special Collections and Archives, Kent Library, Southeast Missouri State University.

This was produced by Kim Hill in the Information Services office at the university.

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Southeast Missourian Opinion on the Brodsky Collection

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Southeast Missourian Opinion on the Brodsky Collection

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The Southeast Missourian, “Opinion: New information arises on a university ‘gift’,” October 1, 1990, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PsgfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qNgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1627%2C6303498.

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Arrow Article about the Faulkner Collection

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Arrow Article about the Faulkner Collection

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“Kent to House Faulkner Collection,” Capaha Arrow, Aug. 31, 1988-Apr. 25, 1990, Box 1170, Special Collections and Archives, Kent Library, Southeast Missouri State University.

This from the university's student newspaper. The Southeast Arrow was known as The Capaha Arrow at this time.

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In utilizing these two sources to analyze the acquisition of the Faulkner Collection,we can see two different perspectives. The author of the press release focuses on the quality of the collection, encouraging publishers of newspapers and other periodicals to share the news that Southeast will now be one of four universities with great Faulkner collections, thanks to the gift of Louis and Saul Brodsky. The author mentions that this is a “gift-purchase” and the details are being worked out. The fact the L.D. Brodsky will be the curator of the collection is stated, but his salary is not mentioned. The worth of the collection is provided, but not how much the University is paying for it. The authors of the newspaper opinion later claimed the university misrepresented the collection as being a gift. While they acknowledge the value of the collection, they take issue with the lack of transparency about the strings attached to the gift, such as Brodsky’s curator salary,

The concerns about how state institutions spend their money and the issue of transparency are an ongoing issue. Recently, Penn State faced increased scrutiny from not only its community, but also faculty, alumni, and board members about its transparency, culminating in a trustee is suing the board for allegedly withholding financial data (Moody, 2024). Just as community members of State College, where Penn State is located, are asking for more transparency about the university’s operations given its large economic impact on the region, the Cape Girardeau community wants to be assured money is being used wisely at Southeast. Concerns about a “gift-purchase” in the late 1980s can manifest as a lack of support for and skepticism about university initiatives in 2024.

Moody, Josh. “Trustee Lawsuit Illuminates Penn State Transparency Concerns,” Inside Higher Ed. July 29, 2024, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/trustees-regents/2024/07/29/trustee-lawsuit-illuminates-penn-state-transparency#.

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Southeast Missourian Opinion on the Brodsky Collection

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Southeast Missourian Opinion on the Brodsky Collection

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The Southeast Missourian, “Opinion: New information arises on a university ‘gift’,” October 1, 1990, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PsgfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qNgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1627%2C6303498.

The Southeast Missourian is the Cape Girardeau community newspaper.

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Video Introduction for scholars visiting the Brodsky Collection

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Video Introduction for scholars visiting the Brodsky Collection

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Hamblin, Robert. Interview by LTS Project. June 24, 2024. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cibH-GIsKAE.

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Dr. Robert Hamblin, An Introduction Lecture on Rare Book Room, Kent Library

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Oral History about the controversial collection acquisition and center founding

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Oral History about the controversial collection acquisition and center founding

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Hamblin, Robert. Interview by Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs. July 8, 2024. Spotify.  https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/mshRlXAH4Kb.

In this recording, Dr. Hamblin recalls the various reactions to the Faulkner collection, from faculty anger over the lack of transparency about how the acquisition was financed, to the NEH rejecting his proposal for a challenge grant, and everyone from community members to Faulkner scholars wondering how "a school like this" had a collection like that. During the discussion, the concept of what it means to be a university that serves the region and the purpose of higher education are also discussed.

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In this recording, we discuss the controversial acquisition of the L.D. Brodsky Faulkner Collection and the founding of the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University with the center's first director, Dr. Robert Hamblin

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Oral History with Dr. Robert Hamblin by SEMO Higher Education Administration

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In this recording, we discuss the controversial acquisition of the L.D. Brodsky Faulkner Collection and the founding of the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University with the center's first director, Dr. Robert Hamblin