DuPage Heritage Gallery Records

SC-74
2 Boxes (2 linear feet)
1974-2000 (bulk: 1981-1999)

Introduction
The DuPage Heritage Gallery was established to recognize individuals with roots in DuPage County who have gone on to achieve greatness in their respective fields. Its records relate to the Gallery itself (its creation, activities, promotion, etc.), as well as for various items pertaining to its inductees that were not made part of their separate exhibits.

Provenance: The records of the DuPage Heritage Gallery were received by Wheaton College following action of the Gallery’s Board in 2001.

Restrictions: There are no specific restrictions on this collection. Duplication may be restricted if copying could cause damage to items.

Collection Description
The DuPage Heritage Gallery Records comprise a wide variety of written records created by the organization’s staff during the course of its work from its inception and over the subsequent 25 years. These are materials pertaining to the Gallery itself and to specific exhibits. The organization of the collection tries to reflect this distinction in its divisions, which include “General”, “Administration”, “Publications”, “Gallery Dedication (Governor’s Dinner)” and “Inductees”.

Records categorized under the first four headings constitute slightly less than half of the collection. Types of materials include (but are not limited to) brochures, meeting minutes, news articles, financial records, grant applications and book orders.

While the organization of the portion of the collection described above was largely imposed upon it by the archivist, files under the heading “Inductees” reflect the structure of the collection upon its arrival at the college. Subheadings exist for each inductee. Files are arranged alphabetically according to the inductee’s last name. The records pertaining to some honorees are not nearly as exhaustive as those pertaining to others. For example, the Red Grange materials fill 16 folders, while just one file exists to document the Billy Graham exhibit. (It should be noted that at this time, most of the papers are directly related to the creation of the Gallery displays and to the induction ceremonies rather than to the life and work of individual honorees.) Materials that may exist for any given inductee include newspaper and/or magazine articles, pictures, meeting minutes, expense reports, exhibit designs, table layouts, correspondence and induction/unveiling announcements, programs and invitations. Each type of material is generally filed separately.

Biographical/Historical Sketch
The DuPage Heritage Gallery and the Red Grange Archives were established in 1977 by the not-for-profit corporation All America 77, Inc. and opened in 1980 with a dedication by Illinois governor James Thompson. The Gallery recognizes individuals who have played a role in shaping our country’s development and whose roots can be traced to DuPage County. It was created to serve as an educational tool for members of a community that has contributed to the success of several such remarkable persons. Any resident is invited to become a member. At its opening, the Gallery boasted five exhibits. These first honorees included Harold “Red” Grange, Billy Graham, Col. Robert McCormick, Elbert H. Gary and John W. Gates.

Over the next decade, the Gallery grew to include a number of other famous personages. Everett Mitchell was inducted in 1981, Kenneth Taylor in 1983, Grote Reber in 1985, Sherrill Milnes in 1988, Edwin Hubble and Margaret Landon in 1990, and Joy Morton in 1991. Exhibits have been created to recognize the achievements of each of these notables. Additional nominees approved by the Board of Directors in more recent years have not yet been formally inducted.

The exhibits of the DuPage Heritage Gallery is housed in the DuPage County Center at 421 County Farm Road in Wheaton.

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