by Chris Wydman, University Archivist
It is with very heavy hearts that we would like to acknowledge the passing of Dr. Lewis K. Shupe, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Communication at Wright State University. Lew was a great friend and mentor to many, and a very special friend of the University Libraries and Special Collections & Archives. Upon Lew’s retirement in 1993, Lew remained an extremely active participant of the Wright State community, serving many years on the Friends of the Library Board as well as a charter member and long time officer of the Wright State University Retirees Association (WSURA).
Lew always had a special place in his heart for WSU and its very distinctive history, and it was in this spirit that he helped found the historic preservation committee on WSURA to help preserve this very special history. One thing that Lew found so fascinating was that due to the young age of the university, and the continued relationships that WSURA helped foster, we could still talk to many of the founding faculty and staff. Why not utilize this resource for an interview project to capture the history of WSU through their stories? Partnering with Special Collections & Archives, the project started small with just a small tape recorder, but has continued for over 10 years, now numbering 30 interviews, all but a handful with Lew as interviewer.
The project is now all grown up, utilizing the latest technologies and now available online (http://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/archives_retirees/). It was a joy working on this project over the years with Lew, and we hope to continue it for years to come in his honor. His spirit and enthusiasm shined throughout these interviews, and it was very special to go along on this ride with him.
We will all miss Lew so very much, as so many will. We had hoped to turn the camera on him one day, but in his customary modest style, he wouldn’t allow that. Good night and God bless, Lew. We’ll carry the torch for you.
