Charles Wise papers and photographs
Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence with colleagues in the Indiana General Assembly from roughly 1969 to 1975. Individual bills that Wise addressed as a Congressman contain commentary from constituents and other legislators in separate folders. A detailed file of Wise’s struggle to ban phosphates from laundry detergent is within the collection. Wise was also a member of the Committee on Cities and Towns in the General Assembly and the Governor’s Task Force for the Employment of the Handicapped. There are records and artifacts for the 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial in Delaware County and in other locales. Wise’s work with Ball State’s Young Republican Club is complete with financial records, meetings, scrapbooks, a card file containing members of the 107th General Assembly, (1991), and an award plaque dated 1967. There are records of the Delaware County Lions Club, and various publications including newsletters and magazines like VFW Magazine and Monday. Legal size records are located in boxes 6 and 7. Also included are photographs (PSC 244), slides (S 17), a teaching diploma (OVB 32), and films (F 003). Miscellaneous artifacts include an Eighth Army patch, and a Sigma Xi Annual Meeting nametag from the year 1971.
Dates
- 1923-1999
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.
Biographical Note / Historical Note / Administrative History
Charles Wise, an educator, politician, scientist, and community leader was born near Huntington, West Virginia, in 1926. He received the degree of M.S. in Biology from the University of West Virginia. He received a Ph.D. in Biology in 1962 from the University of New Mexico, held a fellowship at the University of Texas, and worked at Duke University and the University of New Mexico, where he lived in 1953 and in 1960. Wise married Juanita Irene Meadows in 1947, and the two had a daughter, Sandra. Before marriage, Wise served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman from 1944-1946. He was a teacher, 1951-1957; research scientist, 1958-1960; and Ball State University instructor from 1961-1991. Wise was an advisor for many years to the Ball State Young Republicans and was involved in the following community services and organizations: American Legion, Audubon Society State President, Delaware County Historical Society, Delaware County Lions Club, and many other commitments. Wise was the author of several articles and was a well-respected member of the Republican Party in Indiana. He served in the Indiana State House of Representatives in 1967 and the Senate in 1969 and 1971-1972.
Extent
5.8 Cubic Feet (9 boxes, 3 folders, 4 16mm film reels)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the following series and subseries:
Series 1: Charles Wise Bicentennial documents, 1970-1979
Series 2: Charles Wise education documents, 1969-1972
Series 3: Charles Wise legislation and political documents, 1965-1999
Subseries 3.1: Committees, 1968-1974
Subseries 3.2: Campaigns and elections, undated; 1968-1999
Subseries 3.3: Events, 1966-1997
Subseries 3.4: Legislative documents, undated; 1968-1999
Series 4: Charles Wise organizations documents, 1962-1976
Subseries 4.1: Audubon Society, 1969-1976
Subseries 4.2: Young Republicans, 1962-1975
Subseries 4.3: Other organizations, 1964-1975
Series 5: Charles Wise personal papers and correspondence, 1923, 1965-1976
Series 6: Charles Wise publications, 1941-1992
Series 7: Charles Wise artifacts, undated; 1967-1991
Series 8: Charles Wise scrapbooks, 1965-1975
Series 9: Charles Wise films, 1902-1963
Series 10: Charles Wise oversize documents, 1969-1975
Series 11: Charles and Juanita Wise photographs, 1976
Series 12: Charles Wise Bicentennial Floats slide collection, 1976
Custodial History
This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a records transfer from the Muncie Public Library on 2002/10/07. Additions were donated by Charles and Juanita Wise on 2002/10/21.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2003 Aug. by J. Fox. EAD finding aid created 2009/06/29 by Maren Read. EAD finding aid revised 2013/12/02 by Lindsey Vesperry.
- American Revoluntion Bicentennial, 1976 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Conservation of natural resources Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Delaware County (Ind.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Delaware County (Ind.) -- Politics and government -- 20th century -- Sources Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Documents Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Legistlators Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Muncie (Ind.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Organizations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Political campaigns Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Politicians Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Politics and government Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Stoeckel Archives of Local History Subject Source: Local sources
- Title
- Charles Wise papers and photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA
libarchives@bsu.edu
