The Future of UE Archives

In episode two of The Future of UE Archives Podcast, hosts Chloe Burns and Samantha Anderson sit down with Sondra Matthews, founder of Our Times newspaper and the Evansville African American Museum. Matthews shares stories from her remarkable life as an activist, journalist, and community leader — from her early days in Milwaukee’s civil rights movement, to launching Our Times to give voice to Evansville’s Black community, to founding the African American Museum. She reflects on the challenges of starting a Black newspaper, her efforts to cover underrepresented stories, and her hopes for the preservation of Black history through her recent donation of the Our Times collection to the UE Archives. Matthews closes with heartfelt advice for young people to follow their purpose, stand up for justice, and bring hope to their communities.

In this episode of The Future of UE Archives Oral History Collection, hosts Alexandra Hicks and Mars Plummer sit down with Dr. Alan Kaiser to uncover the remarkable story of Mary Ross Ellingson, an early 20th-century archaeologist whose master’s thesis and dissertation were plagiarized by her mentor, David Robinson. Dr. Kaiser recounts how he stumbled upon Ellingson’s forgotten photo albums, letters, and manuscripts in university archives, leading him to expose this long-hidden academic theft. The conversation explores Ellingson’s groundbreaking work, the impact of her stolen research, and how Kaiser’s book ultimately helped restore her legacy, just as the MeToo movement gained momentum. They also reflect on Ellingson’s strength, her understated but lasting influence, and the lessons for young archaeologists today.