University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: October 9, 2003

By DONNA BUDNIEWSKI
and SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Staff

The UB presidencies, for the most part, have functioned as a team effort, with husband and wife carrying out the social, philanthropic, recruitment and committee functions that a presidency entails. Yet most of the presidential partners have carved out distinct roles in their own right that have invigorated university life, as well as the Office of the President.

In recognition of the unique role of the UB presidential partners, a special exhibition, "UB One: In Celebration of Carol Morrissey Greiner and University at Buffalo Presidential Partners, 1846-2003," is on display in the Special Collections Reading Room of the University Archives, 420 Capen Hall, North Campus. The exhibition, which will run through the end of the year, can be viewed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. It is free and open to the public.

A special event of Gender Week—the exhibition opened with a reception on Sept. 23—it is sponsored by the University Libraries, the Institute for Research & Education on Women and Gender, the Office of the President and the College of Arts & Sciences.

Judith Adams-Volpe, director of university and external relations, Arts and Sciences Libraries, serves as project curator; assisting are Michele Bewley, assistant to the dean for special projects, College of Arts & Sciences; Jane Liebner, assistant to the president for events and protocol, Office of the President; Kathleen Quinlivan, senior assistant librarian, Science and Engineering Library; Laurel Ode, staff writer, Office of the President, and Rose Orcutt, project librarian, Science and Engineering Library.

The exhibit celebrates the life of UB's 13th and most recent presidential partner—Carol Morrissey Greiner, considered a dynamic leader in her own right and an active champion of the university—and highlights as well the lives of some of the partners of other UB presidents. They include Abigail Powers Fillmore and Caroline McIntosh Fillmore, the first and second wives, respectively, of Millard Fillmore, UB's first chancellor; Grace Duncan Wright Capen, wife of Samuel P. Capen; Sparkle Moore Furnas, wife of Clifford C. Furnas; Lorelei (Lolly) Ketter, wife of Robert L. Ketter, and Kathryn Sample, wife of Steven B. Sample.

The original impetus for the exhibit came from Bewley, who thought an exhibit honoring Carol Greiner and previous presidential partners would be a nice event for Gender Week, Adam-Volpe says.

"I greatly enjoyed 'discovering' the history of UB presidential partners and bringing to light some of the wonderful accomplishments of these women and everything they brought to UB," she says. "It is always a joy to unearth marvelous treasures in the University Archives, like the Capen wedding invitation, vintage photographs and personal items that depict personalities and bring past events to life.

"And it is a great honor to celebrate Carol Greiner and all she has given to our institution," she adds.

Mrs. Greiner is the centerpiece of the exhibition, and numerous display cases contain memorabilia of her life—highlighting careers as a dancer, semi-pro softball and basketball player, businesswoman, mother, photographer, higher education consultant and international ambassador for UB and avid fan of UB athletics.

One display case features photos of Mrs. Greiner and her childhood dance partner, celebrated children's author Tomie dePaola. The duo tapped its way from early childhood through high school, performing in shows in New York City and Connecticut. Tap shoes, autographed by the late Gregory Hines, who performed at UB last spring, are included among the items.

Photos and formal portraits of Mrs. Greiner dressed in an American Airlines uniform illustrate the period she spent as a flight attendant (or stewardess, as the position was called in the late 1950s) stationed in Newark and Dallas. Once, on a West Coast run, she charmed dancer Gene Kelly into helping her serve lucky passengers their breakfast.

Many items given to the Greiners during their travels abroad for UB also are on display, including sake cups and a decanter from Kobe, Japan, an imperial Jingdezhan porcelain plate from Beijing Polytechnic University and a jade necklace from Singapore.

Other display cases house numerous items that provide glimpses of Mrs. Greiner's personal and family life, among them photos of the Greiner children and grandchildren, the couple at their wedding, at Carol Greiner's senior prom, and dressed as Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks at last year's Friends of the Center for the Arts Masquerade Ball. One case is chock full of tributes and proclamations honoring Carol Greiner from various governmental bodies and organizations.

Other presidential partners are represented in the exhibition as well. Chancellor Millard Fillmore (1846-74) had two "presidential partners:" first wife Abigail Powers Fillmore, who served simultaneously as first lady of the United States and UB during her husband's term as U.S. president from 1850-53, and Caroline McIntosh Fillmore, who Fillmore married in 1857, a few years after the death of Abigail Fillmore.

Abigail Fillmore is credited with developing the first library in the White House; Caroline Fillmore, a wealthy widow when she married Fillmore, insisted her soon-to-be husband enter into a prenuptial agreement guaranteeing that her money would remain in her own name after marriage. Caroline Fillmore's last will and testament is among the artifacts in the exhibit.

Grace Duncan Wright Capen, wife of Chancellor Samuel P. Capen (1922-1950), served the university community during World War II as honorary chairperson of the Faculty Wives' war bond project. She also served as president of the Women's Club of UB, later called the Faculty Women's Club. Her notes on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and a love letter to her from her husband are on display, as is an invitation from the wedding of her daughter.

Sparkle Moore Furnas, wife of Clifford C. Furnas (chancellor of the private University of Buffalo from 1954-1962; president of the State University of New York at Buffalo from 1962-66) was an avid mountain climber and academic who graduated from Purdue University, completed graduate work in dietetics and nutrition at the University of Minnesota and pursued doctoral studies at Yale University.

While at UB, she was a tireless organizer and promoter of university activities, activating the UB Women's Club and traveling widely for the institution. She also served as president of the Buffalo Chapter of American University Women.

Mrs. Furnas donated to the university a large collection of memorabilia from her days as presidential partner, and many items now reside in the Clifford C Furnas Memorial Room in the Special Collections Reading Room. Among those on display in this exhibition are a photo taken in 1957 of Sparkle Furnas; Jane Keeler, a founder of the Studio Theatre and School in Buffalo, and actress Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, Michael Todd, at the Faculty Club, and a photo of Sparkle Furnas and her husband attending the 1958 Lambert Cup game, which determined the best football team in the East. UB won the game.

Margy Meyerson, wife of President Martin Meyerson (1966-70), was an urban planning expert who, along with her husband, was instrumental in the 1967 purchase of the Darwin Martin House by the university to be the residence of the university president.

Among the Meyerson items on display are a photo of the Martin House, a holiday card depicting the 1968 groundbreaking of the North Campus, and artifacts from the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The artifacts were presented to the Meyersons and UB by architect Edgar Tafel, a former student of Wright who had collected them when the building was demolished in 1968.

Lorelei Ketter, wife of President Robert L. Ketter (1970-1982), grew herbs and flowers on the family's Allegany County farm, and is credited with improving the quality and elegance of UB cuisine. She took flying lessons in her retirement.

The display includes a 45 rpm recording and lyrics of a song that was sold to raise money for the defense fund for numerous faculty members arrested during the violent anti-war demonstrations held on campus during the Ketter administration.

Among other items in the display are a photo of Lolly Ketter in the kitchen, and one of her and her husband taken during an informal moment sitting on athletic bleachers—Bob Ketter is wearing a cowboy hat.

Kathryn Sample, wife of President Steven B. Sample (1982-91) fulfilled a life-long dream of becoming a surgical technologist, studying during the time the Samples were at the University of Nebraska before coming to UB.

Mrs. Sample viewed her role as a true partnership with her presidential spouse. "Ever since Steve and I have been married, we've sort of viewed things together. We've viewed his job as a two-person job—we've done it as a team," she says. "I've enjoyed that. It's been fun for both of us."

The exhibit includes photos of the Samples, Steven Sample and the couple's two daughters, Michelle and Melissa, and the Samples with Sparkle Furnas.