Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) was a famed philosopher who has become the most taught and arguably most influential political thinker of the 20th century. Arendt fearlessly raised unpopular questions about the thoughtless embrace of science, insisted that human rights were counter productive, and questioned the forced integration of schools even as she defended strongly the rights to interracial marriage and civil disobedience. In the pantheon of great thinkers, Arendt articulated the richest and most compelling vision of the human need for a public and political life.

The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College is the world's most expansive home for bold and risky humanities thinking about our political world inspired by the spirit of Hannah Arendt, the leading thinker of politics and active citizenship in the modern era.

The collection was likely used by College staff and faculty as promotional and instructional materials before being transferred to the College Archives.

Henryk Archacki, 1907-1988, a Polish immigrant, journalist, and well-known graphic artist, drew weekly cartoons for Polish-language newspapers for over 20 years. With his wife, he researched current events, sports, literature, and historical curiosities, and presented them in these factoid cartoons, with a strong flavor of pride in being Polish. This syndicated series was entitled "Czy wiecie, ze..." ("Do you know that...").

In the mid-20th century, Polish Americans were simultaneously assimilating and realizing a new pride in their heritage, as Poland arose after World War I from over a century of partition. An unknown Buffalo subscriber clipped the cartoons in this collection from Buffalo's Dziennik dla Wszystkich (Everybody's Daily) from 1931 to 1952 and saved them in scrapbooks; the scrapbooks were recently acquired by Steven Piwowar and donated to UB's Polish Collection. Mixing serious and light content, Archacki both enlightened and entertained his beloved Polonia.

The Syracuse University College of Law was founded in 1895 as part of Syracuse University in Upstate New York. The College is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools, having received accreditation in 1900. It has also been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1923. The College grants Juris Doctor degrees with a variety of specializations. Dineen Hall is Syracuse University College of Law’s new, state-of-the-art building. Previously the College was located in MacNaughton Hall.

The American Civil War was fought between the years 1861 - 1865 between the Union (the North half of the country) and the Confederates (the South half of the country). The war began over the disagreements between the North and South regarding slavery. The Civil War is known for having more American deaths in a war than any other war America has been a part of. The Battle of Cold Harbor, which took place in June of 1864, is considered one of the bloodiest, lopsided battles of the war.

Utica’s Jennings family maintains a long tenure as residents and military representatives of the city during the twentieth-century. Born in England during the early 1860s, Abram Jennings immigrated to the United States in 1904 alongside his wife Ellen. Together, the migrant couple and their children settled in Utica. On October 12, 1934, Abram Jennings passed away, and soon after was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery. Born on December 12, 1913 to related members of the family, Francis “Frank” M. Jennings served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Air Force during World War II. A continuously prominent member of Utica’s Irish community, Frank Jennings passed away on November 8, 1991. Born on July 26, 1945, Frank’s son Lawrence also served in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. Drafted in 1967, Lawrence completed basic training in Texas and served as Corporal in the United States Army’s First Air Cavalry Division. On January 19, 1968, Lawrence was killed-in-action by friendly fire.

The American Legion, William Clinton Story Post No. 342, was organized in 1919 soon after the end of World War I. It was named for William Clinton Story who was one of the first Freeporters to die during the war. Story (1892-1918) was a 1908 graduate of Freeport High School, where he was salutatorian. He graduated from Princeton University in 1913, with honors. When the United States entered World War I, he enlisted with the hopes of becoming an aviator. He died near Memphis, TN, during a training flight. The Legion’s first clubhouse was opened in 1924. As the organization grew, a larger clubhouse, known as the Dugout, was dedicated on Sunrise Highway in 1928. Today, the Legion is working to establish a new clubhouse near the Nautical Mile. In addition to the Memorial Day Parade, the American Legion sponsors the Veterans Day Service in November.

The American Humane Association began a promotional campaign in 1915 called “Be Kind to Animals Week”. Talks, contests and other events centered on kindness to animals occurred throughout the country. Posters were created and distributed nationwide. The posters ranged from text only posters to detailed color lithographs. Several different nationally recognized artists contributed work to this project. One of the best known artists was Morgan Dennis, and his iconic drawings of animals were largely recognized as representative of the “Be Kind to Animals” project. The goal of the “Be Kind to Animals” campaign was to promote kindness and compassion to all species.