Children's Leather Shoes
Gordon and Sally Rudolph Collection
Location: Germans from Russia Heritage Collection
A pair of hand-made leather children's shoes worn by Sally and Jonathan Hochstatter. Sally and Johnathan were the children of German-Russian immigrants who were among the first families to settle in Dakota Territory.
Antique Balance Scale
Food Production Laboratory Complex Mini Museum
Location: Family Life Center 312
Before we had electronic or slide scales, we had to add weights in grams, ounces, etc. to estimate weights of foods.
Crazy Quilt
Emily Reynolds Historic Costume Collection
Location: 414 Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Family Life Center
This crazy quilt was made in 1899 by Louise Greenwood of McIntosh, Minnesota. Its silk and velvet blocks and seams are embellished with hand embroidery in a multitude of stitches and floral designs. It also incorporates panels of Ojibwe floral beadwork and silk souvenir ribbons.
First Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes
Faculty Senate Records
Location: NDSU Archives
This ledger is among the oldest surviving documents from North Dakota Agricultural College. It includes the first meeting minutes for the NDAC Faculty Senate.
German-Russian Batsa Brick
Tom Mueller Collection
Location: Germans from Russia Heritage Collection
When German-Russians settled in Dakota Territory, they used their experience from the Ukrainian steppes to adapt to the challenging prairie landscape. They employed vernacular architecture, constructing homes and barns using "batsa bricks," made from a mixture of clay, straw, and manure, which were shaped and sun-dried. This method reflected both the practical needs of the environment and their cultural traditions. Learn more about German-Russian history at this online exhibit.
First NDAC Diploma
Location: NDSU Archives
This was the first diploma granted by North Dakota Agricultural College to Robert Reed for completing the agriculture course of study.
Hemerocallis 'Bison Valentine'
NDSU Historic Daylily Display Garden
Location: Campus Garden
'Bison Valentine' is one in a series of daylilies with the Bison name specifically bred for North Dakota State University
Lawrence Welk Accordion
Lawrence Welk Collection
Location: NDSU Archives
Universal Accordion owned by Lawrence Welk. Welk, a native of Strasburg, N.D., hosted “The Lawrence Welk Show” on network television from 1955-82. The musician had a number one hit in 1961 with “Calcutta” and was inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame. His black, white and silver accordion is one of the many items in the Lawrence Welk Collection at the NDSU Archives. The Welk family made the donation in 1993 following the musician’s death in 1992.
Japanese Friendship Doll
Emily Reynolds Historic Costume Collection
Location: 414 Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Family Life Center
This doll, named Miss Okayama, and her accessories were a gift from the children of Okayama Prefecture, Japan, to the children of North Dakota as part of a doll exchange in 1927. In Okayama Prefecture, the doll's nickname is "Okayama Momoko" [Okayama's little peach]. Peach blossoms are Okayama's prefectural flower. Miss Okayama continues to serve as a goodwill ambassador between the United States and Japan.
POW01
Dendrochronology
Cross section of the Powell oak. Bur oak growing along the Sheyenne River. First (earliest) ring was 1556; tree was cut down in 2006.
Roger L. Kroodsma Hybrid Bird Collection
NDSU Ornithology collection
Location: A. Glenn Hill Center
Dr. Roger L. Kroodsma was a zoology Ph.D. student back in the late 60s that collected a good number of hybrid birds across North Dakota and eastern Montana. His work with buntings and grosbeaks and how species boundaries are maintained through behavior and visual recognition has been published in the Auk, which is now the journal or Ornithology, a publication by the American Ornithological Society. He also collected a number of birds outside of his research area, making him the greatest contributor to the ornithology collection. His collection was housed at NDSU and now a piece of it is on display at Barry Hall.
Contemporary Art Collection
Location: Memorial Union Gallery
In the 1960's, James T. Demetrion ( later known for expanding the collection and becoming the first Director of the Hirshorn) was hired to select pieces for NDSU's emerging art collection. Among the pieces he chose, this work by Andy Warhol became a defining part of the Contemporary Art Collection. Originally part of a diptych, this piece was purchased for $5000 and is now valued in the millions. Warhol was a central figure in pop art in the 1960s and 70s.
Princess Buttercup - Bearded Dragon
Reptile and Amphibian Collection
Location: Stevens Hall - 2nd Floor Lobby
Princess Buttercup came to us as a juvenile, being the only egg and hatchling that survived from his clutch. He had a rough start to his life, but has been doing well since his arrival at NDSU. Buttercup is small for his age (9 years old), but loves attention and is great at outreach events.
