IMU workers find piece of the past while renovating for the future

Friday, June 30, 2006 5:45 PM\nSunday is usually thought of as a day of rest, a tradition that stems from earlier times when almost everyone woke up, attended church, sat down for a family meal and relaxed for the remainder of the day. But January 15, 1939, wasn't a restful Sunday for Indiana Memorial Union hotel page Emerson Keller Elkins. Elkins had to be at work early in the morning. Probably a little disgruntled and maybe a little bit bored, he began his shift by writing a letter to the future IMU director, though he had no idea who it would be. He discussed some of the political events of the world at that time, including the reign of Adolf Hitler, presidency of Franklin Roosevelt and his doubts that the upcoming movie "Gone With the Wind" would have much success. After writing the letter he placed it, along with some other items from the hotel, into a patch of the wall in the men's lounge where he thought the plastering didn't "look too solid." And there it laid untouched and unknown for almost 70 years. \nAs workers began demolishing a wall near the IMU Outdoor Adventures Office June 22, they came across something very unexpected -- Elkins' time capsule. \n"A guy was knocking down the glazed red tile and he saw some papers in there and started to pull them out," said an IMU facilities service worker who wished to remain anonymous. "He said, 'Hey, look at this!' He started reading the letter and we looked at the other papers. It was wild."\nAfter uncovering the letter, the workers brought it to IMU Director Loren Rullman's office. Later, other items, including a 1930s glass Coca-Cola bottle, packaging from a Lucky Strike cigarettes container, a lock and key, a coat tag and various hotel paraphernalia, were found in the wall.\nThe letter, which was in an envelope addressed to the IMU director, excited the entire staff because it shows a piece of student history in a building that has always been strongly associated with students, Rullman said.\n"The story of the union is really the story of students at IU," he said. "It was founded by students in 1909, the student section of the building opened in 1932 and it has been staffed by students for almost 100 years. We've always been a place for students. What's great is that (Elkins) wrote the letter as a student ... Here it is 70 years later and we are still communicating."\nThe letter gives reference to several historic events, including the selection of actress Vivien Leigh to play Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind," a movie Elkins predicted wouldn't "merit the fuss." This particular paragraph was a favorite of both Rullman and Brad Cook, a photograph curator at the IU Archives who helped examine the letter.\n"It's just something really fun and interesting to read," Cook said.\nRullman said it's especially exciting that they found the letter while working on this particular project because it will expand the gallery area and make an exclusive gathering place for students, as well as enable students to drift between the indoor rooms and the outdoor patio. Construction will begin in July and should be finished in September. Rullman said they'll definitely try to put a copy of the letter and possibly some of the items on display so everyone can learn the story of Elkins' time capsule, but he's unsure exactly what they will be able to showcase.\nThe IMU facilities service staff, however, has already decided what its contribution will be. The staff plans to place a copy of Elkins' letter along with a letter of its own, an IMU hotel brochure, a list of current pay rates and perhaps other IU items in a wall before the end of construction, said Leslie Prince, office assistant for the facilities service.\nNo matter what the display will be, Rullman thinks the letter in itself is a tribute to student involvement.\n"We realize the history here is incredible and (the letter) is part of the history," he said. "Student involvement and commitment at the union is timeless"