Access & Use

Biographical Note
George Race was born in Fennville, Michigan on April 3, 1936.  Mr. Race attended Western Michigan University for two years, obtaining a degree in broadcast engineering.  After attending Western, Race opened his own electronics and repair business in Portage, Michigan.  As a result of his proficiency in the field, he was hired part-time by Kalamazoo College to do AV repair.  Kalamazoo shared him with Albion over the next few years, and in 1968 Race was snapped up by Albion College for a full-time position as the first Director of the Audio Visual Department.

During Race’s tenure at Albion, technological advances changed the college considerably.  Many of the conveniences provided by the college that students take for granted today, such as personal phones in rooms, voicemail, the audio-visual laboratory in Norris Complex, the WLBN (originally WEXL) radio station, cable, ethernet, keyless entry, etc., were a product of Mr. Race’s hard work and implementation.  The first computers on Albion’s campus were developed by Mr. Race and his colleagues in technical services.

This collection provides a personal glimpse into the worldwide technological revolution that occurred from the late 1960’s to the present.  Through Race’s notes, planning and memos, early difficulties in Albion’s adaptation to new technologies are revealed, as well as the changing nature of what the average Albion student could expect from the college.

While Mr. Race retired from his fulltime duties in June of 2004, he now fills a part-time position assisting in the remodeling of the science complex on Albion College’s campus, ironically similar to the position he held when first hired in 1968- assisting in the design of the original Norris Science Center Complex.  His official duties at the science center are expected to end in August 2006, but Race seems unwilling to settle down, maintaining a technological consulting practice and working on his pilot’s license as he continues to work part-time.

Race currently lives just outside the city of Albion and has two daughters.

Scope & Content
The Papers of George Race are organized in separate series and sub-series based on the different areas of Mr. Race’s work over his 35+ years with Albion College.  The collection is primarily composed of personal notes and memoranda, in addition to event planning materials. 

The Papers are divided into 2 series and 3 subseries:

Series I: Notes & Memoranda

Series II: Event Planning

Subseries i  : Commencement/Alumni Day/Honors Convocation
Subseries ii : Homecoming
Subseries iii: Other Activities

Series Description

Notes and Memoranda, 1969-2001
This series is comprised primarily of Race’s work-related and personal correspondence from the years 1969-2001.  The folders also contain specific instructions for technological equipment purchased for the college and information on its use for faculty and staff.
 

Event Planning, 1969-2004
The Commencement/Alumni Day/Honors Convocation subseries contains meeting minutes for the planning committees of these events, as well as specific instructions and descriptions of Race’s role in each set-up.  Programs and scripts for speakers at the events are also included.

The Homecoming subseries consists of descriptions of the activities planned for Albion College Homecoming celebrations from 1969-1982.  Mr. Race’s personal responsibilities for each program are explained.

The Other Activities subseries includes information on the planning and implementation of the original Science Center’s dedication in May of 1974, the Pool dedication of May 1978, and Albion College’s first Computer Fair, put on specifically by Race and his colleagues on March 1, 1980.

Inventory