Indiana University Showboat Majestic records, 1948-1973

Summary

Creator:
Majestic (Showboat)
Abstract:
The Showboat Majestic was a riverboat used for performances by the theater departments at both Hiram College and Indiana University. Collection consists of records from the Showboat Majestic spanning 1948-1973. Included in the collection are newspaper clippings, correspondence, information about the proposed Showboat II, artifacts, and several administrative files consisting of records on billing and attendance, performances, and maintenance costs.
Extent:
2.2 cubic feet
Language:
Materials are in English unless otherwise indicated.
Preferred citation:

[Item], Indiana University Showboat Majestic records, Collection C65, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Background

Administrative History:

The Majestic showboat, built in 1923 by Thomas J. Reynolds, was leased to Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio in 1948. The Dramatic Department at Hiram College used the Majestic to perform plays during college summer courses, and after running for nine seasons all over Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, Captian Reynolds, deciding to retire at 80 years of age, put the riverboat up for sale.

Indiana University President Herman B Wells read an article about the sale of this last running showboat and sent a copy to Lee Norvelle, head of the Department of Speech and Theatre. Norvelle and I.U. Vice President and Treasurer, J. A. Franklin, inspected the vessel and discussed with Captian Reynolds the sale of both the showboat and its tow, Atta-Boy. With approval from President Wells and the Board of Trustees, Indiana University purchased the Majestic showboat and tow in 1959 for $30,000.

Lee Norvelle served until 1963 as president of the non-profit corporation responsible for the operation of the vessel, and he served as Executive Director of The Showboat Majestic for its first two seasons after which Richard Moody accepted this title. William E. Kinzer was appointed Director Aboard in 1960 and remained in that position through the last season. The Showboat Majestic ran for five seasons on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and was used for many performances in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, before it was moored in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1965 after the Coast Guard deemed the Showboat Majestic unsafe for travel. The Indiana University Theatre Department performed on the Majestic for two more seasons before the riverboat was sold to the City of Cincinnati for $13,500 in 1967.

Richard Moody and William Kinzer proposed The Showboat Majestic II project, and a committee was formed to investigate the possibility of either purchasing or building a second showboat. The project was abandoned in 1970, when the Showboat account had $11,280, and the cost of a new riverboat was estimated at $500,000.

Scope and Content Note:

The Administrative series, 1959-1973, is arranged alphabetically and consists primarily of financial and business records maintained by Lee Norvelle and Richard Moody. Included in this series are maintenance and repairs records, attendance sheets and accounting, IRS tax records, licenses and inspections, and a contract of sale to the City of Cincinnati.

The Correspondence series is arranged chronologically, spanning 1959-1967, and consists primarly of letters to and from Lee Norvelle and Richard Moody. Other prominent correspondants include Herman B Wells, Byron Laird, William E. Kinzer, Jeffery Auer, J. A. Franklin, Hubert Heffner, and Robert Burton. The majority of the correspondence dates from 1959-1961 and deals with the purchase of The Showboat Majestic and the first seasons of operation.

The Productions series, 1960-1966, is arranged alphabetically and consists of records from the showboat's seven performance seasons. Of interest are lists of rules and necessities for "Showboaters." Also included are itineraries and programs, scripts and music, and cast lists for summer productions.

The fourth series, Showboat Majestic II, is arranged alphabetically, spanning 1966-1973, and consists of records on the planning of Showboat Majestic II. Included are letters to contractors, estimates, specifications and bidder information, promotional materials, and records detailing business trips to Memphis, St. Louis, and Louisiana.

The fifth series, Subject Files, 1948-1970, is arranged alphabetically and chronicles the activities of The Showboat Majestic. Included are records pertaining to special events that took place on the vessel, a captain's log, and news clippings and releases. Several folders contain news releases and correspondence related to the tug naming contest initiated by Lee Norvelle.

The six series, Realia, is arranged alphabetically and consists of artifacts from the Showboat Majestic including a large, painted sign from the boat, the wheel, and a life preserver. All items are undated.

The seventh series, Scrapbook, consists of one scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs of the 1965 production season of the Showboat Majestic. Loose photographs were removed and stored with the University Archives photograph collections.

The eigth and final series, Oversized posters, consists of four promotional posters for the Showboat Majestic. Three posters are copies of an unused, undated poster entitled "Here Comes Indiana University: Showboat Majestic." The other poster is for the production of "The Barker", which was performed in July 1966. These posters are stored with oversized architectural drawings.

Acquisition information:
Accession 99/043, 2013/108
Processing information:

Processed by C. Harrison Wick and Paul C. Heyde; re-processed by Janna Carney.

Completed in 2006

Arrangement:

Organized in eight series: Administrative, Correspondence, Productions, Showboat Majestic II Project, Subject Files, Realia, Scrapbook, and Oversized posters.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.

Terms of access:

Copyrights for records originating with Indiana University administrative units, departments, and other offices are held by the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.

The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.

Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.

Preferred citation:

[Item], Indiana University Showboat Majestic records, Collection C65, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Location of this collection:
Herman B Wells Library E460
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
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Campus:
Indiana University Bloomington
Contact:
812-855-1127
archives@iu.edu