Exploring Br. Eric’s work behind the stacks

Nearly a year after stepping into the role of head archivist for the CSBJ+SJU Archives, Brother Eric Pohlman still shares the same enthusiasm he’s had since he first started volunteering in the department.

“There’s lots to learn, but it’s going very well,” he said.

Originally from the small town of Delphos in northwestern Ohio, Pohlman professed temporary vows as a Benedictine monk in Lisle, Ill., before relocating to St. John’s Abbey in 2010, where he made his life vows. From there, he got a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Ohio State University, and, after “inspiration struck,” he pursued a master’s degree at UW-Madison in library and information studies, just wrapping up last December.

Pohlman took over for beloved CSB+SJU head archivist Peggy Roske, who retired last year. A longtime volunteer at the archives, his reasoning for wanting to get involved paired well with his love for history.

“It was just a natural fit,” he said, “and I love to know the history of the place where I have made my permanent residence.”

Our tour first started in the research room of the SJU Archive. Displayed on the table was a portable typewriter owned by writer Betty Wahl (CSB ‘45), who, with her novelist husband J.F. Powers, moved back and forth between the United States and Ireland before settling in Collegeville.

Pohlman led me to the temperature-controlled back stacks, which are kept at a brisk 65 degrees, set to protect materials from deterioration. There, he pulled out a 1960 prospectus for the Alcuin Library. Hand-drawn elevations, support structures and proposed entrance designs showed a concept that seemed very close to today’s building, minus the eventual additions and the 2016-17 renovation.

He showed me the shelves full of archives of SJU’s publications, including crumbling volumes of The Record, its earliest issues dating back to 1888. Displayed beside them sat promotional catalogs from the early 20th century, which included color plates of campus: the old formal gardens, the original gymnasium, the boathouse and even the monks’ private beach on the lake.

We ended the tour in a room locked behind a metal door, where the rare books collection stood, including the “Arca Artium” collection. It was donated by Frank Kacmarcik, Obl. O.S.B. who collected the rare books, manuscripts and references for his own work as an artist. Some pieces were medieval, like a handwritten Book of Hours written in the 15th century, and some were more modern, like a 20th-century print of the Gospels featuring woodcut illustrations by Eric Gill.

Nearly a year into the job, it’s clear that Pohlman is dedicated to his work. He still treats every discovery like a small miracle, from old basketballs and skates to fold-out maps to John Gagliardi bobble heads, and each of them carries their own importance in defining the history of CSB+SJU. He was able to narrate the evolution of the Quad, the Great Hall, the gymnasium (Guild Hall), Alcuin Library and the early science buildings with the precision of someone who has scoured the archives back-to-front, and then back again. And I don’t have any trouble believing that he really has—multiple times.

Overall, I had a blast talking with Brother Eric about the Archives, and I encourage you to check them out sometime! Just make sure you bring a jacket on your tour.

Visit csbsju.edu/sju-archives or csbsju.edu/csb-archives for more information.