The Bob Bersson Papers, 1981-2017, are comprised of documents and media related to Bersson's work as a community activist
in Harrisonburg, and professor of art at James Madison University. It contains Bersson's professional papers, material related
to the Citizens for Downtown organization, Taxpayers against Golf Spending (TAGS), WMRA's "Our Little Radio Show," and images
of downtown Harrisonburg and JMU Campus.
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library.
For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Access Restrictions
Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this
collection.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [box#, folder #], Bob Bersson Papers, 1981-2017, SC 0272, Special Collections, Carrier Library,
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Acquisition Information
Items were donated by Bob Bersson in five separate accessions between 2014 and 2018.
Processing Information
Duplicate copies of materials were discarded. Newspaper clippings related to the JMU Faculty and restructuring were returned
to donor. A large number of 3.5 inch floppy discs and zip discs which contain drafts of Bersson's two books, "Worlds of Art,"
published by Mayfield Publishing Company in 1991, and "Responding to Art: Form, Content and Context," published by McGraw
Hill in 2003, as well as other academic work, were returned to the donor.
Cassette tapes containing WMRA recordings of "Our Little Radio Show" were digitized and returned to the donor. In January
2019, 770+ slides from Series 1: Citizens for Downtown (CFD), 1989-2017 were inventoried, photographed, and rehoused. The
original slide cases, slide boxes, and slide carousels were photographed and discarded.
Bob Bersson was a professor of Art at James Madison University from 1983 until his retirement in 2003. He taught modern and
contemporary art history, art criticism, aesthetics, and art appreciation. He wrote two art history/art appreciation text
books: "Worlds of Art," published by Mayfield in 1991, and "Responding to Art," published by McGraw-Hill in 2004. Bersson
founded the Interfaith Initiative for Peace and Justice in Harrisonburg, and remains active in local interfaith activities.
In 2016, Bersson served as visiting Jewish Scholar for the Center for Interfaith Engagement at Eastern Mennonite University.
The collection is comprised of documents and media related to Robert Bersson's work as an art professor at JMU and community
organizer in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is arranged into four series: Citizens for Downtown (CFD) in Harrisonburg, Taxpayers
against Golf Spending (TAGS), WMRA "Our Little Radio Show," and Professional Papers.
The collection is arranged into four series. Series 1 is arranged further into subseries.
Citizens for Downtown (CFD), 1989-2017
Taxpayers against Golf Spending (TAGS), 1992-2002
WMRA "Our Little Radio Show," 1987-1988
Professional Papers, 1991-2004
Arranged into two subseries: Administrative Files, 1989-2017, arranged chronologically, and Subject Files, 1989-2017, arranged
alphabetically.
Scope and Content
The Citizens for Downtown files contain meeting minutes, correspondence, financial reports, newspaper clippings, speeches,
membership information, advertisements, and slides related to the historic preservation and revitalization of downtown Harrisonburg.
A summary of the history of CFD and the Blacks Run clean-up and restoration project, written by Bob Bersson, can be found
in Box 1:8.
The series contains 771 slides with images of Harrisonburg, James Madison University, Rockingham County, and other locales
in Virginia and the Northeast. Specific locations include images of downtown Harrisonburg, Hillandale Park, Black's Run, Purcell
Park, and JMU buildings and campus. One slide container was labelled, "Good Models for Downtown Development," and contained
images of Charlottesville, Roanoke, Richmond, Alexandria, among other locales. Another slide case was labelled, JMU Architecture,
1909-2003.
The series also contains three VHS tapes with interviews of Bersson related to Harrisonburg downtown revitalization, as well
as two 3.5 inch floppy discs labelled, "Citizens for Downtown."
1
Administrative Files
1989–2017
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 1
Prehistory of Citizens for Downtown
1981-1989, undated
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 2
Citizens for Downtown Documents 1
1989, undated
Bob Bersson Notebook
1989–1990
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 3
Citizens for Downtown Documents 2
1990
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 4
Citizens for Downtown Documents 3
1991
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 5
Citizens for Downtown Documents 4
1992–1994
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 6
Citizens for Downtown Documents 5
1995–2000
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 7
Citizens for Downtown Documents 6
20042006
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 8
Citizens for Downtown Narrative and Blacks Run Clean-up Narratives
20142017
Mixed Materials 3.5 Floppy Disk: SC0272-FL3-001
Citizens for Downtown Documents 7
undated
Mixed Materials 3.5 Floppy Disk: SC0272-FL3-002
Citizens for Downtown Documents 8
undated
2
Subject Files
1989–2017
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 9
Architectural Awards
1990-2002, undated
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 10
Blacks Run Restoration Project Documents
1989–2003
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 11
Blacks Run Restoration Project Photos
circa 1992
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 12
Blacks Run Restoration Project Newspaper Clippings
1990–2017
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 13
Fridays on the Square
1992–2013
Mixed Materials [1000886364] box: 1 folder: 14
Gallery Walk
1989–1990
Moving Images Media Cabinet: 1 SC0272-VHS-001
Downtown revitalization, WHSV TV
circa 1981
Moving Images Media Cabinet: 1 SC0272-VHS-002
Identity Crisis, WVPT
1989 September 7
Moving Images Media Cabinet: 1 SC0272-VHS-003
Citizens for Downtown on TV3 News
1989
Mixed Materials [1000886367] box: 4
Slides of Downtown Harrisonburg, Blacks Run, and JMU campus
circa 1981-2005
Scope and Contents
The box contains 781 slides with images taken by and compiled by Bob Bersson. The slides depict buildings in downtown Harrisonburg;
the Blacks Run River area; Hillendale Park, Harrisonburg; JMU campus and buildings; Bridgewater, Dayton, Citizens for Downtown
activities; and various historic districts in northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Boston, Maryland, and other locales. A complete
inventory of the slides is available upon request.
TAGS is comprised reports, memos, maps, studies, advertisements, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and audio recordings
related to a campaign against the Harrisonburg City Council's plans to build a municipal golf course in the Hillandale Park
in Harrisonburg. The organization eventually formed the Citizens of Harrisonburg Advocating New Government for the Electorate
(CHANGE) in 2000, who endorsed three candidates for city council -- Dorn Peterson, Carolyn Frank, and Joe Fitzgerald – all
of whom were elected in May 2000. Three audiocassettes contain interviews with individuals in 2002 regarding their involvement
with TAGS.
The series, "Our Little Radio Show," contains documents and audio recordints related to a variety show co-founded by Bersson
in 1987, and hosted at JMU. Audio cassettes with episodes of the show have been digitized and returned to Bersson.
Mixed Materials [1000886366] box: 3 folder: 3
Our Little Radio Show Documents
1987
Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001
Our Little Radio Show Documents
1987 March 3, undated
Scope and Contents
Comprised of photographs of a document with a list of Our Little Radio Show programs and dates, and an image of the article,
"Show Prepares for Airwaves: 'Our Little Radio Show' Runs Through its Paces," Daily News Record, March 3, 1987.
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-01
WMRA Spring fund drive with Our Little Radio Show
April 1987
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-02
Our Little Radio Show with Dominion Express
1987 May 10
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-03
Our Little Radio Show with Joyce Breeden and Steve Parks
1987 May 17
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-04
Our Little Radio Show with Nick Whitmer, Mel and Karen Lee
1987 May 24
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-05
Our Little Radio Show with Rick Richardson & Steve Edick
1987 May 31
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-06
Our Little Radio Show with Crooked Run String Band
1987 June 7
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-07
Our Little Radio Show with Musikanten
1987 June 14
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-08
Our Little Radio Show with Musikanten
1987 June 14
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-09
Our Little Radio Show with Belzona Bluzz Revue
1987 June 21
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-10
Our Little Radio Show with Windfall
1987 June 28
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-11
Our Little Radio Show with Roy Book Binder
1987 July 12
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-12
Our Little Radio Show with Mandelay
1987 July 19
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-13
Our Little Radio Show with Wanda Hardy and the Hardy Boys
1987 August 2
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-14
Our Little Radio Show with Gary Green and Rick Harris
1987 August 9
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-15
Our Little Radio Show with John Glick & Steve Phillips, Mac McCumsey
1987 August 16
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-16
Our Little Radio Show with Steve Speakman
1987 October 4
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-17
Our Little Radio Show with Reverend Billy C. Wirtz
1987 October 25
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-18
Our Little Radio Show with Joyce Breeden
1987 November 15
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-19
Our Little Radio Show, Christmas Show with Boffo
1987 December 20
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-29
Our Little Radio Show with Robin and Linda Williams
1988 January 17
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-20
Our Little Radio Show with Michael Geddes
1988 February 7
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-21
Our Little Radio Show with Cabin Fever (Side A)
1988 February 14
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-30
Our Little Radio Show with John D'Earth and Robert Jospé
1988 February 21
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-22
Our Little Radio Show with Debbie and Peter Hunter
1988 February 28
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-23
Our Little Radio Show with Eddie Adcock and Talk of the Town
1988 March 6
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-24
Our Little Radio Show with Joyce Breeden, Steve Parks and Two-Gun Terry
1988 March 13
Audio Digital-Materials: SC0272-SET-001 SC0272-25
Our Little Radio Show with Wanda and the White Boys
Professional Papers contain the papers and media created by Bersson during his tenure as a professor of Art at James Madison
University. There are two folders contain documents related to significant and controversial restructuring under the Carrier
Administration in 1993. Files include comments made by President Carrier during a JMU Faculty Senate Meeting in October 14,
1993, as well as other articles and reports related to faculty governance and structure.
![[logo]](https://cdn1.lib.jmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/JMU-Logo_ASpace2VAHeritage.png){kind=logo}