Clark Digital Projects Librarian Katie Stebbins ’10 organizes film reels, documents, and more for special collection
Katie Stebbins ’10 became familiar with the name Robert Goddard during her time as a Clarkie, of course — the University’s library is named after the physicist and alum who launched the world’s first liquid fuel rocket on March 16, 1926, an accomplishment that allowed man to reach the moon just 43 years later.
But Stebbins, Clark’s digital projects librarian, did not have a deep knowledge of Goddard’s life, or of the influence of his wife Esther Goddard, until she began organizing a special digital exhibit of Goddard artifacts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the rocket launch.
“I look at Goddard as a gateway figure to a lot of 20th-century history, culture, and technology,” says Stebbins.
On this episode of Challenge. Change., Stebbins offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to organize a digital archive and shares more about the life of Esther Goddard, and how she supported Robert’s rocket experiments.
“They were a team,” says Stebbins. “People have spent way too long talking about Robert without talking about Esther. She was his typist and his business manager. She photographed all the equipment. She had a movie camera, and she filmed all his tests. She transcribed and copied all his materials. She gave speeches, she did outreach. You can also only get to know him through her in a certain way.”
To learn more about Robert and Esther Goddard, view
- The digital exhibit from Clark’s Robert H. Goddard Library
- Clark’s Robert H. Goddard Collection
- Clark’s Goddard Centennial Website
Challenge. Change. is produced by Melissa Hanson for Clark University. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.
