Reference Point

Humbling experience Endowment honors John and Audrey Cumming For most of their lives John and Audrey Cumming have passionately pursued their interests in Michigan history and children's literature. Now their life passions will inspire others through an endowment their friends recently established to honor the longtime Mount Pleasant residents and avid Central Michigan University supporters. John Cumming is very humbled by the way he and his wife are being honored, commenting, "I don't know what to say. " The John and Audrey Cumming Endowment will support a speaker series featuring lectures on Michigan history as well as children's literature. "John has played a fundamental role in shaping the institution, while at the same time maintaining an active interest in history, says Frank Boles, director of the Clarke Historical Library. CMU student intern Jillian Matthews demonstrates the evolution of technology in children's literature, including pop-up books all the way back to "The Speaking Picture Book" published in 1895. " Audrey and John Cumming Prior to his retirement, John was the longest-serving director of the Clarke Historical Library, a position he held for 21 years. Audrey began teaching after World War II and taught in the Detroit and Mount Pleasant areas. Her passion for education continued into her graduate studies, during which she wrote her master's thesis on children's literature. The endowment program's first lecture will feature Philip Nel, a national expert on Dr. Seuss books, and will help to launch the new Clarke exhibit, "Educating the Next Generation: The World of Children's Literature. free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11, in Park Library Auditorium. • " Nel's presentation, which is 'Dr. Seuss, American Icon: The Legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel' John and Audrey Cumming Speaker Series presentation by nationally renowned Dr. Seuss expert Philip Nel • 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11 • Park Library Auditorium • Free and open to the public 11

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