Stephen G. McShane, W. George Pinnell awards for outstanding service

 

Stephen G. McShane Interim Director of Library and Librarian, Archivist/Curator University Libraries IU Northwest

IU Northwest Chancellor Bruce Bergland, McShane and Interim President Gerald Bepko at the Founders Day ceremony

Stephen McShane began collecting as a child. Back then, he was interested in anything that had to do with space exploration. Now he collects things related to the history of northwest Indiana.

The archivist and curator of the Calumet Regional Archives at IU Northwest, McShane is a leader in his profession. Under his guidance, the archives have grown from several boxes and file cabinets of records to an array of more than 400 collections. And in the words of one peer, he is “the driving force that connects the historical community in the Calumet region.”

In addition to his contributions to IUN through the archives, McShane has had a key role in the development of the campus. His responsibilities have included helping to develop “Shared Vision” (IUN’s strategic plan) and planning IUN’s 25th anniversary celebration. He also has served on many campus committees, including the IUN Committee on Cultural Diversity and Learning and the Campus Planning and Facilities Use Committee.

Among McShane’s published works is Moonlight in Duneland: The Illustrated Story of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, co-edited with Ronald D. Cohen (IU Press, 1998). The book features reproductions of the posters that advertised the rail line in the pre-Depression era. To promote scholarly interest in the history of the rail line, McShane recently helped to found the South Shore Line Heritage Foundation Advisory Committee. He also is collecting the oral histories of longtime South Shore Line workers.

Lauded by his peers for his willingness to dig in and work, McShane serves on numerous campus, professional and community committees. His roles have included president of the Northwest Indiana Arts and Humanities Consortium, charter board member of the Calumet Ethnic Heritage Alliance, and founding member and newsletter editor of the Historical Community of Northwest Indiana.

Stephen McShane is a collector by nature, and that, combined with a passion for history, has led to his successes as archivist and curator of the Calumet Regional Archives and other endeavors that connect the community to its roots.