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A Sneak Preview of the Life and Work of America's Funniest Mom

By Teri Rizvi

The University of Dayton will unveil a glimpse of humorist Erma Bombeck’s papers and memorabilia during “The Erma Bombeck Collection: A Sneak Preview” March 11-Oct. 23 in the Stuart and Mimi Rose Gallery in the lobby of Roesch Library.

Free and open to the public, the exhibit will be on display daily during library hours.*

Bombeck, who wrote about the foibles of family life, was one of the great American humorists of the 20th century and arguably the University of Dayton’s most famous graduate.

What visitors will see in the preview display: 

  • A timeline chronicling Bombeck’s rise from part-time copy girl for the Dayton Herald to syndicated columnist, author, sitcom writer, “Good Morning America” commentator and a household name who appeared on the cover of magazines and on “Johnny Carson” and other talk shows.
  • Highlights of her career, including the first “At Wit’s End” column; galley proofs for her first book, At Wit’s End, published in 1967; notes for “Good Morning America” scripts; column ideas, some written on scraps of papers; draft of the pilot episode of her “Maggie” sitcom; Grammy Award nominations; and the Mark Twain Award given in 1973 “to Mark Twain’s successor” described as “America’s most delightful entertainer, (a) gentle depicter of the virtues and weaknesses of American family life with humor’s paintbrush.”
  • Scenes of her personal life, including never-seen-before family photos; letters to her son Andy; an hilarious postcard from friend Phyllis Diller; and buttons created by Dayton attorney and Bombeck aficionado Tom Cecil, who encouraged Bombeck to run for president.
  • Her groundbreaking work for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, including editorial cartoons and a photo at a meeting for President Jimmy Carter’s National Advisory Committee for Women. “When my grandchildren ask me where I was during the battle of the sexes, I don’t want to say I gave at the office,” she told reporters.
  • A reconstruction of her home office desk, including her IBM Selectric typewriter; scrawled notes for columns on scraps of paper; a stack of books; and her column, “Living Creatively with Clutter.”

The display contains just a small fraction of the Erma Bombeck Collection, now available for public viewing by appointment only in the library’s archives. UD, where Bombeck graduated in 1949, is the official repository of the celebrated writer’s life and legacy, thanks to a gift from her family. A major exhibit is planned for the spring of 2024.

“The collection is completely irreplaceable,” said Ed Hoffman, a rare book collector in Columbus, Ohio, who specializes in Americana, especially Ohioana and the works of humorist James Thurber. “Erma Bombeck’s archive and papers are a unique and comprehensive collection representing the storied career of this enormously popular humorist, columnist and author. (The collection) includes the original manuscripts of most of her books; a huge file of her columns over 30-plus years; and an extensive record of correspondence and documents shedding light on her connections to publishers, editors and other writers.

“The fact that Erma and her husband and then her family were able to retain and safeguard so much of the output from her ‘working life,’ and see that it will live on at the University of Dayton, is a wonderful labor of love," said Hoffman after he and his rare book collector wife, Tina, perused the collection last spring before it was catalogued.

Beyond the collection, the life and works of Erma Bombeck are enjoying a resurgence of interest, thanks to a one-woman play, “Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End,” being staged around the country; the inclusion of the family’s Centerville, Ohio, house on the National Register; and a biennial writers’ workshop that draws hundreds of writers nationally to the University of Dayton.

The closing of the preview exhibit coincides with the Oct. 20-22 Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, which will feature an opening night keynote talk by “Cathy” cartoonist Cathy Guisewite and a slate of well-known writers and humorists. For information, including how to register, visit here.

For more information about the Erma Bombeck Collection, send an email to archives@udayton.edu.

* Visitors need a University of Dayton ID to enter the Roesch Library Sunday through Thursday after 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday after 6 p.m. The general public can visit the Rose Gallery for the preview exhibit at all other times the library is open.

— Teri Rizvi

Teri Rizvi is the founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton, where she also serves as executive director of strategic communications.

 

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