It all started as a small, thoughtful gesture from one old friend to another.

At least, that was the original motivation behind Rhonda Ungericht's purchase of an 1802 newspaper last summer. She bought the paper as a gift for her former Columbia neighbor, Hugh Munn, a professor of public relations at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

But before long, Ungericht's act of kindness had blossomed into a noteworthy teachable moment that became an intriguing glimpse into the University's history and a valued addition to Carolina's archives.

Ungericht, a Winter Haven, Fla., State Farm Insurance adjuster and longtime friend of the Munn family, was looking for things that might interest friends and family members when she was browsing the Web site, rarenewspapers.com. On a lark, she typed "South Carolina" into the site's search window.

Up popped a copy of The Aurora General Advertiser newspaper published in Philadelphia on March 23, 1802 with an announcement titled, "South Carolina College."

Ungericht strongly suspected the announcement, a call for architectural design proposals from then South Carolina Gov. John Drayton, had to be for the first building of what would eventually become the University. She purchased the paper for $45 and sent it to Munn's office with a note that said, "What do you think?"

The paper was yellowed and starting to crumble, said Munn, and it looked real, though he also thought it could have been a reproduction, given his naturally suspicious nature as a former newsman and spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division.

He took the paper to Gayle Douglas and Charles Bierbauer, associate dean, and dean, respectively, of journalism, for their opinion. Bierbauer called in Allen Stokes, director of the South Caroliniana Library, who certified the paper's authenticity and the fact that Benjamin Franklin's grandson had once served as its publisher.

After Munn decided to donate the paper to the University's archives, Stokes put it in an airtight protective container. He also promised to provide a digitized copy to the school for display as an example of the role journalism played in the University's origins.

But the story didn't end there.

Anna Groos, a master of mass communications degree candidate from San Antonio, Texas, wrote an article about The Aurora General Advertiser for the college's Web site (www.jour.sc.edu/news/
newsann/007008/aurora/index.html). When she interviewed Stokes, he explained how the college's first board of trustees had a national design contest to find an architect for the college's first building, referring her to a book on the architectural history of the University by retired art history professor John M. Bryan, '65.

Stokes had heard about the contest but had never seen a copy of the ad until Munn showed him the paper, Groos said.

She also interviewed assistant advertising professor Karen Mallia for her opinion on the significance of the early 19th-century ad and the strategy the trustees used in trying to find an architect through the paper.

Working on the story was fun and interesting, said Groos, adding that the experience taught her the importance of talking to multiple sources to get as many different perspectives on a subject as possible.

In her piece, she quoted Bierbauer as saying the digital copy of the paper would be prominently displayed at the college "to show the powerful role that journalism and advertising played in the earliest days of South Carolina College, just as our college and our students are an integral strength of the University today."

11/07