Robert J. Jansen papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of family papers and photographs, organization records, and business records. The papers span Jansen’s life from grade school through college, political activities of the 1990s, Jansen's activism as a gay man, teaching career from Cal State Fresno through The College of St. Scholastica including the CSS grievance over tenure (1982-1983), the beginnings of his gay bar The Main Club, and the purchase and renovation of a Victorian house (his home in Duluth (1215 East Second Street) which was featured in a tour of the Duluth Preservation Alliance in 1995. The papers are organized but not fully processed.
Dates
- 1949-2001
Creator
- Jansen, Robert J., 1949- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
Robert John Jansen was born June 16, 1949, in Wisconsin. He is a local teacher, small business owner, and political activist. After earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin Superior, he taught in the theater department at California State University Fresno from 1973-1976. He returned to the Twin Ports intending to teach theater. He founded the Daisy Hill Theater as an assistant professor at a small, private college in Duluth, The College of St. Scholastica. In 1980, the Daisy Hill Theater was selected to host the First Annual Children’s Theater Festival in the state of Minnesota. His teaching career ended at The College of St. Scholastica in a complex legal action over denial of tenure that concluded with a monetary settlement, based on the perception that Jansen was fired because he was gay. Jansen then bought and rebuilt an old, modest tavern in Superior, Wisconsin that he refurbished. The establishment became The Main Club, a popular gay bar on the main street of Superior, Wisconsin.
Extent
12.00 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection consists of family papers and photographs, organization records, and business records. The papers span Jansen’s life from grade school through college, political activities of the 1990s, Jansen's activism as a gay man, teaching career from Cal State Fresno through The College of St. Scholastica including the CSS grievance over tenure (1982-1983), the beginnings of his gay bar The Main Club, and the purchase and renovation of a Victorian house (his home in Duluth (1215 East Second Street) which was featured in a tour of the Duluth Preservation Alliance in 1995.
Physical Location
This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.
General
This collection is part of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, which are housed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives at the Kathryn A. Martin Library, and are on permanent loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society.
- Bars (Drinking establishments) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Biography Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Business Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Childhood and youth Subject Source: Local sources
- College students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Duluth (Minn.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Education Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Educators Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Employees Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Families Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Gay bars Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Gay men Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- High school students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Neighborhoods Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Local sources
- Political activists Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Schools Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Student activities Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Teachers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Teaching Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- The College of St. Scholastica
- Title
- Guide to the Robert J. Jansen papers
- Author
- Finding Aid Authors: P. Maus, M. David.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Collecting Area Details
Contact The University of Minnesota Duluth Archives and Special Collections Collecting Area
Kathryn A. Martin Library
University of Minnesota Duluth
416 Library Drive
Duluth MN 55812-3001
(218) 726-8526
libarchives@d.umn.edu
