underground no more

Perhaps rail transportation would have been more fitting, but when a valuable collection of books traveled cross country to be archived at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, it actually went by air, courtesy of DHL.

The books in question were a collection of documents on the African-American experience donated to the center by Dr. Eleanor Smith. Included were some 900 books along with transcripts of interviews, working papers from a study on African-American women, slides and audio tapes collected by Dr. Smith, retired chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, Parkside, and her husband, the late Dr. Paul M. Smith, professor emeritus of Afro-American studies and psychology at the University of Cincinnati.

DHL donated its services to move the collection from Dr. Smith's home in Arizona to the museum and library complex, which opened last year. "DHL is proud to support the development of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, whose presence has made a quick, positive impact in this region," says Steve White, senior vice president of hubs and gateways for DHL Americas, based in Cincinnati. "Dr. Smith's donation will surely make an impact on the center's thousands of visitors each month."