Iron Mountain supports digitization project with OHIO to preserve Cornelius Ryan Longest Day Collection

War correspondent, journalist, editor and author Cornelius Ryan is seen at his desk in this 1959 photo. Ohio University’s Alden Library holds the entire Cornelius Ryan Collection, which provides a lens into the life of the renowned journalist who documented various events throughout World War II. Photo by Eugene Cook

Iron Mountain Incorporated® (NYSE: IRM), the global leader for storage and information services, announces the start of a three-part digitization project of documents from world-renowned war correspondent Cornelius Ryan. The project, which is being provided as a gift-in-kind service in support of Ohio University’s Vernon R. Alden Library, will begin with the D-Day Collection of Ryan’s records, which chronicle first-hand accounts and recollections from across the world from both military and civilian participants of the battle.

Made possible through Iron Mountain’s Living Legacy Initiative, a commitment to preserve and make accessible cultural and historical information, the project will include digitizing 4,900 pages related to D-Day, priceless accounts like this one from Richard Cator, whose rank on D-Day was private first class, 101sts Airborne Division:

Pictured is one page of a questionnaire, documenting the first-hand account of Richard Donald Cator, whose rank on D-Day was private first class, 101sts Airborne Division. It is one of approximately 4,900 pages included in the Cornelius Ryan Collection being digitized as a gift-in-kind by Iron Mountain Incorporated.

“We had stopped and were digging in. A shell from an artillery barrage landed in a foxhole approximately 50 feet from me and blew a man out of the hole into some bushes. I was surprised, and later amused, when he came running around the bushes, hopping mad at the Germans for ruining his foxhole. He didn’t have a scratch on him. It wasn’t until later that he realized how close he had come to being blown to bits.”

Ryan’s unique collection will make his extensive interviews like Cator’s available, as well as letters, diaries and observations that captured and conveyed the various accounts of D-Day, as told through the eyes of soldiers, civilians and political figures.

“This is a tremendous gift from Iron Mountain that not only supports the Ohio University Libraries, but also honors American history, journalism and the sacrifices of the men and women who fought in World War II,” said Nico Karaogosian, vice president of University Advancement and president and CEO of The Ohio University Foundation. “We’re grateful for this partnership and for the opportunity to make this complete collection available digitally.”

Ohio University’s Alden Library currently holds the entire Cornelius Ryan Collection, which provides a lens into the life of the renowned journalist who documented various events throughout World War II. Ryan is best-known for three books on specific battles from the war: “A Bridge Too Far,” “The Last Battle” and “The Longest Day,” which provide some of the most accurate accounts of that period of history, all of which were later made into movies.

“We’re honored to partner with Ohio University and offer our expertise to help share accounts of those involved with D-Day, which is one of the most transformative moments in world history,” said Dale Lawing, senior vice president and general manager, Records Management, Iron Mountain. “We feel it’s our duty to ensure their experiences will never be forgotten and help chronicle important events and stories of our past for current and future generations to come.”

Digitization of Cornelius Ryan’s D-Day collection will allow Ohio University to make the documents available to other higher education institutions, scholars, historians and members of the general public who are interested in learning more about the famous battle and those involved.

This is not the first time that materials from the Ryan Collection have been digitized. About a year-and-a-half ago, the Libraries’ Mahn Center and Digital Initiatives started putting requested materials online in a pilot program, where they can now be searched and found in CONTENT under the heading “the Cornelius Ryan Collection of World War II Papers Questionnaires.” These digitization efforts not only include the digital copy but also the transcription of the written text.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Patrons are really excited that they can request more material and that they will be publicly available—it has just been really great to see,” said Stacey Lavender, special collections librarian and curator of the Ryan Collection. “The Iron Mountain Living Legacy Project, and the commitment to digitize 4,900 pages of Ohio University Libraries’ Ryan Collection, is a much-welcomed gift-in-kind for all scholars of World War II history.”

To read more articles on philanthropy in service to Ohio University, click here.