A Dazzling Gift: The KSU Museum Turns 40

Finding a Home for a Significant Collection

In 1979, Rodgers and Silverman were nearing retirement. Rodgers had built one of the most important private collections of costumes and historical garments in the United States. With no heirs, the pair were considering what to do with their estates, which also included pieces of furniture and art from Silverman’s family.

“There are about 12 important collections of costume in the United States, and really, Kent State’s is right up there at the very top,” explains former KSU Museum Director Jean Druesedow. “And that’s because Shannon was able to acquire things at a very good time for acquiring them...and he wanted to build the collection to make it like the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

Rodgers initially planned to donate his collection to the historical society in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Neither seemed to be the right choice, however, as Rodgers and Silverman feared the items would spend more time in storage than on display.

Community Engagement Sparks a Partnership

During conversations with Rachel Redinger, a new opportunity began to develop. She asked the couple if they had considered donating it to a museum connected to a university. Higbee’s Department Store Fashion Director Nancy McCann agreed that a university could be the best place for the collection. She suggested Kent State as a possible solution, explaining that it could be used by the university to teach a fashion curriculum and also enrich the surrounding community.

Brage Golding, Kent State's president, was also supportive of the potential partnership between the university and Rodgers and Silverman. In May 1981, Golding announced that Rodgers and Silverman would make a $5 million gift to the university to create a museum and develop a fashion design school. The gift included both financial support and Rodgers’ collection of more than 2,500 garments dating from the 16th to the 20th century along with thousands of rare paintings and other antiques.

An initial gift of $100,000 provided the funding for Kent State to launch the museum and the school in Rockwell Hall. Rodgers and Silverman also consulted on the museum’s formation, helping catalog the pieces from the collection and obtaining additional pieces for the museum while fundraising on its behalf. Kent State pledged to raise an additional $5 million to support the opening and operations of both the museum and the school.

Time to Dazzle

Over the next several years, the Kent State and Northeast Ohio communities, along with Rodgers’ and Silverman’s friends, rallied to launch the museum. As news spread, garments Rodgers had designed for celebrities were soon donated to the university. A fundraising campaign also began, co-chaired by Higbee’s President Robert Broadbent and Associated Dry Goods Corporation CEO William Arnold.

In addition to other fundraising efforts, Silverman wanted to host a larger benefit to introduce the plans for the museum and school to the Northeast Ohio community.

With the support of Higbee’s executives Robert Broadbent and Herbert Strawbridge, Nancy McCann planned Dazzle, one of the most exclusive events that Cleveland had ever hosted. It was held on Oct. 8, 1982, and included a showstopping presentation of Chinese imperial robes from Rodgers’ collection of historical garments and collections from 12 top American designers including Geoffrey Beene, Halston, Bob Mackie, Oscar de la Renta and Caroline Herrera. The guest list included the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, actresses Helen Hayes, Joan Fontaine and Luci Arnaz, and fashion industry leaders.

Over the next several years, Silverman and Rodgers remained involved with the museum’s and school’s development. Multiple donors also began making their own gifts to the museum.

Silverman passed away in October 1984 before the museum’s official opening. Rodgers, however, was present when the Kent State University Museum opened with a Bob Mackie fashion show and a fireworks display over the Kent Campus on Sept. 27, 1985. The opening, also called Dazzle and planned by McCann, was a labor of love for Rodgers who spent the summer of 1985 making his mark on the museum’s exhibits.

The funds raised from both Dazzle events and the university’s fundraising campaign  resulted in the official opening of the fashion school in 1990, although classes were taught throughout the 1980s. In honor of their gift, the school was officially named the Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising. Today, the school is one of the most well-regarded schools of fashion in the world.

A Lasting Legacy

In the 40 years since its official opening, the Kent State University Museum has continued to dazzle and fulfill its mission as a teaching collection for students at Kent State and beyond. Students, faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines benefit from the museum’s extensive and ever-growing collection, which now includes a collection of Katharine Hepburn’s clothing and costumes as well as garments and accessories by renowned designers such as Chanel, Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Tracy Reese and Isabel Toledo.

The museum celebrated its 40th anniversary this past October with an event called Dazzle 2025. Current Museum Director Sarah Spinner Liska reflected, “Over four decades, the Kent State University Museum has grown into one of the best fashion collections in the world. Our collection tells stories across countries and cultures, stories that remind us that fashion is not just what we wear, but who we are. Now more than ever, we need places like this museum — places that invest in community and champion creativity, opening new worlds for our students and visitors.”

For 40 years, the Kent State University Museum has shown how philanthropy, the community and higher education can unite to preserve, celebrate and share one of the world’s most important collections of fashion, costume, textiles and decorative arts. The generosity of donors ensures that the museum can continue to care for its more than 40,000-object collection while honoring the extraordinary vision and gifts of Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman, and those who followed in their footsteps. 

For more information about the Kent State University Museum, including information on hours, current exhibitions and memberships, visit the museum’s website. If you are interested in supporting the Kent State University Museum, you can make a gift online or visit the Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement’s website for information on additional giving options.