If you’ve paid a visit to Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine (CPM) in the past three years, you may have been lucky enough to get a peek at the CPM Shoe Museum, and it’s likely been hard to forget. A pair of impressive glass display cabinets grace the 2nd floor academic corridor and have been holding the treasures and collectibles generously donated by CPM alumni since the Museum’s establishment in 2016. The cabinets were received as a generous donation from Class of 1966 CPM alumnus, Dr. Steve Berlin and the OCPM Foundation, in honor of the College’s Centennial Celebration. Shelves in the museum were quickly stocked with rare, lifelong collections of CPM alumni, including that of Dr. David H. Gross, Class of 1971, whose impressive donation was of the very first to arrive in the Museum.
Gross, a longtime advocate and staunch supporter of the College, was eager to ensure that his life-long collection of button hooks, shoehorns, and array of podiatry collectibles found a home where they could be admired daily by students, faculty, staff and visitors to the Museum. The collection is certainly easy to appreciate: A total of 135 finely made instruments, with over 77 sterling silver items, including scarce art nouveau repousse pieces by Gorham, three rare ivory-handle pieces, eight fine French ivory examples and scarce foldable pocket or portable versions. Items in the lot are beautifully preserved, dated all the way from the Civil War era to the 1920s.
The CPM Shoe Museum is happily accepting collections just like that of Dr. Gross. If you have items that you think would make a great addition to the CPM Shoe Museum, please contact CPM Library Director, Donna Perzeski at 216-916-7506. *CPM reserves the right to determine the retention or rejection of all donations.
Stay tuned for the Spring, 2020 issue of Footsteps for a look at our most recent Shoe Museum gift from Dr. Robert Shafer, Class of 1954!