MANCHESTER, N.H.–The ribbon has officially been cut on the CUNA Research Library and the Richard L. Ensweiler Research Library at America’s Credit Union Museum.
Ribbon is officially cut on new facilities at Museum.
The result of a three-year, $3.3-million capital campaign that has provided funds for thenew industry research center, to expand exhibit space and to provide renovations to the existing building. CUNA donated the initial $1 million to the campaign.
“The physical and electronic industry research center will make credit union history more accessible, while the additional exhibit space and upgraded conference facilities will enable credit union professionals, legislators and citizens to experience firsthand the unique role credit unions play in the marketplace,” said CUNA and America’s Credit Union Museum in announcing the new facilities.
Where It All Began
America’s Credit Union Museum is located in the building in which the first credit union in the United States, St. Mary’s Bank, was located. That building was donated to credit unions by the Lemire Family, a representative of which was on hand for the ribbon cutting.
The Ensweiler Research Library has been named in honor of Dick Ensweiler, the long-time credit union association leader who most recently retired from the Cornerstone Credit Union League. Credit unions that are part of the Cornerstone league raised funds to have the library named in honor of Ensweiler.
The new building was formerly a derelict home adjacent to America’s Credit Union Museum that has been extensively remodeled and is now connected to the Museum.
Mike L'Ecuyer, president and CEO of Bellwether Community Credit Union and chair of the board of directors for the museum, who is shown speaking at right, below, said the building is where “credit unions’ values and principles were established,” adding the early founders had a “vision of what this could be 109 years ago.”
With Phase I of the project complete, Phase II will involve technologies that will allow the research to be accessed remotely.
Among the credit unions and organizations that donated $50,000 to the fundraising campaign were CUNA, Service Credit Union, PSCU, SchoolsFirst CU, Fiserv, Northeast CU, Bellwether CU, CU Direct, DCU, the Maine Credit Union League (the soon-to-open John Murphy Porch at the Museum is named after the retired CEO—every CU in Maine made a donation to support the honor); Metro Credit Union, Navigant Credit Union, Suncoast CU, Triangle CU and the Cooperative Credit Union Association.
The Butterfly Effect
In remarks following the ribbon cutting, CUNA President Jim Nussle described what first took place in the “little office downstairs” that served as the first CU as an example of the “Butterfly Effect,” which holds that the smallest of factors can eventually lead to enormous results.
“Sometimes, you go to a museum and all you hear about is the past,” said Nussle. “But what is so cool here is we can also talk about all the things we will do in the future.”
Separately, following the unveiling of the plaque inside the Ensweiler Research Library, Dick Ensweiler told those assembled, “You see the names that are on the walls in this museum and they were real pioneers. To see my name here is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The spirit and energy I gave was because it was something I love.”
Below, the interior and exterior of new Ensweiler Research Center, as well as renovated exterior of America's Credit Union Museum.
