Gene DePrez papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: RITArc-0793

Staff Only

Collection Scope and Content Note

The Gene DePrez papers contain materials documenting the Think About It (1968) documentary produced by the Metropolitan Housing Committee of Monroe County, New York, as well as various information on the Urbanarium, a community-based education program in the Rochester region from the 1970s through 1982. Materials include correspondence, audiovisual media, memos, reports, marketing information, financial papers, and more. Additional information can be found in the Contents List section of this finding aid.

The Gene DePrez papers have been arranged into two series, one of which has been further divided into subseries. The physical materials are housed in three document boxes, one clamshell box, one oversized folder, and one separate object (film reel). Digital materials are stored on the RIT Libraries’ server and are accessible on-site in the RIT Archives.

Dates

Creation: 1968 - 2024

Creator

DePrez, Gene (Person)
The Urbanarium, Inc. (Organization)

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is open for research use.

Biographical Note

Gene DePrez is a former Director of Communications at RIT and adjunct faculty member in the College of Continuing Education and the School of Design.

Following graduation from RIT in 1962, DePrez worked at RIT in educational media development and new campus planning. He joined Kodak in 1965 as a writer and producer for multimedia communication. DePrez served as the producer and director of Think About It (1968), a television documentary co-sponsored by Kodak and Xerox which addressed the affordable housing crisis in Monroe County in the late 1960s. The Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC) soon hired DePrez as its first Director of Communications.

New York State grant funds in the 1970s allowed for the creation of a collaborative project titled “The Urbanarium,” an initiative to provide community development education. RIT President Paul A. Miller appointed Gene DePrez to the position of Director of Communication at RIT and tapped him to lead the Urbanarium in 1971. Their programs covered important topics for Rochester residents, including housing, transportation, economic development, and citizen involvement. The Urbanarium relied on funding from foundations and corporations, involving faculty and students from area colleges and universities in its programs. In 1978, the Urbanarium spun off into non-profit organization (The Urbanarium, Inc.), led by DePrez as its President and CEO. The organization closed in 1982.

DePrez continued to utilize his development and management skills at such major companies as PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM, before establishing Global Innovation Partners in 2010. In 2011, he was awarded the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Economic Development by the International Economic Development Council. As of 2024, DePrez is active in community work and lives in Rochester, New York.

Extent

2.25 Linear Feet (3 document boxes, 1 clamshell box, 1 oversized folder (11" x 17"), 1 object (film reel in original box). )

54 Gigabytes (digital files)

Language

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Gene DePrez papers are a compilation of materials relating to the Metropolitan Housing Committee in Rochester in 1968 and the Urbanarium, a community-based education program in Rochester during the 1970s through 1982.

System of Arrangement

Series I: Metropolitan Housing Committee, 1968, 2024

Series II: Urbanarium, 1970-1986

Subseries A: Administrative documentation, 1970-1986
Subseries B: Reports, 1974-1982
Subseries C: Publicity and newsletters, 1978-1982 and n.d.
Subseries D: Financial papers, 1982-1984

Custodial History

The Gene DePrez papers were donated to the RIT Archives in March 2024 as a gift from Gene DePrez. The materials were received from DePrez in two boxes.