SMU’s celebration of the written word organized by students and SMU Program Council began in 1975. Former SMU English professor Jack Myers recalls the early years in his essay, “Personal recollections of the SMU Literary Festival: 1975-1995,” which was published in From High on the Hilltop: Marshall Terry’s History of SMU. Jack Myers writes:…Continue Reading SMU Literary Festival celebrates 50 years
In 1996, SMU honored one of the greatest American artists of the twentieth century, Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000), with the Algur H. Meadows for Excellence in the Arts Award. The prize and week-long campus events highlighted his prolific and extensive career as a painter, muralist and storyteller. Jacob Lawrence started his artistic career by painting a…Continue Reading Jacob Lawrence and Art as Storyteller
Join us at the Hamon Arts Library to raise the curtain on “I AM THE SPACE WHERE I AM with John Arnone,” an exhibition celebrating the illustrious career of Tony Award Winning Set Designer and SMU alumnus, John Arnone. Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the decades of creativity sparked by Arnone where his versatile designs…Continue Reading Setting the Stage for a John Arnone Exhibit at Hamon
You step out of the second-floor elevator in Fondren Library to claim a window nook. As you turn left to examine the available space, you notice large black frames hanging on the walls, outlining prints of colorful postcards. The postcards are from the George W. Cook collection in DeGolyer Library and highlight Dallas architecture and…Continue Reading Picture This: How Students Helped Curate Fondren Library’s Artwork
In our continuing series on recipients of the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts at SMU, we feel the need to laissez les bons temps rouler into Mardi Gras and post about one of New Orleans’ most famous musicians, Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis was the recipient of the Meadows Award in 1997, and…Continue Reading Wynton Marsalis: Sounding the Trumpet for the Arts
In February 2025, SMU Libraries uploaded 250 items into SMU Libraries Digital Collections. Highlights include: The new Rees-Jones Collection Highlights digital collection, which includes: 5 color aquatints, 1839-1841, from Karl Bodmer’s Travels in the Interior of North America, showing landscape scenes and imagery often relating to Indigenous peoples. 3 color lithographs, 1851, by Carl Nebel…Continue Reading SMU Libraries Digital Collections Update: February 2025
SMU Giving Day is March 11 Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 11, when SMU Libraries will be participating in Giving Day, the University’s annual one-day giving challenge. Supporters can give to a variety of causes at the University, including the initiatives of SMU Libraries. This year, the Libraries will be promoting three initiatives: Student…Continue Reading Love Your Libraries on SMU Giving Day
Congratulations to Christina Wood and Meg Wang! The archivist and cataloger for the Rees-Jones Library of the American West have been named. The individual who will fulfill the archivist role for the new library on the Hilltop is DeGolyer’s own Christina Wood, and Meg Wang will serve as the cataloger of the Rees-Jones Collection. Christina…Continue Reading Welcoming Our Newest Archivist and Cataloger
In our continuing series on outstanding artists during Black History Month, we are featuring the incomparable Leontyne Price. More than a world-renowned opera singer, Price, who turned 98 on February 10 this year, is to many the pinnacle of soprano singing. She was the first African-American soprano to perform to great acclaim on the international…Continue Reading The Excellence of Leontyne Price
Black stories preserved in digital archives available at SMU This Black History Month, SMU Libraries is proud to highlight resources available to Mustangs that allow users to engage with and learn about Black history. These archival resources preserve the stories of Black individuals – some with connections to SMU – and are valuable for their…Continue Reading Preserving Black History Among the Archives