In 1859, a young woman from Ohio arrived in Texas for an extended visit with her aunt and uncle. Six years later, she boarded a blockade runner sailing to Havana, Cuba, in a desperate attempt to return to the North, having been stuck in enemy territory since the Civil War began. Lucy Pier Stevens…Continue Reading The Lucy Pier Stevens Diaries at the DeGolyer Library
Portuguese Highlights from the DeGolyer Library
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, when on the 25th of April in 1974, a coup supported by the public ended the Estado Novo (New State) dictatorship. Estado Novo had come to power in 1933 under António de Oliveira Salazar, who led an authoritarian regime defined by nationalism and religious…Continue Reading Portuguese Highlights from the DeGolyer Library
JCPenney joins digital collections
Over 122 years ago, James C. Penney opened his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. We have launched a new digital collection of photographs of JCPenney stores, photographs of Mr. Penney or his projects, and a sampling of the first JCPenney newspaper for associates (employees) called The Dynamo. SMU received the JCPenney collections in 2004. The…Continue Reading JCPenney joins digital collections
Recent Accessions in African American History in the DeGolyer Library
The DeGolyer Library has accessioned many exciting items over the last six months. Below are some of the highlights Heroines of Jericho. Texas. Proceedings … 1936, 1942, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1963, 1973 The Heroines of Jericho, a female Masonic organization, had its first chapters in Texas founded around 1884. The organization is still…Continue Reading Recent Accessions in African American History in the DeGolyer Library
Pamela and the Early Origins of the Romance Novel
For Valentine’s Day, we wanted to take a look at the romance literature within the DeGolyer Library. Romance novels make up the biggest share of the publishing market–in 2018, they accounted for 25% of all books purchased, and in 2022, an estimated 19 million printed romance novels were sold. But where did the genre begin?…Continue Reading Pamela and the Early Origins of the Romance Novel
Moving and Storing the SMU Archives
Last April, I learned that the Southern Methodist University Archives would move and go into storage during the construction of the Rees-Jones Library of the American West. Although I am excited about a new building, new storage for historical material, and new exhibit space, I was also apprehensive. Moving an archives is a complex project….Continue Reading Moving and Storing the SMU Archives
Ebby and the Legends of St. Paul
One of the many charitable organizations Ebby Halliday supported was the St. Paul Medical Foundation. Originally established in 1964 by the Daughters of Charity, the Foundation’s mission was provide the finest healthcare for all people. This aligned with Ebby and Maurice Acers’ lifelong credo of “doing good for others” and they both devoted their resources…Continue Reading Ebby and the Legends of St. Paul
Veteran and Congressman Sam Johnson ’51
Sam Johnson (’51) served 29 years as an Air Force pilot before representing Texas 3rd District in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2019. Johnson grew up in Dallas, and joined the ROTC while he was a student at SMU. After serving multiple combat tours in the Korean War and the Vietnam…Continue Reading Veteran and Congressman Sam Johnson ’51
Exploring the Doris A. and Lawrence H. Budner Collection on Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, was born on this day in 1858. Famous for his exploits as a soldier, conservationist, and statesman, he was also defined by his progressive politics and cultivated image as a cowboy outdoorsman, forever linked in the popular imagination to images of the American West. From its…Continue Reading Exploring the Doris A. and Lawrence H. Budner Collection on Theodore Roosevelt
“I’m mad.”…Feminist activist Maura McNiel
The DeGolyer Library has processed the working and research papers of pioneering feminist and women’s rights activist Maura McNiel known as “mother of the women’s liberation movement in Dallas”. McNiel’s interest and activism had its roots at Southern Methodist University, when McNiel attended the Symposium on the Education of Women for Social and Political Leadership…Continue Reading “I’m mad.”…Feminist activist Maura McNiel