It started, as these things do, with a conversation. Jill Kelly, history professor, had an idea that she shared with Cindy Boeke, digital collections librarian, and me, the SMU university archivist. Jill said, “What do you think about having a…
Marsh Terry, also known as “Mr. SMU,” was born this day–February 7. He was a long-term friend of the DeGolyer Library. For a while, he even had an office (Room 318) here. Marsh graduated from SMU. Marsh worked at…
The Mustang Band will be celebrating its 100th anniversary during SMU’s Homecoming this month. Known for its school spirit, its use of jazz music, and its uniforms, the band has made an indelible contribution to our campus throughout the past 100…
Oct. 4, 2017 is “Ask An Archivist” day. This yearly Twitter campaign began in 2010 to engage everyday people who want to know about historic collections and the people who work with those collections. The SMU Archives has formally…
Preparing students to join college life has always been a concern to university administrators. In 1915 (and for some years after), freshmen at SMU were called “Fish.” During that first spring semester, seniors pranked two unsuspecting classes with fake finals.…
On January 6, 2017, a great friend of the Southern Methodist University Archives, Joe Redwine Patterson died. “Joe Red,” for those of you who were lucky enough to know him, was a walking, talking one-man promoter for “SMU school…
When SMU opened in 1915, students and faculty knew that they were creating precedents and traditions about how to celebrate holidays. In the early days of the twentieth century, much like today, students learned to balance studying for exams and celebrating…
Rather than waiting for Thanksgiving to enjoy their first holiday during that first semester in 1915, overjoyed students were treated to a day off on Tuesday, October 19 that year, courtesy of President Robert. S. Hyer. This first official holiday…