As a curator, I am always amazed at what I come across in the Jerry Bywaters Collection on Art of the Southwest. Upon recently discovering a small brochure entitled “Exhibition by Young Painters” published in 1932 in the archive, I noticed the names of two former SMU students listed among the ‘young painters’ – James…Continue Reading Discovery in the Bywaters’ Archive: 1932 Exhibition by Young Painters
News from the DeGolyer Library November 2018 Southern Methodist University Recent Events On November 13th, Andrew Dowdy spoke in the Texana Room about his new book, Wanderer on the American Frontier (Norman: University Of Oklahoma Press, 2018). Based in part on a long-lost manuscript that was acquired during SMU’s centennial to celebrate the Year of the Library…Continue Reading News from the DeGolyer Library-November 2018
The Jerry Bywaters Special Collections at the Hamon Arts Library is an archival collection of art, documents, and other rare or unique materials largely from the Southwest region. But who is the man for this eponymously-named collection, Jerry Bywaters? Jerry Bywaters (1906 – 1989) filled many roles in the development of the arts in Texas…Continue Reading Who is Jerry Bywaters?
Everette Lee DeGolyer was born October 9, 1886, in a sod house near Greensburg, Kansas. He was the first-born child of John and Narcissa (Huddle) DeGolyer. The couple had married April 17, 1883, at Iuka, Marion County, Illinois. John DeGolyer was a native of Indiana, born at Napoleonville, January 26, 1859. Narcissa Huddle was born…Continue Reading “I Was Born into a Red Land”
Reference, Access, Outreach. These words don’t mean much to the public, but for archivists, they describe how we interact with the public. People might understand that we collect old “stuff,” but then what happens? Reference happens. In the DeGolyer Library we help people find answers through phone calls, via email, and when they come…Continue Reading DeGolyer Library goes live at DFW Archives Bazaar
Selected items from this fabulous archival collection held in Bywaters Special Collections are now available online! Items include fashion design sketches created by Nancy Hamon during the 1930s as well as photographs of Jake and Nancy Hamon attending their annual theme parties in Dallas during the 1950s-1970s. The collection offers valuable insights into Dallas social…Continue Reading New digital collection: Jake and Nancy Hamon Papers
During late summer 1958, many of Texas Instruments’ employees were enjoying the company’s annual two-week vacation. Not Jack Kilby, who as a recently hired engineer, had not accrued enough vacation time and kept on working in TI’s Semiconductor Components division in Dallas. TI was developing the micro-module program with the U.S. Army Signal Corps, but…Continue Reading The Integrated Circuit has just turned 60
During the summer, our friends at the William G Jones film archives discovered a fascinating, and little known, story about an uproar at Southern Methodist University in its WFAA Newsfilm Collection. The controversy centered over the student handbook. Student handbooks are often the most mundane of publications—they’re rarely even read by the students who are…Continue Reading Doing It–Creating Controversy at SMU
The Hawn Gallery presents ARK Featuring a New Experimental Film by Mike Morris On view: August 20 – November 4, 2018 at the Hawn Gallery, located in the Hamon Arts Library at SMU Public Opening Reception Friday, September 14, 5 -7pm Mike Morris will give a gallery talk at 5:45 pm ARK is a…Continue Reading Hawn Gallery presents: ARK: Featuring New Experimental 35 MM Film by Mike Morris
Mid-May of this year, I discovered a series of contact sheets and photographs in the Andy Hanson collection here at the DeGolyer Library. Hanson was a photographer for the Dallas Times Herald. I didn’t know what I was looking at except that the pictures were of a demonstration. I could see that in some frames…Continue Reading Honoring Santos Rodriguez