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 years. The band’s uniforms have their own history. On November 3, 1922, the student newspaper…Continue Reading SMU Mustang Band: Celebrating 100 Years
Ask An Archivist
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 participated in Twitter’s #Ask An Archivist day for only 2 years, but this day always…Continue Reading Ask An Archivist
Joining the SMU Community
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. As early as 1919, incoming freshman had mandatory psychological tests. These tests (although updated) remained…Continue Reading Joining the SMU Community
Losing a friend
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 spirit.” Joe graduated from SMU with a B.A. in Philosophy in 1948, with an M.A….Continue Reading Losing a friend
Christmas at Southern Methodist University—The Early Years
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 Christmas. And much like today, authority figures worried about the balance between secular fun and…Continue Reading Christmas at Southern Methodist University—The Early Years
SMU’s First Official Holiday
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 at Southern Methodist University was on “Dallas Day” at the State Fair of Texas. Classes…Continue Reading SMU’s First Official Holiday