News from the DeGolyer Library
June 2020

Southern Methodist University
DeGolyer Reopening for Enrolled SMU Students
Starting July 6th, the DeGolyer Library will begin taking reading room appointments for students enrolled in the Summer II term on campus. We're also expanding our reproduction capacity to serve our patrons' research needs.

As always, call or email us with questions about our collections. Check out our latest blog posts . Visit our facebook , twitter , and instagram pages. Explore our digital collections . We look forward to hearing from you.
LGBT History at the DeGolyer
June is LGBT Pride Month, marking the 1969 Stonewall Riots, which gave rise to the modern gay rights movement. If you'd like to learn more about LGBT activism at SMU, check out the SPECTRUM Records.
SPECTRUM, the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students Organization, traces its organizational history to the 1970s, and was chartered and recognized by the Student Senate of Southern Methodist University in 1991. The group's stated purpose, “is threefold: social, educational, and political.” The records include news clippings, flyers, and administrative material that documents the organization's struggle to be recognized on campus.  

Email University Archivist Joan Gosnell at jgosne@smu.edu to learn more.
New Publications
Houston Displayed, or, Who Won the Battle of San Jacinto?  was first published in 1837. Written by “A Farmer in the Army,” Col. Robert Coleman, it cast grave doubts on the military exploits, political ambition, and personal character of Sam Houston, who had just become the president of the fledgling Republic of Texas. Edited with an introduction and scholarly annotation by Stephen L. Hardin,  Houston Displayed  is the thirteenth volume in our Library of Texas series, published in conjunction with the Clements Center for Southwest Studies.
From Anderson’s Holler … to Washington, New York, Newport News, Casablanca, Sicily, Salerno, Naples, Anzio, Rome, Florence, Poltava, Southern France, Dachau, Munich, Berlin , Paris, Washington, Nuremberg, and Tokyo  is a memoir by Melvin C. Shaffer, who served as a medical photographer in World War II. From the mountains of West Virginia to the far reaches of the globe, Shaffer recounts his experiences of the brutality, cruelty, and horror of the bloodiest war in history , laced with irony, touches of humor, and grace. For those interested in personal narratives of World War II,  From Anderson’s Holler  is a must-read!
Click the images above to order these titles
New Finding Aids



Monica Fried is a community volunteer and women’s rights activist working in Dallas. Her papers include clippings, newsletters, reports, correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, papers, and publications from various women’s organizations including the Women’s Issue Network, Dallas Women’s Council, Dallas Domestic Violence Task Force and Emily's List.


James M. Collins was a Republican congressman from 1968-1983 for Texas’ Third Congressional district. These papers contain his press releases, congressional statements, political photographs, speeches, and audiovisual materials.
News & Notes
In Black Lives Matter Anne Peterson reflects on the current moment of protest for racial justice and against police brutality, and on the the history leading up to this moment, as reflected in the photographs preserved at the DeGolyer.
Exploring the Voices of SMU Collection highlights some of the oral histories conducted with recent graduates found in the Voices of SMU Oral History and Digital Humanities Student Projects. Click here to view more interviews from the project.
In Remembering Sam Johnson '51 , Cynthia Franco looks back at the life and legacy of the Texas congressman, air force pilot, POW, and SMU graduate.
From the Stacks
Collections Highlight
This broadside advertises the 1919 Fort Worth Juneteenth celebration, held in Herman's Park. Organized by O.C. Crook (pictured) the festivities lasted for two days.

We encourage you to click the image to the right and view the broadside in the digital library. Zoom in and explore the advertisements for Black owned, operated, and allied companies active in north Texas a century ago.
Recent Accessions

This month, we're sharing something we won't be accessioning--a container of soda bicarbonate from a recent Ebby Halliday accession . It's not uncommon to receive everyday items (office supplies, packets of Kleenex) along with papers and photographs. Even though baking supplies are currently in high demand, in this case, we'll leave the baking soda in the pantry.
Newly Digitized Items

79 images from the Dallas Morning News Negatives and Copy Photographs Collection were digitized at the Norwick Center for Digital Solutions last month. The images, dating from the 1870s to the 1930s, capture Dallas streets and scenes, including this 1917 image of Akard Street, looking south toward Pacific Avenue.
DeGolyer Book Plate
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