News from the DeGolyer Library
July 2019
Southern Methodist University
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RBMS 2019
Christina Jensen, Head of Public Services, recently attended the 2019 meeting of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association (say that five times fast) in Baltimore, Maryland.
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The annual RBMS conference is the central gathering point for librarians, archivists, booksellers, and collectors who work with rare materials.
This year's conference focused on climate change, and how it is impacting, and will impact special collections and archives. Speakers and attendees discussed topics like how to prepare for weather-related natural disasters, and explored the challenges and responsibilities in documenting climate change.
The conference also provided the opportunity to explore the literary side of Baltimore, including a visit to the George Peabody Library (left) popularly known as the 'Cathedral of Books.'
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Volunteer Spotlight
Gerry York
The SMU archives are fortunate to have the support and assistance of an incredible group of alumni. Leading the charge is Gerry York. Gerry hails from Corsicana, and studied business administration at SMU. He was a member of both the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and the golf team. Gerry graduated with a BBA in 1958 and worked in the insurance industry for 40 years.
Many of you may know Gerry as the Curator of SMU's Heritage Hall. When the university began construction on the Gerald J. Ford Stadium in 1998, the design called for a museum dedicated to the history of sports at SMU.
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As he put it recently, "not very many alums ever have the opportunity to return to their Alma Mater and do the things that I have done, and I will always be thankful."
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Gerry worked closely with Jon Jackson, and later Ed Wisneski, managing the fund raising and collections building for the museum. Soon after opening, Gerry was named Curator and faced the eternal museum problem of a lack of space. He reached out to newly hired University Archivist Joan Gosnell about housing some collections in the DeGolyer. The collection found a home here, and Gerry has since committed considerable time working with Joan to document SMU's sports legacy. In addition to his work at Heritage Hall and the DeGolyer, Gerry serves on the SMU Lettermen's Board of Directors, as well as the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
Gerry's vast and deep knowledge of SMU sports history guides all of these activities. Special collections depend on the expertise of our staff, and we can always count on Gerry.
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Pictured above, Gerry with his wife Polly, and grandchildren Molly, William, and Claire, at Molly and William's SMU graduation. Pictured left, Heritage Hall.
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Hitting the road this summer? In a must-read post titled '
That's Where the West Begins...
' Samantha Dodd shares the story of four girlfriends who set out by car in the summer of 1940 and motored out from the East Coast, through the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains, and back through the South.
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Have you packed away the grill, but still want to relive the 4th of July holiday?
Click here
to view some of the photos from our collection of historic Independence Day parades throughout Texas.
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June 19th marks Emancipation Day, also known as Juneteenth, which celebrates the abolition of slavery in Texas following the Civil War. Last month we came across a number of photographs by George McCuistion, which captured a 1913 Emancipation Day celebration in Corpus Christi. The images, highlighting parade participants and decorated carriages, document the local community celebrations iconic to the holiday.
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New Accessions
Last month, we shared a link to
Joel Eatmon's blog post
on our Donald J. Hobbs Sherlock Holmes collection. New items are being added to the collection, including a copy of the May 4th, 1911 issue of
Il Romanzo
, a weekly literary journal, carrying the classic story 'A Study in Scarlet,' which marked the first appearance of the detective and Dr. Watson when it was published in 1887
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Newly Digitized Items
20 letters were added to the John C. Cox Jr. World War II papers last month. The recently digitized items include letters from John to his family, written while he was stationed in the Philippines. These letters detail both the dangerous and the mundane elements that defined the daily life of an enlisted soldier during the war, including patrols and encounters with local civilians.
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DeGolyer Library | Southern Methodist University |
214-768-3637
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degolyer@smu.edu
| https://www.smu.edu/Libraries/DeGolyer
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