This blog post was written by graduate student Justin Hickerson Introduction I started my endowed archival internship in May at the Texas Collection. While at the Texas Collection I was tasked with working on a project digitizing photographs from local Waco Photographer Fred Gildersleeve (Photo 1). Fred Gildersleeve was a professional photographer in Waco and for Baylor University from the…
(BCPM) “Istook is Mistook”: The Religious Freedom Amendment
This blog post was written graduate assistant Yeshi Lhamo, a master’s student at Truett Seminary. When I first encountered the political slogan “Istook is Mistook,” I became intrigued. It is fascinating how deeply religion and government have been intertwined in debates over policy. One of the most memorable debates of recent years came in 1998 when Representative Ernest Istook introduced the Religious Freedom Amendment (RFA). Supporters saw…
Ask an Archivist Day 2025!
Every year, the Society of American Archivists sponsors Ask an Archivist Day, a chance for people in the archival profession to answer questions generated by the public. This year, we asked our archivists in the Baylor Libraries to answer from a range of questions related to their work. Their answers are below! What is the most underrated or unexplored archival…
(Texas) 2025 Summer Internship Report – Maura Okula
This post was written by Maura Okula, the D.M. Edwards (The Texas Collection Waco History) intern for summer 2025 During my summer internship at The Texas Collection, I worked on several projects that supported the archive’s mission to preserve and provide access to materials related to Texas history and culture. One of my primary projects was processing the General Menu…
(BCPM) A Summer at the W. R. Poage Library: Dowdy Intern Katherine Beall
This blog post was written by Dowdy Summer Intern Katherine Beall, a master’s student in the Museum Studies Department. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to be the Dowdy Intern at the Baylor Collections of Political Materials at the W. R. Poage Library. This was an enriching experience that taught me so much about archives. I was given three…
(BCPM) Texas Mental Health Reform During the Reagan Era: A Cyclical Struggle for Human Rights and Resources
This blog post was written by graduate assistant Heather Woycheshin, a master’s student at the Baylor School of Social Work. As one of the graduate archival assistants here at the W. R. Poage Library, I have had the unique experience of exploring the intersection between archival material and my passion for social work and mental health services. This post highlights…
Welcome to Fall 2025, Baylor Faculty!
The Libraries have been hard at work all summer, and we are eager to present new programming, new spaces, and tons of updates as you prepare for the start of fall classes. Let’s jump right in! Pathways: Your On-Ramp to Creativity in Making and Media! Starting this Fall, all users of the Makerspace and Creative Media resources are required to…
(BCPM) Disabilities Pride Month and the ADA
This post was written by Thomas DeShong, processing archivist at the BCPM Disabilities Pride Month is celebrated each July to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). This law prohibits discrimination based on disability. Marvin Leath, who represented Waco in 1990, was a key proponent of the ADA. He received constituent correspondence for and against…
(BCPM) “Ladies, Have You Heard?”: Texas Women and the Equal Rights Amendment
This blog post was written by former graduate assistant Aaron Ramos. In today’s political climate, thinking about history through a lens of women’s/gender studies is bound to attract criticism from pundits who claim that this lens of academic inquiry seeks to upset traditional gender roles and needlessly politicize that which seems apolitical. It is true that one aspect of women’s/gender…
(BCPM) The American Controversy over the Ten Commandments
This blog post was written by former graduate assistant Seven Franklin. Beginning in the late 1990s and continuing into the early 2000s, religious liberty once again became a focal point for controversy in American public life. School prayer, sex education, and marriage were prominent topics of discussion. Many Americans believed that a more pointed effort needed to be taken to…