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…
(BCPM) Artesia Hall: A Texan Horror Story
This blog post was composed by graduate assistant Aaron Ramos, a master’s student in the Department of History. “Send us your daughter and we will return to you a lady or send us your son and we will return to you a gentleman.” (Printed along the bottom of Aston Educational Foundation letterhead, of which Artesia Hall was a part.)…
(Texas) The Texas Centennial
This blog post was written by Grace Collins, the summer 2024 Texas Collection intern On March 2, 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed, marking a pivotal moment in the state’s history. This declaration set the stage for a series of events that would define the struggle for Texas independence from Mexico. Just over a month later, on April…
(BCPM) “With God’s Help, Let Us Build a Prosperous, Expanding, and Free Agriculture:” American Agriculture Politics from 1958-1961 (Part 3)
This blog post was written by History Ph.D. candidate Emma Fenske. This is the final post covering former Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, his speeches, the Christian Right, and American agriculture politics from 1958-1961. While it might stand out that a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had such a public religious and pro-America platform…
(Texas) A Historical Journey: Decades of the NCJW at The Texas Collection
This post was written by Grace Collins, Summer 2024 Texas Collection Intern Nestled along Bosque Boulevard in Waco, Texas, stands a grand Victorian house on 2900 Bosque, a prominent landmark in the city’s history. This stately home, built in 1926, has been the clubhouse of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs since 1953. Over the decades, various clubs have called…
(A&SCRC) 100 Years of “On the Trail” and “The Wind”: A Look Back at Dorothy Scarborough’s 1925 Works
This post was written by Elizabeth Rivera, Laura Semrau, Bethany Stewart, & Heidi Uhey 1925 proved to be a monumental year for Dorothy Scarborough (1878-1935), marking the publication of two distinct and influential works: her best-remembered novel, The Wind, and her first book-length contribution to folkloric studies, On the Trail of Negro Folksongs. Emily Dorothy Scarborough was the daughter of…
(Texas) Bessie Munson’s “Bless the Cook” Cookbook
This post was written by Grace Collins, a summer 2024 intern at The Texas Collection The Texas Collection is home to an impressive assortment of over five thousand cookbooks, including several rare and notable volumes. During my internship at the Texas Collection, I had the unique opportunity to work closely with these rare cookbooks, including the remarkable Bless the Cook…
“With God’s Help, Let Us Build a Prosperous, Expanding, and Free Agriculture:” American Agriculture Politics from 1958-1961 (Part 2)
This blog post was written by History Ph.D. candidate Emma Fenske. It will be featured in three parts covering former Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, his speeches, the Christian Right, and American agriculture politics from 1958-1961. The Communist Threat Ezra Taft Benson was given approval for his position as Secretary of Agriculture by Church president David O. McKay and…
“Sweet is the work, my God, my King” – A 2025 Update on the Hymnals Digital Collection
This post was written by Jon Snyder, Ph.D., Access Services Coordinator in the Arts & Special Collections Research Center Hymnals and hymnbooks have been intricately tied to the tradition of church music since the early days of the printing press. At Baylor University, the Arts & Special Collections Research Center has assembled an extensive collection of over 1,600 distinct hymnals,…
“With God’s Help, Let Us Build a Prosperous, Expanding, and Free Agriculture:” American Agriculture Politics from 1958-1961 (Part 1)
This blog post was written by History Ph.D. candidate Emma Fenske. It will be featured in three parts covering former Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, his speeches, the Christian Right, and American agriculture politics from 1958-1961. Within the Baylor Collections of Political Materials, housed at the W. R. Poage Library, the Hyde H. Murray papers feature three boxes of…