Blog written by Ben Rawlins Born on this day over a hundred years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson served as President during one of the most tumultuous times in U.S. history. Although issues surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War plagued his presidency, Johnson’s vision of “A Great Society” proved one of the most…
This blog was written and photographed by Alyssa Chariva, the Poage Library Graduate student in Museum Studies. Bob Platt passed away February 23. We at the Poage Library express our deepest condolences to his wife Ruth and his family. This blog is dedicated to him with gratitude for his love of political memorabilia and the…
After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the relationship between the United States of American and Fidel Castro’s regime began to suffer. This was due in part to Communist influence and the nationalization of private industry in Cuba – two factors which weakened American influence on the island nation. By early 1960, the United States had begun…
This year marks the 37th anniversary of the W. R. Poage Legislative Library. In the time since its founding, our library has continually reinvented itself. What began as a repository for “Bob” Poage’s papers and the headquarters of Baylor’s Graduate School has grown into a nationally renowned legislative center encompassing Congressional collections, state and local…
For our last Staff Spotlight of the summer, we caught up with another new addition to the Baylor Collections of Political Materials: Sylvia Hernandez. Where are you from originally? I am from here in Waco. I grew up in Lorena, went to High School in Lorena, then did my undergrad here at Baylor. What did…
We’re starting a new series here at the Baylor Collections of Political Materials profiling our students and staff. To kick it off, we sat down with one of our newest additions: graduate student and intern Jeremy Schmuck. Tell us a little about yourself, Jeremy. I’m a native of Pensacola, FL, I have interests in military history,…
Today marks the end of our week-long look at the Bill of Rights. Last Friday, we wrote about Congress Week’s purpose and the Constitution’s continued influence on modern society. In that same spirit, today’s post discusses the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress’s (ACSC) mission to explore and archive America’s legislative branch. The…
The Ninth Amendment to the Constitution reads: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. This amendment ensures that the Constitution — and by extension, the federal government — is not the final arbiter of a citizen’s rights. The framers of the…
You might be surprised to learn that there are several “official” versions of the Second Amendment. One of these versions, passed by Congress, reads: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Another version, ratified by…
If you haven’t heard from us in a while, there’s a good reason for that: we’ve been preparing for the most celebrated week of the year. That’s right, it’s Congress Week! Congress Week takes place during the first week of April and commemorates the 1789 month in which Congress achieved its first quorums. This year,…