Research Ready: July 2020

By Sylvia Hernandez, Archivist

The Texas Collection posts newly accessible resources each month. If you have any questions or would like to use these materials, please let us know and we would be happy to assist!

Finding Aids
  • Thomas W. Gaines papers (#1851)
    • The Thomas W. Gaines collection contains correspondence, legal and financial papers, military records, and books of military tactics from the American Civil War. Gaines was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 50th Illinois Infantry.
  • Alexander Hunter Chamberlin papers (#351)
    • The Alexander Hunter Chamberlin papers include letters to his wife, Temperance Killinsworth Aldridge Chamberlin, about his temporary work in the California gold fields.
  • Walker Family papers (#248)
    • The Walker Family papers consist of correspondence, legal, financial, and photographic materials from various family members, especially James Frances Walker Jr. and William Collett Walker. The Walker Family moved to Texas from Kentucky as part of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred Colony.
  • Lucretius Harrison Graves papers (#2845)
    • The Lucretius Harrison Graves papers contains the Civil War diary of Lucretius Harrison Graves, soldier in the 6th Texas Cavalry.
  • Pier Family papers (#3250)
    • The Pier Family papers contain transcriptions of letters written by Samuel Bradford Pier during the Civil War, color photocopies of members of the Pier family, genealogical information, photocopies of clippings, programs, and other materials.

 

 

Research Ready: April 2020

April Finding Aids

By Sylvia Hernandez, Archivist

Every month The Texas Collection posts recently published finding aids for you to use. If you have any questions or would like to use these materials, please let us know and we would be happy to assist!

Edmond Hardy Jones II and Susan Jane Willis Jones papers (#3720) consist primarily of letters from Edmond to Susan while he served in the 64th Georgia Infantry regiment in Florida, Georgia, and Virginia during the American Civil War.

William H. Pierce papers (#537) are comprised of one letter written in 1862 and describes Pierce’s experience as a Confederate soldier in a training camp near San Antonio.

John Merriman McGhee papers (#374) contain four handwritten and typed transcripts of letters he wrote home as part of the 16th Alabama Infantry during the American Civil War.

Museum Association of Waco records (#586) contains correspondence, financial and legal documents, minutes, and event information generated by the association, as it supports member organizations through marketing, educating, and financing initiatives.

Research Ready: March 2020

March’s finding aids
By Paul Fisher, Assistant Director and Processing Archivist

Research Ready: October 2019

September’s finding aids
By Paul Fisher, Assistant Director and Processing Archivist

Mary McCaulay Maxwell's Rooom at Baylor, 1908
Mary McCaulay Maxwell was a student at Baylor University in 1908. In her scrapbook, preserved at The Texas Collection, she saved photographs, notes, clippings, and more about her time at Baylor. Pictured here is her room, probably in Georgia Burleson Hall. You’ll find this item in the Mary McCauley Maxwell papers, Accession #2080, box 1, folder 1, at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Mary McCaulay Maxwell and Friends, 1908
Mary McCaulay Maxwell and several of her Baylor friends lost no time in exploring their new hometown of Waco, Texas, while in college. Here they look to be exploring a windmill near Waco. You’ll find this item in the Mary McCauley Maxwell papers, Accession #2080, box 1, folder 1, at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Research Ready: August 2019

August’s finding aids
By Paul Fisher, Assistant Director and Processing Archivist

  • BU Records: Immortal Ten #BU/109): Contains scrapbooks documenting the tragedy and aftermath of a fatal bus-train accident that occurred in Round Rock, Texas, on January 22, 1927, while the Baylor Men’s Basketball team was traveling to Austin for a game against the University of Texas. The scrapbooks contain clippings, photographs, letters, sympathy cards, and telegrams from the days surrounding the event.
  • BU Records: Sigma Nu (#BU/336): Clippings, event flyers, rosters, and leadership development curriculum related to the Sigma Nu fraternity at Baylor University.
  • BU Records: Faculty Development Committee (#BU/90): Includes memorandums, publications, flyers, and program information related to the Faculty Development Committee at Baylor University.
  • BU Records: Institute of Environmental Studies (#BU/110): Correspondence, clippings, reports, program information, promotional materials, and studies related to the Institute of Environmental Studies at Baylor University.
One of many condolence telegrams that poured in to Baylor University after the Immortal Ten crash. This one is from the University of Texas at Austin, whom Baylor was supposed to play against the day of the crash. You’ll find this item in the BU Records: Immortal Ten, Accession #BU/109, box 1 OVZ, item 2, at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Texas Over Time: The Hammond Laundry Cleaning Machinery and Supply Company of Waco, Texas

By Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator

Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” blog series that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, street scenes, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.Continue Reading

Research Ready: July 2019

Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!Continue Reading

Research Ready: June 2019

Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!Continue Reading

Research Ready: April 2019

Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!Continue Reading

Sharing Student Scholarship: Access at Baylor University, 1900-1910

Our Sharing Student Scholarship blog posts showcase original scholarship written by Baylor students who conducted research using primary source materials in The Texas Collection. This post is the second of five in a series of blog posts written by graduate and PhD students from the Fall 2018 Foundations & History of Higher Education Leadership course. 

by Rachel Jones, Rachel Ticknor, Rachel Henson, Jillian Haag, and Lela Lam

Following its merger with Waco University in 1886, Baylor University set forth a series of initiatives that were progressive in terms of extending college access to various student groups-specifically to women and transfer students. These initiatives included Baylor’s promotion of coeducation and the university’s establishment of formal articulation agreements with Texas high schools and other Baptist colleges. Because of these efforts, a Baylor education had become more accessible to a wider network of students. However, despite these progressive strides, some students (mainly female students) still faced inequality and a lack of access to certain resources/activities once they actually matriculated on campus.

With the establishment of the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT)’s Education Commission in 1897, Baylor focused on leveraging the Commission’s existing partnerships in order to create formal articulation agreements with the other correlated Baptist colleges. Under these agreements, students that completed a standardized two-year curriculum and graduated from the affiliated colleges could transfer to Baylor, without an entrance examination, in order to complete their four-year degree. Baylor utilized a similar model in order to establish formal articulation agreements with a variety of high schools. These two initiatives collectively increased access for, and enrollment of, students who graduated from the affiliated high schools and colleges.

Despite their successes, it is possible that some of Baylor’s most groundbreaking initiatives were inherently exclusionary towards students who did not belong to/identify with the parameters that had been established (e.g. students who did not attend the affiliated high schools or colleges). Moreover, Baylor did not ensure that all students would receive equal levels of access to campus resources and programs once they actually enrolled at Baylor, which resulted in a sense of tension among the university community.

Group photo of The R.C.B. Literary Society, 1908. Found in the 1908 edition of The Baylor Round-Up. Courtesy of The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

This tension is perhaps most evident in the experiences documented by Baylor’s female students and faculty members between 1900 and 1910. Although Baylor had taken a rather progressive stance on coeducation and allowed men and women to meet in the classroom and in the chapel together, women still faced unfair treatment in terms of housing policies and educational, financial, and extracurricular opportunities. Two examples of this treatment are evident when one takes a closer look at the student literary societies and faculty job opportunities.

Photo of Dr. Lula Pace, 1908. Lula Pace was the first female professor at Baylor to hold a doctoral degree, and served as the chair of the Department of Botany and Geology. Found in the 1908 edition of The Baylor Round-Up. Courtesy of The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

As with most topics regarding student access during this time, the issue of women’s participation in literary societies was complex. There was collaboration and partnership between the male and female societies, but this did not always result in equality for their respective members. Though there were a number of benefits that came from women’s membership in literary societies, it is evident that when compared to their male counterparts, female students who chose to participate in such societies faced marginalization. This marginalization is especially evident when one considers the limited opportunity for scholarships.

In a similar vein, female faculty members at Baylor also experienced inequality. Although Baylor had taken a progressive stance on hiring more female faculty members, women comprised less than half of the faculty, were paid less than their male counterparts, and were generally considered lower-level “instructors” rather than full professors. In addition, Baylor rarely hired married female faculty members, notwithstanding that the majority of male faculty were married. All of these examples confirm that Baylor female faculty members faced inequality that was similar to what Baylor female students faced.

As progressive as Baylor was in 1900 to 1910, it was still a far cry from the experience that Baylor women have today. Finally, as Baylor continues to extend access to a variety of students, the university should build intentional partnerships whilst remaining mindful of any possibilities of exclusion.