University Archives

First Graduation, 1960, in front of Carpenter Hall

History/Archives/Special Collections

The University of Dallas History/Archives/Special Collections Center was established in 2002 for the purpose of gathering and organizing University-related materials particularly in preparation for the University's Fiftieth Year Celebration in 2006. Located in renovated quarters in the lower level of Blakley Library, the Center has already developed a number of special collections that are available to alumni, scholars and other interested parties for in-office search.

One of the most interesting collections features the documents of the first University of Dallas which dissolved in 1928 due to the effects of war, limited finances, and drought. Its charter lay dormant with the Diocese of Dallas and the Vincentian Fathers who founded it in 1906 as Holy Trinity College.

The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, who opened our University of Dallas in 1956 under the guidance of Bishop Thomas Kiely Gorman, were advised by fundraisers to give the proposed institution a name broader in appeal than Our Lady of Victory, the name of their junior college in Fort Worth. The charter was revived and the University of Dallas name inherited in 1955. Thus, one might think of the University as being 100 years old in 2006, albeit with a three-decade hiatus. However, the same name, though appropriate, was really an accident of history. The founders of our University of Dallas did not consider any relationship in mission and style between the older and newer institutions other than the worthy goal of providing Catholic higher education to the North Texas region. They felt they were beginning a brand new institution.

Such are the clarifications one finds when reading the actual documents in the archives.

Come and join the search!

Contact

Director: Sybil Novinski, Associate Provost, University Historian snovinsk@udallas.edu 972 265 5770 University of Dallas 1845 E. Northgate, Irving, Texas 75062

Office Hours

9:00 to 4:00pm, weekdays, or by appointment; limited staff; call ahead

Location

Haggar Circle across from Haggerty Art History Building, East of Braniff Mall.

Special On-Going Projects

Student workers have developed outline histories of student housing, student athletics, and student publications. Recently one completed the ordering of documents from the Rome Program-1970-1995. Any assistance with such projects-information and documents-is appreciated.

Volunteers

The Archive Center encourages the involvement of volunteers in a variety of projects such as writing class histories, department histories, club-event histories, sorting materials, preparing and designing exhibits, identifying and organizing photographs, slides, negatives, putting collections on-line. Volunteers should visit, email, call, write the Director. Some volunteer work may be done on-line.

Contributions

The Center seeks contributions of time (see volunteers), funds, and objects-photos, yearbooks, papers, articles, invitations, brochures, minutes, mementoes. There is even a dream of having a University museum one day and "artifacts" would be included. Basically, don't throw it away; give it to the Archives. Be sure that your event/activity is remembered.
Already the artifacts include athletic memorabilia, a recent Groundhog costume, the horse racing trophies of founder Eugene Constantin, and the chalice and paten of the first vice-president, Msgr. Edward Maher.

Lists and Collections

Lists

The Archives attempts to maintain various historical Lists, many of which are in the 50th Anniversary History, including:

Presidents, Chief Academic Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Registrars, Department Chairs, Deans of Academic and Student Life, Graduation Speakers, Honorary Degree recipients,Valedictorians, Executive Council of Student Government, Editors of Student Newspapers and Yearbooks, various award winners, and so forth.

Collections

At this time all documents must be used in Archive/History Project Center. The following collections are in reasonable shape, that is, one can search them; however, there are many more that are still being ordered in a macro way.

Catalogs and other documents from first University of Dallas, 1906-1928

Bishop Thomas K. Gorman: Documents from his participation at the Second Vatican Council

Bishop Thomas K. Gorman: Documents referring to establishment of the University of Dallas

University of Dallas: Prints, slides, negatives, 1954-present.

University of Dallas: Tapes and videos of lectures, classes, events; some now converted to CD.

University of Dallas: McDermott Lecturers and Colloquia, papers, lectures, tapes, video-1974 to present.

University of Dallas: Yearbooks from 1957 to the present; many could be on-line if indexing help can be secured

University of Dallas: Catalogs/bulletins from 1956 to the present

University of Dallas: Student newspapers from 1957 to present

University of Dallas: Student publications--literary journals

University of Dallas: Student publications-"underground newspapers"

University of Dallas: Commencement related publications

University of Dallas: Dean's List and Honor Rolls, 1956 to present

University of Dallas: Alumni Publications-- various newsletters, complete collection of Tower Magazines

Donald A. Cowan, President Emeritus and Professor of Physics, President (1962-1977), lectures, papers, personal papers, photos

Charles Schulze, Sr., Trustee, 1958-88, University-related papers

Enrique Nardoni, Professor of Theology, Scripture Scholar (1978-2002), scholarly papers

June R. Welch, Associate Professor of History (1966-1997), Texas Historian, Research papers for numerous books on Texas.

University of Dallas: Minutes of Board of Trustees, 1956-

University of Dallas: Minutes of Standing Committees, 1956-

University of Dallas: Minutes of Faculty Senate,

University of Dallas: Self Study Documents from initial Self Study through present.

University of Dallas: Recent video interviews (on CD/DVD) of Warren Pulich, Beatrice Haggerty, Paul Lockhart, Robert Sasseen, Robert Lynch, Cherie Clodfelter, O. Dean Cruse, Jack C. Towne, Sr. Martin Joseph and Sister St. John Begnaud, Hazel Cazorla, Ben and Betty Carpenter, Louise Cowan, and others.

University of Dallas: External news clippings on the University from 1954 to present, on CD; original copies in Rare Book room

University of Dallas: International Catholic Biblical Commentary, Original manuscripts and translations, correspondence from around the world, papers of Dr. William Farmer, editor.

University of Dallas: Individual files on all faculty members with photos and publications if possible

University of Dallas: Department/Program papers, brochures, invitations, correspondence, for Constantin College, Braniff Graduate and Graduate School of Management from founding to present.

University of Dallas: Rome Program, 1970-2006 Photographs, lists of participants, faculty and staff, all campuses.