This post was written by Ilaria Eddins ’29, Special Collections & University Archives Student Worker
Judith Krug circa 1980, American Library Association Archives
This year marks 44 years since the establishment of Banned Books Week in the United States. In 1982, following the Supreme Court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico—which ruled that books cannot be banned by school officials in school libraries simply due to their content—the combined efforts of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom’s (OIF) director, Judith Krug, the American Booksellers Association (ABA), and the National Association of College Stores led to the initiation of Banned Books Week.
Though Banned Books Week only officially began in 1982, the history of banned books and censorship in the United States goes much further back. From the first ‘banned book’ in the U.S., which many scholars consider to be Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), to this year’s ALA top ten banned books list, people of the United States are no strangers to attempts made to hinder their intellectual and literary freedoms.
The University of Mary Washington’s Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) Rare Books Collection holds multiple copies of one of the most important ‘banned books’ in the history of literary censorship in the United States. Ulysses, written by Irish author James Joyce and first published in 1922, faced severe treatment in the United States for over a decade following its publication and release. This included confiscation, banning, destruction (Van Doren & SCUA Staff 2022-23, 3), and legal ramifications for any publisher who tried to distribute it. Only in 1934, following the decision of federal Judge John M. Woolsey in United States v. One Book Called Ulysses (1933)—and the rejection of the federal government’s appeal to the case in 1934 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit—was the book first officially and legally printed and published in the United States.
Judge John M. Woolsey’s 1933 decision lifting the ban on James Joyce’s Ulysses helped redefine the boundaries of literary expression and obscenity law in the United States.
To fully understand the true magnitude of this decision, one must go back to the inception of theAct of the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use, or more commonly known as the Comstock Act. In 1873 it was passed as a federal statute by the United States Congress and signed into law by the president that same year. Anthony Comstock, for whom the act was named, was founder of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice—also beginning in 1873—and, following the signing of the Comstock Act into law by President Ulysses S. Grant, was sworn in as a special agent of the Post Office Department. As he liked to keep track of his accomplishments, Comstock bragged that he had, under his purview, “…counted 2,489,168 obscene pictures burned…28,428 pounds of stereotype printing plates destroyed…sixteen dead bodies” (Birmingham 2014, 173) and destroyed 50 tons of books. Ulysses first appeared in serialized form in The Review in 1918 and, since it was distributed by mail, ran into censorship problems almost immediately. When officials in the Post Office Department inspected these copies of The Review, they classified it as being in violation of the Comstock Act and set about to halting its distribution. Ulysses was first released in full in 1922. Under the Comstock Act, publishers in the United States were prohibited from bringing it into and distributing it around the U.S. As previously mentioned, only in 1934 was it first legally printed and published in the U.S. due to the revolutionary decision of Judge Woolsey. As mentioned by a Chicago literary columnist in 1934 in a review of Woolsey’s decision, it was “the greatest blow ever dealt against censorship in the Comstockian manifestation” (Spoo 2019, 4).
Title page from the 1949 first edition of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, published in London by Secker & Warburg.
Following the trend of books banned for so-called ‘obscenity’, the book 1984 by George Orwell faced similar problems to Ulysses as it was challenged from the beginning of its publication in 1949. In a list of the 30 most frequently challenged books, compiled by English professor and advocate for intellectual freedom Lee Burres using data from six national surveys of censorship pressures on American schools, 1984 ranked fifth (Karolides et al. 2011, 129). The same criticisms that were made of Ulysses plagued 1984 as censors asserted that it was too sexually explicit. Many, especially in the United States, also claimed that it promoted communism and socialist utopias, which, as stated by a parent on a 1966 national survey, “…is wrong” (Karolides et al. 2011, 129). Today, the most common reason for 1984 being challenged, censored, or banned is due to its alleged sexual explicitness. Due to its ‘obscenity’, it is still commonly included in targeted efforts to ban books across America.
As Ursula K. Le Guin stated in her 2004 publication Talks and Essays on The Writer, The Reader, and The Imagination, “A dangerous book will always be in danger from those it threatens with the demand that they question their assumptions. They’d rather hang onto the assumptions and ban the book” (Le Guin 2004, 248). Author Ursula K. Le Guin, most famously known for her books A Wizard of Earthsea,The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Dispossessed, was born in 1929 to author Theodora Kroeber and renowned anthropologist Alfred Kroeber. Le Guin’s books were revolutionary, not only for the genres of science fiction and fantasy but also for overall literature, as they challenged traditional cultural notions about the constructs of social hierarchy, gender, sex, and sexuality (to name a few). The Left Hand of Darkness focuses on more complex ideas of gender and gender fluidity. Due to this, many believed that it was not suitable for minors, or anyone, to read and have attempted to get it removed from public school.
Le Guin herself, when asked in an interview about her work being banned, stated that simply because her books were imaginative, they were banned. In her opinion, stated in the same interview, “[t]he imagination is truly the enemy of bigotry and dogma” (Le Guin 2015).
From its beginning in 1982, Banned Books Week has been centered around promoting peoples’ rights to their intellectual and literary freedom. Intellectual freedom, as termed by the American Library Association in their Intellectual Freedom Manual, is “…the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction” (Jones 2015, 3). Even in 1934, people recognized that “…individuals are capable of being their own censors and it is absurd to impose upon them restrictions…” (Spoo 2019, 6).
SCUA houses many other books in addition to the ones that have been mentioned here that have faced challenges, censorship, and banning throughout the United States and abroad. In respect to your own intellectual freedom, ‘use it or lose it’ as some have said. Patrons are able to take advantage of the great resources the SCUA has through open hours and by making appointments.
This post was written by Caitlin Ervin ’28, Special Collections & University Archives Student Worker
October 2026 is the 20th anniversary of Archives Month. With this year’s theme being Remember Me: Death and Memorial in the Archives, we turned our attention to the recent passing of Gloria Steinem, who died on September 2, 2026. She is best remembered as a driving force of the American women’s rights movement, as well as an accomplished journalist, lecturer, and co-founder of women’s political organizations. Steinem made her most influential marks on students at Mary Washington College through her outspoken political presence and visits to Fredericksburg in the 1970s and 1980s. There is no better example of her impact than straight from the students themselves, through the campus newspaper of the era, The Bullet.
Feminism and a Changing School
“Gloria Steinem” by Daniel A. Dervin (1972)
September 20, 1971, saw the first appearance of Steinem’s name in a student publication at Mary Washington College. Robin Darling ’72, then-Editor of The Bullet, wrote a piece about theNational Women’s Political Caucus, an organization dedicated to supporting more female political candidates, of which Steinem was a co-founder. The National Women’s Caucus was far from the only reference to feminist concerns in this issue. A prominent topic featured both on the front page and in the Editorial section was the legal threat faced by The Bullet‘s editorial staff for printing an advertisement for an abortion-referral service in the previous issue.
The very next issue of The Bullet from September 27, included a transcription of Steinem’s speech from the Virginia Women’s Caucus in Richmond.
“I say that because I think that we should understand that one of the most important, compassionate, humanizing forces that women have to offer is that we make these kinds of connections through artificial barriers of race and class because we have common problems and We have to work on them together, get all kinds of coalitions. [. . .] This sexism and racism are the social ills that we are talking about and we have to unite against them. As long as we look different from the ruling class, as long as we have any kind of visible physical differences, we are subject, given these ills of sexism and racism, to being put in a second-class group.” – Gloria Steinem, as referenced in “Steinem: ‘The one who sucks best, wins,'” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), September 27, 1971, 4
This speech occurred in a year already full of major change at Mary Washington. 1971 brought about the decision to separate from the University of Virginia, as well as being one of the first years operating as a co-educational school. The remainder of publications for the 1971-72 academic year continued with debates among students on feminist issues, several of which referenced Steinem’s activism:
If one analyses the statements made by Gloria Steinem and the slate of proposals drawn up by the Caucus it readily becomes apparent that neither Steinem nor the Caucus are interested in bringing about a humane society. What they are after is power, pure and simple; [. . .] They do not wish to eliminate sexism, but are working frantically to foster the expansion of sexism. They do not wish to work for the principle of individual rights, for it is apparent that they do not have the slightest conception of this fundamental precept, the application of which is absolutely essential to the establishment of a free, and thus humane, society.” – Thomas Johnson, “Unadulterated sexism,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), October 14, 1971, 4
Also note that the Caucus demands the use of a quota system based on sex for the evaluation and selection of delegates to national conventions. They do not advocate the selection of delegates based on their interest, ability and desire to attend the conventions; no. they base their demand on gender. And we are told that Steinem wants an “end to the evaluation of people according to race or sex.” In reality, what we are really witnessing is pure, unadulterated sexism practiced by the women liberationists.” – Thomas Johnson, “Unadulterated sexism,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), October 14, 1971, 4
Women attending women’s colleges in this country today are constantly being met with the degrading question, “How do you get along without men?” The retort to such a question could easily be, “Who needs them?” However, a slight alteration could turn it into a serious answer, “Who needs them now?” Why necessarily are men needed at this period in a girl’s life?” – Joan McAllister, “Advantages of sexual segregation,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), January 31, 1972, 3
Women must stop being reared to be subservient and inferior to their husbands. Girls are usually ahead of boys in academics through elementary and high school and should be encouraged at this time. It should be made known to them that they too should plan on careers in future life. Girls in their early years are not given enough push or encouragement to have a career. Thus, when they reach college perhaps they would really like a career but instead give into the easier and more secure way of motherhood. They do not have to face up to themselves, because they know that people do not expect anything more from them.” – Joan McAllister, “Advantages of sexual segregation,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), January 31, 1972, 3
Today’s co-ed colleges are not the answer even though they do have a more natural atmosphere. With the situation as it is now, women cannot really accomplish anything at a co-ed school. They are still talked down to and not given a fair chance. Men are not necessarily the enemy, but women cannot fairly communicate with them in the current situation.” – Joan McAllister, “Advantages of sexual segregation,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), January 31, 1972, 3
InJuly 1972, Trinkle Library subscribed to the magazine Ms., a publication spearheaded and edited by Gloria Steinem, adding it to the list of periodicals available to students. This was part of a move by the library to make more feminist texts available to students. A few months previous, in January, student editor Robin Darling had written a scathing review of the magazine for The Bullet:
MS. took the familiar tone of any of the prosperous women’s magazines already in existence, published and edited by men, for women. Worse, women wrote MS., and they wrote it in the old familiar way that LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL or REDBOOK writes for its feminine readers: down. The same patronization, the same cutesy style couldn’t disguise what the (women) editors had done; they had sized up their audience as the young, with-it libs, and they were patronizing them on almost every page.” – Robin Darling, “MS: a disappointment to feminists,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), January 31, 1972, 5
The only article by a man is a longish, rather nervous column by Nicholas von Hoffman, the Washington POST’S house radical. “Son of Women’s Lib,” he calls himself, and writes a eulogy/testimonial about his successful professional mother. She is an admirable and competent woman, no doubt; but by the time her son had finished the column, she came off like a Most Unforgettable Character in READERS’ DIGEST.” – Robin Darling, “MS: a disappointment to feminists,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), January 31, 1972, 5
The second is the content based on the assumption. This includes advertisements (“Liberate your Martini” with X vodka) and articles full of helpful suggestions which instruct the modern lib on the ways to make a marriage contract, get it on with her sisters, and, not surprisingly, how to vote. All of them push for women as the successors and usurpers of the present male chauvinists. All of them would style women into the “ideal” form for living in the world; they accept as their model the upwardly mobile male of the American business and professional scene.” – Robin Darling, “MS: a disappointment to feminists,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), January 31, 1972, 5
Gloria Steinem Comes to Fredericksburg
“Gloria Steinem Campaigning” by Daniel A. Dervin (1972)
The Fall of 1972 brought about not only continued reference to Gloria Steinem, but an actual appearance by her in Fredericksburg. In October, she visited as part of the Grassroots Grasshopper, a converted bus carrying various celebrities and public figures on a southern tour campaigning for presidential nominee Senator George McGovern. While she did not visit the Mary Washington campus itself, she did give a speech at the Sheraton Hotel which was attended by a group of students via an MWC-provided bus. Students of that time, including many who were part of the McGovern campaign on campus, remember Steinem’s visit as a highlight of their Fall semester.
Photographs taken by English professor Daniel A. Dervin provide a record of Steinem’s 1972 visit. A few of the students in these photos were identified by their former classmates via the University of Mary Washington Magazine in 2012.
“Gloria Steinem Campaigning” by Daniel A. Dervin (1972)
Gloria Steinem Speaks on Campus
In the Spring of 1986, the MWC’s Student Association Executive Cabinet invited Steinem to speak at Dodd Auditorium. Her visit was an all-campus endeavor co-sponsored by MWC’s chapters of Circle K, the National Organization of Women, and the students of Hamlet House, which at the time was the men’s “Scholarship, Leadership, and Service” residence hall.
On April 8, she gave a lecture entitled, “Women of the ‘80s: The Second Wave” (though, in an article from MWC Today it was titled, “The Women’s Movement: Its Past, Its Future”). Regardless of what it was called, Steinem discussed the rising tide of second wave feminism in response to political conservatives. She acknowledged signs of improvement for equality, such as the introduction of gender-neutral terms for work positions but also lectured on the continued need for guaranteed reproductive rights, economic freedom, and the recognition of household and family labor as work. A reception was hosted afterwards sponsored by the MWC Student Association and MWC Young Democrats.
And if you don’t believe that [there still needs to be improvement], ask a man if he would like to receive a spinster of arts’ degree, go to graduate school and get a ‘mistress of science’ and then try to get a ‘sistership.’” – Gloria Steinem, as quoted in April Stoops, “Steinem Confronts Humanist Issues,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), April 15, 1986, 3, 10
Steinem’s visit crowded Dodd Auditorium to near capacity and was regarded as “one of the more exciting things to happen on our campus this semester”. Her speech also provided the opportunity for students to debate her ideas and comments both at the lecture and in the next week’s publication of The Bullet.
Ms. Steinem’s quote was unjustified. Women’s equality has been a major concern of the Reagan Administration, as well as for all. As far as the women’s movement suffering from a “blacklash [sic]” is simply unfounded. The women’s movement has changed and must be approached differently than in the past. Women have gained many deserved rights in the past two decades, and are continuing to receive rights and equalities through the existing system and the Reagan Administration.” – Kelly Gould and Susan Brown, “Feminist Comments ‘Unfounded,’” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, Virginia), April 15, 1986, 2
The successful elements of Steinem’s speech were not only that [illegible] the student body got to hear an inspirational talk on the benefits of equality among the sexes or that once the liberal side of the coin shown without all the “paving road to communism” paranoia more importantly, many were challenged on their personal views. Conservatives in the audience exposed to the ideas that they never fully confronted before were forced to see the validity of other side. This does not mean all walked out born again feminists, but rather people walked out with ideas in their heads that could let them come to a more fair conclusion on which side to stand. Maybe there isn’t even a right side to be on, but no one can deny that Steinem’s lecture was eye opening.”– J. J. Baker, “Gloria Steinem—A Class Act,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), April 15, 1986, 7
There were a few who felt very threatened. They did not consider hearing someone else’s views, which happened to be in opposition to their own, as a worthwhile experience. Of course, after the speech there were the right wing conservatives, the anti-abortionists, and the fundamental Christians outside distributing flyers about the Feminist Facade. They were ready to prove that feminists are actually anti-God, anti-family, and most likely working for the Soviet Union. They were complaining that Steinem’s speech was terribly one-sided.” – J. J. Baker, “Gloria Steinem—A Class Act,” The Bullet (Fredericksburg, VA), April 15, 1986, 7
In issues of The Bulletpublished during Steinem’s visits and the heights of first- and second-wave feminism, you won’t find any singular perspective among students. The Bullet recorded student opinion across all parts of the political spectrum and crossing gender lines. Steinem’s appearances and social influence may have been the impetus for these articles to be written, but these sorts of conversations were already happening on Mary Washington’s campus.
In the 1970s, and even today, topics related to feminism, including abortion and economic rights, were controversial. As seen throughout these issues of The Bullet, students faced a lot of backlash for printing their opinions, if not from other students, then from the college, the local community, and even lawyers. This controversy is part of what makes preserving these student newspapers so important. These conversations and events had actual effects on the lives of students and shaped their time at Mary Washington College. Over the years, our University Archivists have recognized this impact on students and made it part of their mission to collect and preserve student newspapers. Even though the materials themselves are ephemeral – they were meant for the people at the time they were printed – these items have been digitized and made available for modern students to read and learn from.
The University Archives has worked to preserve these students’ voices for over fifty years, however it’s also important to remember that the students themselves were the ones who documented their experiences in the first place. As we celebrate Archives Month, we not only consider the work of our professional archivists but also remember those who came before us as students. The students who once wrote for The Bullet also lived in our dorms, hung out with their friends on Ball Circle, and went to events at Dodd Auditorium. Though several decades may separate us, we can look back at their writings and see pieces of our own lives here on campus.
So, here’s to the history of Mary Washington . . . and a thank you to the students who wrote it all down!
Want to read more from students in The Bullet? Almost every issue since 1922 is available on SCUA’s Digital Archive. If you want to see more of Daniel Dervin’s photos from Steinem’s 1972 visit. You can find them on SCUA’s Digital Archive.
This post was written by Ellis Fraser ‘26, Special Collections & University Archives Student Worker
For Pride Month this June, UMW Special Collections and University Archives is highlighting author Gertrude Stein (1874 – 1946) in the Rare Books collection. Stein was an avant-garde poet, novelist, memoirist, and art collector. She settled in France as an American expatriate, first in Paris, then moved to the suburbs of Paris with her partner Alice B. Toklas during the Nazi occupation of France.
[1] Gertrude Stein (right) and Alice B. Toklas
The challenging accessibility and intelligibility of her experiments in language have remained controversial since their initial publication. UMW Special Collections and University Archives has a variety of her works, from her most popular and conventional prose with The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, to her more experimental Four in America, or Geography and Plays.
If “More of double. A place in no new table” from A Piece of Coffee [2] trips you up when reading her work for the first time, heed Stein’s own advice for readers: “Just read the words on the paper. They’re in English. Just read them. Be simple and you’ll understand these things.” [3]
Published in 1931, Gertrude Stein’s How to Write was the first of her works to enter the University’s collection in the 1970s. The University acquired 14 more titles throughout the decade; including novels, poetry collections, opera, and nonfiction.
[4] Lithograph by the artist Henri Matisse, Verve Volume VI, Nos. 21–22, 1948
Stein contributes to the Rare Books Room’s larger collection of Modernists in literature and the fine arts including James Joyce, Henri Matisse, Picasso and more. The walls of the Parisian Left-Bank apartment shared by Gertrude Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas displayed their vast collection of avant-garde artworks. Included in their collection of Modernists and Cubists were Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Both painters attended the couple’s elaborate soirees where they hosted artists, writers, celebrities and intellectuals.
[4] Portrait de Françoise Gilot, created by Pablo Picasso in 1946
Gertrude and Alice moved to Paris in 1903, creating their artist salon at 27 rue de Fleurus [5]. Stein and Toklas’s home was a Parisian locus of elaborate entertainment and cutting-edge artistic and literary experimentation, especially after the first World War. They gathered a generation of American and European expatriate creatives, chronicling and painting their lives between the wars. Stein dubbed the guests of their salon as “The Lost Generation.” Their orbit of influence included Ernest Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds and Sherwood Anderson. James Joyce and other writers in the SCUA collection were also guests of Stein and Toklas throughout the existence of their salon. Details and fictionalizations of these dinners and parties hosted by Stein and Toklas are chronicled in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, in addition to the couple’s experiences of France during the two wars. Gertrude Stein wrote the fictionalized memoir in the voice of her partner Alice B. Toklas, though it is primarily a narrative of Stein’s life and experiences. Autobiography can be read at the Rare Books Room in the 1946 edition of Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein.
Title page from Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein, published by Random House in 1946
Alice B. Toklas assisted Gertrude Stein by typing the manuscripts of The Gradual Making of the Making of Americans and The Making of Americans. [6]. Selected Writings, which includes these writings and many more, is available at the Rare Books Room and is an excellent introduction to Gertrude Stein’s works.
A bittersweet goodbye to several amazing students who have made Special Collections & University Archives such a wonderful place to work and learn. Congratulations to Makayla Bowman, Sandy Llop, and Blake Bauer.
Makayla Bowman, our current senior student worker, has provided exceptional leadership. Her dedication and attention to detail have created a smooth transition for the students who follow in her footsteps, setting a high standard for excellence.
Makayla Bowman taking her senior photos around UMW’s Campus
Sandy Llop began with us as an intern and quickly became such a delight to work with that we invited them to continue as a student worker through the summer. Sandy has contributed tremendously to SCUA, especially to the Mutual Assurance Society (MAS) project, which earned departmental recognition earlier this semester.
Sandy Llop tabling in SimpsonLibrary’s lobby for archives month
Blake Bauer’s passion for SCUA began as a volunteer, helping lay the groundwork for our ongoing, large-scale photo processing project. Their hard work and commitment during that time led to a student worker position, where they continued to demonstrate a strong work ethic and an impressive ability to collaborate with others.
Blake thanks his donors for his scholarships at the Celebration of Giving in fall 2025. K Pearlman Photography.
At Special Collections & University Archives, we focus on a holistic approach to working with students: whether they join us as interns, volunteers, or student workers. Our goal is to equip them with skills that will serve them well long after their time at Mary Washington. We are always proud to see what their futures hold and confident that each one will achieve their goals.
To honor their time with us, we invite our seniors to participate in an optional exit interview. This allows them to become a permanent part of our collections and to share how their experiences in SCUA shaped their journey.
What brought you to work in Special Collections & University Archives?
MB: I’ve loved libraries and history since I was a little kid. For my senior year at UMW, I really wanted to see what it was like to work in a library, so I applied to work at SCUA. In hindsight, I really wish I had applied to the position sooner!
What was your favorite project that you worked on during your time as a Special Collections & University Archives Student Aide?
MB: My favorite project that I worked on during my time with SCUA was researching, designing, and installing an exhibit on the one-hundred-year anniversary of Devil Goat Day with another Student Aide, Clementine Worshek. I had such a great time looking through all of the old photos and newspaper articles from Devil Goat Days in the past. Further, I really enjoyed using the Epson scanners and Canva to create the visual aspects of the exhibit.
What is your favorite item (or collection of items) in UMW Archives and why?
MB: I am quite the fan of the Centennial Collection of photos within the UMW Archives. Even though I will have only attended UMW for four years out of its 100+ year history, there is something so familiar and endearing about the images of students from the past. I particularly love trying to figure out where on campus photos were taken and comparing those buildings in the photos to what they look like today.
What is your favorite rare book from the rare book collection and why?
MB: My favorite rare book in our collection is our first edition of 1984 by George Orwell.1984 is one of my favorite books of all time, and I mentioned that in my initial interview for the position. When I started with SCUA in August 2025, my supervisor, Regan Chancellor, was kind enough to pull the copy for me to look at!
What are your post-Mary Washington plans?
MB: After I graduate in May with a B.A. in Anthropology and Historic Preservation with a Museum Studies minor, I plan to work in a library or museum setting. I’d love to work as an educator or collections manager in either of those spaces!
What kinds of archival resources do you think researchers will use in the future when looking back at what Mary Washington was like in your graduating year?
MB: I think that the student publications–like The Weekly Ringer and Columns: The Mary Washington Humanities and Social Science Journal–will be some of the best sources to research what life at Mary Washington was like during my senior year. Similarly, I think that the archived versions of web pages and articles put out by UMW during 2025-2026 would be super useful to future researchers in order to better learn about my graduating year. Finally, I think that oral histories are a super great resource to learn, first-hand, what that year was like.
Do you have any favorite Mary Washington memories?
MB: I think I have too many to count! Devil Goat Day will always be my favorite tradition at Mary Wash. I have so many great memories with my friends on Ball Circle or grabbing dinner at Panera. My most favorite Mary Washington memory happened at Gari Melchers Home and Studio (also called Belmont), a museum in Falmouth across the Rappahannock that is owned and operated by UMW. I interned at Belmont my sophomore year of college and would often visit the curator and other staff I knew there. Then, in the spring of 2025, my fiancé (who I met at UMW) proposed to me in the gardens at Belmont!
Anything else you would like to share?
MB: I’m grateful to have had so many amazing opportunities during my time at Mary Wash. However, out of all of the extra-curriculars, classes, jobs, and internships, my time with SCUA is one of my most treasured, even though it felt so short! Working with the amazing SCUA staff opened up the library and archival world to me in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. I was able to work on such a wide variety of projects while also getting to know everyone on a personal level. Though I’m excited to be graduating, I’m really sad to be leaving the SCUA with so many projects left to try!
Congratulations to UMW Men’s Basketball on their historic trip to the NCAA DIII National Championship! This is the program’s first ever national championship appearance, and we couldn’t be more proud. Our Eagles face off against Emory University’s also-Eagles in Indianapolis this Sunday, April 5, and you can bet the fans in Special Collections and University Archives will be tuning in to cheer!
To celebrate, Special Collections and University Archives staff would like to showcase some of our school’s basketball history!
Basketball was the start of competitive sports at Mary Washington. More than 100 years ago, in the 1914-15 school year, the basketball team played their first game outside of the school’s gym and secured a 14-9 victory over the YWCA Richmond team, which was at the time regarded as one of the best women’s teams in the state.1 Let’s go, State Normal School!
The 1916 Fredericksburg State Normal School basketball team
While our victorious spirit may not have changed, the players’ look may be a bit different. The early 20th century players took to the court in headscarves, neckerchiefs, and long dresses, possibly making it difficult to execute a killer between-the-legs crossover.
The 1925 Fredericksburg State Teachers College basketball team
Throughout our history, basketball remained one of Mary Washington’s most popular sports. Many students were involved in class teams and intercollegiate play. Games featuring nearby competitors from Washington, D.C. or Richmond often drew an enthusiastic crowd.2
Recreational play was also popular. Students faced off against other dorms on campus, and basketball was even a part of the legendary Devil-Goat rivalry.3 Until Goolrick Hall and its basketball facilities opened in 1969, students played on a court in Monroe Hall, pictured left in 1963.
As the school expanded and went co-ed in the 1970s, so did sports programs. Mary Washington continued to field competitive intercollegiate teams, but did so without a mascot. A 1978 Bullet article, “A School Without a Name,” bemoaned the awkwardness of not having anything to cheer at sporting events compared to other colleges in the state.4 The swim team had informally adopted the moniker “The Blue Tide” a few years earlier, and after a student vote in 1978, that became Mary Washington’s new mascot.
Frank Gilmore of the Mary Washington Blue Tide lifts off for a shot, c. 1980s.
Blue Tide was not without its drawbacks. Folks found it difficult to represent graphically on uniforms and in marketing, ultimately pointing to the question: what exactly is a blue tide? No one seemed equipped to answer. Blue Tide was washed.
In 1986, a poll circulated among the students and faculty to choose a new mascot. Eagles emerged victorious, ousting other contenders such as Devil-Goats, Cannons, and Bayonets. The basketball team would begin playing in blue-centric uniforms as the Eagles beginning in the 1986-87 academic year and continuing into today.
Women’s basketball on the court in 2002
Like the school itself, the basketball team has enjoyed success no matter what it’s called. In the modern era, the women’s and men’s teams have boasted multiple seasons with high rankings in the state, along with several state and conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances.
This weekend will be the first time for either team to experience the national championship spotlight. We wish our Eagles the best of luck on Sunday as they continue to make hoops history!
Edward Alvey, Jr., The History of Mary Washington College, 1908-1972 (University Press of Virginia, 1974), 71 ↩︎
This post was written by Caitlin Ervin ’28, Special Collections & University Archives Student Worker
Dr. Venus R. Jones: One of the Few, Precursor to Many
This Thursday, March 26th, guest speaker, author and historian Mary Ellen Curtin will present on the legacy of Barbara Jordan as part of the Great Lives lecture series. Jordan was a Texas-born politician, orator, and educator who made history with a number of firsts over the course of her political career: the first Black person elected to the Texas Senate since 1883, the first Black woman ever elected to the Texas Senate, and the first Black Texan ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
In honor of this lecture, Special Collections and University Archives is proud to present a short piece on the career and legacy of Dr. Venus Jones ‘68, an alum who accomplished a number of her own firsts both during and after her time at Mary Washington, leaving a lasting impact on the college.
Mary Washington was not Jones’ first choice for college. She had initially applied to the University of Virginia, however, the administration at the time refused to admit a woman to their pre-med program and instead suggested that she apply to its sister school, Mary Washington. Within three years of her admittance, Jones became the first Black graduate from MWC in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She then went on to attend the University of Virginia’s medical program as one of only six women, and the only Black woman. During her time at UVA, she was involved with the Community Health Project, which provided free medical care to the community, while also doing her clinical rotations. She graduated from UVA in 1972 and spent the next few years on the west coast interning with a local indigenous population in Phoenix, Arizona, and completing her medical residency at the Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. She then returned to Virginia to complete an additional three-year residency in neurology at UVA, followed by a fellowship specializing in epilepsy.
After completing her medical training, Dr. Jones enlisted in the U.S. Air Force with the intention of working professionally before opening her own private practice. By 1981, she had become the Chief of Neurology at the Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and was one of only three Air Force neurologists stationed on the east coast. She also served as a consultant to the Surgeon General of the Air Force. She continued her career as Chief of Neurology at two other Air Force hospitals and ultimately retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after serving nearly twenty years. In 1998, she moved to Clarksdale, Mississippi and fulfilled the dream of opening her own clinic, the Delta Neurology Clinic, which she operated until her death on May 17, 2001, at the age of 53.
On February 19, 1968, three months before Jones graduated, an article titled “The Negro On Campus” was published in the weekly student newspaper, The Bullet. In the article, Jones, alongside Chris Hall ‘69, Dottie Holmes ‘71, Anita Whitehead ‘71, and Orita Whitehead (known as MWC’s “Big Five”) detailed their experiences as the only Black students on a majority-white campus. In the article, Jones is quoted as saying that “On this Campus, nothing has changed because there aren’t enough Negroes to make a change in attitude.” She also called out MWC for not advertising itself to potential Black students like other colleges had, such as UVA and the University of Richmond. The women viewed this as MWC not taking the issue of integration or potential of Black students seriously.
It was first-year Dottie Holmes who brought up discrepancies in student housing, with she and the Whitehead sisters sharing one dorm room. Jones and Hall had experienced the same when they were freshman roommates in 1965, and the two, while genuinely friends, had to make a point of having different social routines so as to not always be grouped together while living on campus. This issue of equitable housing assignments was not addressed by Chancellor Grellet Simpson until January 1969, nearly a year later.
Legacy
Throughout Dr. Venus Jones’ academic and professional careers, she was constantly one of the few due to her status as Black, a woman, or both in environments that were overwhelming run by white men. In fact, Jones said that while attending medical school at UVA, she faced more adversity for being a woman, than she did for being Black. However, her race was a defining part of her experience at Mary Washington College, which coincided with many other firsts for the school. This includes the first Black residential student, Kay Savage, who attended MWC from 1964-1966, and the first Black faculty member, Johnny P. Johnson, who was a part-time instructor for art education beginning in 1968. While these individuals may not have faced as much blatant racism while on campus as they may have a few decades prior, they still consistently dealt with microaggressions from other students, separation from Black communities, and an administration that was slow-to-react to their needs.
In the nearly 60 years since the publication of the 1968 Bullet article about the Big Five, the Mary Washington campus has intentionally evolved to be more welcoming and inclusive, though not without criticism from students, both Black and white alike. Perhaps the most significant social changes originated with the founding of the Afro-American Association by students. Dottie Holmes ‘71, one of the Big Five, helped establish the Afro-American Association in 1970 and served as its first president. In the early 1970s, the club was a frequent contributor to The Bullet, writing about social and political injustices faced by Black women. They also organized the first Black Culture Week, held in February of each year. Black Culture Week has since expanded into the Black History Month Celebration, now organized by the James Farmer Multicultural Center. In 1987, the Afro-American Association changed its name to the Black Student Association, which it continues as today.
Those interested in the work and legacy of Barbara Jordan should attend the Great Lives lecture by guest speaker Mary Ellen Curtin on her book, She Changed the Nation: Barbara Jordan’s Life and Legacy in Black Politics. It is hosted this Thursday, March 26th, in Dodd Auditorium beginning at 7:30 pm.
Want to learn more about Venus Jones during her time at Mary Washington? You can listen to the Venus Jones Oral History Collection from UMW Special Collections and University Archives’ Digital Collections.
This post was written by Caitlin Ervin ’28, Special Collections & University Archives Student Worker
Over Spring Break, I was given the opportunity to work as the Historical Research and Publication Aide on the Aldie Mill ledger scanning project. This project is a collaboration between the Loudoun Museum, UMW Special Collections, UMW Department of Historic Preservation, the Papers of James Monroe, and the James Monroe Museum with the goal of digitally preserving an 1830s ledger from the Aldie grain mill in Loudoun County with ties to James Monroe. The ledger itself is in fragile condition – it contains what appears to be about 10 separate paper notebooks dating from 1830 to 1833, bound altogether with burlap. The spine of the ledger is curved, and the paper contents are in a delicate condition.
I worked under the direction of Angie Kemp, head of UMW Special Collections and Digital Scholarship, as well as with Regan Chancellor, UMW Special Collections Research Coordinator. Our first day with the ledger was hectic, to say the least. As mentioned before, the spine of the ledger was curved, meaning that it needed to be supported somehow before we could begin scanning. We spent the entire first hour testing different materials to find what could be used as makeshift props. Some items were too large (like foam book pillows), and would have created a different background color, and affected the cohesiveness and coloring of the images. Ultimately, we discovered that small artifact boxes and lids could be set up as a row of supports – just the right height for the pages to be in focus, but small enough that they weren’t visible in the images. Issue #1 = solved ✔️
Caitlin Ervin ’28 using the Cobra Book Scanner. Ledger courtesy Loudoun Museum, gift of Carol Thompson
We were then able to begin scanning the ledger using the Digital Archiving Lab’s COBRA scanner. The COBRA takes high-resolution pictures that can be used for any number of purposes, from inter-library loans to long-term digital preservation. The machine has a cradle that prevents spine damage caused by forcing a book to lie flat. Typically, when using the scanner, one would also use an attached glass pane that helps hold the pages still; however, the glass can put additional pressure on the pages and be tricky to center on a curved spine. Because of the condition of the ledger, we decided it would be better to hold pages manually, when needed, with either a small metal spatula or a small bone folder. This better preserved the pages and only came at the expense of occasionally having to crop out a finger or two from a final image. Issue #2 = solved ✔️
After the first two days, we had initial scans of each of the 496 pages of the Aldie Mill ledger. Each of these pages were scanned at a resolution of 600 dpi and stored as TIFF files, which is the preservation standard for image files. Scanning = complete ✔️. Then came processing, which meant a lot of rescanning, renaming, and photoshop. One would think that this would be a linear process. It was not linear. At each level of processing, the images were checked by both Angie and me; and at nearly every level we found something that needed to be addressed. Each change we made also created an updated copy of the images. The majority of the time on this project consisted of a pretty repetitive schedule that resulted in easily a few thousand images that were then stored on a separate hard drive.
Rescans had to be made of between 2 to 90 pages at a time for a variety of reasons: bright spots from the COBRA’s initial light settings, white balance correction, spatula placement, or a piece of paper that shouldn’t be there. Once an image was deemed suitable, it could be digitally processed using Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.
Lightroom Classic was used to adjust the white balance of every page. Due to the lighting conditions in the Digital Archiving Lab, images were appearing with a reddish tint. So, we took additional scans of pages next to a color chart and applied a white balance filter to the remaining pages. This provided images that more accurately represent how the book appears in person. Both versions (white balance and original) were then processed as automated batch actions using Photoshop to create shareable and accessible copies of each image at a lower resolution (300 dpi versus 600 dpi) and as JPEGs, which take much less storage space. There was one day during the Photoshop phase of processing where it took about four hours for all of the image versions to load and save. Many hours of loading later, Image Processing = complete✔️!
Screenshot of the editing software used to process the images. Ledger courtesy Loudoun Museum, gift of Carol Thompson
Finally: we had completed the scanning. We had done the editing. Surely, we were ready to share our results with the other collaborators, right? No! Now, we had to rename the files. This meant making sure that the different versions and states of editing hadn’t been mixed up, that there weren’t any duplicates in the same folder, and that originals were separated from white balanced, edited versions. Thankfully, we were meticulous in creating and updating folders for each version, so this stage of the project actually went quickly. Final Images = ready ✔️!
Overall, this project was very time-consuming, but also very rewarding: it resulted in the creation of the best possible scans that could be used by the Loudoun Museum, the Papers of James Monroe, and UMW Department of Historic Preservation. Additionally, when reviewing the final images, we were able to identify around a dozen mentions of James Monroe as a customer of the mill, beginning with entries in 1830 until the time around his death in the summer of 1831. My involvement in this project meant that I got to play an active role in preserving a little piece of Virginia history, and I would not have had this opportunity if not for my work with UMW Special Collections and University Archives.
This post was written by Clementine Worshek ’28, Special Collections & University Archives Student Worker
The concept of the television was first mentioned in the Epaulet in 1941, a student-funded literary magazine. While the televisions were mainly used for announcements for students to communicate with professors, it was a large leap in technological innovation, making it easier for students to receive information from the comfort of their own dorm. This was huge at the time, with the student writing: “No one will have to walk from building to building, for each student will be equipped with a set of wings by means of which she may rise and be on her way.” The future of televisions would shift in the following ten years, and a large part of that was thanks to Desi Arnaz.
Desi Arnaz was a multi-talented force in the entertainment industry. While he is most well-known for his work on the television show I Love Lucy, his touch in the TV world expands beyond the popular sitcom as an actor, tv producer, and musician. He initially found fame through the formation of his own band, introducing the conga line to dance to Miami, which became a huge hit. In fact, he is featured in an advertisement in Mary Washington’s school newspaper The Bulletfrom 1947. The ad features him as a musician, writing that “His volatile Cuban rhythms have been sweeping the country”.
While being a great musician, his contribution to the world of television is arguably what he is most known for. He was more than just the character Ricky in the hit 1951 sitcom I Love Lucy, but he revolutionized the sitcom as a genre. He created the “three-camera method” in terms of setting up multiple cameras on a television set at the same time, along with a studio audience. His goal was to find an easier and more interactive way to test their material in front of actual people. While this is considered the standard now, this was revolutionary at the time. Along with his work behind the camera, Arnaz’s character on-screen broke boundaries, as he represented a Cuban character in a sitcom that wasn’t aimed at making his identity the butt of the joke. His portrayal of his character at this time was significant, and an important piece of Latino-American representation in television.
Additionally, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball’s production studio Desilu helped produce the original Star Trek series. Mary Washington has a final draft from the tenth episode of season two of the original series titled ‘Journey to Babel’, made in 1967. Though Arnaz left the studio by 1962, his contribution into creating a space in the company where they could take risks in new areas of television are significant. Without their production company, we would not have the Star Trek series we know today.
Overall, Desi Arnaz’s influence in the entertainment industry is spread far and wide, and we have him to thank for the many innovations to TV production and creation over the years.
This post was written by Makayla Bowman ‘26 Special Collections & University Archives Student worker
Westward expansion, amidst the background of the Revolutionary War, characterizes the context of this Thursday’s Great Lives Lecture. The Taking of Jemima Boone: Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap that Shaped America, by Matthew Pearl, illustrates the disappearance of three young girls near Boonesboro, Kentucky, shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Prior to writing this historical book, Matthew Pearl also authored the fiction novels The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow, The Last Dickens, The Technologists and The Last Bookaneer. Pearl’s literary background in fiction shines through in this non-fiction account, with Jemima Boone coming alive through Pearl’s narration and command of the pages.
All of the above materials are available to view on the second floor of the Simpson Library during SCUA open hours or by scheduling an appointment. (archives@umw.edu)
This post was written by Caitlin Ervin ’28, Special Collections & University Archives Student worker
Dr. Minnie Rob Phaup
This Tuesday, February 24th, guest speaker and author Kate Moore will present on the legacy of Elizabeth Packard as part of the Great Lives lecture series. Packard was a 19th-century advocate for women’s legal rights and asylum reform following her forced institutionalization at the request of her husband in 1860.
In honor of this lecture, Special Collections and University Archives is proud to present a short piece on Dr. Minnie Rob Phaup, former assistant professor in the Department of Psychology whose Ph.D. dissertation studying female mental patients is available at the University Archives.
Before MWC
Dr. Minnie Rob Phaup was an assistant professor of psychology at Mary Washington College from the fall of 1959 (sometimes written as the fall of 1958) to the fall of 1960. Before her role at MWC, Dr. Phaup demonstrated a profound interest in education and psychology. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1927 with undergraduate degrees in both English and French. This was followed by the completion of her first master’s degree in philosophy and psychology at the University of Chicago in 1930. Phaup then returned to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia to teach English at Thomas Jefferson High School (1931-45), before moving on to teach psychology at Converse College (Spartanburg, North Carolina, 1945-48), Wells College (Aurora, New York, 1948-53), and Queens College (Charlotte, North Carolina, 1953-1955) – all historic women’s colleges. She left Queens College to pursue graduate studies in psychology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., receiving her second master’s degree in 1956 and her Ph.D. in 1960.
Teaching at MWC
While completing her Ph.D., the soon-to-be Dr. Phaup took up a teaching position in the Department of Psychology at Mary Washington College. Her hiring was announced in a September 11, 1959, article of The Bullet, alongside other new faculty for that year. The January 1960 issue of the MWC Bulletin states that as assistant professor, Dr. Phaup was responsible for teaching Psychology 345: Psychology of Learning and Psychology 371/372: Experimental Psychology. In the January 1961 issue of the Bulletin, her responsibilities had expanded to include a role on the faculty committee for “Programs for Superior Students,” under Mr. Edward Alvey, Jr., who at one time served as the dean of education. Dr. Phaup had also been scheduled to teach three courses: Psychology 342: Psychology of Personality, Psychology 345, and Psychology 441: Psychological Problems, the last taught opposite Dr. Eileen Kramer Dodd, professor of psychology. Despite earning her Ph.D. in June 1960, Dr. Phaup was listed as Miss Phaup in the MWC Bulletin from 1961. This is true for many of the female faculty of the time, including her colleague Dr. Eileen Kramer Dodd, listed simply as “Mrs. Dodd” in the course catalogue.
Dissertation: “A Study on the Self Concepts of Women Patients”
Dr. Phaup’s dissertation, titled “A Study of the Self Concepts of Women Patients Who, Though Clinically in Remission, Remain in a Mental Hospital,” was submitted to the George Washington University Graduate Council in February 1960. Her research was completed at Saint Elizabeths Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Thelma Hunt, of the George Washington University Department of Psychology, and Dr. Margaret Mercer, Director of Research for the Psychology Branch at Saint Elizabeths Hospital.
Phaup’s study was designed around two hypotheses: 1) Patients who are in remission and are eligible for release, but for whatever reason do not feel prepared to leave, share common identifiable behaviors; and 2) Patients are likely to rank their personality traits as less than the ideal, especially in comparison to non-institutionalized women of similar demographics.
Subjects: 25 subjects were selected based on conditions and demographics that suggested a greater likelihood of success if released. These conditions included recommendations from hospital staff, being less than 55 years old, having at least a high school education, having previous work experience, and being in good physical health. 25 additional women of similar demographics from outside of Saint Elizabeths Hospital were brought in as a control group.
Procedure: Each subject was asked to score 84 statements representing different types of personality traits (outgoing, oppositional, avoidant) from 1 to 10. First, they were each asked to score the statements based on what they believed to be true for themselves. Then, they were each asked to score the statements based on what they believed to be the “ideal” woman.
Results: Phaup’s study revealed that both groups of women had a similar idea of an “ideal” woman, but that the group from outside the hospital were more likely to score themselves higher on outgoing personality traits, while the patients were more likely to score themselves higher on avoidant personality traits. These results confirmed Phaup’s hypotheses that these patients did share similar behaviors and traits to one another beyond demographics, and that they, to some degree, viewed themselves as less emotionally attached than both women who had not been in the hospital and their view of the “ideal” woman.
Dr. Phaup is credited as co-author of an article published posthumously in the Journal of Clinical Psychology by one of her dissertation advisors, Dr. Margaret Mercer. This article, which was based on research from Dr. Phaup’s dissertation, was published in October 1963 and provides a summary of her research.
Memorial Scholarship
On December 28, 1960, Dr. Phaup died unexpectedly from an illness at her home in Alexandria, Virginia. She was 54 years old. The following year, a memorial fund was started in her name with the ensuing scholarships to be awarded to a graduating senior pursuing graduate work in psychology. The scholarship requirements have changed overtime: first to include current seniors (1973), and then to include juniors and seniors (1974). The first scholarship was awarded in the 1974-75 academic year. In 1987, the Minnie Rob Phaup Memorial Scholarship became dedicated solely to juniors and seniors at MWC, no longer making it a post-graduate scholarship. This scholarship continues to be offered by the Department of Psychology.
Those interested in women’s history, psychology, and advocacy should attend the Great Lives lecture by guest speaker Kate Moore on her book, The Woman They Could Not Silence, about social activist Elizabeth Packard. It is hosted this Tuesday, February 24th, in Dodd Auditorium beginning at 7:30 pm.
