Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.
This weekend, alumni will gather to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Douthart and Grace Pearson Scholarship Halls on the KU campus. While Douthart was slated from the beginning as a scholarship hall, it appears that Grace Pearson was originally conceived as a “general” women’s residence hall and was added to the scholarship hall system a few years after it opened.
At the time it was built, Douthart Hall was the fourth women’s scholarship hall and ninth total in the system. The location had previously been the site of Carruth Hall, the former residence of Chancellors Snow through Lindley, and after 1940 a small student residence hall. An August 1953 KU News Bureau report noted that Douthart was “the gift of the late Miss Lela Douthart and the late Mrs. Ava Douthart Chronister of Kansas City, Kansas, and of Burt Chronister of Kansas City, Kansas. Douthart Hall will be built at the northwest corner of 14th and Louisiana streets.”
1954 construction of Grace Pearson Hall, with newly-built Douthart Hall in the background. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 0/22/26, University General: Buildings: Grace Pearson Hall (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
The first residents of Douthart Hall, 1954-55. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 56/6, Housing: Douthart Hall (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
J.R. Pearson and his wife Gertrude Sellards Pearson generously donated funds for various residence halls at the University of Kansas. Grace Pearson Hall, named in honor of J.R. Pearson’s mother, was built as a reverse copy of Douthart Hall and was situated between Douthart and the KU Faculty Club on Louisiana Street. It was designed to be a 48-student women’s dormitory but, as a KU News Bureau report from 1953 noted, “The new hall will not be a scholarship hall, but whether it will be used for freshman or upper class women has not been determined.” Within a few years it had become a men’s hall and is currently co-ed.
Residents of Grace Pearson Hall, 1978-79. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 56/5, Housing: Grace Pearson Hall (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
Scholarship halls were designed to provide an economical place to live on campus, with residents assuming cooking and cleaning duties to cut costs and foster a cooperative sense of community living. Residents were selected on the basis of need, scholarship, and character. A 1954 KU News Bureau report stated that the first residents received room and board “for about $300 a year less than the outlay for comparable accommodations” and also received $300 scholarships when admitted to a scholarship hall. Originally each scholarship hall also housed a housemother, later replaced by a scholarship hall director.
Resident of Douthart Hall washing dishes, 1987. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 56/6, Housing: Douthart Hall (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
We hope that the former and current residents of Douthart and Grace Pearson Halls who gather in Lawrence this weekend have a wonderful time reminiscing about their experiences living on the Hill.
Douthart Hall (left) and Grace Pearson Hall (right), 1956. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 0/22/16, University General: Buildings: Douthart Hall (Photos). Click image to enlarge.
Whitney Baker Head, Conservation Services (and former Douthart Hall resident)
A collage of materials related to Jayhawks at the Olympics. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know that ten participants with ties to the University of Kansas are currently in Paris competing in the 2024 Olympics? Michael Joseph, Yoveinny Mota, Sharon Lokedi, Bryce Hoppel, Hussain Al Hizam, Alexander Emilianov, Head Coach Stanley Redwine, and Event Manager Tim Weaver will be present at various track and field events. Joel Embiid will be competing on Team USA for men’s basketball, and Liana Salazar will be competing for Colombia in soccer.
Did you also know that these Jayhawks are the most recent of the sixty-four coaches and athletes who have competed in twenty-two different Olympic Games over the past 120 years?
A 1900 KU graduate, Fay Moulton became the first Jayhawk to compete at the Olympics. Moulton won a bronze medal in the 60 meter dash at the 1904 games. Here, Moulton is shown as a member of KU’s track team in The Galaxy yearbook, 1900. Call Number: LD2697 .J3. Click image to enlarge.
You can now learn more about KU’s incredible Olympians through a new online exhibit, Celebrating the Olympic Spirit: KU Olympians. The exhibit includes digital reproductions of selected photographs, letters, news releases, newspaper clippings, fliers, handouts, and other items from University Archives documenting selected athletes and coaches with ties to the University of Kansas.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a University of Kansas campus map from August 1947. Usually KU related items are housed in University Archives, but this particular map belongs to the Kansas Collection. It was created by Frank A. Russell with contributions by KU’s Department of Engineering Drawing. The map was donated by Clayton Crosier, who has other collections at Spencer Research Library. This includes a collection of photographs and papers in the Kansas Collection and a collection of personal papers related to his time at KU in University Archives. Crosier (1903-1984) received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas. Later, in 1945, he joined KU as a faculty member teaching Applied Mechanics and Civil Engineering. He retired in 1971.
Upon close inspection, one can see that some buildings remain in the same place today while others have moved around quite drastically. Some notable buildings that can still be found in the same location today include the Memorial Union, Spooner Hall (though it is listed as the art museum), and Watson Library. Some buildings that have moved locations include Green Hall and Robinson Gymnasium. Additionally, there are some buildings now on campus that did not yet exist such as Joseph R. Pearson Hall and, most notably, Spencer Research Library. Before the library opened in 1968, several annex buildings occupied the space behind Strong Hall.
Looking at the way campus has changed over time can be interesting given we are so used to the way it is now. As a former religious studies student, I find it interesting that the former religious studies building known as Smith Hall is titled on the map “Bible Chair.” It implies that the building served the same purpose, but the name shifted over time. Smith Hall was slated to be demolished in the 2023 fiscal year, but plans to do so have been postponed. In 2022 the University Daily Kansan (UDK) published an article about initial reactions to the announcement of the potential demolition. Smith Hall has since been added to the University of Kansas East Historic District.
Looking at the map, it is also interesting to think about why buildings moved significantly rather than staying where they were. The ways in which campus has shifted over time tell a story about the needs of the university. Despite all the changes, I hope there is something on the map you find interesting or did not know before.
Map of Campus of the University at Lawrence, Kansas, by Frank A. Russell. Lawrence: KU Department of Engineering Drawing, 1947. Call Number: RH Map R355. Click image to enlarge.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I share a scrapbook of Kansas news items. Originally a copy of Tommy Trot’s Visit to Santa Claus by Thomas Nelson Page (1908), the book is pasted with various news articles from the early 1900s. Created by Margaret Thomas Henderson, the 91-page scrapbook houses news clippings about topics such as the University of Kansas, the Lawrence community, the history of Kansas, and notable people from the time.
Margaret Thomas Henderson was born in Parsons, Kansas, in 1880. According to the finding aid for the scrapbook, she “enrolled at the University of Kansas in 1898, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a liberal arts degree in 1905.” Margaret gifted the book to the library in 1952, just two years before she passed.
The front cover of – and selected pages from – Margaret Thompson Henderson’s Kansas scrapbook, circa 1908-1924. Call Number: RH MS C90. Click image to enlarges.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
With the conclusion of the 2023 football season, I thought it would be fun to share some photos from KU football’s beginning. The football team at the University of Kansas played its first season in 1890, which makes it one of the oldest college football programs in the country. According to Wikipedia, “The most successful era for Kansas football was 1890 to 1952, when the program recorded four undefeated seasons and posted an overall .603 winning percentage, over 300 wins, several conference championships, and made major bowl appearances.” After 1952, the team’s success progressively fell. However, since 2021 the team has had a dramatic change of pace, ending the 2023 regular season with an 8-4 record. The season also led the Jayhawks to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, where they won against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 49-36.
The Jayhawks’ home stadium, David Booth Memorial Stadium, opened in 1921 and is the seventh oldest college football stadium in the country. In December 2023, construction began on the stadium to kick off the Gateway District project. The project includes restructuring of the stadium, the addition of a hotel and a conference center, and more. A livestream of the construction can be viewed online. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be finished in time for the 2025 football season.
Below I am sharing team photos from 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893. Interestingly, KU’s first African American football player, Edward Harvey, was a member of the 1893 squad; you can see him in the last photo below. An all-around athlete, Edward also played on the 1890 and 1891 baseball teams. His two brothers were also athletes at KU.
These photos are from University Archives. Located in Spencer, University Archives houses all things KU related; from photos, to ephemera, to manuscripts, much of the history of KU is documented here. Digital collections from University Archives can also be found via Spencer’s website.
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The University of Kansas football team in (from top to bottom) 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 66/14 1890 Team Prints: Athletic Department: Football (Photos). Click images to enlarge (all redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
