SMU History: Schools

This collection contains records related to the Southern Methodist University School of Law, renamed the Dedman School of Law in 2001. The SMU Law School was not established until 1925, but some records date from 1915-1916. The collection ends around 2001. Specific types of material include information on scholarships, student organizations, student and alumni directories, information on faculty members, course catalogs, facts and figures on the SMU Law School and other admissions-related information, and pamphlets and news releases on special lectures and conferences held at the school.

The Meadows collection includes programs, pamphlets, brochures, letters, news releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, and negatives. The collection is a combination of three separate collections that were merged chronologically.

The Perkins collection is comprised of records, pamphlets, school programs, and publications detailing course offerings, school finances, and events at Southern Methodist University’s theology school throughout its nearly 100-year history. Some records date to the school’s earliest years, but most are from roughly the 1940s through the 1980s. Specifically, the Perkins records contain course catalogs and bulletins, correspondence and other papers regarding school controversies, recruiting pamphlets, financial summaries and brief reports on Perkins activities, and programs printed for regular and special worship services, lectures, conferences, and exhibitions.

The Methodist Episcopal Church South advised that Southwestern University’s medical and pharmacy schools in Georgetown, Texas be moved to the university’s newly organized sister school, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas; this recommendation was enacted on April 4, 1911. The collection provides insights into SMU’s early days, before Dallas Hall even opened its doors in 1915. Included are letters, ephemera, contracts, student transcripts, research notes, and financial ledgers providing a revealing look into SMU’s forgotten history as a medical and pharmacy school.