About the Archive
The College Archives oversee the acquisition, organization, description, and preservation of the unique records and materials that document the history and culture of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Our collections track the school’s journey from its founding as a female seminary (boarding school) and living monument to the founding of Maryland in 1840 to its current status as The National Public Honors College. The College Archives also collects records relating to the history of St. Mary’s County and Southern Maryland. Notable collections include the papers of J. Frank Raley, Regina Combs Hammett, former Maryland Delegates Paul Bailey and John Bohanan, and former college president J. Renwick Jackson, Jr.
The College Archives’ Collections
Whenever possible, the College Archives seeks to make our collections accessible to both the SMCM community and the general public. To enhance access to our collections, we provide the following online resources:
- ArchivesSpace, a fully searchable database of finding aids. These finding aids allow researchers to learn more about our collections and the records they hold before visiting the archives. Many finding aids also include inventories of collections’ content.
- The College Archives’ digital collections, which provide full access to records from the archives fully online. These collections include SlackWater oral history transcripts, the College’s yearbooks and student newspapers, and over 1000 digital images.
Visiting the Archives
The Archive is currently open by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please email the Archives (archives@smcm.edu).
Donating to the Archives
Did you know that the College Archives is accepting donations? The preservation of our history is a community effort, and we hope you’ll consider contributing!