But back in May of 1969, according to the student newspaper the Diamondback, a couple of industrious UMD students thought they’d offer something unique.

What the gentlemen of Dorchester Hall offered was an evening’s entertainment—with the famous (or infamous) Blaze Starr.

Blaze Starr–click HERE to read the Diamondback article from May 2 1969.

Starr had long been a stripper and burlesque dancer, starting in Baltimore in 1950. By 1969 she had gained national notoriety as the long-time mistress of the former Governor of Louisiana, Earl K. Long, and had returned to Baltimore, where she danced at the Two O’Clock Club, which she owned.

The Dorchester Hall raffle was part of the campus’ Ugly Man on Campus Contest, which raised money for charity. Each organization or group put forth their “Ugly Man,” and people voted with their money. The “Man” (a student made up to look horrible) responsible for ‘earning’ the most money got a night on the town, and their sponsoring group won bragging rights. The money went to local charities around College Park.

Ugly Man on Campus, 1954

And the winners of the raffle? “Free champagne and a stage show for himself and a guest at his convenience.”  Unfortunately, we have not discovered if the raffle was successful, or if the prize was ever redeemed.

At first, Johnson had many intrigued by his discussions of hypnosis, even university president Wilson Elkins, who was often kept up to date on Johnson’s findings. However, as criticism in the academic community grew concerning the use of hypnosis in scientific inquiry, President Elkins decided that he no longer wanted University of Maryland students involved in the experiments. At that point Johnson was hypnotizing students for his research on muscular performance as well as students who reported having trouble concentrating on their work.

Ultimately in 1961, Johnson wrote a report titled “Hypnosis and Muscular Performance”. In the report, he stated that based on his in-depth research, there was insufficient evidence to support the idea that hypnosis was useful in heightening athletic or muscular performance.

A section of Warren Johnson’s report  “Hypnosis and and Muscular Performance” can be viewed here: Dr. Warren Johnson’s report on hypnosis

Before coming to the University of Maryland, Johnson taught in both Denver and Boston, as well as a number of institutions in the South and Southwest. Dr. Johnson was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Physical Education, an honor that only few nationwide receive. In 1978, he was selected as one of five recipients of the University of Maryland “Distinguished Scholar-Teacher” award. In addition, Johnson was the founder  and director of the Health and Developmental Clinic on the College Park campus that looked to aid thousands of local children with physical and mental handicaps. Unfortunately, Johnson fell ill to a very painful and mysterious skin disease called scleroderma that debilitated him and eventually ended his life in 1982. Johnson is remembered and commended for his contributions in the fields of health, sports education, and human sexuality.

Congratulations to the new graduates! We are proud to call you Terps. There are a lot more of you than there were in 1920. Check out these graduates, including the first woman to earn a four-year degree at UMD – Elizabeth Hook – in the center of the photo. Best of luck to all of you!!

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In addition to the programs, we also have a number of commencement photos digitized on University AlbUM. To view these photos go to the link :http://digital.lib.umd.edu/album and simply search either “commencement” or “graduation”.

We have everything you need to get in the spirit for the big day. Congratulations class of 2013!

Happy Diamondback Terrapin Day!  In 2010, Maryland Governor O’Malley designated May 13th as a day to recognize the important role that diamondback terrapins have in our environment and as an iconic state symbol.

We celebrate today by bringing you the story of a challenge our beloved university mascot faced 74 years ago.  We all know that students at the University of Maryland take great pride in our mascot, but did you know that our administration does as well?  In 1939, then-President Harry Clifton Byrd exchanged letters with Reginald Van Trump Truitt, professor of zoology, about who had the larger terrapin: a man named Hubert Applegarth down on the Eastern Shore, or the University of Maryland.  President Byrd obviously believed that the University was home to the largest terrapin in the state, but kept the photos that Applegarth had sent and Truitt’s correspondence in his files.  It is unclear who was right, but the photographic evidence does suggest (to our clearly unbiased eyes) that our beloved Testudo comes out on top.

Pretender to the Throne: Hubert Applegarth’s diamondback terrapin.

The University Archives is honored to serve as the caretaker of the original Testudo of whom President Byrd was so proud and to mark this special day on the state’s calendar.

Please visit our exhibit, “Testudo Through Time,” on the first and second floors of McKeldin Library for more images of our beloved mascot.

Are you getting ready for finals? Tradition has it that if you leave a gift for Testudo, you’ll have good luck!

“Why Boys Come to Maryland” sketch               (click to enlarge)

We found this great sketch in the 1925 Reveille, the University of Maryland yearbook, that seems to imply flapper girls comprised the majority of the female population on campus.  The drawings, attributed to Julia Louise Behring – Class of 1927, paint the comely UMD co-eds as look-alikes to characters in an F. Scott Fitzgerald story.  For anyone looking forward to the new Great Gatsby movie (in theaters May 10), these photos should hold you over until then. View a sampling of prom photographs below, along with other drawings from the 1920s yearbooks.

These girls are ready for May Day! They’re all dressed up to perform the “Dance of the Stars.” Did you know we used to have a May Day Queen and lots of dancing and celebrations? There was even a May Day pole! Check out more May Day images here.

“Testudo Through Time” features a collection of images and objects that tell the story of our mascot’s origin and traces his evolution over time. There is a little bit of everything on display, ranging from yearbooks, to bobble heads, to Terpopoly.

In addition to the two display cases located on the first floor, we also hung enlarged graphics and photos of Testudo in the lounge area on the second floor leading to the portico.

This exhibit will be on display through October, so make sure to stop by and take a look. For even more crazy images of Testudo through history, check out our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalcollectionsum/sets/72157630057327041/