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Beulah M. Davis Special Collections: Davis Room

Documenting the African American experience in Maryland through the contributions of the Morgan State University community. The Davis Room includes an ever-growing selection of manuscripts, University Archival Material, rare books, and artifacts.

About Special Collections

The Davis Room also houses all available Prometheans, Morgan yearbooks 1950-2013, Morgan dissertations and theses, as well as, The Spokesman student newspaper 1940s-2010s. Lastly, there are select historical faculty publications.

Who Was Beulah M. Davis

Beulah M. DavisMs. Davis was the first academically trained librarian and second alumna hired at Morgan in 1926. She served the University for 40 years. During her tenure she grew the collection from 7,000 volumes to over 100,000 volumes of books. In addition she sought and acquired manuscript collections to augment historical research and understanding. In 1941 she received assistance from Dr. Roland C. McConnell. Dr. McConnell, professor of history at Morgan, also worked at the National Archives and sought to integrate primary sources into the classroom and library at Morgan.

News & Updates

Mitchell - Quarles 2022 Black History Month Convocation Flyer

Mitchell-Quarles African American History Month Convocation
Edward Smith, Esq.
February 17, 2022
MSU YouTube channel recording

The Davis Room is celebrating African American History month with the third convocation unbound. The format is a conversation with Morgan alums, our 2022 personality was Edward Smith, Esq. Morgan Class of 1970. He shared his reflections on being a student leader and president of the student government. He also reflected on being a student of Dr. Benjamin A. Quarles; a mentee to Congressman Parren J. Mitchell; influenced by Morgan' s President Dr. Martin D. Jenkins and sincere beneficiary of all the best Morgan offered . To complement Mr. Smith, Stanley Price, II a current graduate student from the Department of History shared a reflection on the purpose of African American history month, Morgan's convocations and the stewardship of current Morgan students. Mr. Smith was interviewed by Ms. Lena Jackson and Ms. Jah'i Selassie.


"Beulah M. Davis Special Collections at Morgan State University Awarded an IMLS Grant" Archivists and Archives of Color Newsletter, Summer 2020 34(3)

Unprocessed Manuscript Collections

  • Emmett J. Scott Papers
  • Irene Diggs Papers
  • Therman O. Daniels Papers
  • William S. Braithwaite Papers
  • Martin D. Jenkins Papers
  • Kate I. Sheppard Papers
  • Ivanhoe Higgins Papers
  • James H. Gilliam, Jr. Papers
  • Lathan A. Windley Papers

Special Collections Staff

Dr. Ida Jones, University Archivist

Visiting Special Collections

davis.room@morgan.edu / (443) 885-3458

Due to the pandemic, appointments to visit the Davis Room are required.

ISSUU LINK-(Digital Publishing Platform)

Theses & Dissertations

Morgan State University's Master Theses & Dissertations are housed in the Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department. Masters theses and dissertation are non-circulating and follow our copyright policies.

They are available online through our Institutional Repository or in the ProQuest Theses & Dissertations Global database, both of which are linked below.

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