NMSU Collection

Collection Description

The NMSU Collection is defined as items related to university history through branding or clear historical connection. It includes historic objects from NMSU’s past (students, staff, and faculty) as well as branded and unbranded memorabilia directly related to the university. Collection Search: Section 13

Craig observed that though there are many items in the UM’s permanent collection that pertain to NMSU history, at least when it comes to PastPerfect, UM staff appear to have never defined an NMSU collection. There may be an NMSU collection defined in paper records, but Craig has yet to encounter one. Craig did find two objects (2012.17.01 and 2013.03.01) that were flagged in the UM’s database as belonging to “NMSU” but no NMSU collection was ever formally established. In April of 2024, Craig established a new NMSU collection label in PastPerfect’s authority file and began applying it to relevant items. Assigning relevant items to the NMSU collection is not complete and will need to be carried forward by future UM staff.

1962.04 WPA Furniture Not Assigned to NMSU Collection

Accession 1962.04 is composed of Works Progress Administration (WPA) furniture from the NMSU Home Economics Department. As this is an existing defined collection, Craig chose to leave the WPA Collection as is rather than to re-assign it to NMSU. Craig advises moving to an inventory database that supports assignment to multiple collections, or the creation of hierarchical collections.

1963.13 John A. Andersion Donation

NM A&M alumni John A. Anderson donated a horse hair padded leather football helmet that was used by three different players on teams spanning a decade (Table 1 and Figure 1). Graduating players it seems gave their helmets to incoming team members. The final owner of the helmet donated it to the UM in 1963.

Players who used the helmet:

• Rex “Ruby” Hart (1902-1904) Left Tackle
• Edward L. Redding (1905-1908) Fullback
• John A. Anderson (1908-1912) Guard

Table 1: Items from 1963.13 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4

Figure 1: NM A&M horse hair padded leather football helmet used from 1902-1912.

1973.02 Transfer from Archives

Aware of some historic football equipment and suspecting they were part of NMSU history, Craig began searching PastPerfect for information about these objects. Craig found several NMSU related objects, including the football equipment, that were under accession 1973.02 (Figure 2). Unfortunately, in 2021 under Otto’s supervision, Christofani assigned this accession as Found in Collections. However, upon review of paper records it is clear that this entire accession was composed of materials that were transferred from the NMSU Archives. Craig updated accession 1972.02 to reflect that this accession was a custodial transfer from the NMSU Archives. While several of the items from 1972.02 do pertain to NMSU, like 1973.02.06 which is a graduation dress worn by Mae Gilmore Miller in 1986 (Figure 3), not all of the items transferred from NMSU Archives under 1972.02 at present seem to pertain directly to NMSU history. Those that do pertain to NMSU history in some way were assigned to the NMSU collection (Table 2).

Figure 2: Football 1973.02.03 from 1915 Championship game between NMA&M (3) vs. Arizona (0). Homer Powers was the Captain of this team. The football cleats 1973.02.04 were worn by Powers.

 

Figure 3: NMA&M graduation dress and bodice 1973.02.06 worn by Mae Gilmore Miller in 1896.

Table 2: Items from 1973.02 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
1973.02.03	Football	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1973.02.04	Shoe, Football	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1973.02.07	Shoe	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1973.02.06a-b	Bodice	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_1	Shelf_3
1973.02.10	Hat	OK	Textile	Pallet_1	NA	NA

Note

In researching Amador Collection objects, de la Rosa found 1972.03 was also incorrectly identified as FIC by Chrisofani. 1972.03 is composed of Amador related items that were transferred from NMSU Archives. de la Rosa changed the 1972.03 accession record to a custodial transfer from NMSU Archives.

1974.06.01 Glenn E. Stone Donation

Dr. Glenn E. Stone was a freshman at NM A&M in the class of 1936, and he donated his Aggie band cap to the UM (1974.06.01, Table 3 and Figure 4). He is pictured wearing this cap in the 1933 and 1934 editions of the Swastika which was NM A&M’s yearbook at the time (Figure 5 and Figure 6).

Table 3: Items from 1974.06 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4

Figure 4: Aggie band cap worn by Glenn E. Stone 1933-34 (1974.06.01).

Figure 5: Swastika 1933 vol 33 pg. 74 showing the NM A&M military band. Band members are not named on this page, but hats like 1974.06.01 are visible in the photograph.

 

Figure 6: Swastika 1934 vol 28 pg. 60 showing the NM A&M military band. On this page, Glenn E. Stone is listed as being a member of the band. Hats like 1974.06.01 are visible in the photograph.

Note

This object was recorded twice (76.6.1 and 1976.06.01) but neither record was associated with a proper accession record. Craig merged both of the poorly formed records and associated a new record, logged as 1976.06.01 with a properly formed accession record.

1976.12 Merle Blinn Brown Donation

Merle Blinn Brown was an alumni of NMA&M who donated several personal items to the UM in 1976. Initially, Craig could not locate a donor file for Ms. Blinn Brown. However, after searching around the filing cabinets Craig encountered a donor folder for Ms. Blinn Brown, and Craig replaced the file in its proper location in the donor files in KH 210. Most, though not all, of the donated items pertain to Ms. Blinn Brown’s time as a student at NMA&M (Table 4).

Several of the items from 1976.12 were accessioned more than once, often based on variations in how the accession number was written. Craig merged records for items that were accessioned more than once. Objects 1976.12.01 and 1976.12.02 are both part of the Pottery from the Americas collection. Within PastPerfect, these objects appear to have been assigned to a proper accession record and have complete location information. NMSU items from 1976.12include Merle Blinn Brown’s 1906 cap (1976.1203a, , Figure 7) and gown (1976.12.03b, , Figure 8) as well as a bouse (1976.12.08a, Figure 9) and skirt (1976.12.08b, Figure 10).

Table 4: Items from 1976.12 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
1976.12.03b	Gown, Academic	OK	Textile	NA	Rack_7	NA
1976.12.08a	Blouse	OK	Textile	NA	Rack_2	NA
1976.12.08b	Skirt	OK	Textile	NA	Rack_2	NA
1976.12.03a	Mortarboard	OK	Textile	Pallet_1	NA	NA
1976.12.08c	Petticoat	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_3	Shelf_6

Figure 7: Ms. Blinn Brown’s (1906) NM A&M graduation moartarboard (1976.12.03a).

 

Figure 8: Ms. Blinn Brown’s (1906) NM A&M graduation gown (1976.12.03b).

Figure 9: Ms. Blinn Brown’s (1906) NM A&M graduation blouse (1976.12.08a).

 

Figure 10: Ms. Blinn Brown’s (1906) NM A&M graduation blouse (1976.12.08b).

1981.02 Madison Taylor Donation

Accession 1981.02 was a gift from Madison Taylor that includes an ROTC cadet uniform (1981.02.01a-c) that was worn by Homer Hirsch while attending NM A&M (1905-1909). As a student, Mr. Hirsh lived in the Klondike residence.

Table 5: Items from 1981.02 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
1981.02.01a,b	Jacket	OK	Textile	NA	Rack_6	NA
1981.02.01c	Hat	OK	Textile	Pallet_3	NA	NA

2000.04 Calvin Traylor Donation

Mr. Traylor donated several items that included a pin promoting the 1979 NMSU homecoming dance (2000.04.07, Table 6).

Table 6: Items from 2000.04 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
2000.04.07	Pin, Promotional	OK	NA	NA	NA	NA

2000.08.01 Unknown Donor

Accession 2000.08 consists of a single item, a Native American woven rug that says “New Mexico Aggies” in the center (000.08.01, Table 7, and Figure 11). Paper records indicate this is the “President’s House Aggie Rug.” The object record in the filing cabinets contained little information on 2000.08.01 though there is information on 2001 conservation treatments that were contracted and approved by the office of the President.

Table 7: Items from 2000.08 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4

Figure 11: President’s House Aggie Rug (2000.08.01) from unknown donor.

2002.07 John P. Yarborough Donation

John P. Yarbrough donated an NMSU Banner from 1939 2002.07.01. Paper records in the filing cabinet describe the pennant as having “New Mexico State” in white lettering on a black background. There is a stain near the word “State” and a rip above the letter “w”. The paper object record does not include a drawing to aid in identification and there is no location information. This object is not entered into PastPerfect.

2003.08 and 2003.34 Found in Collections

The found in collections accessions for 2003 include a dozen pennants or banners (2003.08.01-11 and 2003.08.18, Figure 12) along with an NMSU envelope (2003.34.39a)

Table 8: Items from 2003.08 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
2003.08.11	Banner	OK	Textile	NA	Rack_8	Level_1
2003.08.10	Blanket	OK	Textile	NA	Rack_9	Level_4
2003.08.01	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.02	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.03	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.04	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.05	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.06	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.07	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.08	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.09	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4
2003.08.18	Pennant	OK	Textile	NA	Unit_4	Shelf_4

Table 9: Items from 2003.34 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
2003.34.39a	Envelope	OK	Basement	Aisle_10	Unit_1	Shelf_3

(a) NMAC pennant found in collections (2003.08.01).

 

(b) NMAC pennant found in collections (2003.08.02).

(c) NMAC pennant found in collections (2003.08.03).

 

(d) NMAC pennant found in collections (2003.08.04).

(e) NMAC pennant found in collections (2003.08.07). Note this item is was likely accessioned as 1993.01.03 (Note 1).

 

(f) NMSC pennant found in collections (2003.08.08).

Figure 12: A group of NM A&M, NMSC pennants.

Note 1

The accession book covering 1983.01.01-2024.01.01 describes accession 93.01.1 as a “Transfer from Historical Center of Southeast New Mexico” and lists the items as “NMAC pennants, NMAC cap ornament”. Craig checked the UM”s paper records regarding this accession to see if it correlated to any of the FIC pennants from 2003.08. In the object folders, Craig found two object records for 1993.01. The object binders contained information on three objects, including what seems to be a pin. The donor file area does not contain any information on the “Historical Center of Southeast New Mexico.” There is a folder for the “Rio Grande Historical Collection” and this folder contains information on transfers from 1965-2003 but there is no information on 93.01 which includes the pennants.

Paper records for 1993.01 list a pennant (1993.01.02) which is maroon with a cream colored diamond that has maroon colored letters spelling “NMAC”. This object does not appear to correlate with any of the pennants in 2003.01 or 2003.08. The second object, is a maroon pennant with cream edges. The wide end of this pennant is cream colored and includes an applique of a flowering yucca plant (1993.01.03). This object appears to correspond to 2003.08.07 (Figure 12 (e)). None of the other pennants could be identified as belonging to 1993.01. Though it is generally good practice, Craig elected to not assign the earlier accession number because there is very little information about this accession and Craig also did not want to disassociate 2003.08.07 with the other pennants. This matter could be revisited in the future if more information is encountered.

2012.17 Terry Reynolds Donation

Former University Museum Curator Terry Reynolds donated an NMSU branded baseball cap that included both 5 and 10 years of service pins (2012.17.01).

Table 10: Items from 2012.17 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
2012.17.01	Cap	OK	209	NA	NA	14-B

2013.03 Norman Ruebush Donation

Norman Ruebush donated a pad of paper with New Mexico A & M branding (2013.03.01). The inside cover includes a brief history of University President Roger Corbett.

Table 11: Items from 2013.03 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
2013.03.01	Notepad	OK	Basement	NA	NA	A12-40

2024.01 Found in Collections

The first items assigned to the NMSU collection came from a box of objects that Craig found in KH 2010 under a desk adjacent to the shelf with accession binders. Many, though not all, of the objects in this box date to 1988 which was NMSU’s centennial. However, none of the objects were accessioned and no information could be found regarding how these objects ended up in Kent Hall. Craig directed Sophia Unruh to accession this box of items as Found in Collection (FIC) under accession 2024.01. Following this, those objects were assigned to the NMSU collection (Table 12).

Table 12: Items from 2024.01 that are part of the NMSU collection.

objectid	objname	status	locfield1	locfield2	locfield3	locfield4
2024.01.01	Necktie	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.02	Necktie	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.03	Token, Commemorative	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.04	Token, Commemorative	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.05	Patch, Insignia	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.06	Token, Commemorative	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.07	Token, Commemorative	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.08	Pin, Lapel	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Level_4
2024.01.09	Mug, Coffee	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.10	Bottle, Drinking	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.11	Tankard	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4
2024.01.12	Buckle, Belt	OK	Basement	Aisle_8	Unit_3	Shelf_4

Searchable Listing of NMSU Collection Objects at the UM

Figure 2: Football 1973.02.03 from 1915 Championship game between NMA&M (3) vs. Arizona (0). Homer Powers was the Captain of this team. The football cleats 1973.02.04 were worn by Powers. Figure 3: NMA&M graduation dress and bodice 1973.02.06 worn by Mae Gilmore Miller in 1896. Figure 4: Aggie band cap worn by Glenn E. Stone 1933-34 (1974.06.01). Figure 5: Swastika 1933 vol 33 pg. 74 showing the NM A&M military band. Band members are not named on this page, but hats like 1974.06.01 are visible in the photograph. Figure 6: Swastika 1934 vol 28 pg. 60 showing the NM A&M military band. On this page, Glenn E. Stone is listed as being a member of the band. Hats like 1974.06.01 are visible in the photograph.