Sam Ratcliffe, Head (214.768.2303 or sratclif@smu.edu)
Ellen Buie Niewyk, Curator (214.768.1859 or eniewyk@smu.edu)
FAX: 214.768.1800
Hours: Monday - Friday -- 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST)

Bywaters Special Collections is located on the second floor of the Hamon Arts Library and is wheelchair-accessible. It consists of administrative offices, a research room, a collection storage vault, an exhibition preparation room, and a cataloging room. Exhibitions are mounted in the Mildred Hawn Exhibition Gallery located on the first floor of the Hamon Arts Library. The exhibits are open to the public; hours may vary. For an inventory and more detailed listing of the Special Collections click here.

The Jerry Bywaters Collection on Art of the Southwest consists of catalogs, clippings, correspondence, photographs, slides, mural studies, and works of art on paper amassed by SMU professor and Dallas Museum of Fine Arts director Jerry Bywaters. He began collecting in the late 1920's and continued to do so during his career as an artist, critic, curator, museum director, and teacher. Professor Bywaters donated this material to SMU at intervals from 1980 until his death in 1989. This collection also includes an ongoing oral history project. In addition to the Bywaters Collection, this area also houses collections of similar materials documenting the careers of other artists in the region, such as Charles Bowling, Otis and Velma Davis Dozier, E. G. Eisenlohr, Mary Doyle, DeForrest Judd, William Lester, Octavio Medellin, and Janet Turner.

The Bywaters Wing also houses materials pertaining to music and the performing arts. The Mary McCord/Edyth Renshaw Collection is named for two long-time SMU professors of theater and documents theater, film, and dance. Its holdings emphasize the performing arts in Texas and the Southwest, including papers of the Dallas Little Theatre and SMU's Arden Club. The Greer Garson Collection consists of a variety of this actress's personal memorabilia and files, including correspondence, photographs, slides, movie and play scripts, newspaper and magazine articles, programs, awards, and nearly 100 scrapbooks. These materials chronicle Greer Garson's acting career from London's West End to Hollywood and her many philanthropic activities. The Paul Van Katwijk Collection honors one of SMU's first professors of music. Long-time chair of the Division of Music, van Katwijk also served as director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. This collection documents his career and includes autographed letters and manuscripts of several notable composers, such as Rossini, Sibelius, Stravinski, and Verdi.

Researchers wishing to visit Bywaters Special Collections are requested to make reservations in advance, explain their projects, and define their specific areas of interest so that the required materials can be assembled and the appropriate curator made available. Materials are non-circulating and are to be used only in the research room. No item will be used elsewhere under any circumstances. The use of certain items may be restricted, depending on their physical condition. All visits are staff-assisted and personal books and papers taken into the research room are subject to examination upon departure. Photographs are available for a fee.