Peruna V and VI meet during SMU’s Oct. 2, 1965 Cotton Bowl matchup against Purdue. (Courtesy of SMU Archives)

The Fondren Library’s bi-annual film festival presented “Films of SMU’s Past” Monday in honor of the SMU Centennial Celebration.

Lisa Wall, cinema specialist for Fondren Library, made the event possible.

The evening started with two retired SMU faculty members, James Brooks and Marshall Terry, who created a video archive project on the history of SMU.

They conversed about SMU’s past presidents and how each made history in their own way.

“I remember when one of the presidents thought the Mustang was an inappropriate mascot,” Brooks said. “He thought it resembled the deans who ran away from their job.”

Interviews with important faculty members proceeded.

One interview was between Neil McFarland, former SMU provost and vice president for academic affairs, and the first black professor at SMU, Irving Baker.

“I feel blessed that I was able to watch the change in the general attitude of the students,” Irving said. “Some students walked out of my classroom and could not learn to accept me.”

Irving then went on to say that, generally speaking, students accepted him as a teacher.

“My students made me love my job,” he said.

Former SMU trustee William Clements spoke about his experience at SMU and how he made it possible for SMU to build Atkins Hall, known today as Clements Hall.

“It was the second building to be built after Dallas Hall,” Clements said in his video interview.

Footage of past SMU homecomings in the 1960s was shown in addition to a promotional film of SMU that was made in 1963.

The film featured each department while students spoke about the university.

Audience members enjoyed learning about SMU’s past.

“I found the issues that the university faced to be quite interesting,” Sally Spaniolo, SMU academic adviser and audience member, said.”Films of SMU’s Past” ended with a news package created by KDFW, Channel 4 News, in the 1960s.

Charles Wall, husband to Lisa Wall, agreed with Spaniolo..

“I am a huge oral history man, and I loved learning about SMU’s past,” Wall said.

According to Wall, students and faculty who missed the lecture will soon be able to see the footage on the SMU website.

Although those who attended the lecture thought it was informative, Brooks said the project is nowhere near complete.

“There is so much history that people don’t even know about. I took the era of each president and saw this as one big project,” Brooks said. “We hope everyone appreciates this place the way we always have.”

Hollywood actor Bob Hope kisses Shelly Knight after being crowned Homecoming Queen during the 1968’s half-time ceremony. (Courtesy of SMU Archives)