{"id":11294,"date":"2025-03-07T09:34:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T14:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11294"},"modified":"2025-03-07T09:34:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T14:34:43","slug":"new-finding-aid-richard-m-sparks-gmc-photograph-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11294","title":{"rendered":"New Finding Aid – Richard M. Sparks GMC photograph collection"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

It’s March and your SCRC processing team is back and dedicating this month’s full new finding aids blog post to highlighting another photograph collection documenting the early years of Mason history! We’re excited to announce that this collection is now fully processed and available for use in the Special Collections Research Center and the finding aid is available on our website (or use the link included below).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Richard M. Sparks George Mason College photograph collection, C0521<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Collection processed by Meghan Glasbrenner<\/em><\/p>\n

A collection of both digitized and printed photographs taken by Richard M. Sparks of George Mason College student life at Bailey’s Crossroads in the early 1960s. Originally established as a Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia, the University College of the University of Virginia formally opened as a 2-year associates degree granting school on September 24, 1957 in the former Bailey\u2019s Elementary School on Columbia Pike in Bailey\u2019s Crossroads, Virginia.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

“George Mason College, Columbia Pike side”, December 1961, Folder 8, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

The eight-room red-brick schoolhouse, originally built in 1922, had 8 classrooms, with no designated gathering place for students aside from the main hallway, front porch, and parking lot. To help provide a place for students to gather, the nearby Bailey\u2019s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department offered the use of its upstairs bingo hall as a student lounge during the day. Additionally, the building\u2019s small rooms required college events, such as assemblies, meetings, and celebrations, to also be held at nearby locations, such as the Alexandria Episcopal Seminary. On January 1, 1960 the name was changed to George Mason College (GMC) following a tiebreaking vote by the University\u2019s Board of Visitors.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“Richard Sparks shooting a picture of Jim Wilson”, 1964, Folder 44, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

Richard M. Sparks entered GMC as a student at the Bailey\u2019s Crossroads campus in September 1961. After completing his two-year program, Sparks remained at GMC part-time the following year working as a lab assistant while also attending American University in Washington, D.C. It was during this year that Sparks met his future wife Ann Walker.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“Biology Lab, South Building”, 1965, Folder 82, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

When GMC moved to its new, permanent Fairfax campus in August 1964 Sparks continued his work with the school in the Biology Department as an instructor until 1968. He received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University in 1967 and returned to GMC in 1970 to complete his Master of Science degree in Biology, which he received in 1973, one year after the school separated from the University of Virginia and was renamed George Mason University.<\/p>\n

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Four students sitting on front steps of building, 1964, Folder 52, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

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The Bailey\u2019s Crossroads campus (also known as BXU) remained in service until August 1964 when GMC moved to its permanent location south of the City of Fairfax. The new Fairfax campus officially opened on September 14, 1964 with 356 registered students, a 58% increase from the final school year at Bailey\u2019s Crossroads, and four buildings, each named for the direction it faced (North, South, East, and West). More information about the history of these early GMC locations can be found at this link: The Mason Experience: Past and Present<\/a> <\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

“Groundbreaking for Fenwick Library”, July 1966, Folder 95, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

The photographs in this collection are primarily described individually, although some have been grouped if multiple photographs cover the same event. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are attributed to Richard M. Sparks. The collection documents classes, faculty, students, and college events and celebrations primarily at Bailey\u2019s Crossroads, but also during the first few years at the permanent campus in Fairfax:<\/p>\n

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Five students pose with Bailey’s Crossroads campus sign, 1964, Folder 63, C0521<\/strong><\/em><\/h6>\n

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\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Saturday make-up lab”, 1964, Folder 35, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

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\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Four students exiting math classroom, circa 1964, Folder 42, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Student-Faculty Picnic at home of Jim Heath in McLean, 1964, Folder 66, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

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\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Biology Lab in South Building, “local cat was just visiting”, 1964, Folder 72, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Bobby Hoyt and Dennis Ladd entertain a small crowd”, May 1965, Folder 75, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Boys-Girls football game, 1965, Folder 87, C0521<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

Follow SCRC on Social Media and look out for future posts on our\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and <\/em>Instagram<\/span><\/a>\u00a0accounts. To search the collections\u00a0held at Special Collections Research Center, go to our\u00a0<\/em>website<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and browse the finding aids by subject or title. You may also e-mail\u00a0us at\u00a0<\/em>speccoll@gmu.edu<\/a><\/span>\u00a0or call 703-993-2220 if you would like to schedule an appointment, request materials, or if you have questions.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  It’s March and your SCRC processing team is back and dedicating this month’s full new finding aids blog post to highlighting another photograph collection documenting the early years of Mason history! We’re excited to announce that this collection is now fully processed and available for use in the Special Collections Research Center and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101024,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[529,710,198,162,5,121],"tags":[436,455,273,460,263,211,97,30,190,56,57,422,139],"class_list":["post-11294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-george-mason-university-history","category-new-finding-aids","category-photography-collections","category-recently-processed","category-scrc-interest","category-scrc-picks","tag-20th-century","tag-archives","tag-fairfax","tag-finding-aids","tag-george-mason-college","tag-george-mason-university","tag-gmu","tag-gmu-students","tag-northern-virginia","tag-photographs","tag-photography","tag-processing","tag-virginia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Ep5i-2Wa","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10891,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10891","url_meta":{"origin":11294,"position":0},"title":"New Finding Aid – Vergil Dykstra slide collection","author":"Meghan Glasbrenner","date":"April 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 When you have a new collection that contains over 760 individual photographic slides you have to dedicate a full new findings aids blog to it! The SCRC processing team is very excited that this collection is now available for use in the Special Collections Research Center and the finding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "George Mason University History"","block_context":{"text":"George Mason University History","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=529"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/C0423_001_brightened.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/C0423_001_brightened.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/C0423_001_brightened.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/C0423_001_brightened.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10061,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10061","url_meta":{"origin":11294,"position":1},"title":"We Are Mason: A Student History","author":"Bob Vay","date":"March 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Our university celebrates its 50th Anniversary as an independent institution this year. The above photograph is the only one from that day known to exist. It was most likely taken by a George Mason University (GMU) employee in a department housed in the North Building (today known as Finley) called\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/R0135_25_131_4-16-98_MASONDAY_lite.jpg?fit=1200%2C773&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/R0135_25_131_4-16-98_MASONDAY_lite.jpg?fit=1200%2C773&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/R0135_25_131_4-16-98_MASONDAY_lite.jpg?fit=1200%2C773&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/R0135_25_131_4-16-98_MASONDAY_lite.jpg?fit=1200%2C773&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/R0135_25_131_4-16-98_MASONDAY_lite.jpg?fit=1200%2C773&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11095,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11095","url_meta":{"origin":11294,"position":2},"title":"Updated Finding Aid – Alan Bowne papers","author":"Meghan Glasbrenner","date":"July 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 With so much newly processed material, we simply had to highlight the recently updated papers of playwright Alan Bowne in this month's new (and updated!) finding aids blog post. The SCRC processing team is very excited that this newly expanded collection is now available for use in the Special\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Finding Aids"","block_context":{"text":"New Finding Aids","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=710"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/C0319_002_cropped-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/C0319_002_cropped-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/C0319_002_cropped-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/C0319_002_cropped-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/C0319_002_cropped-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/C0319_002_cropped-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10312,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10312","url_meta":{"origin":11294,"position":3},"title":"The Mason Experience: Past and Present","author":"Bob Vay","date":"May 16, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This post was compiled by the Mason Experience: Past and Present team, Charlotte Corneliusen and Bob Vay. As part of the University Libraries' celebration of George Mason University's 50-Year Anniversary last year, SCRC launched a digital project intended to help users understand a little more about their university by learning\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital Collections"","block_context":{"text":"Digital Collections","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=557"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/R0152B01P11_037_new_sm.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/R0152B01P11_037_new_sm.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/R0152B01P11_037_new_sm.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/R0152B01P11_037_new_sm.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/R0152B01P11_037_new_sm.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9358,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=9358","url_meta":{"origin":11294,"position":4},"title":"NEH Grant for the Buchanan Papers update\u00a0","author":"Lynn Eaton","date":"October 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This past spring, the\u202fGeorge Mason University Libraries\u202freceived a grant in the amount of $334,720 from the National Endowment of the Humanities\u2019 Humanities Collection and Reference Resources program for the \u201cPreserving the Legacy of James M. Buchanan\u201d project.\u00a0\u00a0 The purpose of this processing grant project is to preserve and make accessible\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "George Mason University History"","block_context":{"text":"George Mason University History","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=529"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/BuchananGustaf-copy-1.png?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/BuchananGustaf-copy-1.png?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/BuchananGustaf-copy-1.png?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/BuchananGustaf-copy-1.png?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/BuchananGustaf-copy-1.png?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8307,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=8307","url_meta":{"origin":11294,"position":5},"title":"New Finding Aids","author":"Amanda Menjivar","date":"June 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are a few collections that SCRC has been hard at work processing in the last few months - all have new, shiny finding aids of their own! Enjoy! The Alan Bowne papers This collection was processed by Amanda Brent. \"Alan Bowne was an American playwright and author. Born in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GMU Fairfax Campus"","block_context":{"text":"GMU Fairfax Campus","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=272"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Bowne.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Bowne.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Bowne.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Bowne.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Bowne.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/101024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11294"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11294\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11322,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11294\/revisions\/11322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}