Alert: Your Libraries are here for you. Learn more about library services during the pandemic.
Skip to main content
Use the right side menu to identify relevant boxes and place requests.

William S. Schmidt papers

 Collection 0273-MDHC
William S. Schmidt was superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools from 1951 through 1970. His personal and professional activities are documented through awards, clippings, correspondence, memorabilia, photographs, publications, research material, audio recordings, speeches, and an interview transcript. Correspondents include Spiro T. Agnew, Lawrence J. Hogan, Marvin Mandel, and Charles McCurdy Mathias, Jr. Mandel and Wilson H. Elkins are pictured in photographs. The majority of the collection is comprised of correspondence Dr. Schmidt received from superintendents, principals, teachers, and politicians regarding his retirement and honorary doctorate.

Dates

  • 1946-2003
  • Majority of material found within 1969-1979

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open for research.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.

Extent

1.50 Linear Feet

36 Items

Additional Description

Scope and Content of Collection

The William S. Schmidt papers span the years 1946 to 2003 with the majority of the material dating between 1969 and 1979. Schmidt's personal and professional activities are documented through awards, clippings, correspondence, memorabilia, photographs, publications, research material, audio recordings, speeches, and an interview transcript. Correspondents include Spiro T. Agnew, Lawrence J. Hogan, Marvin Mandel, and Charles McCurdy. Mathias, Jr. Mandel and Wilson H. Elkins are pictured in photographs.

The majority of the collection is comprised of correspondence Dr. Schmidt received from superintendents, principals, teachers, and politicians regarding his retirement and honorary doctorate.

Biography

William S. Schmidt was born in Frederick, Maryland, on May 8, 1908, to Jacob H. and Cora M. Schmidt. He graduated from Frederick High School in 1925 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1929. After graduation, Dr. Schmidt began his professional career at Manor Junior High School in Manor, Pennsylvania, as a social studies teacher from 1929 to 1933 and principal from 1933 to 1944. He earned a Master's degree at Columbia University's Teacher's College in New York in 1936. Dr. Schmidt married Lois Mary Sloan in 1934; they had one son, William Earl, born in 1939.

In 1944, Dr. Schmidt accepted a position as principal of Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Two years later, he became director of instruction for Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS). He served as assistant superintendent of PGCPS from 1948 until January 1951, when he was appointed superintendent. Dr. Schmidt worked as superintendent of schools until his retirement in 1970.

Throughout his life, Dr. Schmidt was actively involved in numerous professional and civic organizations. He was a lifetime member of the National Education Association, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, and the Maryland Congress of Parents and Teachers. Additional professional affiliations included the American Association of School Administrators; the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; the Federal Schoolmen's Club of Washington, D.C.; the Maryland Association of Public School Superintendents; the National Association of Secondary School Principals; and the Washington Area School Study Council.

Schmidt was also involved with the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America, the Heart Association of Southern Maryland, the Prince George's County Scholarship Fund, the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), and many other community organizations. He was a member of the College Park Rotary Club and served as an Elder at Grace Reformed Church in Washington for three terms and was president of the congregation on two different occasions.

He received numerous honors and awards including College Park Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year (1960); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Award of Merit (1963); Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, University of Maryland (1969); Distinguished Service Award in School Administration, American Association of School Administrators (1971); Dedication of the William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center in Brandywine, Maryland, by the Prince George's County Board of Education (1972); Boy Scouts of America Scouter of the Year Award (1973); Distinguished Citizen Award, "M" Club University of Maryland (1976); and Distinguished Pennsylvania Educator Citation, All Pennsylvania College Alumni Association (1979).

Dr. Schmidt's wife Lois died in 1974. In 1976, he married Elizabeth Griffith Beveridge, who had two daughters from a previous marriage, Susan Sohn and Lynn DeMeester. Dr. Schmidt and Elizabeth lived together in College Heights Estates, Hyattsville, Maryland, until his death on October 3, 1986.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series:
  1. Series 1: Personal and Professional
  2. Series 2: Audio Recordings
  3. Series 3: Photographs
  4. Series 4: Memorabilia

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

Elizabeth Schmidt and Lynn DeMeester donated the William S. Schmidt papers to the University of Maryland Libraries in October 2004.

Related Material

The Archives and Manuscript Department also holds the Papers of Ruth S. Wolf, member of the Prince George's County Board of Education from 1968 to 1973. Additional related collections include the Archives of the Berwyn Heights Elementary PTA and the Archives of the Prince George's County PTA.

Processing Information

Materials were organized by format and arranged chronologically. Attachments were retained in place. Duplicates were discarded. Metal paper clips and staples were removed and replaced with plastic clips. Newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid-free paper. The materials have been placed in acid-free folders and stored in acid-free boxes. All photographs have been placed in Mylar sleeves.

Topics

Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the William S. Schmidt papers
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Tammy Hamilton.
Date
2004-12-01
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Library Details

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

http://www.lib.umd.edu/special
Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212

Useful Links


We proudly participate in development of ArchivesSpace, which powers this website. Learn more about this product and its development at archivesspace.org
Web Accessibility | Website Feedback

Contact Us

Special Collections and University Archives

Maryland Room
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
University of Maryland,
College Park, MD 20742

301-405-9212
Email
Hours

Special Collections in Performing Arts
International Piano Archives at Maryland

Lowens Room
Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
8270 Alumni Drive
College Park, MD 20742

301-405-9217
Email
Hours