Media Hub

Archives and Special Collections Officially Opens

Excitement was in the air as The Wilson | Young Archives and Special Collections officially opened during a special ceremony on Tuesday, October 3. The event, attended by esteemed donors, alumni, faculty, and special guests, celebrated a deep commitment to preserving McDonogh's history. 

The newly renovated space, which includes the School’s extensive collection of institutional records, manuscripts, photographs, art, and artifacts, is located on the second floor of Lyle Building.

In his welcoming remarks, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 described how, over the past four decades, the archival collections has grown from random items stored on the top floor of the Memorial Field House to today’s state-of-the-art resource center where students, teachers, and alumni can engage with McDonogh’s history first-hand. 

Farace proudly shared, “The scope and depth of our archives and special collections is an asset that is rare in kindergarten to twelfth grade schools. Undoubtedly, The Wilson l Young Archives and Special Collections rivals many collegiate or even corporate environments.” 

He went on to acknowledge that the premier collections exist today because of the wisdom, foresight, and diligence of those who saw value in the historical objects and were willing to advocate for their preservation. Special recognition was given to McDonogh’s founding archivist, Frayda Salkin; her successor, Mary Lu Greenwood; and current Director of Archives and Special Collections Christine Ameduri. He expressed additional gratitude to the many dedicated volunteers who have worked in the Archives through the years.

Farace also emphasized that the newly renovated space, which is part of The Legacy Campaign, is the result of many generous benefactors who recognize the importance of preserving McDonogh’s history and making it accessible to a wide audience. He extended special thanks to donors Jon Aaron ’72, Phil Stackhouse ’65, and Todd Kiplinger ’64 (posthumously) for their generous leadership gifts and moral support of the project. 

Aaron, a longtime faculty member who now serves as a liaison between the faculty and the Archives, explained that The Wilson | Young Archives and Special Collections was named in remembrance of  two important figures from the past—Josepha Young, school matron from 1873-1907, and Eddie Wilson, staff member from 1957-1985. 

A highlight of the event was the symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony. Farace was joined by Salkin, Greenwood, Ameduri, Aaron, and Stackhouse to ceremoniously cut the orange and black ribbon, opening the way for guests to explore the treasure trove within The Wilson | Young Archives and Special Collections.