Collections by Subject: The Queen’s Game, University of Maryland, Byrd Stadium,
October 19, 1957
A Selected List of Holdings in the Special Collections of the University of Maryland
Libraries
For more information about how to access materials in this guide, please visit the
<Archives and Manuscripts Department> and <Baltimore News American Photograph
Collection> web pages or fill out an <information request>. All collections listed are part
of the University Archives, with the exception of materials drawn from the <Baltimore
News American photograph collection> and the <personal papers of Theodore R.
McKeldin.>
On October 19, 1957, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories, and His Royal
Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, traveled to College Park to witness "a
typical American sport," a football game between the University of Maryland Terrapins
and the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina. For the University of Maryland
administration, faculty, staff, students, and fans, the royal visit was a day of great
pageantry, pride, honor, and celebration, remembered vividly by game participants and
attendees. The Special Collections of the University of Maryland Libraries hold
numerous resources documenting many facets of this landmark occasion in university
history.
Archival Documents
Records of Athletic Media Relations, 1893-2002. 114.00 linear feet
Location: University Archives
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics manages all varsity athletic
competition in which the University of Maryland is involved. The files of the
department’s Athletic Media Relations office consist of a wide variety of documentation
of University of Maryland sports, including historical runs of football game day files.
The file documenting the Queen’s Game, which appears in Box 14 of Accession 200391, contains a play chart for the fourth quarter; statistics summaries; press clippings;
copies of the program; lists of game officials and starting line-ups; and post-game quotes
from the coaches.
This collection is unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.
Records of the Band, c. 1955-1958. 2.00 linear feet
Location: University Archives
The University of Maryland Marching Band was founded in 1908 by L. G. Smith,
the Maryland Agricultural College bugler. Since its creation, the band has enlivened
countless campus events and raised the spirits of the Maryland community, and it is an
integral part of the atmosphere at every home football game. The band played a key role
in the Queen’s Game festivities, performing both pre-game and half-time shows and
encouraging support for the Terps on the gridiron. The theme of the half-time show was
“Departments of the University,” and the band completed several formations, including a
piano and the Queen’s crest, in addition to the musical performances. Accession 2007-71
of the Records of the Band, donated by Dr. G. Gary Clendenin, a trombonist in the band
on Queen’s Game day, includes color slides of the Queen arriving in her limousine and
the band’s crown formation on the field during the half-time show.
This collection is unprocessed.
Cobey Family Collection, 1901-1988. 12.50 linear feet.
Location: University Archives
At the time of the Queen’s Game, William Cobey was the Director of Athletics
for the University of Maryland. His family donated numerous documents, photographs,
and pieces of memorabilia tracing the university’s history. Among these materials are
newspaper clippings, images, telegrams, memorabilia, and publications chronicling
various aspects of the Queen’s Game.
This collection is unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.
Papers of Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin, 1880-1980. 91.50 linear feet.
Location: Historical Manuscripts
Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin, an important Maryland political figure during the
mid-twentieth century, served two terms as mayor of Baltimore (1943-1947 and 19631967) and two terms as governor of Maryland (1951-1959). Governor McKeldin served
as one of Her Majesty’s hosts for the game, along with University of Maryland President
Wilson H. Elkins. Within the McKeldin Papers, documentation of the Queen’s visit
appears in both Series III, Box 2 (file: Queen Elizabeth’s Visit to Maryland) and Series
VII, Box 27, Photographs. Materials found in Series III include newspaper clippings;
information on and lists of gifts given to the Queen; the governor’s schedule for the day;
the seating plan for the royal box; correspondence; and a report concerning the security
provisions for the Queen’s visit. Series III also contains the governor’s copy of a small
souvenir photograph album, one of those compiled by University of Maryland
photographer Al Danegger for dignitaries who attended the game. The images in Series
VII record the Queen’s interaction with Governor McKeldin, activities at the University
of Maryland’s President’s House before and after the game; gifts presented to the Queen;
game action; and the football team captains’ meeting with the Queen.
(Finding aid available)
Records of the President’s Office, 1868-1988. 919.50 linear feet.
Location: University Archives
The Office of the President was established in 1859 with the appointment, by the
Board of Trustees, of Benjamin Hallowell as the first president of the Maryland
Agricultural College. The records document the tenure of eleven presidents of the
Maryland Agricultural College, Maryland State College of Agriculture, and the
University of Maryland system. Of particular interest to users researching the Queen’s
Game are the unprocessed files relating to the presidential term of Wilson Homer Elkins
(1954-1978). Elkins’s files relating to the game, which appear in Box 130, document the
extensive planning process for the game; the myriad ticket requests he received; press
coverage; gifts given to the Queen; the buffet supper served at the President’s House
following the Queen’s departure; and other follow-up activities.
The Elkins files are unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.
Queen’s Game Collection, 1997. 0.25 linear feet.
Location: University Archives
The collection consists of materials gathered in conjunction with the celebration
of the fortieth anniversary of the Queen’s Game in 1997. Included are reminiscences
from game day participants; photographs of Queen’s Game festivities; and duplicate
copies of original film footage from the game donated to the University Archives for use
in the celebration.
This collection is unprocessed.
Records of the University of Maryland Board of Regents, 1916-1990. 175.50
linear feet
Location: University Archives
The Board of Regents is the official governing body for the University of
Maryland. The Regents provided oversight for planning for the Queen’s Game, and the
minutes of their September 27, 1957, meeting discuss the “urgent need for additional
facilities” to handle the crowd anticipated for the game. A separate report, included in
the meeting file for this September 1957 session, identifies the parties responsible for
various aspects of planning for the day. Following the game, the Regents, at their
meeting on October 25, complimented President Elkins, the student body, the football
team, coaches, faculty, and staff for the excellent planning and execution of the game and
related festivities; this commendation is recorded in their minutes as well.
This collection is unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.
Records of the Office of University Relations, 1927-2002, 83.00 linear feet.
Location: University Archives
The Office of University Relations serves as the communications and marketing
arm of the campus. Its records include an oversize scrapbook of newspaper clippings
from across the United States and around the world chronicling many of the events of
Queen’s Game day and files documenting the planning for the game and the press
coverage of this landmark event as part of Accession 72-99.
This collection is unprocessed.
University Publications
Location: University Archives
The University Archives’ University Publications collection includes several
copies of the game day program from the Queen’s Game, under the heading “Department
of Intercollegiate Athletics/Football Programs” (call number UPUB I11.017). The 1958
Terrapin yearbook (call number UPUB S36.002 1958) also contains a number of images
depicting activities on game day, and the Archives holds copies of the October 18, 1957,
issue of the Diamondback (call number UPUB S36.005), which features a number of
articles on the Queen’s impending visit. The November-December 1957 issue of the
Maryland alumni magazine (call number UPUB A44.002) also includes articles about the
game and the related festivities.
Photographs
Baltimore News American Photograph Collection.
Location: Marylandia and Rare Books Department
The Baltimore News American (BNA) was an active daily newspaper that existed
in various forms for over 200 years. The last issue was published on May 27, 1986. The
University of Maryland Libraries has custody of the newspaper's collection of over 1.5
million photographic images, dating roughly from 1906 to 1986 that document people,
places, and events in Baltimore and around the world. The BNA file on the Queen’s
Game contains 27 images, mostly shots acquired from the Associated Press and United
Press International. Many of the photographs show Governor McKeldin with the Queen,
but a number also chronicle the Queen’s visit to the Giant Food store on Queen’s Chapel
Road in Queenstown following the game.
University of Maryland Print Files.
Location: University Archives
Among the University Archives’ photographic holdings are several images
depicting the activities of Queen’s Game day, including game action; the crowd in the
stands; gift presentations before and during the game; the press; the Maryland marching
band’s formations at half-time; and players, training staff, coaches, and referees.
joe blair Collection.
Location: University Archives
joe blair, director of sports information for the University of Maryland from 1950
to 1962 and again from 1983 until his death in 1995, was serving in that capacity at the
time of the Queen’s Game. Among the many images of Terrapin athletics that blair
collected are images of the Queen arriving in the royal box the day of the game and the
Queen and Prince Philip interacting with the team captains and other dignitaries.
For additional photographs, see the <Papers of Theodore Roosevelt
McKeldin,> the <Records of the President’s Office,> the <Cobey Family Collection,>
and the <Queen’s Game Collection,> listed above.
Vertical File
Location: University Archives
The University Archives maintains a vertical file of newspaper clippings on a
wide variety of University of Maryland-related topics. The file on the Queen’s Game
contains news items from local Baltimore and Washington publications as well as papers
from across the United States and around the world, e.g. Raleigh News and Observer,
London Times, New York Times, Houston Chronicle, and the Philadelphia Bulletin.
Memorabilia
Location: University Archives
The University Archives’ collections include several pieces of memorabilia
representing the campus visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, including the
Canadian flag that flew over Byrd Stadium on game day (#105); a neckerchief worn by a
Boy Scout who ushered at the game (#1118); a ticket stub (#2033); and two bottles of
water Canada Dry prepared especially for the occasion (#1098 and #2029).