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Charlie Dory and kitchen staff, Maryland Agricultural College, c. 1912, Maryland Agricultural College collection, Accession #72-219, Box 3, https://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/5878 // (left to right: Bill Dory; Ferdinand Hughes; Spencer Dory; Charlie Dory). Learn more about the Dory Family here.

The 1856 Project

Universities Studying Slavery at the University of Maryland

The history of slavery is inextricably linked to the story of America and to the history of the University of Maryland. The 1856 Project aims to investigate UMD's connections to slavery in order to provide a blueprint for a richer understanding of generations of racialized trauma rooted in the university.

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The 1856 Project is part of the Universities Studying Slavery consortium, a multi-institutional collaboration focused on sharing best practices and guiding principles for embarking on truth-telling projects that address human bondage and racism in institutional histories.


As an important part of the University of Maryland's strategic commitments, The 1856 Project provides a narrative of the university's history that embraces its past, stands firm in the challenges and achievements of its present, and lays the groundwork for a more equitable future.

"The Dory Family" over image of payment ledger featuring their names

The Dory Family & the University of Maryland

In 1893, John F. “Frank” Dory of the Lakeland community of College Park, MD set foot on the Maryland Agricultural College campus and began a long legacy of food service to the campus that has extended almost as long as the university itself.

Learn more about the Dory family's legacy at the University of Maryland