A collaborative research project led by Anthony Minnema, associate professor of history, and Emma Mikell, a senior English and classics double major from Covington, Louisiana, unveiled the mysteries of a medieval manuscript donated to the Samford Library by the family of Carl Smallwood, a 1964 Howard College alumnus.

The manuscript, which arrived without any accompanying information regarding its content or origin, prompted an extensive analysis. The project began with a week-long orientation where Minnema introduced Mikell to paleography—the study of ancient scripts—and codicology, the study of manuscripts. Following the orientation, they spent the summer examining the manuscript and its historical significance.

“I was thrilled to hear about the donated manuscript page and jumped at the chance to teach these skills and provide a resource for Davis Library,” said Minnema. “You usually have to travel to Europe and navigate large national libraries to get your hands on manuscripts, so it was a treat to do this work in Birmingham with a Samford student.”

Mikell dedicated five weeks to the project, meeting regularly with Minnema to review her findings. A breakthrough occurred when Mikell backlit the manuscript, revealing a watermark that indicated its paper originated from Valencia, Spain, in the late 14th century. Further analysis of the handwriting, compared against catalogues of dated manuscripts, identified characteristics typical of early 15th-century Italian scripts.

Mikell eventually identified the content of the manuscript as the work of Johannes Versoris, a master of theology at the University of Paris. This finding is particularly noteworthy, given that few manuscript copies of his work exist due to the advent of print technology before his death in the 1480s.

Mikell will present her research at the upcoming Samford Student Undergraduate Research Colloquium in April 2025. She plans to continue her studies and aims to submit her findings to an undergraduate research journal or for her senior research seminar.

The manuscript’s journey is not solely academic—it also holds personal significance for the donor’s family. Smallwood's daughter, Jo Anne Pinnix, shared insights with Minnema and Mikell regarding her father’s time at Samford.

A Korean War veteran, Smallwood felt called to ministry at age 30, seeking guidance from Professor Hul-Cee M. Acton, then-head of the Romance Languages department. Acton supported Smallwood's education and inspired him to embrace the “divine spark” in others, a lesson that profoundly impacted his ministry.