This collection contains business and personal papers collected by Herman Stevens, including copies of the Daily Banner, personal photographs, certificates, obituaries, and papers from the Methodist Church. This collection also contains a large tintype portrait of a man dated circa 1870s, a large crayon portrait of a child, a copy of the Cambridge Democrat Newspaper from 1851, a 1912 cruise brochure booklet, and a July 1917 copy of National Geographic.

Herman J. Stevens was born on May 30, 1920 in Cambridge, Maryland. He married Nettie Belle Stevens and they had two children, Ray Stevens and Kaye Stevens Thomas. Herman Stevens graduated from Cambridge High School in 1937. He worked several different jobs throughout the years, beginning as a truck driver, moving to assistant manager at the Arcade Theater in Cambridge, then enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942. Stevens was honorably discharged in 1945, upon which he resumed employment at both the Arcade and the State theaters until 1949. He was then offered the position of Advertising Manager for the Cambridge Daily Banner. Over the years, Stevens advanced in his position with the Daily Banner, becoming Business Manager, then General Manager, and eventually the co-owner. When the publisher, Arnold Daane, died in 1967, Stevens purchased a half interest in the Banner Corporation and served as Vice President. The Daily Banner was sold to the Evening Post and Courier Corporation in Charleston, South Carolina in 1972, at which point Stevens worked as President and Publisher until his retirement in 1983. In addition to his endeavors with the Daily Banner, Herman Stevens also co-founded The Chesapeake Courier, however this newspaper closed down after one year. Within the community, Stevens served as president of the Exchange Club, the St. Paul’s Church Richardson Men’s Bible Class, and the Cambridge-Dorchester Chamber of Commerce (within which he co-founded the Dorchester Industrial Development Committee with other local businessmen who became known as the Four Horsemen). He was also a member of the Cambridge-Dorchester Hospital Board of Directors, appointed Chairman of the Cambridge City Council’s committee on growing Cambridge Creek into a tourist site, Chairman of the Dorchester United Fund, Redevelopment Coordinator and Aide to Mayor Paul Martin in the city of Salisbury, appointed member of the Ward Museum Board of Directors, a member of the board of directors of the Waddell Foundation, and Chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. Additionally, Stevens was appointed to the Judicial Selection Commission for the First Judicial Circuit in 1975, serving three consecutive terms. He died on October 28, 2020. 

The Stevens and Thomas Family Collection contains business and personal papers collected by Herman Stevens. This includes copies of the Daily Banner, personal photographs, obituaries, papers from the Methodist Church, and certificates belonging to James R. Thomas (Father of James R. Thomas Jr.; father-in-law of Kaye Stevens Thomas) for his service in WWII, from the State of Maryland as Sheriff of Dorchester County, and from the FBI for completing the Civilian FBI Defense course for police. This collection also contains a large tintype portrait of a man dated circa 1870s, a large crayon portrait of a child, a copy of the Cambridge Democrat Newspaper from March 26, 1851, a 1912 cruise brochure booklet, and a July 1917 copy of National Geographic.

There are also articles written by and featuring Claude L. Gootee. Gootee worked for the Daily Banner with Herman Stevens. When the newspaper was purchased in 1972, Gootee became Advertising Manager and Vice-President. Herman Stevens was an honorary pallbearer at Gootee’s funeral in 2018.

This collection is arranged into 3 series:

1. Series 1: Personal
2. Series 2: Business
   • 2.1: The Daily Banner
   • 2.2: Cambridge Creek
3. Series 3: Miscellaneous