Several publications preceded McDaniel College’s first student newspaper.  Irving Literary Society published the Irving Literary Gazette and the Browning, Philomathean, and Webster Literary Societies published The College Portfolio.  In 1887 the literary societies joined together and began publishing The College Monthly. Though these newspapers often had some news of student activities and events, their primary objective was publishing literary pieces and information. The Black and White newspaper appeared on the Western Maryland college campus in January of 1924, published by The Black and White Club, a campus fraternity, for the purposes of informing Western Maryland College students of events and activities that affected them, bringing the student body closer together, and promoting the College.  The following October The Black and White Club stepped back as publishers opening the newspaper’s staffing  to all Western Maryland College students.  The paper’s name changed to The Gold Bug.

The College Newspaper continued to be published under the name The Gold Bug until February 1975 when the name changed to Scrimshaw.  Five and a half years later in September of 1981 the newspaper‘s name was changed to The Phoenix.  When the College’s name changed from Western Maryland College to McDaniel College in 2002, the newspaper soon followed suit changing the its name to The McDaniel Free Press in September of 2004.