College of Saint Rose Announces it will be Closing

The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY announced that it will be closing at the end of the current 2023-24 academic year, 

 Saint Rose was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Graduate programs were added after 1949 and the institution became coeducational after 1969.

You can read more about financial difficulties in "Documents detail fiscal strain at Saint Rose," published by the Albany Times Union with reporting by Larry Rulison on December 6, 2023.

The college maintains an extensive digital archive that is available through the institutional website and through New York Heritage.org.

Digital Postcard Exhibit Commemorates Significant Campus Buildings and Landmarks

Texas State University Archives offers a number of interesting digital exhibits. 

One of the exhibits includes images of postcards commemorating notable Texas State University buildings, landmarks, and symbols. 

The institution was founded as Texas State Normal School in 1903. The name changed to Southwest State Teachers College in 1923, to Southwest Texas State College in 1959, to Southwest Texas State University in 1969, and it became Texas State University at San Marcos in 2003.

Leave a comment and url below if you know of other similar digital exhibits focusing on college and universities.

Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Launch New TriCollege Libraries Digital Collections Site

 Natalie Shilstut authored an interesting post for Bryn Mawr's Special Collections Blog on February 5, 2021, "TriCollege Libraries Digital Collections : a powerful new tool for research and exploration of the College’s history." 

Shilstut announces the launch of our new TriCollege Libraries Digital Collections site developed by staff of Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore. 

The site serves as a new home for both digitized materials and born-digital content. She also provides a number of examples of collections and items available.

Caltech Campus in the early 1900s

Caltech Archives and Special Collections tweeted a couple of interesting photographs on their @CaltechArchives account this morning. 

The photo on the right is Pasadena Hall that served as the focal point of the campus for a number of years. The image on the left is a drawing from a 1908 campus master plan that proposed additional buildings.

Cal Tech was founded as Throop Polytechnic Institute in 1891. Classes were initially held in a four story building on the Wooster Block of downtown Pasadena. After moving in 1910 the institution transitioned to become a school of engineering and it became Throop College of Technology in 1912 and California Institute of Technology in 1920.

There is also a link you can follow for an interesting YouTube video, "The Greater Throop": Planning and Building a New Campus, a presentation where archivists discuss the growth of the campus from 1910-1930.

Special Digital Exhibits at the University of North Texas

The University of North Texas Libraries offers a digital exhibit, "UNT: The First 50 Years," that offers photos and explanatory text on the origins of the institution as a Teachers College, Academics, Athletics, Traditions, Student Life, Campus Buildings, and Student Publications. The exhibit was created by Special Collections faculty and students.

The University Archive pages also offer access to a rich array of resources including a compilation of blog posts, "125 Year Archival Retrospective," that explore institutional history through memorable people, events and traditions spanning from 1890 to the current day. Each post includes historical photographs, documents and memorabilia from the Archive.

Moravian College Transitioning to become Moravian University

Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA announced that is is transitioning to become Moravian University.

A boys' school was established in Bethlehem in July 1742, and another in nearby Nazareth in 1743. These schools merged in 1759 to form Nazareth Hall, an institution which survived until 1929. In 1807 a men's college and theological seminary was established as an extension of Nazareth Hall. That institution, Moravian College and Theological Seminary, moved to Bethlehem in 1858 and was chartered to grant baccalaureate degrees in 1863,

A school for girls was also established in 1742 in Germantown, PA and soon moved to Bethlehem. It was moved to Nazareth in 1745 before returning to Bethlehem again in 1749. The Bethlehem Female Seminary was chartered to grant baccalaureate degrees in 1863, and in 1913 became Moravian Seminary and College for Women.  

In 1954, after two centuries of separate development and growth, the women's and the men's institutions were combined to form a single coeducational college.

You can also visit the web pages of the Moravian archives to view an online exhibit, "Moravian Through the Mail," to see a number of different view of the campus and buildings.

Newsreels and Year in Review Recordings Provide Window to Purdue's Past

Purdue University Archives and Special Collections maintains a YouTube playlist of Newsreels and Year in Review recordings that are annual audio-visual summaries of academics, student activities, campus structures, athletics, and special events that begin with 1943-45. The videos are 20-25 minutes in length.

Ohio University Interactive Web Map

Ohio University Libraries created an interactive web map, "Mapping Memories: OHIO Bobcats Share Their Stories," with information and images of the unique sites and experiences which characterize the Ohio University campus community. 

Students, alumni, and community members are invited to submit images and stories that reflect their memories of Ohio University, while exploring a growing collection of public submissions. In addition to crowdsourced content, the map features historic images from University Archives. Users are encouraged to utilize the Libraries' vast Digital Collections to locate images that represent their experience. 

Details about searching the online archives and using the map are presented in an excellent short Youtube video,"Mapping Memories: How To."

Can you place these campus photographs in the correct order?

Try dating the campus photographs...It only takes a few minutes. Boston College Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books offers an interactive web based exercise as a creative way to share institutional history.

Urbana University Archives Find a Home

WHIO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dayton, OH, posted an interesting news segment from August 14, 2020, "Urbana University artifacts donated to Champaign County Historical Museum."

WHIO's Jenna Lawson interviewed Champaign County museum director Cheryl Ogden about plans for the yearbooks, college catalogs, sports programs and photographs from as far back as the university’s founding in 1850.

Urbana University was founded in 1850 and was initially operated by members of Swedenborgian Church. Collegiate courses were offered after 1854. The name changed to Urbana Junior College in 1920 and to Urbana College in 1962. The institution was acquired by Franklin University in 2014 and continued to operate as a branch campus until earlier this year when Franklin University announced closure of the Urbana University campus in April 2020.

Canisius College Celebrates Sesquicentennial

Canisius College in Buffalo, NY is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding by German Jesuits in 1870. 

The sesquicentennial web page offers links to anniversary events, merchandise, and other resources.

A short Canisius Sesquicentennial video is available on YouTube.  

You can find a brief historical sketch on the Canisius History page or browse the online digital collections from the webpage of the college archives for information on student life, college publications, memorabilia, campus buildings, and more.

The Internet Archive offers "A promise of quality; the first 100 years of Canisius College," written by James M. Demske, S.J., and published in 1970 by The Newcomen Society in North America. A few used copies of the publication are also available for purchase for nominal cost through AbeBooks.

Missouri University of Science and Technology Prepares for Sesquicentennial

The Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla, MO is gearing up to celebrate the sesquicentennial anniversary of its founding in 1870 and a celebration is planned for the morning, Tuesday, February 25th, at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

Initially known as the University of Missouri School of Mines & Metallurgy, the name changed to the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1964 and to University of Missouri-Rolla in 1968. The current name, Missouri University of Science and Technology, was approved after 2008.

You can visit the 150th anniversary pages for planned events and other information. 

A new book written by Dr. Larry Gragg, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of history and political science, Forged in Gold will offer the institution's history, from its origins as a “country academy” to its position today as one of the nation’s top STEM-focused research universities. 

A short video interview with Dr Gragg describing the process of researching the book has been posted on YouTube.

You can also visit the web pages of the university archives for early photographs and other historical information.

The Missouri S&T Library website also includes links to several institutional histories where you can find digital versions hosted on ISSUU that are available to view or download.

Preserving Memories of Campus Buildings at Ohio State University

The Ohio State University Archives posted an interesting article, "Campus Views: A tour of buildings long gone," on their blog, December 19, 2019.

A number of short descriptions and photographs are offered to preserve memories of former campus buildings.

There is also a link to Buckeye Stroll, a web site featuring current and historical landmarks of the Columbus campus. You can enjoy an online campus tour or use the app for your mobile device and enjoy a walk on the campus. Historical summaries and photos of numerous buildings are included.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell Celebrates 125th Anniversary

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding. The 125th anniversary web pages offer a timeline, histories, galleries of photographs, a short video, and other resources.

The history of the university reflects the history of two institutions founded one year apart in the late 1800s.

One, Lowell State Normal School was founded in 1894. The name change to Lowell State Teachers School in 1932 and then to Lowell State Teachers College in 1960 and Lowell State College in 1968.

Another institution, Lowell Textile School was founded in 1895. It became Lowell Textile Institute in 1928 and Lowell Technological Institute in 1953.

Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute then merged in 1975 to become the University of Lowell. The latest name change to University of Massachusetts Lowell occurred in 1991.

An institutional history published for the 100th anniversary, To Enrich and To Serve: The Centennial History of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, written by Mary H. Blewett and Christine McKenna and published in 1995, is available at no charge through the Internet Archive or used copies can be purchased through Abe Books.

A more recent book was published in 2012 by Arcadia Publishing, University of Massachusetts Lowell as part of its College History Series. You can read reflections of the author, Marie Frank, PhD, "Our 125 Years: Mergers, Murals and Modern Dance," posted by the university.

The Center for Lowell History offers an extensive array of historical resources for the university and surrounding region.

John Brown University 100th Anniversary

John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding as Southwestern Collegiate Institute in 1919. It was renamed John E. Brown College in 1920 honoring John E. Brown Sr., a traveling preacher who founded a school. It later joined Siloam School of the Bible and John E. Brown Vocational College to become John Brown University in 1934.

The 100th anniversary web pages include a timeline, events, memories, photographs, and publications. Ordering information is offered for a centennial commemorative photo book, John Brown University: A Century of Christ Over All, and Christ Over All: A History of John Brown University.

There is a fascinating entrepreneurial thread running through the history of John Brown University. In addition to educational endeavors in Arkansas, it also operated a military preparatory school that was originally named San Diego Army and Navy Academy by founder Colonel Thomas A. Davis. The academy opened its doors Nov. 23, 1910 in Pacific Beach, CA. 

Brown purchased the school for $600,000 in 1937 after a foreclosure the preceding year and renamed it as Brown Military Academy. There was also a branch operating initially at Sulpher Springs, AR and later moved to Siloam Springs that was known as the Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks.

The California institution was moved from Pacific Beach to Glendora in 1958 and ultimately closed in 1968.

You can check out the John Brown University Archives web pages for access to digital collections and more information on the institution's history.

From MAC to UMD: Mapping Campus History

The University of Maryland Archives posted a wonderful new online resource, From MAC to UMD, that presents the "...development of the UMD campus from its earliest days as the Maryland Agricultural College to the present."

"New UMD Story Map Unveiled" was posted on the Terrapin Tales blog where the Story Map author and guest blogger Caitlin Burke, provides details of her research process and the technology she used to create the online resource.

Burke used ArcGIS, a geographic information software owned by Esri, to create the UMD Story Map.

Maryland Agricultural College in College Park, MD was initially chartered in 1856. The institution was beset with financial difficulties after the Civil War and the State of Maryland acquired one-half ownership in 1866 and then assumed full state control in 1916. It was renamed Maryland State College and became part of the University of Maryland in 1920.

Syracuse University Begins Sesquicentennial Celebration

Syracuse University is beginning a celebration of 150th anniversary of its founding in 1870. The sesquicentennial web pages offer links to a 150th Timeline, historical information, and the university archives.

 

A short Syracuse University Sesquicentennial Anniversary video is available on vimeo.

You can also view several YouTube video histories. The History of Syracuse University offers a playing time of 1:50 minutes.

And "The Syracuse Story - History and Traditions - 1995 home video about Syracuse University" with playing time of just over 30 minutes.

The Syracuse University Press is publishing a new history Forever Orange by Scott Pitoniak and Rick Burton that will be available after mid-September through the University Press or the Syracuse University Bookstore.