The mission and the authorization for the work of the Harvard University Archives derive from a succession of votes by the Harvard Corporation, which are noted chronologically below. This was reaffirmed in a 1995 Corporation vote. Since its founding the Archives has also collected personal archives from faculty, including materials documenting their research, as well as other private archives deemed important to understanding the history of activities associated with the University. In 1939, the Harvard Corporation voted that the, “archives of the official activities of University officers and offices are the property of the University.” To further address changes in national and international record-keeping practices, the Corporation voted in 1995 to establish, “a comprehensive records management program throughout the University, under the direction of the University Archives.” The objective of this expansion was to ensure the careful “maintenance and efficient disposition of University records, consistent with sound archival standards, budgetary considerations, and legal obligations.” In 1851, the Harvard Corporation voted to establish a formal archives with Harvard’s records and related papers collected, properly housed, cataloged, and placed in “special charge of the President.” During the early 1850s, under the direction of American historian and president of Harvard Jared Sparks, these historical records were gathered together and placed in the Library for safekeeping. Record-keeping by Harvard administrators and faculty began immediately with the establishment of the College in 1636. HistoryĪuthorized by a vote of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in 1851, the Harvard University Archives is believed to be the oldest institutional archives in the United States established by a corporation. The Archives supports the University's mission of education and research by preserving and providing access, to the greatest extent possible, to Harvard's historical records gathering an accurate, authentic, and complete record of the life of the University and promoting the highest standards of management for Harvard's current records. The Harvard University Archives, a unit of the Harvard Library, has authorization derived from votes of the Harvard Corporation.
We invite you to come and experience the people, discoveries, change, and history that make up the Harvard University Archives. A product of careful stewardship, community engagement, and interconnectedness, our vast and inclusive collections provide opportunities for remote and hands-on teaching and learning, public and educational programs, individual and scholarly pursuit, and opportunities for interaction between the creators and users of the University Archives. Welcome to the Harvard University Archives!Ĭontaining 400 years of Harvard, American, and world history, our collections are open to the public and accessible through visits to our Reading Room and exhibition gallery in Pusey Library-both situated right in Harvard Yard-as well as via the constellation of Harvard Library access and discovery portals.Īs the primary repository for Harvard’s records and personal archives, you will find over five centuries of innovation, exploration, revolution, and introspection-the soul of Harvard-on campus and worldwide. Welcome Message from Virginia Hunt, University Archivist