Distinctive Collections & Archives at Southwestern University

Distinctive Collections & Archives at Southwestern University Southwestern University Distinctive Collections & Archives Though we collect with these groups in mind, our collections are open to all who want to use them.

In Special Collections at Southwestern University, we create physical and virtual spaces to experience the history of Southwestern University and Texas as well as the heritage of the printed and written word. We aim to use these spaces and our collections to create meaningful experiences for anyone, regardless of purpose. To this end, special collections holds books, manuscripts, and objects of hi

storical and scholarly value that support undergraduate teaching and research, research by Southwestern faculty members, and research by the wider community of scholars.

At Southwestern University, Distinctive Collections is where history meets hands-on learning—and your support makes it p...
04/23/2026

At Southwestern University, Distinctive Collections is where history meets hands-on learning—and your support makes it possible.

From July 2024 to June 2025, your impact helped us:

Hold 59 instructional sessions reaching 901 students
Welcome 24 tours with 334 attendees
Pull and reshelve 1,026 collection items for teaching, tours, and research
Support 74 registered researchers
Facilitate 68 research appointments

Every class visit, every tour, every research question starts with access—and access takes care, time, and resources.

Support Distinctive Collections today. Every gift makes a difference: http://givecampus.com/campaigns/73772/donations/new?designation=distinctivecollectionsarchivesspecialcollections&?a=13155133

04/23/2026

Ever wonder what it's actually like to work in DisCo? Join Grace and Madison as they share what brought to working in Distinctive Collections, unforgettable moments, and what it means to work hands-on with the Preservation Georgetown collection. It's Southwestern University Giving Day. Support the programs and people that make moments like these possible. Giving Day Link: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/73772/donations/new?designation=distinctivecollectionsarchivesspecialcollections&?a=13155133

What does it look like when a student holds a 200-year-old document for the first time? Or when a class discovers a piec...
04/22/2026

What does it look like when a student holds a 200-year-old document for the first time? Or when a class discovers a piece of Southwestern's own history tucked away in our stacks? That's the magic that happens every day in Distinctive Collections & Archives — and your support on Giving Day helps make it possible. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.

Make your gift: http://givecampus.com/campaigns/73772/donations/new?designation=distinctivecollectionsarchivesspecialcollections&?a=13155133

Distinctive Collections & Archives is pleased to announce the donation of the John Andrew Miller Comic Book Collection, ...
03/30/2026

Distinctive Collections & Archives is pleased to announce the donation of the John Andrew Miller Comic Book Collection, generously given by Southwestern University alumnus Andy Miller ’93.

Miller began collecting comics at the age of seven, developing a collection that now includes an estimated 20,000 comic books. The collection offers a strong resource for exploring popular culture, storytelling, and graphic art across time.

Processing is now underway, and our staff will be working to organize, describe, and make the collection accessible for research and instruction.

We look forward to sharing more about this collection in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates and highlights.

The “Class Will” from 1946, showcases what some of the seniors of ‘46 felt were the most important to pass to their fell...
03/10/2026

The “Class Will” from 1946, showcases what some of the seniors of ‘46 felt were the most important to pass to their fellow classmates upon graduating from SU. These graduates left more than just material goods to one another, but rather some great perks. In addition to the items left by the seniors, Della Mae Pepper shares a census report on humorous predictions of where life beyond the university will take these alumni by the year ‘56.

If you were to make a class will for your class at SU, who or what would be included? Will you pass along successful cramming before a final? An awesome sense of style? Accurately predicting sweet surprise? Or maybe the luck of locating a Pirate Bike?

What do you predict will be in your future 10 years from when you receive your degree?

-Post Written for Distinctive Collections by J’Lisa Chambers ‘28

This signed photograph comes from the crew of STS-41-B, a Space Shuttle Challenger mission from February 3-11, 1984. Du...
02/03/2026



This signed photograph comes from the crew of STS-41-B, a Space Shuttle Challenger mission from February 3-11, 1984. During this flight, Commander Vance Brand and Pilot Robert “Hoot” Gibson guided Challenger to the first-ever landing of a returning spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center. This mission also marked the first untethered spacewalk.

That historic touchdown happened at 7:16 a.m. EST on February 11, 1984—just about five miles from Launch Pad 39A, where the 41-B mission had lifted off eight days earlier. Also aboard the shuttle were Mission Specialists Bruce McCandless II, Ronald McNair, and Robert Stewart. The photograph was later presented to Senator John Tower on March 22, 1984.

Two years later, on January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members. Mission Specialist Ronald McNair had also been part of the 41-B flight.

Today we recognize the life and experiences of Uta Merzbach, who was imprisoned with her parents in the Theresienstadt c...
01/27/2026

Today we recognize the life and experiences of Uta Merzbach, who was imprisoned with her parents in the Theresienstadt camp during the Holocaust. In 1946, Uta and her family moved to Georgetown, TX where her father and mother taught for the university. Uta would attend Southwestern for two years before transferring to the University of Texas. She was a historian of mathematics and became the first curator of mathematical instruments for the Smithsonian Institution. The items shown here were found in a small brown envelope after her death. The items pictured are a certificate for the D.P. Center Deggendorf and a red tag stamped with the date of her entrance into the concentration camp.
These materials, along with many others, are held in the Merzbach Family Collection in Distinctive Collections.

Distinctive Collections & Archives is closed today due to the weather conditions. Our virtual collections are accessible...
01/27/2026

Distinctive Collections & Archives is closed today due to the weather conditions. Our virtual collections are accessible 24/7. Questions can be submitted to [email protected]. Stay safe and warm!

Now Hiring student positions! Distinctive Collections has three positions posted on HireSU that will start in Spring 202...
12/02/2025

Now Hiring student positions! Distinctive Collections has three positions posted on HireSU that will start in Spring 2026.

We recently welcomed the education class, Teaching Social Studies Elementary and Middle School students, to the BookLab ...
11/03/2025

We recently welcomed the education class, Teaching Social Studies Elementary and Middle School students, to the BookLab to make zines!

They explored how creative, hands-on projects can support teaching and learning—using zines to express ideas, tell stories, and think about how they might use this format in future classrooms. From collage and layout to writing and design, they brought a lot of creativity to the table.

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1001 E University Avenue
Georgetown, TX
78626

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm

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