Purdue University Archives and Special Collections

03/16/2026

This Women's History Month, delve into the remarkable achievements of women at Purdue and learn how they've shaped the university’s history. Visit our Women’s History timeline, “We Were Always Here,” to learn about their stories: https://collections.lib.purdue.edu/timelines/purdue-women

03/11/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate our current team-curated exhibition last week! Read all about it here, and come visit "Forms and Functions" weekdays until June 26!

On March 5, faculty, students, and community members gathered on the third and fourth floors of the HSSE Library in Stewart Center to celebrate the opening reception for “Forms and Functions: A Selection of Materials within Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.” The event highlight...

02/24/2026

Purdue Archives is excited to announce the digitization of 147 film and audio recordings related to the pioneering work of famed industrial engineers Frank and Dr. Lillian Gilbreth thanks to a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources. All recordings are now digitized and available for research use, many of them available for viewing online. The recordings include previously unheard lectures, interviews, and personal recollections of the Gilbreths, and films showing practical applications of their motion study research. See the full announcement for details: https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/2026/02/23/purdue-university-archives-and-special-collections-announces-digitization-of-gilbreth-film-and-audio-recordings/

02/02/2026

🗂️ Step inside Purdue’s archives and explore the stories behind our unique collections! “Forms and Functions: A Selection of Materials within Purdue University Archives and Special Collections” opens January 20 and runs through June 26.

See how the form of documents, visual materials, and rare collections shapes their purpose and tells Purdue’s story across time.

📍 Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, 4th Floor HSSE Library, Stewart Center
🕒 Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM

12/09/2025

We were delighted to celebrate "Beyond the Binding: Medieval Manuscripts from Farm to Fragment" and its student curators with a record-breaking number of guests last week! Read more about it here or visit us to see the exhibit weekdays through December 19.

On Friday, December 5, 2025, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections welcomed over 100 guests to celebrate the opening of “Beyond the Binding: Medieval Manuscripts from Farm to Fragment.” The reception, held on the 3rd floor of the HSSE Library in Stewart Center, showcased the culmina...

11/19/2025

Join us as we celebrate our student-curated exhibit on December 5! If you can't make it to the opening reception, you can still view the exhibit weekdays until December 19.

You’re invited to “Beyond the Binding: Medieval Manuscripts from Farm to Fragment.”

Join Purdue University Archives and Special Collections for a one-night-only reception celebrating the opening of this fascinating new exhibit.

Friday, December 5, 2025
5:00–6:30 PM
HSSE Library, 4th Floor | Stewart Center

Explore rare medieval manuscripts from Purdue’s collections and manuscripts on loan from Les Enluminures through the Manuscripts in the Curriculum program. The exhibit is curated by students in ILS 595: Medieval Manuscript Studies, taught by Assistant Professor Kristin Leaman and Clinical Associate Professor Adriana Harmeyer.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $19.13 honoring the founding of Purdue’s first university library in 1913.

Register now to reserve your spot and experience the history, craft, and cultural legacy of the medieval book: https://hubs.la/Q03Txd6q0

08/30/2025

Visit us on Saturdays this fall! Our new exhibit "The Lone Wolf Inventor: Life and Legacy of Benjamin F. Miessner" will be open 9 am to 1 pm on home game Saturdays, starting today, in the Archives on the fourth floor of HSSE Library in Stewart Center.

07/17/2025

06/15/2025

Happy Father’s Day to the Boilermaker dads, stepdads, grandfathers, and father figures who guide with care and lead with love. We appreciate all you do.

Today, we’re celebrating not only the incredible fathers in our Purdue family, but also the legacy they help build.

Meet the Huffmans: William Huffman (left), a baseball standout from the Class of 1932, and his father Frank Huffman (right), a track star from the Class of 1905. Together, they became the first father-son duo to both letter in Purdue Athletics and earn their Block P sweaters. They proudly posed together for a special edition of Purdue Alumnus following William’s graduation—a timeless snapshot of Boilermaker tradition.

Image courtesy of Purdue Archives and Special Collections.

05/11/2025

Today we honor mothers and maternal figures in our lives and community. Thank you for the support, strength, and guidance you give every day.

This photo is courtesy of Purdue Archives and Special Collections, UA 62, Office of Marketing and Media, box 85.

04/30/2025

On this , please consider making a donation to support the mission of Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. Thank you!

👉 https://hubs.la/Q03kdXtY0

📣 All hail our own Purdue 📣

It’s time, Boilermakers— is here! Let’s make a difference for the old gold and black and Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies. Give now!

👉 https://hubs.la/Q03kdXtY0

04/29/2025

We’ve been enjoying beautiful spring days at Purdue, but there's no avoiding finals next week. Students throughout our history have found ways to enjoy the sunshine while fitting in those last-minute study sessions. Good luck, Boilermakers!