About the Library

Mission Statement

The mission of the Purdue University Libraries Archives and Special Collections unit is to support the discovery, learning, and engagement goals of Purdue University by identifying, collecting, preserving, and making available for research records and papers of enduring value created or received by the University and its employees.

The Collections

The Purdue University Libraries' Archives and Special Collections houses Purdue publications such as The Debris, Inside Purdue, Perspective, and Purdue Alumnus; academic schools' newsletters and reports; photographs of campus events and buildings (some from the early 20th century); newspaper articles on the University's activities, events, faculty, staff, and programs; and unique archival and manuscript materials.

Significant archival records of Purdue University include the papers of former University Presidents James H. Smart (1883-1900), Winthrop E. Stone (1900-1921), Edward C. Elliott (1922-1948), Frederick L. Hovde (1945-1971), Arthur Hansen (1971-1982), and John Hicks (interim President, 1982-1983). Publications and papers of current and past Purdue faculty and administrators are also collected in the Purdue archives. A small collection of papers of founder John Purdue are also housed in the archives.

Select manuscript collections include the papers of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, pioneers in time and motion studies. The Gilbreths' lives were chronicled in the book Cheaper By the Dozen. The George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers, the largest and most comprehensive collection of archival material relating to the life, career, and mysterious disappearance of the famous aviator, is another treasure of the Purdue Archives and Special Collections. Digitized portions of the Earhart collection are available, and may be searched online. Another outstanding collection is a large portfolio of original cartoon sketches created by Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist John T. McCutcheon (class of 1889). Users can also view the extensive holdings of books designed by Bruce Rogers (class of 1890). Recognized as one of America's most famous book designers, Rogers was also a typographer. He designed two typefaces that are still in use today, the Centaur and Montaigue types. Another significant collection is the manuscripts, correspondence, and books written by famous humorist George Ade (class of 1887). The Ade collection includes manuscripts for most of his theatrical sketches, plays, musical comedies, and books. Purdue Archives and Special Collections also holds many of the manuscripts of famous author Charles Major. A former member of Purdue University's Board of Trustees, Major achieved fame with the publication of his first book, When Knighthood Was in Flower.

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