Exhibits
Exhibits are held year-round at the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, located on the fourth floor of the Humanities, Social Science and Education Library in Stewart Center.
Exhibitions on Display
August 24, 2026 – December 11, 2026: “The History of Home Economics at Purdue: How it shaped our campus and our lives”
May 4, 2026 – December 11, 2026: “100 Years of Mortar Board, 1926-2026” [on display outside Swaim Instructional Center classroom, STEW 462]
About the exhibits
The History of Home Economics at Purdue: How it shaped our campus and our lives: One hundred years ago, Purdue University opened the School of Home Economics after decades of effort by faculty, staff, and increasing interest from students. The field of home economics aimed to apply a scientific approach to managing and operating the home and this training was integrated into schools across the country. At Purdue, courses were geared not only to homemakers, but also prepared women for careers as teachers, dietitians, interior decorators, extension specialists, institutional managers, and more and required classes in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, economics, and the humanities. Under the umbrella of home economics, Purdue established Indiana’s first nursery school. Faculty and students conducted research on space food, created nationwide convenience foods, and made groundbreaking discoveries in maternal and infant health. Though no longer a school, many home economics programs and departments remain on campus, now primarily under the College of Health and Human Sciences. This exhibition will highlight these early efforts, development of the school, achievements by Purdue faculty and students, and lasting legacy using collections held at the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.
100 Years of Mortar Board: The Mortar Board chapter at Purdue University began with the creation of the SLS (Service, Leadership, and Scholarship) honor society in the fall of 1924. During the spring of 1926, SLS members began to pursue their proposal for acceptance into the National Mortar Board society. After their petition was approved in the fall of 1926, SLS changed their name to the Mortar Board honor society. After the advent of Title IX legislation in 1975, male students were allowed to join the club. This exhibition aims to showcase key elements of the history of Mortar Board at Purdue University using letters, photographs, speeches, and ephemera from the Mortar Board papers and individuals associated with Mortar Board.
Online Exhibits
Through internal and external partnerships Archives and Special Collections has created or provided materials for digital exhibitions highlighting the scope, content, and varied nature of our collections. Visit the online exhibits listed below to explore a part of Purdue history.
Flight and Space
- Amelia Earhart
- Jerry L. Ross: An Astronaut’s Journey
- Purdue’s Place in Space: From the Midwest to the Moon
Indiana History
Purdue History
- COVID Stories
- Customs and Traditions
- Facilities and Buildings Historic Database
- Historical Timeline
- History of Undergraduate Research at Purdue
- . . .Or the Fire Next Time: A Timeline of African American History at Purdue
- Purdue Publications Index
- Voices, Identities, & Silences: Investigating 150 Years of Diversity in the Purdue Archives
Purdue Alumni
- Advancing the Construction Industry through Innovation: A Part of the Charles Pankow Legacy Project
- Donald N. Heirman
Women’s Archives
- Not Given But Earned: Women’s Fight for the Vote
- We were always here: Purdue Women’s History timeline
- Quest for Equality
Collaborative Partnerships
- George Winter, with original materials are housed at the Tippecanoe County Historical Association