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: Celebrate one hundred years of home economics education, research, and innovation at Purdue University. Using rare and unique materials held at the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, this exhibition traces early efforts of faculty and staff in establishing the School of Home Economics, teachings at the university to prepare students for careers in the field, innovative research, developments, and careers of faculty and graduates, and the lasting legacy of home economics on and off campus.
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