Purdue University

Purdue University has shared a variety of collections for Project Stand, documenting many voices of the Purdue campus past and present. Included are samples from the personal papers of several influential individuals, institutional records of student centers, as well as materials on a wide diversity of topics and underrepresented student groups. Some examples include the Cornell Bell Papers, a strong advocate for increasing diversity in business schools; the Barbara Cook Papers, a long time student advocate and student affairs administrator at Purdue; Occupy Purdue materials; and the Underground and Political Student Newspapers Collection.

Featured Collection

Image: An Evening with Maya Angelou- Encore

Collection: Purdue University Black Cultural Center Media Collection

Dates: 1980-1989

Contacts:

Neil Harmeyer: Digital Archivist

Richard Bernier: Processing and Public Services Archivist (bio)

African American Collections

Barbara Cook Papers (Partial)The Barbara Cook papers (1932 – 2012; 9 cubic feet) documents the life and work of Barbara Cook, predominately concerning her work as a student personnel administrator and instructor at Purdue University. Cooks collection of research files and essays on women’s issues, especially in regards to education, could be useful for any researcher interested in feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The two “student unrest” binders of Series 8 provide thorough documentation of the various clashes between students and administration during the turbulent years of 1968 – 1969. Researchers interested in the profession of student administration will find much of value in the Barbara Cook papers, including documentation on the Syracuse University Student Dean program she attended in 1952, the Education courses she taught in the 1980s on student administration, and speeches she gave to various student groups in her role as an administrator. Types of materials include: correspondence, speech notes, dissertations, photographs, research files, scrapbooks, artifacts, and ephemeraGo To Collection

LGBTQ Collections

LGBTQ Resource Center RecordsThe LGBTQ Center records (1973-2018) document the history and activities of the center since its foundation in 2012. As one of six Cultural and Resource Centers at Purdue, the collection contains materials from related relevant events co-sponsored by the center or attended by staff and LGBTQ community members. Some materials prior to the foundation of the Center relating to LGBTQ-related student organizations are also included in the collection. Of particular interest might be the documentation of creating LGBTQ courses and establishing a LGBTQ studies minor as well as the various 2015 drafted reports on racist incidents on campus, students’ intercultural knowledge and competence, and Safe Zone data. Another highlight of the collection is the 2016 Banner of Hope, as it reflects concerns and thoughts of a vulnerable student population in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. The collection was transferred by the LGBTQ Center in 2013 and 2017. The collection may be useful for researchers interested in diversity and inclusion events and activism in and around Purdue University in the twenty-first century. Types of materials include: correspondence, printed materials (flyers, brochures, posters), photographs, artifacts (water bottles, t-shirts, spring coil), plaques, newspaper clippings, digital videos. See lessGo To Collection