Collections in the University Archives and Special Collections

Research materials in the University Archives and Special Collections are arranged in the following categories:

University Records: Includes records created by Drexel University administrative offices and academic departments from 1892 to the present.  Official reports, minutes, correspondence, and other records of Drexel faculty, administrators, and staff are represented in these collections.  Also contains a substantial collection of Drexel-produced publications such as student newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, course catalogs, bulletins, handbooks, pamphlets, and other ephemera.

Manuscript Collections: Contains papers that document individuals affiliated with Drexel, such as the personal papers and correspondence of faculty and alumni, as well as papers related to the Drexel family and late 19th century Philadelphia.  Also includes records that have been donated to Drexel by other organizations, with a focus on professional library associations.

Photograph Collections: Thematic and personal collections of print photographs.  A portion of the photograph collection is available online in the digital collections area.

Drexel Author Collection: The archives maintains a collection of books and other writings by and about individuals affiliated with Drexel.  Books by Drexel authors or about Drexel can be found by searching in the library catalog.  (A detailed bibliography of books about Drexel is available on the history page.)  The Drexel authors collection includes journal articles, lecture notes, unpublished manuscripts, grant applications, and other materials written by Drexel faculty and others associated with the institution.  A list of authors included in part of the collection is available online.

Special Collections Books:   The archives houses a collection on the history of the book, which includes rare books dating from as early as the fifteenth century. 

Other historical repositories affilated with Drexel University:

The Drexel Collection:  Museum and galleries containing decorative arts, prints, drawings, textiles, 19th century paintings, and portraits of the Drexel family.  Core of the collection made up of objects donated by Anothony J. Drexel and the Drexel family    

Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine and Homeopathy:  Repository for the records and heritage of Drexel University School of Medicine and its predecessor organizations including Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania (1867-1970), Hahnemann Medical College (1867-1982), and other area institutions.