PC 15 Three Quarter Century Fund photographs, 1963-1964, 0.17 linear feet

The Three Quarter Century Fund photographs collection consist of photographs taken during the Three Quarter Century Fund drive. read more >>>

MC 13 Genevieve A. Shryock notebooks, 1910-1911, 6 volumes

The notebooks of library school student Genevieve  Shryock contain class notes, class schedules, copies of exams and other examples of her academic work, as well as a few photographs.

MC 43 Kathryn Musser Smith collection, 1914-1966, .25 linear feet

This collection contains the papers of Kathryn Musser Smith, 1916 graduate of the Drexel Institute.  The collection which ranges from 1914-1966 consists of ephemera generated during Smith’s tenure as a student and includes commencement programs, dance cards, class schedules and correspondence.  read more >>>

UR 4.6 Department of Performing Arts records, 1940-1990, 1 cubic foot

The performing arts at Drexel date back to 1892, when Drexel offered its auditorium as a rehearsal space for the Philadelphia Chorus.  The chorus was dissolved in the next year, and the Drexel Chorus was formed to replace it.  In 1897 Drexel formalized its choral music program by establishing a department that would later be called the Department of Evening Classes in Choral Music.  The department was abolished in 1909, but students continued to organize their own performing ensembles.  In 1942, Wallace D. Heaton, Jr., was appointed music director at Drexel, and over the next thirty-seven years he established the Department of Music and revitalized choral music at Drexel.  Clyde Shive joined the faculty as a professor for instrumental music and as the university organist in 1955.  A student dance ensemble was established in 1978.  The music department became the Department of Performing Arts when the College of Humanities and Social Sciences was founded in 1984.  More recently, the department has begun to offer a major in music industry and minors in dance, music, and theater, as well as sponsoring the dance ensemble and a number of vocal and instrumental music groups.  This collection consists of concert and recital programs, photographs, promotional materials, newspaper clippings, and correspondence related to concerts, tours, and festivals organized by the Department of Performing Arts and its predecessor, the Department of Music.

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UR 4.9 Nesbitt College of Design Arts records, 1894-1993, 7 cubic feet

Includes records of:

• Nesbitt College of Design, Nutrition, Human Behavior, and Home Economics
• College of Home Economics
• School of Home Economics
• School of Domestic Science and Arts
• Department of Domestic Science
• Department of Domestic Arts
• Department of Domestic Economy

The school that would eventually become Nesbitt College was present at Drexel when it opened in 1892, in the courses of study specifically intended for the education of women, such as cookery, millinery, dressmaking, and normal courses (teacher training) in each of these subjects.  The curriculum expanded over the years to include domestic science, home economics, dietetics, applied arts, textile merchandising, and hotel management.  The school went through many curriculum and name changes before becoming Nesbitt College of Design Arts in 1985.  The collection, which contains records dating as early as 1895, consists of reports, photographs, newspaper clippings, speeches, materials compiled about the history of the college, publications, and notebooks and recipe cards used during the early years of the college.

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MC 33, William B. Shoe papers, 1898-1943, 1 linear ft.

This collection contains items relating to the career and life of Drexel alumnus William B. Shoe. The bulk of the collection deals with his business life, with business licenses, blueprints and professional correspondence. There are also a number of photographs related to the launch and construction of his projects. The personal life of Mr. Shoe is primarily represented in his personal narrative, and with the inclusion of some photographs of students taken at the Drexel Institute, though he is not identified in any of these.

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PC 13 Planning, Design and Construction photographs, 1965-2002, 2.5 Cubic feet

The Planning, Design and Construction Photographs Collection is from the files of Jerry McFarland, former director of Planning and Construction at Drexel University.  The collection consists of color photographs, negatives, and slides that document a variety of university projects undertaken during McFarland’s tenure at the university.

Ranging from 1966-1993, the majority of the collection documents campus sites before, during, and after the completion of major construction projects.  Some photos were taken as McFarland sought opportunities for future growth and beautification projects, both on the campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The collection is arranged alphabetically by site name with each folder representing one roll of film. While the majority of rolls feature only one site, some feature multiple sites.  The last series includes two slide presentations compiled from multiple rolls (campus projects, slide presentation and campus construction, slide presentation).

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PC 2 Ellen (Rushmore) McKeon collection, 1897-1898, 22 items

Ellen (Rushmore) McKeon graduated from Drexel’s department of domestic science and arts in 1898.  This collection includes photographs of instructors, students, and classrooms in the department of domestic science and arts.  It also has photos taken at Wissahickon Creek and three pictures from the women’s basketball team.  Identified individuals in collection are: Albert P. Brubaker, Ellen Morris, Katherine J. Coolidge, Helen M. Spring, Anna Anthony, and Maude G. Hopkins.

This collection is partially processed.  A preliminary inventory is available in the archives; contact the archivist at archives@drexel.edu for more information.

PC 5 Buildings and campus photographs, 1891-2001, 3 cubic feet read more >>>

PC 12 Clubs and organizations photographs, 1935-2000, 1.66 cubic feet

This collection consists of a series of files containing photographs of members of Drexel University clubs and organizations. Photos date as early as 1935 and as late as 2000; many are undated. The bulk of the photos are black-and-white or color prints, but files also contain a few negatives and contact sheets. Many photographs transferred from the Lexerd office have job number, page number, page position and other yearbook related information attached. Some photographs transferred from the Office of University Relations have captions or annotations associated with them, providing dates and additional information about the subject of the photograph.

Although the provenance of the photographs is not known, it is believed that most were originally transferred to the University Archives from the Office of University Relations and the Lexerd office. Archives staff have also occasionally added photos to this collection as they are found among unrelated records or accessioned.

Some additional photographs of members of clubs and organizations are filed with events photographs in PC 8, Events photographs.

Folder List

PC 1 Virginia Carter Castleman collection, 1898-1899, 19 items

Virginia Carter Castleman (1864-1937) graduated from Drexel’s Library School in 1899.  This collection of nineteen photographs shows many aspects of student life at Drexel in 1898-1899 .  It includes exterior and interior shots of Drexel’s main building and student boarding houses, a photo of Drexel president James MacAlister at his desk, and art students painting in a studio.  Included with the collection is a folder of research notes compiled in 2005.

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See exhibit on the Virginia Carter Castleman collection

This collection is partially processed.  Many of the photographs in the collection are viewable online in the University Archives’ exhibit on Virginia Carter Castleman.  A preliminary inventory of the collection is available in the archives; contact the archivist at archives@drexel.edu for more information.

PC 8 Events photographs, 1930-2005, 7.5 cubic feet

This collection consists of a series of files containing photographs of Drexel University campus and organizations’ events. Photos date as early as 1930 and as late as 2005; many are undated. The bulk of the photos are black-and-white or color prints, but files also contain a few negatives and contact sheets. Some photographs transferred from the Office of University Relations have captions or annotations associated with them, providing dates and additional information about the subject of the photograph.

Although the provenance of the photographs is not known, it is believed that most were originally transferred to the University Archives from the Office of University Relations. Archives staff have also occasionally added photos to this collection as they are found among unrelated records or accessioned.

Some additional photographs of campus locations and buildings are filed with campus plans, newspaper clippings, and other materials about the development of Drexel’s buildings and campus in UR 10.3, the Buildings and campus reference collection.

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PC 3 Early photographs of the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, 1885-1931, 2.56 cubic feet

This collection consists of photographs of the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry from 1891 to 1936. It includes photographs of the exterior and interior of the Main Building, men’s and women’s athletic teams, and students from various academic departments.

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PC 7 Department of Athletics photographs, 1931-2001, 7.33 linear feet

This collection consists of photographs of individual athletes and team sports from 1931 to 2001. It is arranged into two series: photographs of people, and photographs arranged by sport.

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PC 4 People photographs, 1880-2000 , 8 cubic feet

This collection consists of a series of files containing photographs of individual people, primarily Drexel faculty, trustees, and staff, as well as some alumni. Photos date as early as 1880 and as late as 2000, but are chiefly from the 1980s and early 1990s; many are undated. The bulk of the photos are black-and-white or color prints, but files also contain a few negatives and contact sheets. Some photographs transferred from the Office of University Relations have captions or annotations associated with them, providing dates and additional information about the subject of the photograph.

Although the provenance of the photographs is not known, it is believed that most were originally transferred to the University Archives from the Office of University Relations. Archives staff have also occasionally added photos to this collection as they are found among unrelated records or accessioned.

Some additional photographs of people are filed with biographies, CVs, newspaper clippings, and other materials about the individual in UR 10.2, the Biographical Reference Collection.

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PC 6 Joseph Nelson Hicks collection, 1927-1931, 0.17 cubic feet

Joseph Nelson Hicks, a native of Trenton, New Jersey, graduated from the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry in 1927 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.  It is believed that he worked for the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company, which manufactured wire rope and built suspension bridges, on the construction of the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon, after graduation.  This collection consists of Mr. Hicks’s diploma from Drexel, dated 1927; a black-and-white photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge, dated Christmas 1937, which accompanied the diploma; and an album containing black-and-white photos of the construction of St. Johns Bridge in 1930 and 1931.

This collection is unprocessed.  A preliminary inventory is available in the archives; contact the archivist at archives@drexel.edu for more information.

UR 7.2 Football records, 1920-1973, 1.67 cubic feet

The football team had its unofficial beginning at the Drexel Institute in 1892 as a student-organized sport and was discontinued by Drexel’s Board of Trustees in 1973. Records consist of game programs, newspaper clippings, administrative files, rosters, score sheets, and press material. The bulk is from 1950 to 1973; materials prior to 1950 consists mainly of game programs. Administrative files include a brief history of the football program up to the 1930s.

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MC 1 Drexel family collection, 1826-1991, 9.3 cubic feet

The collection contains correspondence, memoirs, genealogical charts, newsletters, pamphlets, family reunion material, scrapbooks, legal documents, publications, and newspaper clippings related to the descendants of Francis Martin Drexel. Includes a diary written by Francis Martin Drexel in 1826-1830 and three letters authored by Anthony J. Drexel, the founder of Drexel University. The bulk of material dates from the twentieth century and is contained in eleven volumes of scrapbooks that begin with the death of Anthony J. Drexel in 1893.

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