PC 16, E. Lee Goldsborough photographs of Tidewater Granary fire, 1956, 47 items
The collection contains forty-seven photographs of the aftermath of the Tidewater Granary elevator explosion in March, 1956. The photographs show firemen working, damaged buildings, rubble, and several surrounding buildings still intact. One of the four surrounding buildings affected by the blast was Drexel’s Student Union Building, which was holding classes for the Evening College at the time of the grain elevator explosion. read more >>>
UR 7.6 Men’s Tennis records, 1946-1988, 0.17 cubic feet
The records of the men’s tennis team include newspaper clippings, photographs, statistics, match schedules, and athlete information sheets. All materials are currently interfiled chronologically.
The collection is partially processed. A preliminary inventory is available; for more information, contact the archivist at archives@drexel.edu.
UR 7.10 Men’s Track records, 1946-1991, 2.33 cubic feet
The collection consists of press releases, newspaper clippings, meet programs, team rosters and schedules, statistics and score sheets, and photographs. All materials are currently interfiled chronologically.
This collection is partially processed. A preliminary inventory is available; for more information, contact the archivist at archives@drexel.edu.
UR 8.2 Tau Beta Pi Pennsylvania Zeta Chapter records, 1926-1987, 6 cubic feet
Tau Beta Pi, a national honorary fraternity for engineering students, was founded at Lehigh University in 1885. Drexel’s chapter, the Pennsylvania Zeta chapter, was established in 1930. This collection documents the chapter’s activities and members from its founding through 1987. It includes administrative materials such as the Tau Beta Pi bylaws, the Pennsylvania Zeta chapter charter, and publications and catalogs from the national office. The bulk of the collection consists of chronological files that document the year-by-year activities of Drexel’s chapter; these files contain correspondence, surveys submitted to the national office, and records of projects sponsored in that year. In addition, there is a set of index cards listing the names of Tau Beta Pi members, as well as a few un-awarded membership certificates and keys.
This collection is unprocessed. A preliminary inventory is available in the archives; contact the archivist atarchives@drexel.edufor more information.
UR 9.3 Trustees’ Committee on Name alumni survey cards, 1934, 1 cubic foot
When founded in 1891, what is now Drexel University was named the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry. In 1933, the administration began to consider a change of name to Drexel Institute of Technology. A statement from A.J. Drexel Paul, then president of the Board of Trustees, states that “[t]he original name…was felt to be no longer accurate as a description of the fully accredited, professional college which Drexel has become in the last twenty years. For this reason a strong desire became manifest for the adoption of a name of modern academic significance, which would indicate the present status of the education offered at Drexel.” A trustees’ ad hoc committee was established to examine a possible name change, and in 1934 this committee conducted a survey of alumni and faculty asking whether they preferred the old name or a change to Drexel Institute of Technology. According to Paul’s statement, “[t]he vote recorded a majority of more than three to one in favor of such a change on the part of both alumni and faculty.” The name of the Institute was officially changed to Drexel Institute of Technology on March 30, 1936. This collection consists of postcards containing the responses received from the alumni and faculty surveyed regarding the name change. Each card contains an alumnus’s name and address and their preference of name.
This collection is unprocessed. A preliminary inventory is available in the archives; contact the archivist atarchives@drexel.edufor more information.
UR 2.1 Board of Trustees and Executive Committee records, 1891-2005, 10.25 cubic feet
The Board of Trustees of the Drexel Institute was established in 1891 with the school’s founder, Anthony J. Drexel, as its president and his business partner, George W. Childs, as vice president. The institute was also governed by a separate Board of Managers, which merged with the existing board into a twenty-four member Board of Trustees when Drexel was incorporated in 1894. The Executive Committee was formed at the time of incorporation as a six-person standing committee entrusted with “the general charge and supervision of all the business of the institute.” This collection consists chiefly of the minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees, the Board of Managers, and the Executive Committee from 1891 to 1995. It also contains reports and correspondence of the secretary of the board from 1896-1915, trustees’ and executive committee “board books” from 1985-1989 and 2000-2005, and a small set of administrative records, chiefly from the 1980s.
This collection is partially processed. A preliminary inventory is available in the archives; contact the archivist at archives@drexel.edu for more information.
MC 2 Frank Thomson papers, 1826-1915 (bulk dates 1863-1864, 1871-1872, 1897-1899), 2.6 cubic feet
Frank Thomson (1841-1899) was a senior administrator of the Pennsylvania Railroad and served as its president from 1897 to 1899. This collection documents his career on the railroad, beginning with his service with the United States Military Railroads in the South during the Civil War, detailing an official state visit by the Russian Grand Duke Alexis, and ending with his promotion to president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and his death in 1899. Records include Mr. Thomson’s personal and business correspondence; material such as timetables, tickets, maps, and publications relating to the U.S. Military Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad; various printed matter; and several photographs and drawings.
