Drexel University Archives

Archival image of the Great Hall in Drexel's Main Building.

COVID-19 Service Update

University Archives staff are currently working on campus for a limited number of hours per week and will fulfill researcher requests for digitized materials whenever possible. Researchers whose inquiries are time-sensitive and cannot be completed with digitized material should contact archives@drexel.edu to discuss their options.

Please note that access to the reading room is currently restricted to currently enrolled students and employed Drexel faculty and staff with a current Drexel ID and at the discretion of the University Archives staff.

Archives staff are available to answer questions and provide remote research consultations, consultations about donating or transferring records to the Archives, rights and reproductions support, and advice about implementing the University’s Records Management policy.

Mission Statement

Drexel University Archives collects, preserves, and shares the stories of Drexel University.

The Archives stewards institutional records and other physical and digital documents of enduring value related to the University’s history. This evidence supports scholarship, teaching, and life-long learning by Drexel faculty, students, staff, alumni/ae, and members of the public.

About the Archives

Researchers may visit the Archives in-person by appointment. For staffed hours of operation for the W. W. Hagerty Library, see the Library Hours page.

Get Involved

You can help preserve Drexel history by donating materials to the Archives, sharing your Drexel experience by recording an oral history, or submitting published papers and research materials to iDEA, Drexel's digital repository. For more information on ways to get involved, visit our 'What We Collect' page.

Contact Information

Drexel University Archives
W. W. Hagerty Library, Lower Level
3300 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone: 215.895.6706
Fax: 215.895.2070
Email: archives@drexel.edu

Archives Blog

Drexel’s Archived Websites Now Discoverable via DragonSearch

Submitted by on March 8, 2021 - 10:55AM

The Drexel University Archives' collection of the University's archived websites is now available in DragonSearch, making it even easier to access this collection capturing Drexel's online presence since 2009.

University Archives Staff Discover Personal Letters by Anthony J. Drexel

Submitted by on March 4, 2021 - 10:53AM

Archives staff recently found two personal letters University Founder A. J. Drexel wrote to his son John in 1890.

University Archives Launches Project to Document Drexel’s Response to COVID-19

Submitted by on July 7, 2020 - 10:06AM

This spring, the Drexel University Libraries, led by staff from the University Archives, launched Pandemic Stories, a project to document how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Drexel community.

Drexel University Libraries Helps Connect Dragons During Virtual Day of Giving Event

Submitted by on June 29, 2020 - 9:20AM

For the University's fifth annual Day of Giving, the Drexel Libraries contributed to student success by connecting the University’s past with the present through a special edition of its “Films from the Archives” event series.

Share Your COVID-19 Stories

Submitted by on May 6, 2020 - 1:58PM

The Drexel University Archives is working on a new project to document the University's responses to COVID-19, and we want to hear from you! Send us your unique accounts of the pandemic through writing, photographs, videos, audio recordings, or other creative means.