Office of LGBTQI Life
Scope and Contents
Records of the Office of LGBTQI Life, contains correspondence, invoices and receipts, meeting notes, newsclippings, pamphlets, photographs, promotional materials, publications, a scrapbook, special formats, and training documents related to the Office of LGBTQI Life, the K.C. Potter Center, the Vanderbilt Lambda Association, and the LGBTQI+ community at Vanderbilt University.
Special formats include banners, buttons, compact discs, digitized records, a plaque, posters, a t-shirt, and tri-fold poster boards. Posters include small posters (roughly 11x17 inches) and large posters (roughly 22x28 inches).
Some unique components of the collection include an autographed photograph and posters; a scrapbook; a large painted banner; a pledge education manual for Delta Lambda Phi Social Fraternity; LGBTQI-themed buttons; and two issues of Out & About Nashville. Researchers may also be interested in viewing the photographs and posters related to student protests on campus to make administrators aware that students want more gender-inclusive bathrooms.
Acronyms
- GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender)
- LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, plus)
- LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex)
- LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, plus)
- MCMW (Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center)
- PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
- TGNB (transgender nonbinary)
- TLGB (Transgender, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual)
- VU (Vanderbilt University)
- VUMC (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)
Some of these records are digitized and are available for viewing on JSTOR at the JSTOR K.C. Potter Center Records collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1963 - 2022
Access and Restrictions
All university archives from the past 40 years are closed to all but the creating office, department, or group. The Board of Trust, General Counsel, and the Chancellor’s Office are exempt from this rule. The Office of LGBTQI Life records may still be used for research, but the Office of LGBTQI Life or General Counsel must grant permission for others to view restricted records. Please contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu for additional information.
The majority of this collection is open for research. Some of these records are digitized and are available for viewing on JSTOR at https://
www.jstor.org/site/vanderbilt/lgbtq-collections/kcpottercenterrecords-34689961/.
Research by Appointment
This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections. Materials should be requested three days prior to visiting to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Historical Note
The Office of LGBTQI Life is a cultural center for "individuals of all identities, and a resource for information and support about gender and sexual orientation" at Vanderbilt University. It is located in the K.C. Potter Center, also known as the Euclid House, on West Side Row.[1]
The Office was created in 2008 as one of five recommendations made by a committee on GLBTQI Student Issues. The committee considered concerns of GLBTQI students after an anti-gay bias incident occurred on campus in the previous fall. The committee also suggested the Office be hosted in the K.C. Potter Center, named after former administrator K.C. Potter. Potter served Vanderbilt as the Dean of Residential and Judicial Affairs, advocated for LGBTQI+ folks on campus, and allowed his home, the Euclid House, to serve as a meeting place for students. As student gatherings at the Euclid became more regular, the students formed the Vanderbilt Lambda Association in 1987. The Vanderbilt Lambda Association, also known as Lambda, is Vanderbilt's undergraduate association for gender, sexuality, and intersex inclusivity.[2]
[1] Vanderbilt University Archives, Record Group 303: Office of LGBTQI Life, folder: "K.C. Potter Center, “Come Out & Celebrate!” Postcard Invitation, 2008"
[2] Vanderbilt University Archives, Record Group 303: Office of LGBTQI Life, folder: "K.C. Potter Center, Creation and Dedication, 2008"
Partial Extent
57 Linear Feet (This includes eight Hollinger boxes, one archival box, and one Map Case drawer. The boxes are arranged by size - Boxes 1-5 are letter-sized Hollinger boxes with paper ephemera, Box 6 is a flat Hollinger box with small posters, Box 7 is a flat Hollinger box with artifacts, Box 8 is a flat archival box, and Box 9 is a letter-sized Hollinger box with photographs. The Map Case drawer holds oversize posters.) ; Boxes 1-5 and box 9 are letter-sized Hollinger boxes; box 6 is a flat Hollinger box (19.75" x 13.8" x 1.75") with small posters, box 7 is a flat Hollinger box (17" x 12" x 3") with artifacts, and box 8 is a flat archival box (20.5" x 16.5" x 5.25").
Partial Extent
158.51 Megabytes (This includes 58 photographs on two compact discs as well as 1 slideshow on a third disc. The discs are held in Box 1.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Office of LGBTQI Life collection, 1963-2022, consists of the papers, correspondence, and notes of the Office of LGBTQI Life at Vanderbilt.
Arrangement
Alphabetical, thereunder chronological
Physical Location
Offsite Storage, Special Collections and Archives
Separated Materials
Physical issues of the Vanderbilt Hustler were removed from the collection due to availability online at JSTOR. Each issue listing in this finding aid includes a link to the digital copy of the issue.
Condition Description
Condition of materials is good.
Content Warning
Some materials contain harmful and derogatory language or actions. Such materials have been noted with content warnings. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives for any questions.
Content Notice
This archive contains digitized versions of The Vanderbilt Hustler, buttons, plaques, posters, photographs, and other materials. Where possible, documents have been reproduced in their original form. These documents reflect historical events and embody perspectives reflecting the time in which they were written. This archive represents primary sources that may be relied upon by scholars, students, and the public in researching our shared history. Some documents may contain subjects or language that is now recognized to be unacceptable and offensive. The reproduction of any such content does not reflect the values of Vanderbilt University. To learn more about Vanderbilt polices against discrimination of any kind, please visit https://www.vanderbilt.edu/compliance/files/standards-of-conduct.pdf. To the extent that you believe the inclusion of any material in this digital archive is contrary to Vanderbilt University’s standards of conduct, please contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu Alternatively, concerns may be submitted to Vanderbilt’s anonymous, confidential, independently-run hotline, available at https://www.vanderbilt.edu/compliance/helpline.php and (844) 814-5935.
Processing Information
Processed by Faith McConnon in August-September 2023
Cultural context
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Issues of the Vanderbilt Hustler, newspaper clippings, metal spiral, paperclips, binder clips, extra identical copies of documents were deaccessioned.
- Three blank compact discs
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Office of LGBTQI Life
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Faith McConnon
- Date
- 2023-09
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2024-11-21: Revised finding aid to include new accession of materials.
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Archives Repository
Vanderbilt University Archives
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
archives@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.