Centennial History

The Centennial History Record Group contains administrative documentation and collected research sources related to the ultimate centennial goal of creating a comprehensive university history. The bulk of materials are from the 1970s. During the research stage to collocate information for the centennial book project, the teams formulated subcategories using folder headings such as “Establishment” “Administrative” or “Students.” This research includes many carbon copies of other archival collections like the James G. Stahlman Papers or Vanderbilt Publications like the “Alumnus” or Tennessee Newspaper “Tennessean.” The researchers often added the citations of the clipping or copy to the sheet of paper in the folders. Beyond published sources, the team sought to incorporate a combination of resources beyond existing materials in Special Collections. For instance, “Happy history” folders feature alumni’s written personal reminiscences mailed to project leaders, Henry Swint and Essie Samuels, at the Centennial Office about their individual student experience.

Additionally, the collected research sources in the collection contain correspondence, photographs, audiocassettes, campus plans, maps, newspaper clippings, photocopies, book manuscripts, speeches, and photographs. Of note, Swint and Samuels additionally interviewed several staff, faculty, and alumni during the research process such as the Chief of Campus Security sharing his experiences surrounding Vietnam student protests. The interviews are recorded on numerous audiocassettes throughout the series. The “briefs” in the collection compile the primary and secondary historical sources to craft written drafts of sections for the planned multivolume book. The names included on the folders with briefs are the graduate students who compiled the particular history. The largest series, Department and School Histories, reflects the focus on determining “changing status” or transitions in school history such as the development of institutes across campus.