Authorized by a vote of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in 1851, the Harvard University Archives is believed to be the oldest institutional archives in the United States established by a corporation.
Record-keeping by Harvard administrators and faculty began immediately with the establishment of the College in 1636. During the early 1850s, under the direction of American historian and president of Harvard Jared Sparks, these historical records were gathered together and placed in the Library for safekeeping. In 1851, the Harvard Corporation voted to establish a formal archives with Harvard’s records and related papers collected, properly housed, cataloged, and placed in “special charge of the President.”
In 1939, the Harvard Corporation voted that the, “archives of the official activities of University officers and offices are the property of the University.” To further address changes in national and international record-keeping practices, the Corporation voted in 1995 to establish, “a comprehensive records management program throughout the University, under the direction of the University Archives.” The objective of this expansion was to ensure the careful “maintenance and efficient disposition of University records, consistent with sound archival standards, budgetary considerations, and legal obligations.”
Since its founding the Archives has also collected personal archives from faculty, including materials documenting their research, as well as other private archives deemed important to understanding the history of activities associated with the University. This was reaffirmed in a 1995 Corporation vote.
Corporation Votes
The mission and the authorization for the work of the Harvard University Archives derive from a succession of votes by the Harvard Corporation, which are noted chronologically below.
1780
At a meeting of the Corporation of Harvard College at Mr. Bowdoin’s Boston, September 15th, 1780 Vote 8th – That the late President Langdon be desired to deliver to Mr. Professor Wigglesworth the Cabinet, with all the books & papers belonging to the College, the Plate in his possession to remain till further order.
1850
At a special meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, in Boston, February 6th, 1850 Voted – That the President cause to be examined and arranged all the manuscript papers relating to the College, whether records, letters, or other papers now in Gore Hall or other buildings and the University, and procure such as are worthy of preserved to be substantially bound.
At a special meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, in Boston, November 9th, 1850 Voted – that the President, the Treasurer and Dr. Walker be a committee to consider what safe and proper place can be found for the archives of the College, and make a report.
1851
At a stated meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in Boston, December 27th, 1851,
The committee appointed to examine into the condition of the Records and other College Papers, and to suggest some method for their safe keeping and preservation, report, —That they have attended to this duty and have found that the place heretofore set apart for the papers in one of the Towers of Gore Hall is so much subject to dampness from the walls, as to render it unfit for that purpose. The Committee recommend, that, in one of the alcoves, or rooms on the upper floor of Gore Hall, a case or cases be made, suitable for the reception and safe-keeping of the papers, and that all the College records, and other manuscripts relating to the history of the University and the proceedings of the several Boards deemed worthy of preservation be deposited therein, methodically classified and arranged, except such as may be retained in the safe attached to the President’s Office; and that all these papers be held in the special charge of the President.—
Voted – That the Report be accepted, and that the President be requested to cause the cases to be made, and the papers to be deposited therein.
1852
At a stated meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, in Boston, December 24, 1852
“Cambridge, Dec. 23, 1852
By a vote of the Corporation, on the 27th of December 1851, the President was requested to cause all the College records and other manuscripts relating to the history of the University to be classified, arranged, and placed in separate cases in the Library, or in the President’s office, where they are to be held in the special charge of the President. This work has been accomplished. Hitherto the papers, except the Journals of the Boards, have been kept in loose bundles, from the date of the Foundation of the College, and many of them have been lost. All that remain have now been classified, chronologically arranged, and substantially bound. A new case has been constructed in the Library expressly for papers of this description, and a safe, of ample dimensions, has been erected in the President’s Office for such of them as are wanted for more immediate use.
The following is a catalogue of the volumes, which have thus been arranged & bound ….
Since the papers are now all arranged in a methodical order and bound in a permanent form, I would recommend that an Index be made to the several volumes, as affording a greater facility for consulting them, and promoting their usefulness.
(signed) Jared Sparks.”
Voted – That the President be authorized to cause an Index to be made to each of the abovementioned volumes.
1938
At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in Boston, March 7, 1938 concerning Use of material in Library
Mr. James, on behalf of the special committee consisting of the Director of the University Library and himself, presented their report dated February 7, 1938, recommending the adoption of certain regulations to govern the use of material in the Library comprising archives of the University and manuscripts other than Harvard Archives. Whereupon it was
Voted that the report be adopted and the regulations attached thereto be approved and put in effect.
1939
At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in Boston, February 6, 1939
Voted to adopt the following provisions for the preservation of official files, records and documents: All administrative officers of the University, including officers of instruction whose regular or occasional performance of administrative duties puts them in possession of files, records or documents pertaining to their official duties, are requested to observe the following regulations:
- The archives of the official activities of University officers and offices are the property of the University.
- Such property is not to be destroyed without the approval of a committee of three consisting of (a) the Secretary to the Corporation; (b) the Director of the University Library; (c) the officer in charge of the department where the papers accumulate.
- The officer in charge of each administrative office will be the judge as to how long it is convenient to hold obsolete papers in his own office under his direct control.
- All archive material, when no longer wanted in the office to which it pertains, shall be sent to the University Archives in the College Library. Note: The term "archives" in the above statement is taken as meaning: (1) files of letters, both sent out and received; (2) records and memorandum books, ledgers, journals, cashbooks, vouchers, mimeographed and similar material; and (3) the files of any matter printed for official uses.
- In adopting the above regulations, the Corporation have had equally in view the importance of preserving material for the Archives and the facilities which the Archives department of the University Library is in a position to render to all administrative officers in relieving their offices of obsolete material, in eliminating materials that does not need to be preserved, and in providing space and safe custody for everything that should be preserved.
- The Director of the University Library and the staff in charge of the Archives are to be at all times ready to assist officers of the University in disposing of archive material of which they wish their offices to be relieved.
1945
At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in Cambridge, July 30, 1945 Voted to establish the following regulations in regard to the use of manuscript theses and prize papers in the University Archives:
- When a thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree, or a manuscript is successful in a prize competition, it shall become the physical property of the University, and it may be lent, or its use restricted, in any way, the Director of the University Library sees fit.
- The literary rights, including those of publication, copying extracts, or closely paraphrasing from the manuscript, shall remain with the author for a space of five years. Every reader using one of these manuscripts shall be required to sign a printed acknowledgement of this fact.
- After five years, the literary rights shall pass to the President and Fellows. In general, the use of theses and prize papers more than five years old shall be regulated as though they were published worked copyrighted by the President and Fellows, and the Corporation vote of March 7, 1938 applying to the use of University manuscripts in general shall not apply to them.
- In the event that an author wishes to publish his thesis or prize paper after the five-year period, the title having passed to the President and Fellows, he must obtain permission through the Director of the Library, and at that time the question of copyright and related subjects shall be settled.
- Special agreements concluded in the past between the Library and departments or divisions regarding the use of theses accepted previous to the adoption of this vote shall not be abrogated by it.
- If an author wishes to lay more stringent restrictions upon the use of his thesis, he must obtain the endorsement of the head of the department under which the thesis was written and then make application to the Director of the Library.
1951
At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in Boston, January 22, 1951
Voted to establish the following revised regulations in regard to the use of manuscript theses and prize papers in the University Archives:
- When a thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree, or a manuscript is successful in a prize competition, it shall become the physical property of the University, and it may be lent, or its use restricted, in any way the Director of the University Library sees fit.
- The literary rights, including those of publication, copying extracts, or closely paraphrasing from the manuscript, shall remain the property of the author, except that the University shall have the right to make available to the public and copyright any unpublished thesis or prize paper at any time after the expiration of five years from the time it was accepted. Every reader using one of these manuscripts shall be required to sign a printed acknowledgement of the fact that all literary rights are so reserved.
- Special agreements concluded in the past between the Library and departments or divisions regarding the use of theses accepted previous to the adoption of this vote shall not be abrogated by it.
- If an author wishes to lay more stringent restrictions upon the use of his thesis, he must obtain the endorsement of the head of the department under which the thesis was written and then make application to the Director of the Library.
1968
Vote of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, February 19, 1968
Voted, on the recommendation of the Director of the University Library and the Custodian of the University Archives, to amend the vote of this board of March 7, 1938, in accordance with regulations presented at this meeting (D.R. No. 1469), governing the use of material in the Library comprising archives of the University and manuscripts other than Harvard Archives.
D.R. 1469
Use of Archival Material and Other Manuscripts in the Harvard University Library
(to be attached to the pertinent vote of the Corporation of 19 February 1968)
University records more than fifty years old may be consulted after authorization by the Director of the University Library, the University Librarian, or their representative (usually the Custodian of the University Archives) who, in case of doubt, shall refer the matter to the head of the University department concerned.
University records less than fifty years old may be consulted only after approval by the head of the University department or division concerned, as well as by the Director of the University Library, the University Librarian, or their representative. Records of departments or divisions which have ceased to exist may be consulted after authorization by the Director of the University Library, the University Librarian, or their representative, who, in case of doubt, shall refer the matter to the President and Fellows.
Other manuscripts in the University Library may be consulted only with the permission of the Librarian of the Library in which they are housed, or his authorized representative, who may grant or withhold access at discretion in accordance with the following considerations:
- Manuscript material is unique and irreplaceable, and no use of it may be made that will jeopardize its preservation.
- Access to certain collections may be restricted out of regard for the rights and privileges of individuals or for other reasons.
- The Library has a responsibility to see that its manuscripts are not used by unqualified persons; it also attempts to protect the priority of scholars with work in progress.
The substance of these rules is embodied in an agreement signed by all readers applying for the use of manuscripts.
The Library’s responsibility for the proper use of archival materials and other manuscripts extends to their publication. Therefore, permission to consult a manuscript (or to obtain a photographic or other facsimile of it) does not imply the right to publish any part of it. For this, permission in writing must be secured from the Custodian of the University Archives or the librarian of the library in which the manuscripts are housed, who will wish know the nature and purpose of the proposed publication and the exact text to be used, and who will outline to the user the rules of copyright that may apply.
1988
Vote of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, October 3, 1988
Voted, on the recommendation of the Committee to Review Access to Harvard University Archives, to amend the vote of this board of February 19, 1968, in accordance with regulations presented at this meeting (D.R. 2259), governing the use of material in the Library comprising archives of the University and manuscripts other than Harvard Archives, as follows:
- The Director of the University Library, or his/her representative (usually the Curator of the University Archives) shall ordinarily authorize the use of University records more than fifty years old (or records concerning individuals which shall be more than eighty years old, or the individual having died, whichever is later). In appropriate cases, where sensitive material may be involved, the Director of the University Library or his/her representative should consult with the author(s) of the documents in question and any individuals mentioned in the documents whose reputation or welfare may be affected by their release. In case of doubt, the Director, or his/her representative shall refer the matter to the head of the University department concerned.
- The Director of the University Library, or his/her representative (usually the Curator of the University Archives) may with the approval of the head of the University department or division concerned authorize access to records less than fifty years old (or records concerning individuals that are less than eighty years old), if it is determined that these records do not violate the privacy of individuals and their families, are not fragile original records that might be damaged by use, or that their use would adversely affect the fullness or completeness of recent or evolving records that may be deposited in Archives and become the historical resources of future generations. In appropriate cases, where sensitive material may be involved, the Director of the University Library or his/her representative should consult with the author(s) of the documents in question and any individuals mentioned in the documents whose reputation or welfare may be affected by their release. In the case of records of departments or divisions which have ceased to exist, access may be authorized by the Director of the University Library, or his/her representative who, in case of doubt, shall refer the matter to the President and Fellows.
- An advisory committee shall be established by the Director of the University Library to which may be referred cases where doubt or disagreement exist, with the understanding that the committee may consult scholars or other individuals as may be necessary.
- A department or division for the above purposes should be understood to conform primarily to the budgetary units as listed in the Financial Report, with the understanding that additions, deletions and exceptions will be determined by The Director of the University Library and the Secretary to the Corporation, acting together.
1989
Vote of the Harvard Corporation of March 13, 1989
Voted, on the recommendation of the Committee to Review Access to Harvard University Archives, to amend the vote of this board of October 3, 1988 governing the use of material in the Library comprising archives of the University and manuscripts other than Harvard Archives, so that it now reads:
- The Director of the University Library, or his/her representative (usually the Curator of the University Archives) shall ordinarily authorize the use of University records more than fifty years old (or records concerning individuals which shall be more than eighty years old, or the individual being alive, after his/her decease, whichever is later), provided they are not fragile original records that might be damaged by use, in which cases copies will be provided. In appropriate cases, where sensitive material may be involved, the Director of the University Library or his/her representative should consult with the author(s) of the documents in question and any individuals mentioned in the documents whose reputation or welfare may be affected by their release. In case of doubt, the Director, or his/her representative shall refer the matter to the head of the University department concerned.
- The Director of the University Library, or his/her representative (usually the Curator of the University Archives) may with the approval of the head of the University department or division concerned authorize access to records less than fifty years old (or records concerning individuals that are less than eighty years old), if it is determined that these records do not violate the privacy of individuals and their families, are not fragile original records that might be damaged by use, in which cases copies will be provided, or that their use would adversely affect the fullness or completeness of recent or evolving records that may be deposited in Archives and become the historical resources of future generations. In appropriate cases, where sensitive material may be involved, the Director of the University Library or his/her representative should consult with the author(s) of the documents in question and any individuals mentioned in the documents whose reputation or welfare may be affected by their release. In the case of records of departments or divisions which have ceased to exist, access may be authorized by the Director of the University Library or his/her representative who, in case of doubt, shall refer the matter to the President and Fellows.
- An advisory committee shall be established by the Director of the University Library to which may be referred cases where doubt or disagreement exists, with the understanding that the committee may consult scholars or other individuals as may be necessary.
- A department or division for the above purposes should be understood to conform primarily to the budgetary units as listed in the Financial Report, with the understanding that additions, deletions and exceptions will be determined by the Director of the University Library and the Secretary to the Corporation, acting together.
1995
At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College in Cambridge, March 13, 1995
Voted to amend the Corporation's regulations, adopted February 6, 1939, providing for the preservation of records.
- The purpose of the amendment is to authorize a comprehensive records management program throughout the University, under the direction of the University Archives. The objective of such a program shall be to ensure the prudent maintenance and efficient disposition of University records, consistent with sound archival standards, budgetary considerations, and legal obligations.
- University records evince the University's history, organization and operations; as such, they are the property of the University and not of the officers, faculty members, or employees who create them or to whom they are entrusted. The University's records, as defined in the subsequent note, consist of information assembled or kept in any medium, whether paper, tapes, computer disks, or other media.
- Records are not to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of except in accordance with procedures and schedules established by the University Archives through its records management program.
- The Curator of the University Archives shall establish general record procedures and retention schedules for records that are common to the University's various offices and departments, subject to approval by the Secretary to the Corporation and the Director of the University Library. The Office of the General Counsel shall be consulted when appropriate to ensure compliance with legal obligations.
- The Curator of the University Archives may establish special record procedures and retention schedules necessary to preserve exceptional records or to accommodate unusual circumstances. Such procedures and schedules shall be devised in consultation with the officer in charge of the affected records and, when appropriate, with the Secretary to the Corporation, the Director of the University Library, and the office of General Counsel.
- Faculties and other units may establish individual archives; in such cases the administrator of the archives shall coordinate the archives' procedures and schedules with the Curator of the University Archives to ensure that the objectives of the University's record management program are met. The administrator of the Archives shall observe archival standards and university policies regarding the condition of the records and the storage facility as well as the maintenance and accessibility of the collection. No records in these archives shall be destroyed without the approval of the Curator of the University Archives.
Note:
- University records definition: For the purposes of this definition, records shall mean recorded information, regardless of physical form.
- University records include all forms of recorded information regardless of physical characteristics, created, received, recorded, or legally filed in the course of University business or in pursuance of the University's legal obligations. These records serve as evidence of the University's organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities and are subject to records management review and evaluation prior to any decisions regarding reformatting or disposal. University records include but are not limited to minutes; correspondence; memoranda; financial records, such as invoices, journals, ledgers, purchase orders, and other information pertaining to fiscal matters, including grant fiscal matters; published materials, including reports and newsletters; moving images and photographs; sound recordings; drawings and maps; annotated copies or books; and computer data or other machine readable electronic records, including electronic mail. Records created or received by faculty in administrative and University committee capacities are also considered to be University records.
- The items found in the following list are not considered University records. However, the Archives offers its services for selected disposition of those items found relevant to its collection policy:
- Extra copies of documents kept only for convenience or reference;
- Extra copies of publication stocked for distribution purposes;
- Reproduction masters, unless they are the only copy of the record in existence or are the microfilm master copy;
- Material relating to individual employees' memberships;
- Faculty research notes;
- Blank forms kept for supply purposes;
- Personal or private papers neither created nor received in connection with the University's business; and
- Reference materials such as library, museum, and specimen material made or acquired solely for reference, research, or exhibition purposes.
Accessing These Materials
To learn more, please contact the Harvard University Archives.