About the Harvard University Archives

Welcome Message from Virginia Hunt, University Archivist 

Welcome to the Harvard University Archives! 

Containing 400 years of Harvard, American, and world history, our collections are open to the public and accessible through visits to our reading room and exhibition gallery in Pusey Library — both situated right in Harvard Yard — as well as via the constellation of Harvard Library access and discovery portals.

As the primary repository for Harvard’s records and personal archives, you will find over five centuries of innovation, exploration, revolution, and introspection — the soul of Harvard — on campus and worldwide. A product of careful stewardship, community engagement, and interconnectedness, our vast and inclusive collections provide opportunities for remote and hands-on teaching and learning, public and educational programs, individual and scholarly pursuit, and opportunities for interaction between the creators and users of the University Archives. 

We invite you to come and experience the people, discoveries, change, and history that make up the Harvard University Archives.
 

Mission

The Harvard University Archives, a unit of the Harvard Library, has authorization derived from votes of the Harvard Corporation. The Archives supports the University's mission of education and research by preserving and providing access, to the greatest extent possible, to Harvard's historical records; gathering an accurate, authentic, and complete record of the life of the University; and promoting the highest standards of management for Harvard's current records.
 

History

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.

The mission and the authorization for the work of the Harvard University Archives derive from a succession of votes by the Harvard Corporation.