The Colgate University Archives is the official repository for the non-current permanent records of enduring value for Colgate University. Its collections document the history of the university from the 1810s to the present and the activities of students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

Browse categories of university records:

• President
• Administrative Offices and Functions
• Academic Departments and Programs
• Committees, Councils, Task Forces, and Working Groups
• Buildings and Grounds
• Athletics
• Student Life and Organizations
• University and Student Publications
• Audiovisual Materials and Realia
• Student and Faculty Papers
• Alumni Organizations

Special Collections & University Archives maintains a small and growing collection of materials related to both the village and town of Hamilton, New York, and the greater Central New York region. These collections range from the papers of local persons and families, the records of community groups and businesses, and photographs, maps, and other non-textual materials documenting the region from the 18th century to present.

In addition to rare books, Special Collections also contains a number of manuscript collections. Manuscripts, at their most basic definition, are documents written by hand. In addition to handwritten correspondence, diaries, and personal ephemera, manuscript collections can contain edited typescripts, page proofs, pamphlets, newspaper articles, interviews, photographs, and other various realia.

Our collections are divided into three categories:

• Literary Manuscripts
• Historical Collections
• Personal Papers

The Rare Book collection contains more than 13,000 items spanning more than 1000 years. Materials can be found by searching the library catalog using the link to the left.

Some collection strengths include:

• Arts and Crafts private presses
• Christian Bibles in various languages
• North American 19th century literature
• Late 19th century periodicals
• Pulp science-fiction magazines from the 1930s-1960s
• Shakespeare
• 17th century British Literature
• World War I propaganda posters
• World War II propaganda posters

Select Literary Collections:

• Henry A. Colgate collection of Joseph Conrad
• Richard S. Weiner collection of George Bernard Shaw
• Powys family collection
• Earl Daniels collection of T.S. Eliot
• Elmer Sheets collection of James Joyce
• George Gissing collection
• John Masefield collection