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Archives and Special Collections

An introduction to the holdings of Archives and Special Collections at Wilson Library, as well as other helpful sources on manuscripts and rare books.

Materials

Archives and Special Collections contains a large amount of material organized into more than fifteen collections.  Types of materials include letters, newspapers, microfilm, as well as bulletins and other publications issued by the University.  Three major collections form the bulk of Archives and Special Collections:

  • Materials in the University Collection chronicle the school's past from its origins as Lordsburg College in the 1890s to the present.  These materials include historical photographs, financial ledgers, University publications, and course catalogs.
  • Archives and Special Collections houses an impressive Photograph Collection that contains prints from throughout La Verne's history.  In addition to historic images of the college, it also contains photographs of early Lordsburg, contemporary La Verne, and the surrounding community.
  • The Church of the Brethren Collection charts the legacy of the organization that founded the University in the nineteenth century.  Papers and publications from religious conferences, financial records, and correspondence from Brethren churches and colleges across the United States within this collection provide a rich, nuanced understanding of the German Baptist Brethren who established the University.

Other collections include historical newspapers, manuscript sources, and a large body of rare books.  Folder-level indices of all organized collections can be found in Archives and Special Collections.

University of La Verne Digital Archival Resources

Photos from Archives and Special Collections