What is it?
The Berea College Archives includes official records, publications, oral histories, personal papers, and photographs which document the College’s founding and history since 1855. Of particular importance are the College’s Abolitionist founding, interracial history, and commitment to serving the Southern Appalachian region. The BCA is organized in the following record groups:
Record Group 1 – Founders & Founding
Records and papers relating to the early history of the College and to individuals first associated with the institution, generally prior to 1868.
Record Group 2 – Board of Trustees
Minutes, corresponding and official records of the Board of Trustees and their committees. Biographical information on individual Board members is located in Record Group 9.
Record Group 3 – Presidents
Records and papers of the presidents of Berea College.
Record Group 4 – College Deans & Provosts
Official records and papers of the chief academic officers of Berea College. Records of the Deans of Berea’s various allied schools and other administrative units are located in Record Group 5 and 6.
Record Group 5 – Administrative Divisions
Records of divisions primarily concerned with the general business and service aspects of the College.
Record Group 6 – Academic Divisions
Records of divisions primarily concerned with the educational programs of the College.
Record Group 7 – Campus Organizations
Organizations, clubs, and societies associated with the College regardless of whether their members are students, staff, faculty, or mixed.
Record Group 8 – Students
Non-official information on individuals who attended any Berea division or school (Normal, Foundation, College, etc.). Files on students who later became faculty or staff members are located in Record Group 9.
Record Group 9 – Faculty & Staff
Official records and biographical files on faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees.
Record Group 10 – Committees, Projects, Reports
Records and reports of committees and projects that are not directly or solely sponsored b a division of the College on a continuing basis.
Record Group 11 – Programs, Conferences, Awards
Material documenting regular events such as Convocations, Mountain Day, and Commencement, as well as occasional events such as plays, concerts, or conferences.
Record Group 12 – Publications
Regular College publications such as the “Alumnus,” “Pinnacle,” “Chimes,” “College Catalog,” “Bi-Weekly Calendar,” etc., as well as any publications for which a sponsoring division cannot be determined.
Record Group 13 – Associated Items
Materials that do no reasonably fit elsewhere within the various Berea College record groups, but are intimately connected with the College’s history.
How do I find it?
Items in the Archives are generally organized by group (accession) number and box number. The group number indicates in what order the item was added to our collection and the box number indicates the box order in the series.
Some items in this collection are restricted and require special permission to view. Do not pull restricted items without consulting a staff member first.
