The Institute Archives and Special Collections holds a variety of materials relating to the history of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The department functions as a repository for Institute publications and records of permanent administrative and historical value. In addition, the department maintains a photograph collection, biographical files, documents of prominent engineers and scientists, and a collection of rare books and pamphlets.
Institute publications include course bulletins and catalogs, directories, handbooks, employee newspapers, alumni magazines, and annual reports. The department also collects publications of Rensselaer's students. The Transit, The Polytechnic, and literary, science, engineering, and humor magazines provide a rich picture of student life.
Institute Archives range from Board of Trustee minutes to the records of student organizations such as the Glee Club or the RPI Players. The School of Engineering, School of Management, School of Science, RPI Libraries, Registrar's Office, Dean of Students, Sports Information Office, Student Council, Faculty Senate, and Office of Alumni Affairs are some departments whose records are preserved in the archives.
Another resource holding a wealth of information is the photograph collection. It is divided into two series, individuals and subjects, which are arranged alphabetically and are indexed. The collection is widely used by the Rensselaer community as well as outside researchers.
The archives also contain biographical materials. The Faculty/Alumni File includes biographical sketches of individuals affiliated with Rensselaer. Complementary to that file are the papers of Institute presidents and faculty. Some of Rensselaer's collections are of international historical value; these range from nineteenth-century materials such as the papers of chemist Eben Horsford and John and Washington Roebling to twentieth-century materials such as the papers of physicist Paul M. Harteck and George M. Low, former President of Rensselaer and Deputy Administrator of NASA.
Collections of nineteenth and early twentieth-century rare books and pamphlets are held in the areas of civil engineering, especially bridge, canal, and railroad design and construction; mechanics and mechanical engineering; geology, minerology, and earth sciences; iron metallurgy; hydraulics; steam engineering; chemistry; biology; physics; mathematics; rhetoric and communication.
The Institute Archives and Special Collections, staffed by Institute Archivist John Dojka, Assistant Archivist Gretchen Koerpel, and Project Archivist Tammy Gobert, is located on the third floor of Folsom Library.
Hours are 9:00 - 12:00 and 1:00 - 4:00, Monday - Friday.
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