About Guides to Collections

Collections of college and personal papers, as well as a select number of individual documents, have been briefly described in entries available for browsing and searching on this site. All collection descriptions contain a representative image and a summary of the contents. Collection descriptions also include links to an inventory detailing the contents of the collection.

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Collection Descriptions

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1932-1951

Robert Fleming Rich attended Dickinson College from 1903-1906 before withdrawing to take up a position in the family business, the Woolrich Woolen Mills. He later became active in Republican politics, serving in the United States House of…

Location: MC 2010.3

Subject: Dickinson College Administration, Dickinson College Alumni Affairs

Format: Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Photographs

Time Period: 1920-1939, 1940-1959

Collection Inventory: mc2010.03.pdf

1980-2002

Daniel K. Richter taught history and American studies at Dickinson College from 1985 to 1998. This collection includes papers presented by Richter at conferences, as well as book reviews and title pages of scholarly articles written by him. In…

Location: MC 2012.8

Subject: Dickinson College Academic Affairs, Literary Pursuits

Format: Essays and Dissertations, Letters/Correspondence, Newspapers and Magazines, Speeches and Sermons

Time Period: 1980-1999, 2000-2019

Collection Inventory: mc2012.08.pdf

1862-1991

This collection contains the correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings and other materials of Mary Lamb Riley. The bulk of the collection is correspondence sent to Mary Lamb Riley by her mother, Harriet Collins Lamb, and her daughter,…

Location: MC 2003.5

Subject: Education, Personal and Family Life

Format: Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Photographs, Poetry and Lyrics

Time Period: 1860-1879, 1880-1899, 1900-1919, 1920-1939, 1940-1959, 1960-1979, 1980-1999

Collection Inventory: mc2003.05.pdf

1905-1973

The Charles Arthur Robinson Collection was donated by Charles L. Robinson on January 14, 2012. The collection is housed in two document boxes, one oversized box, 57 photograph folders, and one small artifact box. The collection contains materials…

Location: MC 2012.1

Subject: Carlisle and Cumberland County, Dickinson College Organizations, Dickinson College Student Life, Economics and Finance, Education, Military Affairs and Conflict, Personal and Family Life, Science and Technology

Format: Artifacts and Objects, Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Notes and Notebooks, Photographs, Reports, Scrapbooks

Time Period: 1900-1919, 1920-1939

Collection Inventory: mc2012.01.pdf

1953-1992

The Sarah L. Rowe Collection is composed of books authored by Pearl S. Buck, as well as correspondence to and from both Buck and Sarah Rowe. This collection was acquired through a bequest of Rowe. The books are individually cataloged and…

Location: MC 2000.4

Subject: Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Letters/Correspondence

Time Period: 1940-1959, 1960-1979, 1980-1999

Collection Inventory: mc2000.04.pdf

1874-1880

The collection includes essays written by Alexander Sharp while he was a student at Dickinson College. Also included are grammar school essays written by Alexander and his sister Mary.

Location: MC 2004.2

Subject: Dickinson College Student Life, Education, Legal Affairs

Format: Essays and Dissertations, Legal and Government Documents

Time Period: 1860-1879, 1880-1899

Collection Inventory: mc2004.02.pdf

1906-1961

William Howard Sharp (1891-1958) graduated from Dickinson College in 1913. After graduation he worked as an insurance agent, was admitted to the New Jersey bar, and was elected to the New Jersey State Senate. This collection contains…

Location: MC 2009.2

Subject: Personal and Family Life, Politics and Government

Format: Certificates and Diplomas, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919, 1920-1939, 1940-1959, 1960-1979

Collection Inventory: mc2009.02.pdf

1849-1871

This collection consists of folders in 13 manuscript boxes relating to correspondence and papers of Eli Slifer (1818-1888), an active figure in Pennsylvania politics and the Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin, 1861-…

Location: MC 2003.4

Subject: Business and Industry, Military Affairs and Conflict, Politics and Government

Format: Engravings and Illustrations, Financial Documents, Legal and Government Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Photographs

Time Period: 1840-1859, 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: mc2003.04.pdf , Appendix A - Civil War Units , Appendix B - Military Affairs , Appendix C- Political Affairs , Appendix D - Business Affairs , Appendix E - Miscellaneous Affairs

1927-1934

Spencer Bauman Smith (1911-1984) graduated from Dickinson College in 1934. He then attended the Princeton Theological Seminary and served as pastor of the Camp Hill (PA) Presbyterian Church for 34 years. This collection contains correspondence…

Location: MC 2011.4

Subject: Dickinson College Student Life, Education, Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life

Format: Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Photographs, Scrapbooks

Time Period: 1920-1939

Collection Inventory: mc2011.04.pdf

1918-1933

These images were distributed in the United States by the Soyuzfoto Soviet News Agency during the early 1930s. The images themselves date from 1918-1933 and depict notable individuals, places, and scenes from daily life.

Location: Soyuzfoto Collection

Subject: International Affairs, Personal and Family Life

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919, 1920-1939

Collection Inventory:

1911

These images are from a pair of published souvenir photo albums documenting Lima and Central Peru, where Steese appears to have travelled in 1911. The albums, whose titles are listed below, were produced for Edward Muecke of Lima, with…

Location: MC 2002.4, B11, F2

Subject: Travel and Tourism

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919

Collection Inventory:

1920s

These images are from a collection of photograph albums compiled by James Gordon Steese, an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. Steese assembled these albums using photographs he collected while serving as president of the Alaska Road…

Location: MC 2002.4, B6

Subject: Business and Industry, Military Affairs and Conflict

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1920-1939

Collection Inventory:

1882-1958

James Gordon Steese (1882-1958) was a member of the Dickinson College class of 1902. Among his many activities, Steese served as president of the Board of Road Commissioners for Alaska; the Steese Highway in Alaska is named for him. He later was…

Location: MC 2002.4

Subject: Business and Industry, International Affairs, Military Affairs and Conflict, Personal and Family Life, Travel and Tourism

Format: Artifacts and Objects, Books and Pamphlets, Certificates and Diplomas, Diaries and Journals, Essays and Dissertations, Legal and Government Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Maps and Diagrams, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Photographs, Reports

Time Period: 1880-1899, 1900-1919, 1920-1939, 1940-1959

Collection Inventory: mc2002.04.pdf

1907-1912

These images are from a collection of photograph albums compiled by James Gordon Steese, an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. Steese assembled these albums using photographs he collected while stationed in Panama working on the Isthmian…

Location: MC 2002.4, B8, F2

Subject: Business and Industry, Military Affairs and Conflict, Travel and Tourism

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919

Collection Inventory:

1919

These images are from a collection of photograph albums compiled by James Gordon Steese, an officer in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Steese assembled these albums using photographs he collected on a trip to Europe in 1919 following World War…

Location: MC 2002.4

Subject: International Affairs, Military Affairs and Conflict, Travel and Tourism

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919

Collection Inventory:

1889-1913

Wilbur Morris Stine (1863-1934) graduated with Dickinson College's class of 1886 and later received advanced degrees from both Dickinson College and Ohio University. He served on the engineering faculty at Ohio University, the Armour Institute of…

Location: MC 2005.7

Subject: Literary Pursuits, Science and Technology

Format: Essays and Dissertations, Legal and Government Documents, Notes and Notebooks, Poetry and Lyrics

Time Period: 1880-1899, 1900-1919

Collection Inventory: mc2005.07.pdf

1862-1908

James Alexander Streams fought for three years with Company A of the Sixty-First Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, which recruited its members from Indiana County. This collection contains 41 letters, most of which were received by Streams…

Location: MC 2004.3

Subject: Military Affairs and Conflict, Personal and Family Life

Format: Engravings and Illustrations, Letters/Correspondence

Time Period: 1860-1879, 1880-1899, 1900-1919

Collection Inventory: mc2004.03.pdf

1783-1914

In the nineteenth century, the activities pertaining to admissions and student affairs were performed by the President of the College, with some assistance from the other faculty members. Inquiries concerning admissions were generally made…

Location: RG 5/1

Subject: Dickinson College Academic Affairs, Dickinson College Administration, Dickinson College Organizations, Dickinson College Student Life, Education

Format: Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Meeting Minutes, Miscellaneous, Notes and Notebooks, Reports

Time Period: 1780-1799, 1800-1819, 1820-1839, 1840-1859, 1860-1879, 1880-1899, 1900-1919

Collection Inventory: RG 5/1 - Student Affairs/Registrar

1908-1947

Charles Lowe Swift enrolled at Dickinson College in 1900 with the class of 1904, but left in Fall 1903 to become a journalist for the Baltimore Herald.  He taught English at Dickinson's Conway Hall and later at the Hill School in…

Location: MC 2018.6

Subject: Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life

Format: Artifacts and Objects, Engravings and Illustrations, Letters/Correspondence, Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919, 1920-1939, 1940-1959

Collection Inventory: mc2018.06.pdf

1979-c.1990

Robert Swift was a Pennsylvania statehouse reporter during the accident at Three Mile Island. As such, he not only covered the numerous press conferences held to discuss the incident, but also reported from TMI the first night of the accident.…

Location: TMI-Swift

Subject: Politics and Government, Three Mile Island

Format: Legal and Government Documents, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Speeches and Sermons

Time Period: 1960-1979, 1980-1999

Collection Inventory: TMI-Swift.pdf

1770-1834

Roger Brooke Taney graduated from Dickinson College in the class of 1795. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, a state senator, Attorney General of both Maryland and the United States, and Secretary of the Treasury before…

Location: MC 2002.3

Subject: Legal Affairs

Format: Legal and Government Documents

Time Period: 1760-1779, 1780-1799, 1800-1819, 1820-1839

Collection Inventory: mc2002.03.pdf

1924-1934

These images are from the collection of Illinois-born pianist Allen C. Tanner (1898-1987) who lived in France from 1924 to 1934. This collection reflects Tanner’s interactions with members of his family, as well as with musicians, artists, and…

Location: MC 2013.3

Subject: Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life, Travel and Tourism

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1920-1939

Collection Inventory:

1890-1986

Allen C. Tanner (1898-1987) was an Illinois-born pianist. At fifteen he was awarded a scholarship to study music in Chicago. There he met Margaret Anderson, editor of the Little Review. Tanner then moved to New York City where he…

Location: MC 2013.3

Subject: LGBT History, Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life, Travel and Tourism, Visual and Performing Arts

Format: Essays and Dissertations, Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Music, Newspapers and Magazines, Notes and Notebooks, Photographs

Time Period: 1880-1899, 1900-1919, 1920-1939, 1940-1959, 1960-1979, 1980-1999

Collection Inventory: mc2013.03.pdf

1951-1956

The Craig Robert Thomas collection consists of letters, autographs, and photographs from prominent celebrities and political and military figures who sent their warm wishes and personal regards to Craig Robert Thomas. This collection is a bequest…

Location: MC 2001.18

Subject: Personal and Family Life, Politics and Government

Format: Artifacts and Objects, Letters/Correspondence, Photographs

Time Period: 1940-1959

Collection Inventory: mc2001.18.pdf