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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1792-1870

The collection includes business letters and legal papers of the Burd family, early deeds and patents, settlement of the Edward Shippen Burd estate 1848-1870, and correspondence concerning bequests for St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia, the Burd…

Location: MC 1999.10

Subject: Business and Industry, Economics and Finance, Land and Real Estate, Legal Affairs

Format: Financial Documents, Legal and Government Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Maps and Diagrams

Time Period: 1780-1799, 1800-1819, 1820-1839, 1840-1859, 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: mc1999.10.pdf

c.1720

This collection is comprised of three journals containing notes on lectures delivered by Pieter Burman during his tenure at the University of Leiden, sometime between 1715 and 1740. It is not known precisely who took these notes. The notebooks…

Location: MC 2012.13

Subject: Education, International Affairs, Politics and Government, Religion and Spirituality

Format: Diaries and Journals, Notes and Notebooks

Time Period: Before 1760

Collection Inventory: mc2012.13.pdf

1857-1861

The collection consists of a scrapbook of clippings from both the Carlisle Herald and the Mechanicsburg Weekly Gazette. The scrapbook was kept by William M. Porter, who succeeded Captain E. Beatty as editor, 1857-1860. Porter…

Location: MC 1998.6

Subject: Carlisle and Cumberland County, Dickinson College Events, Education

Format: Newspapers and Magazines, Scrapbooks

Time Period: 1840-1859, 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: mc1998.06.pdf

1879-1918

This collection contains a number of items purchased as a group from Robert Rowe in 2014, and features the business papers of Milton I. Zeigler, postcards, ephemera, and publications from the Carlisle Indian School. Zeigler served as the…

Location: CIS-MC-002

Subject: Business and Industry, Carlisle and Cumberland County, Carlisle Indian School, Education, Literary Pursuits, Native Americans, Politics and Government, Sport and Recreation, Travel and Tourism

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Financial Documents, Legal and Government Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera

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

Collection Inventory: CIS-MC-002.pdf

1876-1888

This collection contains a series of letters received by Dr. Cornelius Rea Agnew, a noted surgeon from New York City who was a strong supporter of, and significant donor to, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The majority of the letters were…

Location: CIS-MC-001

Subject: Carlisle and Cumberland County, Carlisle Indian School, Education, Native Americans, Politics and Government

Format: Letters/Correspondence

Time Period: 1860-1879, 1880-1899

Collection Inventory: CIS-MC-001.pdf

1884-1979

These artifacts and oversized items about the Carlisle Indian School were acquired by the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections individually and are not part of any larger collection.

Location: See Collection Inventory

Subject: Carlisle Indian School, Education, Native Americans

Format: Artifacts and Objects, Broadsides and Posters, Certificates and Diplomas, Engravings and Illustrations, Newspapers and Magazines

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

Collection Inventory: CIS-Individual-Artifacts-Oversized.pdf

1880-1993

These photographs about the Carlisle Indian School were acquired by the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections individually and are not part of any larger collection.

Location: See Collection Inventory

Subject: Carlisle Indian School, Education, Native Americans, Personal and Family Life, Sport and Recreation

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1880-1899, 1900-1919

Collection Inventory: Carlisle Indian School Individual Photographs

1909-1915

The Naomi Greensky Collection has been organized into two sections, Papers and Photographs. Most of the Papers can be categorized as ephemera and reflect extracurricular activities that Naomi participated in while at Carlisle. The papers include…

Location: CIS-MC-006

Subject: Carlisle Indian School, Education, Native Americans

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Photographs

Time Period: 1900-1919

Collection Inventory: CIS-MC-006.pdf

1879-1918

This collection contains a number of items purchased as a group from Robert Rowe in 2017, and includes a number of photographs, artifacts, and documents related to the Carlisle Indian School. The four court martials in this collection are from…

Location: CIS-MC-004

Subject: Carlisle Indian School, Education, Native Americans

Format: Artifacts and Objects, Books and Pamphlets, Legal and Government Documents, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Photographs

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

Collection Inventory: CIS-MC-004.pdf

1880-1918

Images of the Carlisle Indian School held by the Archives and Special Collections.

Location: See Carlisle Indian School Collection Inventories

Subject: Carlisle Indian School, Education

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1880-1899, 1900-1919

Collection Inventory:

1931-1955

Marcia Chamberlain was a friend and correspondent of poet Marianne Moore. This collection contains letters exchanged between the two women and other acquaintances, as well as a small amount of writings, photographs, and ephemera.

Location: MC 2009.6

Subject: Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Photographs, Poetry and Lyrics

Time Period: 1920-1939, 1940-1959

Collection Inventory: mc2009.06.pdf

1833-1854

This collection consists of drafts, letters, manuscripts, notes, financial accounts, and a prospectus for the publication of a book. Specifically, there are lectures and notes on mechanics, as well as drafts for patents on inventions submitted to…

Location: MC 1999.8

Subject: Business and Industry, Politics and Government, Science and Technology, Social Reform and Advocacy

Format: Essays and Dissertations, Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Maps and Diagrams, Notes and Notebooks, Photographs, Speeches and Sermons

Time Period: 1820-1839, 1840-1859

Collection Inventory: mc1999.08.pdf

1978-1989

The Edwin K. Charles collection consists of the various papers, government documents, newsletters, transcripts, and publications collected by Charles in the years following the accident at Three Mile Island. Edwin K. Charles, a resident of…

Location: TMI-Charles

Subject: Health and Medicine, Legal Affairs, Politics and Government, Science and Technology, Three Mile Island

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Legal and Government Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Meeting Minutes, Newspapers and Magazines, Reports, Speeches and Sermons

Time Period: 1960-1979, 1980-1999

Collection Inventory: TMI-Charles.pdf

1882-1887

This collection contains 39 glass plate negatives, dating from the 1880s, from the studio of John Nicholas Choate. Choate was a photographer based in the town of Carlisle who took thousands of images of Carlisle Indian School students, buildings…

Location: CIS-PC-005

Subject: Carlisle Indian School, Native Americans

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1880-1899

Collection Inventory: CIS-PC-005.pdf

1915-1932

Elizabeth H. Clarke graduated from Dickinson College in 1932. This collection contains dance cards and other ephemera from her college days.

Location: MC 2009.7

Subject: Dickinson College Student Life

Format: Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera

Time Period: 1900-1919, 1920-1939

Collection Inventory: mc2009.07.pdf

1892-1921

The collections consists of the diaries of Joseph Clemens and his wife, Mary Knapp Strong Clemens. Joseph Clemens was born in Cornwall, England. He left England and entered Dickinson College at the age of 28, graduating in the class of 1894. He…

Location: MC 2001.17

Subject: Dickinson College Student Life, Military Affairs and Conflict, Religion and Spirituality, Travel and Tourism

Format: Diaries and Journals

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

Collection Inventory: mc2001.17.pdf

1831-1890

Charles Collins (1813-1875) was a native of Maine and a graduate of Wesleyan University (1837); he served as president of Emory and Henry College (1838-1852), of Dickinson College (1852-1860) and as proprietor and President of State Female…

Location: MC 2003.6

Subject: Dickinson College Administration, Dickinson College History, Dickinson College Student Life, Education, Genealogy and Family History, Personal and Family Life

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Certificates and Diplomas, Diaries and Journals, Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Poetry and Lyrics, Scrapbooks, Speeches and Sermons

Time Period: 1820-1839, 1840-1859, 1860-1879, 1880-1899

Collection Inventory: mc2003.06.pdf

1852-1860

The records contained in the President Charles Collins record group pertain only to his time and affairs as president of Dickinson College. As such, no personal papers are included in this record group. For records concerning Collins’…

Location: RG 2/5

Subject: Dickinson College Academic Affairs, Dickinson College Administration, Education

Format: Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Notes and Notebooks

Time Period: 1840-1859, 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: RG 2/5 - Charles Collins

1729-1955

Moncure Daniel Conway was born into a southern aristocratic family, but ultimately became one of the nation's leading abolitionists and humanitarians. Conway was a graduate of Dickinson College in 1849 and was trained for the ministry at Harvard…

Location: MC 1999.6

Subject: Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life, Religion and Spirituality, Social Reform and Advocacy

Format: Books and Pamphlets, Diaries and Journals, Legal and Government Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Memorabilia and Ephemera, Newspapers and Magazines, Photographs

Time Period: Before 1760, 1760-1779, 1780-1799, 1800-1819, 1820-1839, 1840-1859, 1860-1879, 1880-1899, 1900-1919, 1920-1939, 1940-1959

Collection Inventory: mc1999.06.pdf

1824-1872

Thomas Creigh (1808-1880), Dickinson Class of 1828, attended Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained by the Carlisle Presbytery in 1831. He served as a pastor in Mercersburg, Pa. The collection includes two notebooks from Creigh's student…

Location: MC 2007.3

Subject: Religion and Spirituality, Literary Pursuits, Dickinson College Student Life, Health and Medicine

Format: Diaries and Journals, Letters/Correspondence, Poetry and Lyrics

Time Period: 1820-1839, 1840-1859, 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: mc2007.03.pdf

1818-1889

The collection consists of student notes, correspondence, speeches and commissions related to John A. J. Creswell, Dickinson College class of 1848 and Postmaster General, 1869-1874. The collection also includes an account book kept by Creswell's…

Location: MC 2010.2

Subject: Dickinson College Student Life, Economics and Finance, Education, Legal Affairs, Politics and Government

Format: Financial Documents, Letters/Correspondence, Notes and Notebooks, Speeches and Sermons

Time Period: 1800-1819, 1820-1839, 1840-1859, 1860-1879, 1880-1899

Collection Inventory: mc2010.02.pdf

1921-1975

This collection consists of the essays and sermons of Walter L. Crowding, Dickinson Class of 1925 and Methodist minister. Most of the essays are written upon various topics in religion, but also included are treatises on art and literature. The…

Location: MC 2001.12

Subject: Carlisle and Cumberland County, Literary Pursuits, Politics and Government, Religion and Spirituality, Social Reform and Advocacy, Visual and Performing Arts

Format: Essays and Dissertations, Speeches and Sermons

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

Collection Inventory: mc2001.12.pdf

1861-1864

John T. Cuddy (1844-1864) was the son of John and Agnes Cuddy of Carlisle. Not much is known about his early childhood. At the age of 16 he enlisted in a local Pennsylvania regiment as a drummer boy and thus entered the Civil War. The collection…

Location: MC 2001.9

Subject: Military Affairs and Conflict, Personal and Family Life

Format: Letters/Correspondence, Photographs

Time Period: 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: mc2001.09.pdf

c.1870

This collection reflects the three year period in which Andrew Curtin served as minister to Russia, and is arranged in two series: Photograph Albums and Loose Photographs. The albums are housed in one document box, while the loose photographs are…

Location: MC 2001.21

Subject: International Affairs, Personal and Family Life, Travel and Tourism

Format: Photographs

Time Period: 1860-1879

Collection Inventory: mc2001.21.pdf