George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers

The online collection includes more than 3,500 scans of photographs, maps, and documents relating to Earhart. Copies of the maps that were used on her last flight are available as well as photographs that she took while on the flight and mailed back to her husband. Earhart's medals are also available online. These include the U. S. Distinguished Flying Cross, the Lindbergh Medal, and the National Geographic Society Medal. An interactive map of Earhart's flight is included on the web site. New additions include personal correspondence, her marriage license and her prenuptial agreement.

To learn about the entire Amelia Earhart collection read the detailed finding aid. To browse the online Earhart collection use Purdue's e-Archives.

Amelia Earhart at Purdue

This collection documents Earhart's association with Purdue University. In 1935, Earhart joined the staff of Purdue University, serving as a counselor on careers for women. In 1936, the Purdue Research Foundation donated funds to purchase Earhart's "flying laboratory." The Lockheed Model 10E Electra was used on her first and second attempts at world flight.

Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

Archival institutions routinely create detailed inventories and guides that describe the collections of primary source materials under their control. These inventories and guides, commonly called archival finding aids, provide more complete information about a collection than is available in the Purdue Libraries Online Catalog.

Engineering Bulletin

The Engineering Bulletin series records more than a century of research at Purdue.  The first portion of the bulletin to go online is the Industrial Waste Conference.  Held from 1948 to 1997 the conference has presented cutting edge research on pollution control in an industrial setting.  For the first time users are able to keyword search the entire collection as well as search by title, and author.  We have also supplied a year by year view. 

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Collection

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were pioneers in the field of industrial management. Filmed time-motion studies were one method they used to attempt to find the "one best way" to do a myriad of tasks in industrial, office and domestic settings. Frank Gilbreth took over 250,000 feet of 35mm film and was able to increase the efficiency of repetitive tasks in these settings.

The Helen Gougar Collection

Helen Gouger, an early Indiana Temperance leader, member of the Indiana Bar and a political worker argued before the Tippecanoe county court that women should receive the vote. Miss Gouger was the author of the municipal women suffrage law in Kansas. This collection is a transcript of her case in Superior Court of Tippecanoe County, January 10, 1895.

Krannert Alumni Magazine

This is the complete collection of the Krannert Alumni Magazine, from the first publication (spring 1969) to the present. The Krannert Alumni Magazine provides an account of the school of management’s efforts to address ever-evolving issues of management education, often addressing social concerns of the time. The result is a unique and in-depth history of one of the nation’s premier management programs.

Charles Alexandre Lesueur Collection of Works of Art on Paper

The Charles Alexandre Lesueur Collection (circa 1800-1846; 42 items) contains twenty-five pencil, pastel, charcoal and watercolor sketches on paper by Lesueur. Many of the sketches document life in New Harmony, Indiana, and these works are most likely dated according to Lesueur’s stay in Indiana, from 1826 to 1837. The collection also includes seventeen pencil and watercolor sketches attributed to Virginia Dupalais, Lesueur’s niece and pupil who lived with him in New Harmony, or Lucy Sistare [Say], a fellow artist teaching at New Harmony.

Medieval Manuscripts

Selected Medieval Manuscript pages from Archives and Special Collections exhibited in this collection. The pages include an Anthology of poetry, a sample of Chinese block printing, several pages from the Old Testament, and a page from the Book of Hours.

Purdue Athletics

Photos of many of Purdue’s great athletes may be found here. The collection includes football, basketball, baseball and many other sports. One unique port ion of the collection is the 1903 train wreck. The Purdue team was traveling via train to Indianapolis to play IU. The wreck killed 17 people and nearly bankrupted the athletic department. One survivor, Harry “Skittle” Leslie went on to become Governor of Indiana.

Purdue University Administrative and Associations

This collection contains images of the university’s Board of Trustees, major benefactors, and presidents of the university. Other images record registration in the Armory, the first all university convocation, radio station WBAA, Office of the University Editor, Purdue Women’s club, and transportation service, and the placement service.

Purdue Colleges and Departments

This collection of images tells the story of Purdue’s colleges and departments. There are many historical images relating to the College of Agriculture, Technology, Liberal Arts and Veterinary Medicine. There are also images that relate to the Cooperative Extension Service.

Purdue Alumni

Purdue alums are found worldwide in a great many fields of endeavor. Internationally recognized for their accomplishments in the humanities, sciences, and engineering, many of Purdue's accomplished graduates came from just down the street. George Ade, born in Kentland, Indiana, was a noted author and playwright. His friend, John T. McCutcheon (South Raub), was known as the dean of American political cartoonists. And David Ross of Brookston invented the modern steering gear for automobiles.

Today our famous alums include more than 20 astronauts. In addition to the collection we have an electronic exhibit. Wherever man is exploring frontiers, Purdue alums will be involved.

Purdue Buildings and Campus Scenes

This photograph shows the campus from an earlier era. It is a view of Memorial Mall from inside the Agricultural Experiment Station, now Agricultural Administration. Other images include an 1898 campus map, images of Ladies/Art Hall, Michael Golden Laboratories as well as aerial views of the campus through the years.

Visit us often, as our online collection of campus photographs grows. By 2009 we have added more than 2,500 images of campus from the very earliest years to today.

Purdue Faculty

The online collection currently has about 367 images of Purdue faculty from Michael Golden to Herbert Brown. Of particular interest is the Cecil Warner scrapbook. Professor Warner worked with many of Purdue’s students that went onto become astronauts. Several thousand images are held in the Archives but have not been scanned to date.

Purdue Students

Many photographs of Purdue students starting with early theatrical productions through current images of students on water slides. Many photographs are from the Purdue Playshop. Other images include Freshman Firstnighter, literary society photos, a photo of a student riding in an open air car.

Purdue History in Photographs

Purdue Photo history some of the earliest images of Boilermaker Pete and the Boilermaker Special. Other images include the campus pump, Dr Elliott, scenes of the 1913 flood, an early football poster, Gala Week, the launching of the S.S. Purdue Victory, Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt, the Old Oaken Bucket, Dr. Hovde, as well as many of the early presidents of Purdue University.

Purdue History in Print

This is a collection of publications that describe the history of Purdue. Included are The Debris (yearbook), The Board of Trustees Minutes, Krannert Magazine, Purdue Policy Archives, and Purdue Historical Publications. Some of the titles in the Purdue Historical Publications collection are; A Century and Beyond, Hail Purdue, and The Story of Purdue Engineering.

Purdue Oral History

The program captures reminiscences by individuals who have been associated with the University and its growth, changes and history. These interviews will aid in enriching our understanding of the history of Purdue University by retaining oral evidence of past decisions, events, accomplishments, programs and the general growth of the University through first-hand accounts by key individuals who participated in or actively observed the evolution of the University.

The Purdue Pharmacist

The Purdue Pharmacist has been published continuously since 1924.  It chronicles the history of what is now named the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences from its early years to the present, varying over time between student and faculty editors.  Major innovations developed by the faculty were often reported alongside student and alumni achievements and other campus activities pertaining to the school. The early issues, with a photograph of the school building on the cover,  provide a historical image of how the campus has changed.  The journal itself offers a visual timeline of the long history of the school from the initial use of text and pen and ink drawings to full color photographs

Purdue University Newsreels

Archives and Special Collections in cooperation with the Purdue Alumni Association brings you 51 Purdue Newsreels spanning more than 70 years of Purdue History. The first newsreel produced in 1935 chronicles a young Purdue with only 7,000 students and 74 buildings. In the 50's students arrived at Purdue via train! Come and see the face of Purdue change.

SVM Report

The SVM Report, formerly known as the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Update, has been published continuously since 1975.  It chronicles the history of what is now named the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine from that time to the present.  Major accomplishments of the faculty, staff and students are reported along with news about curriculum changes, facility improvements, alumni achievements and other campus events of interest to constituents of the school.  The newsletter itself offers a visual timeline of the school from the era of black & white to full color photographs.

George Winter Collection of Writings and Paintings

As one of Indiana’s best known artists, George Winter is credited with documenting the forced relocation of Native Americans from Indiana in his artwork. Purdue's Archives and Special Collections has partnered with the Tippecanoe County Historical Association (TCHA), owner of the George Winter Collection, to digitize key pieces.