Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Merrick and their children have generously funded the Center and archival program. The Merricks’ gift to the college reflects their life-long interest in many facets of history and their support of the liberal arts experience offered by Allegheny College. The late professor emeritus of political science at Allegheny, Dr. Merrick served as the chair of the political science department for 29 years.
Location
The Wayne and Sally Merrick Historic Archival Center, located on the third floor of Pelletier Library, houses the Allegheny College Archives.
Archival Records Management Program
The Archival Records Management Program assists College Departments in determining what College records are of enduring value, how long they should be kept in the Department and when/whether they should be transferred to the Merrick Archives.
Collections
The Archival Center collects, preserves and makes available for research, historical records of enduring value to the institution, including:
- College records produced or received by employees engaged in official college business
- Records of faculty, staff, administration, student body, alumni and affiliated organizations
- Significant correspondence
- Minutes of committees
- Student and college publications
- Biographical information on alumni, administration, faculty and staff
- Some student theses and memorabilia
- Photographs that document students, activities and physical changes on campus
Special Collections
The Special Collections in the Lawrence Lee Pelletier Library is the repository for rare books and manuscripts given to Allegheny College.
The manuscript and book collections housed in the Merrick Archives and Special Collections at Allegheny College include:
- Institutional records
- Original letters
- Course lecture notes
- Photographs
- Scrapbooks
- Other materials that spotlight the history of Allegheny College and the private lives and public careers of notable figures such as alumni/ae Ida Minerva Tarbell and James Mills Thoburn
The collections also contain extensive print materials relating to the Original Library of Allegheny College, the American Civil War, the history of Methodism, The Campus student newspaper, and many other items of academic and general interest.
Use AggreGator to search for books in Special Collections.
ArchivesSpace
ArchivesSpace is a digitized open-source archives information management system, where you can also search the Merrick Archives and Special Collections manuscript and book collections.
The contents of each collection are organized and described in helpful guides known as finding aids. These guides have been prepared and reviewed by archives staff. Each finding aid provides a description of the collection and its creator, along with a detailed inventory of items included in the collection.
Search our collections in ArchivesSpace.
Events
Each semester, Merrick Archives and Special Collections offers programming showcasing the history of Allegheny College and the rich and varied treasures in these collections. Check the event calendar to find events that interest you.
Social Media
Follow the Merrick Archives and Special Collections on Instagram.