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Getting the News Out: A Grant for Special Collections

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The Archives and Special Collections Library, under the leadership of Ronald Patkus, Head of Special Collections, College Historian, and Adjunct Associate Professor of History on the Frederick Weyerhaeuser Chair, was awarded a grant by The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation to preserve the records of Vassar’s Communications Office. The work of this office can be traced back to 1915, when the Bureau of Publication was established. Over many years, a substantial body of records has been transferred to the College Archives, and at present, the collection makes up approximately 150 cubic feet, including newspaper clippings about Vassar; official press releases on College activities and happenings; office files, featuring correspondence, subject files, and calendars; audiovisual material, including many photographs, slides, and videotapes; Vassar publications; and more. Seen together, these records provide a detailed, extensive, and valuable window on the history of Vassar College in the modern era, but, until now, this collection has been largely inaccessible. With the Delmas Foundation’s support, the collection will be professionally organized, arranged, and described, and made available to both staff and researchers via a dedicated online finding aid.

Posted
September 17, 2025