Are you interested in Bluffton University history? These sources can help. You can also reach out to archives@bluffton.edu with a specific question, and Carrie Phillips, the Archives and Special Collections Librarian, will respond.
WRITTEN HISTORIES: Consult the books that have been written about Bluffton University's history. Here's a list of their titles, complete with links into the library catalog. There are copies of each in the Reference section of the Archives and Special Collections floor.
YEARBOOK: Look through copies of the ISTA, the University's yearbook, to get a sense of some of the clubs, organizations, and other groups and activities that were happening on campus throughout the years.
Where do I find them? Copies from most years are shelved near the Reading Room, next to the door to the Gray Room, on the main floor. A complete set of yearbooks is kept in the University Archives.
ACADEMIC CATALOG: Look through copies of the academic catalog, which used to be published as part of the Bluffton College Bulletin (see below) and later became a separate publication. Catalogs will list courses taught and will show costs for tuition, room, and board. Older catalogs often provided lists of current students, and most provide a list of faculty teaching at any given time.
Where do I find them? Copies are kept in the Archives and Special Collections area and are available upon request.
STUDENT HANDBOOK: Look through copies of the student handbook, to get a sense of what campus life might have been like through the years, especially for first year students. Handbooks were produced by a number of different campus organizations; more recent handbooks have been produced by the Student Life office.
Where do I find them? You'll need to set up an appointment to browse these items - they're part of the University Archives collection.
CAMPUS PUBLICATIONS: Look through issues of campus publications, such as the Witmarsum (the university's student newspaper) and the Bluffton magazine (formerly the SCOPE and the Bluffton College Bulletin), to learn about newsmaking events involving the university and its students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
Where do I find them? Some are searchable online inside Bluffton University Memory, and others are available by appointment in the University Archives collection.
EVENTS CALENDAR: What happed on this date in Bluffton history? Use the History Events Calendar tab to the left to view an interactive calendar and learn more about notable dates in our university's history.
Where do I find it? Use the tab at the left.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES:
What native peoples lived in the greater Bluffton area prior to the arrival of Swiss Mennonite settlers? What drew those settlers to this area? Who are Mennonites? Learn more by consulting these sources:
