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Rare Books

Manuscript Collections

  • Records of the A.K. Rice Institute - The records of the A.K. Rice Institute (1967-2006) consist of board meeting minutes, calendars of events, membership directories, publications, and scientific meeting programs.
  • Adyar Library, Institute for Vaisnava Studies & American University Collection of Vaisnava Literature - The Adyar Library and Institute for Vaisnava Studies microfilm collection contains text of rare documents in Hindu literature. The collection is the culmination of the ambitious Matysa Project, directed by Charles White, AU professor of religion, and is the only collection of its kind in the United States.
  • Esther Ballou - Esther Ballou was an organist and an extremely popular and innovative professor of music at American University from 1955 until 1972. Her papers consist of scores, correspondence, class notes, manuscripts, student papers, and photographs.
  • Bannockburn Archive - Bannockburn Cooperators Inc. was established in 1946. The Bannockburn Archive (1928-2008) consists of construction records, correspondence, financial documents, house plans, membership records, and meeting minutes.
  • Barlett & Steele Archives - The Barlett and Steele Archive (1971-2010) consists of materials created and collected by journalists Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele in connection with their research for published and unpublished newspaper and magazine articles and books. The files relate to a variety of topics including criminal justice, energy, federal housing programs, foreign aid, Howard Hughes, illegal immigration, Indian gaming, litigation, nuclear waste, Olympics, Nelson A. Rockefeller, and taxes.
  • Bauman Bible Telecasts - The Bauman Bible Telecasts are from the first college course in religion offered on commercial television and the first educational program at the college level in the Washington area (1958-1992). Each program consisted of a short lecture and an unrehearsed, live discussion with students about the Bible. This collection contains audio, film, and video recordings of the telecasts and associated books and papers.
  • Dorothy Gondos Beers - Dorothy Gondos Beers was a professor of history at AU from 1947 through 1974. She served as Chair of the Department of History and Dean of Women (1949-1953). Her papers include materials relating to her service in the WAVES during World War II, personal and professional correspondence, newspaper clippings on her career at AU, awards and letters of appreciation, manuscripts relating to her research into the history of Philadelphia and other writings.
  • Ed Bliss - Ed Bliss worked for CBS New from 1943 to 1968, when he joined the AU faculty to found the broadcast journalism program. His papers (1920s-1980s) include research files for his book on the history of broadcast journalism, press releases, scripts, speeches, testimonies, and transcripts.
  • Joseph Blum - Joseph Blum was a computer science professor at AU in the 1970s and 1980s. His papers include biographical material (1975-1987); course materials (1983-1999); general mathematical notes; documents relating to his work with the Mathematical Sciences Speaker Program (1963-1968) and the United Seniors Health Cooperative (1990-1993); and writings (1973-2001).
  • W. Donald Bowles - W. Donald Bowles was a professor of economics at American University prior to serving as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (1965-1969) and Vice President of Academic Affairs (1969-1974). Bowles' papers (1949-1995) consist of budgets, correspondence (personal & professional), curriculum development materials, financial documents, newspaper clippings, publications, reports, research files, statistics, and teaching materials.
  • Randolph Carr - Randolph Carr was the Co-Director and Coordinator of Language programs at the Asia Research Center. He taught Hindi at AU (1969-1970). Carr's papers contain publications, correspondence, notes, and language instruction materials related to his research about Asian cultures and languages. Carr's research focused primarily on Dravidian and Sino-Tibetan languages. In addition, it includes documents pertaining to Carr's academic and professional activities, including his work with the Peace Corps (1965-1976), and at the Business Council for International Understanding (1973-1976).
  • Jack Child - Jack Child was a professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies at AU from the 1980s through 2011. His papers consist of teaching and professional materials including course handouts and texts, drawings, lectures, and syllabi as well as manuscripts, research files, slides, and stamps. Child's stamp collection contains albums, first day covers, and individual postage stamps covering over one hundred and fifty years with an emphasis on Latin America, the Caribbean, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica.
  • E. F. Colladay - Edward Francis Colladay served as a member of the board of trustees for the American University (1921-1961) and as AU's legal counsel. His papers consist of records of pledges given to the American University and legal actions taken by the University or against it.
  • Frank W. Collier - Frank W. Collier was a professor of philosophy and Director of Research at AU. His papers (1916-1928) consist of correspondence relating to students, fellowships, appointments and courses at AU.
  • William S. Corby - William S. Corby served on AU's Board of Trustees from1914 to 1935. His papers consist of correspondence relating to the Corby Company (bakery) and refurbishing and furnishing of his house as well as Garfield Memorial Hospital and the Bald Peak Country Club.
  • Charles W. Corddry Jr. - Charles W. Corddry Jr. wrote for the United Press news wire service and the Baltimore Sun. He was one of the original panelists on Washington Week in Review (1967-1991). His papers include appointment diaries (1957-1988), articles written and collected by Corddry, audiovisual materials (1962-1991), awards, correspondence (1941-1996), notes, photographs (1948-1995), scripts (1967-1991), and speeches (1950-1996).
  • Ed Cox - Ed Cox, a DC native, wrote poetry about Washington, DC and Baltimore. Cox's papers include correspondence and original poetry as well as files relating to the poetry workshops he organized for senior citizens in DC (1969-2001). His poetry covered a broad range of issues including alcoholism and gay rights.
  • Owen Cylke papers, circa 1964-2000, undated - Owen Cylke is a retired development professional and senior foreign service officer whose career with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spanned 1966 to 1989 and included positions in various capital development offices and economic assistance missions located in Washington, D.C., regions of Africa, Afghanistan, Egypt, and India. This collection documents Cylke's roles at USAID between 1977 and 1987 spanning his early position as program officer in Africa to his later roles as Deputy Director and Director for U.S. Economic Assistance Missions to Afghanistan, Egypt, and India. The collection also documents Cylke’s later roles as a policy consultant for environmental practices in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Some significant topics represented in the collection include U.S. development policy, foreign assistance, and economic development.
  • Harold Davis - Harold Davis held a joint position in the Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of International Service at AU from 1947 through 1973. His papers include correspondence, lectures, manuscripts, and syllabi.
  • Donald Dennis - Donald Dennis served as University Librarian at AU. His papers (1951-1990) contain correspondence, articles, reports and other official documents pertaining to Dennis' graduate education, military service, and various university and library positions.
  • Donald Derby - Donald Derby served in multiple capacities at American University including assistant professor of history, Assistant to the President, Dean of Administration, University Dean, Dean of Faculties, and Secretary of the University. His papers (1955-1969) relate to academic organization, student and faculty affairs, university administration and governance, and the computerization of administrative records.
  • Laszlo Dosa - Laszlo Dosa worked at the Voice of America(1955-1987) for the Hungarian service and as science editor and writer in both the Current Affairs and News Divisions. The radio scripts in this collection cover Dosa's visit to Antarctica in 1966, the Apollo, Viking and Space Shuttle programs, scientific and medical meetings, interviews Dosa conducted with scientists, and a variety of topics including energy and environment and technology.
  • Bob Edwards - Bob Edwards Papers document his radio career at NPR including his time as co-host of All Things Considered (1974-1979) and as host of Morning Edition (1979-2004). The collection consists of correspondence, NPR publications, publicity materials, and the response to his removal as host of Morning Edition. Also featured are materials relating to his books on Red Barber and Edward R. Murrow.
  • Duncan Emrich - Duncan Emrich was a folklorist who was affiliated with the Library of Congress and American University. He taught at AU from 1969 until 1977. His papers include information on his military service as well as teaching materials. The folklore materials document a variety of topics including college songs, courtship, and recipes.
  • Daphne Gail Fautin papers, 1966-2015 - The Daphne Gail Fautin Papers document Daphne’s tenure as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malaysia between 1966 and 1968. Materials include correspondence, personal documentation, magazines, and training books.
  • Anthony J. Fazio Direct Mail Archive - This archive (1990s-2000s) consists of brochures, bumper stickers, door hangers, letterhead and postcards produced by California based political consulting firm, Winning Directions, for local, state, and national political campaigns in California and across the United States as well as businesses.
  • Federal Professional Association/Federal Executive and Professional Association - This collection documents the formation and management of the Federal Professional Association and its successor the Federal Executive and Professional Association through correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, membership records, publications, and reports.
  • Charles B. Ferster - Charles B. Ferster, professor of psychology, was a pioneer in behavior modification theory, he established the Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior. His papers (1953-1980) include reprints of articles, lecture notes and outlines, memos on teaching, proposals for educational projects.
  • John J. Finan - John J. Finan was a professor of history at American University. His papers contain his research notes, speeches, and writings regarding grain regulation in Mexico. Some items in this collection are in Spanish.
  • Patrick Frazier Political and Social Movements Collection - This collection contains broadsides, flyers, handbills, photographs and posters and covers all of the major political and social movements of the 1960s and 1970s including civil rights, gay and lesbian rights and feminism as well the anti-nuclear and the Vietnam War protests. The protests featured in this collection are mostly from the Washington, DC area including student protests at American University and the University of Maryland at College Park.
  • Archives of the Frederick Law Olmsted Documentary Editing Project - The archives of the Frederick Law Olmsted Documentary Editing Project contain copies of Frederick Law Olmsted's correspondence, writings, and landscape plans collected from archives around the world as well as historical and contemporary photographs. The editors and project staff also compiled extensive biographical and subject files while researching information for the annotations. In addition, there are administrative files documenting the project's relationship with Johns Hopkins University Press, the editorial process, and fundraising activities including applications and reports to granting agencies.
  • Friends of Colombia Archive - The Friends of Colombia Archives was established by the Friends of Colombia (FOC), an organization for returned Peace Corps volunteers from Colombia, to document their lives and careers during and after their service in the Peace Corps. The files include organizational records of FOC (1988 to present) including biographies of all Peace Corps volunteers in Colombia (1961-1980), correspondence, and newsletters as well as materials donated by individual members. These materials consist of interviews, letters, and photos.
  • Friends of Ghana Archive - The Friends of Ghana's mission is to help promote a better understanding of the Ghanaian people, to serve as an essential resource for and about the Peace Corps Ghana community; and to facilitate its members' engagement in Ghanaian issues. The Friends of Ghana Archive consists of annual reports, financial statements, and newsletters documenting its activities including Peace Corps partnership projects in Ghana.
  • Friends of Nigeria Archive - The Friends of Nigeria was founded in 1996. The archive consists of annual reports, budgets, by-laws, financial records, legal documents, membership directories, minutes, and newsletters. Also included are newsletters from two earlier organizations of Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Nigeria. Of note are audio recordings, correspondence, memoirs and photographs contributed by individual Peace Corps Volunteers depicting their experiences in Nigeria.
  • Bill Gentile Photojournalism Collection - Bill Gentile was Newsweek Magazine's Contract Photographer for Latin America and the Caribbean. His collection (1983-2002) of over 30,000 images covers 16 Caribbean and Latin American countries including Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua. The slides and negatives document agriculture, daily life, demonstrations, earthquakes, elections, religion, politics and women's health. The collection also includes images of the Persian Gulf War.
  • Ella F. Harlee - Ella Fullmore Harllee taught speech at AU (1945-53). She supervised the AU Radio Television Guild, which produced numerous radio and TV programs, and was also an innovator in religious programming for radio and television. He papers include biographical, course information, syllabi, scripts, and reports. Of note are materials from the Speech Club and Radio Television Guild.
  • Lowell H. Hattery - Lowell Hattery was a professor of government and public administration at AU. His papers (1950-1962) include proposals and syllabi for introductory computer courses and police administration programs to be offered at AU as well as specifications for an Electronic Data Processing lab at AU.
  • Felisberto Hernández - Felisberto Hernández was a short story writer from Montevideo, Uruguay who was known for his "bizarre" tales of ordinary life. His papers include correspondence, musical compositions, speeches, and writings. The collection contains a copy of the short story he wrote in 1960 entitled, "La Casa Inundada" (The Flooded House).
  • Helene Herzbrun - Abstract painter Helene Herzbrun was a professor at American University for over twenty years. Her papers (1948-1988) contain biographical information, brochures from Herzbrun's art shows, course materials, correspondence, slides of Herzbrun's paintings, and sales records.
  • John R. Hickman Collection
  • Warren S. Hunsberger - Warren S. Hunsberger was the founding director of AU's Center for Asian Studies. His papers include manuscripts, correspondence, relating to his book Japan's Quest (1994-1997), and material on the Japan-America Society of Washington (1971-1990).
  • Bishop John Fletcher Hurst (American University Founder) - Bishop John Fletcher Hurst was Bishop of the Washington District of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the U.S. as well as the founder of American University. His papers document his activities on behalf of both including his interest in the history of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the U.S. The collection includes correspondence, diaries, sermons, and writings dating from 1849 until Hurst's death in1903.
  • Institute on World Organization - The Institute on World Organization was founded in 1941 to promote the study and discussion of international relations and international organization. The Institute held monthly discussion dinners on a variety of topics including world affairs such as communism and the Suez Canal, U.S. foreign policy, and the United Nations. The Records of the Institute on World Organization document its activities from its founding in 1941 through its demise in the 1960s. The collection includes a comprehensive set of minutes and treasurer's reports as well as conference materials, correspondence, financial records, membership lists, and publications. The conference proceedings include summaries of the presentations. Laura Dreyfus-Barney collected much of the early material.
  • Gregg Jones - Gregg Jones, journalist and foreign correspondent, was based in Asia for almost ten years. His papers contain copies of his articles, interviews, and notes as well as radio broadcasts and memorabilia. Of note are materials relating to the 1986 presidential election in the Philippines, Corazon Aquino's presidency, and the controversy surrounding the Plaza Miranda bombing.
  • Roger W. Jones - Roger Warren Jones served as distinguished adjunct professor in residence in AU's School of Public Affairs. His papers consist of correspondence, interviews, Jones family history documents, news clippings, photographs, publications, and speeches.
  • Janice F. Jorgensen papers, 1963-1968 - Janice F. Jorgensen served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic between 1966 and 1968. This collection contains materials documenting Jorgensen’s Peace Corps application acceptance in 1962, her training and preparation, as well as her time in the Dominican Republic as a volunteer.
  • Jeffery King Crime Files - Jeffery King's research files on crime and the war on crime in the 1920s and early 1930s, in particular relating to John Dillinger, Pretty Boyd Floyd, Baby Face Nelson and their associates, consist of copies of contemporary newspapers articles, photographs, and materials from FBI files.
  • Allan J. Lichtman - Allan J. Lichtman, professor of history at AU, is a leading expert on presidential and congressional campaigns and voting behavior. His papers (1973-1999) document his service as an expert witness in federal voting rights and redistricting cases.
  • Lura Bradfield Foundation - Lura Bradfield Foundation was established by the Lura Colvin Bradfield Estate in 1996. It provided scholarships for higher education for women who demonstrated financial need and grants to institutions to provide assistance to women who have been abused. The Foundation archive (1997-2009) includes brochures, correspondence, newsletters, and information on the grants and scholarships it provided.
  • Samuel J. MacWatters - Samuel MacWatters was a counseling professor in sacred literature at AU. His papers (1897-1920) consist of biographical and genealogical information, compositions and correspondence. Amongst the compositions are the words and music for the American University hymn (1917).
  • Paul V. Maris - Paul V. Maris served as Director of Farm Ownership Division and Acting Director of Rural Rehabilitation for the Farm Security Administration. His papers (1952-55) relate to his work on land reform and rural development in Iran.
  • Leon C. Marshall - Leon C. Marshall was a professor of political economy at AU from 1936 until 1948. His papers consist of articles, books, course materials, manuscripts, notes, pamphlets photographic negatives, and reports.
  • Artemas Martin - Artemas Martin (1835-1918) edited and published several mathematical magazines. His papers include correspondence, lists, mathematical conference proceedings and journals, published and unpublished mathematical papers and problems, and newspapers.
  • Charles Capen McLaughlin - Charles C. McLaughlin was a professor of history at AU and editor of the Frederick Law Olmsted Papers. His papers (1960-1999) include correspondence and financial records of the Friends of the Frederick Law Olmsted Papers, reviews, syllabi and notes for courses he taught at American University, manuscript materials and other documents relating to work on Olmsted by Charles E. Beveridge.
  • Dorothy A. and Charles A. Moore Jr. Japanese Woodblock Print Collection - This collection contains Ukiyoe and Shin-hanga prints by a variety of artists including Chikanobu, Konubu Hasegawa, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kaoru Kawano, Kunichika, Kuniyoshi, Tomikichiro Tokuriki, Toyokuni, Utamaro, and Yoshitoshi. The prints feature bathing scenes, Kabuki performances, landscapes, the Meiji government, and samurai amongst other subjects.
  • Caroline Moser Gender and Development Collection - Caroline Moser specializes in social policy and urban social anthropology. She is known for her field-based approach to research on the informal sector. Moser's Gender and Development Collection consists of published and unpublished 'grey' literature from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s including research she performed for the World Bank. Featured topics are as follows: gender and planning; gender and development theoretical debates relating to women in international development (1970s-1980s); gender policies (1980s-1990s); women and the informal sector, housing, land, employment, households; and women's organizations.
  • Albert D. Mott - Albert D. Mott was a founding faculty member of the School of International Service. Dr. Mott's two-semester foundation course, "The Western Tradition," was a requirement for the SIS major. His papers (1940s-2000s) include audiovisual materials (audio tapes and films); correspondence; diaries; manuscripts; photographs; research files; slides; and teaching materials (syllabi and notes). His research files include articles and notes on a variety of topics including expressionism and Lafcadio Hearn. Some of the articles are in German.
  • Gert Mueller - Gert Mueller was a professor of Sociology at American University. His papers consist of unpublished manuscripts and tables (1954-2003) and articles and notes relating to influential sociologists such as Émile Durkheim.
  • Myra MacPherson Research Collection on I.F. Stone - Myra MacPherson, a former journalist, is the author of several books including All Governments Lie: The Life and Times of Rebel Journalist I.F. Stone. This collection consists of interview recordings and transcripts, newspaper articles by and about I.F. Stone, subject files, and Stone's FBI file.
  • Joseph J. Napolitan - Joseph J. Napolitan was a political campaign consultant. His papers include materials from the U.S. presidential campaigns of John F. Kennedy, Al Gore, and Howard Dean as well as campaigns in Panama, Roumania, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. Of note are a campaign manual and speech from Kennedy's 1960 campaign and Napolitan's "Thoughts on Political Consulting."
  • Records of the National Commission on the Public Service (Volker Commission) - The papers of the first National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission, 1987-1990) include correspondence, minutes, and reports.
  • Records of the National Peace Corps Association - This collection reflects the development of the organization from its founding in the late 1970s to the present.
  • Anna K. Nelson - Anna K. Nelson (1933-2012) was an expert on access to and declassification of government records, the John F. Kennedy assassination, and the origins and evolution of the national security state in the United States. She was an adjunct professor 1986-1988, 1992-1995 and a Distinguished Historian-in-Residence 1996-2012 at American University. Her papers in both analog and digital format consist of audiovisual materials including interviews and oral histories; speeches and writings; teaching materials such as course notes and syllabi; research files relating to the National Security Council and women in the foreign policy establishment in particular, Anna Rosenberg; and materials on the classification and declassification of government records.
  • - Robert Nickelsberg worked as a TIME magazine contract photographer for nearly thirty years, specializing in political and cultural change in developing countries. After covering Central and South America and the conflicts taking place there in the mid 1980s, he established his base in Asia. Living in New Delhi from 1988 to 1999, Nickelsberg recorded the rise of religious extremism in South Asia. His work has also encompassed Iraq, Kuwait, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia. Nickelsberg has documented Afghanistan since 1988, when he accompanied a group of mujahideen crossing the border from Pakistan. The digital collection features selected images from Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1980s. More images will be added in the future.
  • Albert Osborne Diary - Albert Osborne's diary documents the activities of Bishop John F. Hurst on behalf of AU. Osborne was the 1st Registrar, Librarian, and Secretary of AU's Board of Trustees.
  • Ellen S. Overton - Ellen S. Overton was a delegate to several international and national women's conferences. Her papers contain briefing books, lists of participants, newspapers, photographs, programs, publications, and reports from the following conferences: Beijing (1995), Copenhagen (1980), Houston (1977), Kenya (1985), and Mexico City (1975).
  • - The Peace Corps Community Archive consists of materials created and acquired by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers during their service such as correspondence, diaries, films, photographs, reports, scrapbooks, and sound recordings.
  • Drew Pearson Papers and Merry-Go-Round Collections
  • Phi Delta Gamma National Fraternity for Graduate Women - The Alpha Chapter of the Phi Delta Gamma's National Fraternity for Graduate Women was established at American University in 1923. The mission of Phi Delta Gamma is "to foster a fraternal spirit among women pursuing graduate and professional courses in colleges and universities." The Phi Delta Gamma Archive consists of convention proceedings and minutes (1927-2011)and Executive Committee minutes (1992-2011) as well as bylaws, coat of arms, correspondence, handbooks, history, membership directories, newsletters, newspaper clippings, photographs, policies and procedures, and publications.
  • William G. Phillips - William G. Phillips (1923-1990) was the founding president of the National Council for Industrial Defense. He served in a variety of capacities on Capitol Hill including as staff director of the House Committees on Education and Labor and Government Operations and as congressional aide to two congressmen. His papers consist of correspondence, government documents, polls, reports, and press releases and document a range of topics including the Freedom of Information Act, the Presidential Records Act of 1978, and occupational safety and health.
  • John Pielemeier papers, 1973-2015 - John Pielemeier served in multiple positions with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) between 1970 and 1994. After he retired from USAID, Pielemeier became an independent consultant. This collection documents Pielemeier’s work in international development with the USAID in Latin America, Africa, and Asia between 1973 and 1994 and his work in various projects and roles as an independent consultant between 1994 and 2015.
  • Records of the Potomac River Archaeology Survey - The Potomac River Archaeology Survey, part of American University's Department of Anthropology, conducted research within the Potomac River watershed and greater surrounding Mid-Atlantic region for over four decades. This collection contains site survey records, contact sheets and negatives of dig sites and excavated items from sites in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and an archaeological field catalog.
  • Ellen Poulsen Research Collection on the Women of the Dillinger Gang - This collection consists of biographical and subject files compiled by Ellen Poulsen for her book, Don't Call Us Molls: Women of the John Dillinger Gang. Contents include: birth records, Department of Justice memos, death records, FBI case files and reports, marriage records, newspaper articles, prison records and trial proceedings.
  • Records of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington - This collection documents the formation and management of RPCV/W from its founding in 1979 to the present and includes bylaws, correspondence, financial records, membership directories, and minutes.
  • John R. Reynolds - John R. Reynolds was an editor for University Publications at AU. His papers relate to the publication "Highlights in the History of the American University, 1889-1976".
  • Arnold Sagalyn - Arnold Sagalyn's papers document aspects of his career in law enforcement including his work with the Kerner Commission, FEMA, Interpol, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, and the Treasury department. The collection includes published and unpublished articles and reports (1961-2003); memoranda, transcripts and notes (1961-2004); a scrapbook of Christmas cards from Interpol heads and officers from around the world (1964-1967); pamphlets on drug and drug abuse (1966-1970); and training documents for governmental agencies (1961-1980).
  • Malvin and Irma Schechter - Malvin Schechter (1931-2011) was a journalist and leading authority on geriatrics and aging. Irma (Cohen) Schechter (1933 -) worked closely with her husband including serving as editor of his book on long-term care and several aging publications. This collection (1932-2010) consists of audio and video recordings, correspondence, and writings by Irma and Malvin Schechter. It contains information on Schechter's lawsuits to obtain the inspection records of nursing homes under FOIA as well as copies of many of the publications they wrote and/or edited including Aging Services News, Aging Research & Training News and The Schechter Report: LABS. Also included are subject files on a variety of issues relating to aging such as long term care insurance, National Health Insurance policies and Medicare.
  • Catherine Seckler-Hudson - Catherine Seckler-Hudson was the founder and first Chair of AU's Department of Government and Public Affairs. She taught at AU from 1933 through1963. Her papers include correspondence, course files, lecture notes, and writings.
  • Raymond John Seeger - Raymond J. Seeger was an adjunct professor at AU. His papers (1930-1974) include manuscripts and off-prints of his articles on physics and Christian education.
  • Jurg Siegenthaler - Jurg Siegenthaler was a Professor of Sociology at American University. His papers consist of articles, books, conference presentations, and unpublished reports relating to industrialization, work and technology, aging issues including social insurance and pensions, and financial literacy (1965-2015). The collection includes a translation of the draft 1977 Swiss Constitution and two manuscripts on economic/socio-economic change and the Mafia in Sicily.
  • Shannon & Luchs Archive - Shannon & Luchs was a DC-based real estate firm. Its archive documents the firm's business activities and history. Highlights of the collection include appraisal reports, corporate records, scrapbooks, photographs, and marketing materials.
  • Walter Francis Shenton - Walter F. Shenton was a professor of mathematics at AU (1924-1956). He served as Chair of the Math Department. His papers (1910-1967) include manuscripts and reprints of articles, lecture notes, correspondence, photographs, and a scrapbook. Of note is a study of the mathematics books published in America before 1851 in the Artemas Martin Collection.
  • Gordon Smith - The papers of Gordon Smith, professor of music at AU (1947-1982), include correspondence, manuscripts, recordings (audio and video) of classical and jazz music, and ethnographic recordings.
  • Sally L. Smith - Sally L. Smith's Papers (1950s-2000s) document her contributions to the field of learning disabilities especially her work as an educator at American University and The Lab School of Washington. The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts of published and unpublished monographs, speeches, and syllabi.
  • Sri Lanka Conflict Events and State Sanctioned Violence Data - This collection was compiled by John Richardson and a team of Sri Lankan researchers and covers the period from 1948 until 1988.
  • Staples & Charles - Staples & Charles Ltd. (1973-2018) planned and designed museum exhibitions. Their clients, both national and international, included The Coca-Cola Company; Detroit Institute of Arts; the Landeszeughaus (historic armory) Graz, Austria; Monticello; The Sixth Floor Museum; the South African Brewery World of Beer, Johannesburg; and several of the Smithsonian Institution's museums. Project files consist of artwork, catalogues, design and fabrication binders, drawings, photographs, posters, press kits, programs, publications, and reviews. 
  • I.F. Stone - This collection was compiled by I.F. Stone and his family. It includes articles, biographical information, book reviews, correspondence, interview transcripts, and publicity for Stone's speaking events. Of note are audio and video recordings of Stone's television appearances and speeches (1974-1984).
  • Jeremy J. Stone - Jeremy J. Stone served as President of the Federation of American Scientists from 1970 until 2000 when he founded a small non-profit, Catalytic Diplomacy His papers (1956-2006) include articles, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and reports compiled for his two memoirs, "Every Man Should Try": Adventures of a Public Interest Activist (1999) and Catalytic Diplomacy: Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran (2009).
  • - Herbert E. Striner (1922-2015) was an economist and former Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University. This collection consists of black & white negatives, color slides, and color negatives depicting a wide variety of subjects in the United States and abroad from the 1940s to 1998 including Washington, DC landmarks such as the National Cathedral and C&O Canal.
  • Ron Sutton Research Collection on Robert Drew - Ronald E. Sutton was a professor in the Visual Media Program at AU. The collection contains research materials related to the work of film journalist and documentarian Robert Drew. This includes articles, books, and dissertations related to Robert Drew, correspondence between P.J. O'Connell and Robert Drew and between Ron Sutton and Robert Drew, transcribed interviews with Robert Drew, Richard Leacock, Donn Pennebaker, and Greg Shuker, as well as miscellaneous documentation, promotions and research notes related to Robert Drew's films.
  • Tenleytown Historical Society Collection, 1865-2020, undated - The Tenleytown Historical Society Collection preserves the records of the Tenleytown Historical Society. Created in 1988, the society was founded to preserve and educate the public on the history of the Tenlytown neighborhood of Washington DC. In addition to research, photographs, and publications, the collection also includes notes and information created by the Society’s founder Judith Beck Helm’s book Tenleytown, DC. Country Village into City Neighborhood.
  • Irene Tinker - Irene Tinker, a pioneer in the field of women in development, taught in the city and regional planning & women's studies departments at the University of California, Berkeley. Her papers consist of articles, publications, and reports relating to Non-Governmental Organizations, International Women's Year and other women's organizations (1970s-1990s). It includes teaching materials from the University of California, Berkeley and American University.
  • Vincent Tocci Research Files on Vietnam - Vincent Tocci, a former Adjunct Professor in AU's School of Communication, served as Chief of Combat News with the Air Force in Saigon and Pentagon media representative during the Vietnam War. Tocci compiled a collection of materials relating to the conflict including articles he wrote (1960s-1970s), Department of Defense photographs, newspaper and magazine articles about Vietnam (1960s-1980s), and other background materials such as a map of the Vietnam Conflict.
  • Ann Van Dusen papers, 1975-2011 - Dr. Ann Van Dusen held leadership roles in multiple bureaus within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) throughout her 20-year career between 1976 and 2001. After her retirement she went on to become the founding director of Georgetown University’s Program for Global Human Development. This collection documents her leadership positions within USAID and her involvement in several notable points within the Agency's history including a case of an agency employee implicated in financial fraud and sexual harassment. Materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, and related documentation.
  • Philip Vaughan - Environmental filmmaker and photographer, Philip Vaughan, made his first film, "Celebration: Children and Trees," when he was 17 to protest the construction of a highway through a local forest where he lived in Iowa. He has traveled the United States and abroad taking photographs of the changing environmental landscape. The slides, negatives, and prints in this collection document pristine scenery and native populations in Alaska, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Costa Rica, Mexico, and West Virginia. Vaughan is also a poet and his collection also includes an unpublished manuscript and notebooks of original poems.
  • Howard M. Wachtel - Howard M. Wachtel has been a professor of Economics at AU since 1969. His papers include articles, correspondence, conference files, and lecture notes.
  • C. Jean Weidemann - C. Jean Weidemann is an expert in micro-lending and community development. Her papers include reports from her work in Africa and South America for USAID's Gemini project (Growth and Equity through Microenterprise Investments and Institutions) as well as research reports and conference materials on topics such as agriculture and family planning covering both Africa and South Asia from the 1970s through the early 2000s.
  • Alfred C. Williams - Alfred Charles Williams (1906-2006) was an architect and peace activist. His papers (1933 -2006) consist of brochures, correspondence, flyers, magazines, newsletters, notebooks, and pamphlets documenting Williams' role in the San Francisco Bay area peace movement including his membership in the Association of World Citizens and the World Federalists Association. The collection contains an extensive subject file covering a variety of topics such as disarmament, the United Nations, and the Vietnam War.
  • Records of Women Strike for Peace - Women Strike for Peace was a movement of volunteer women working to stop the nuclear arms race. This collection features the records of the Washington, DC Chapter and Legislative Office. The files date from 1962 through 2002 and include correspondence, minutes, newsletters and an extensive subject file on topics ranging from Iran Contra to Nuclear Disarmament. Of note are copies of Women Strike for Peace's FBI files that they obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
  • Jack Yocum - Jack Yocum was a professor of performing arts at AU. His papers include biographical information, notes on his courses and his TV program on American drama.
  • Alfred Eckhard Zimmern - Sir Alfred Eckhard Zimmern served as Secretary-General for UNESCO. His papers (1906-1951) include biographical information, correspondence, and information on the League of Nations, UNESCO, and educational matters.

Performing Arts Programs

  • American University Library Performing Arts Program Collection - includes theater, ballet, music and opera programs - Washington, DC, New York (1930s-present)
  • Andrew S. Krulwich Collection - includes theater, opera, ballet, and music programs - Washington, DC, New York (1956-2008) There are a couple of programs from 1905.
  • Iris Lipkowitz Collection - includes ballet, theater, opera and music playbills - Washington, DC, New York (1910s-present)
  • The Adam Natale Family Collection - includes theater playbills and programs - New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and other US cities (1994-present)
  • Shirley and Lester Stein Collection - includes opera, theater, ballet and music playbills - Washington, DC, New York (1940s-present)
  • M. Gordon Tiger Collection - includes music, opera, theater and dance playbills - Washington, DC, New York, and Europe (1930s-present)
  • Theater Program Collections
    • Thomas Bussong Collection - Washington, DC, London, Chicago, New York (1949-1991)
    • James Carroll Collection - Washington, DC, New York, London (1960s-present)
    • Helen Fellows Collection - New York, Florida, London (1940s-1990s)
    • John Morfit Collection - Washington, DC, New York, London (1990s-present)
    • Muriel Orr-Ewing Collection - London, Paris (1940s-1970s)
  • Kennedy Center Honors Programs (1980-2002)

Several of the performing arts program collections have been indexed. The indexes are available on site. Please contact American University Special Collections for additional information.

Papers of University Chancellors and Presidents