Organization of the Archives
The University Archives is comprised of records and documents which have been deposited for safekeeping by various colleges and departments of the university. Each deposit is assigned to a Record Group, a collection of materials from a specific department or college. For example, Record Group (RG) 510 belongs to the College of Arts and Science, while Record Group 310 belongs to the Athletic Department.
Each Record Group can contain hundreds of boxes of material. Currently, there are approximately 10,000 cubic feet of material in the University Archives.
Vanderbilt University Archives
Established by action of the Board of Trust in 1963, the goal of the Archives is to preserve the historical memory of the university through the collection and preservation of historical Vanderbilt university records and artifacts. Among the vast array of material in the Archives, researchers will find departmental 
annual reports, Board of Trust minutes, administration records, theses and dissertations accepted in fulfillment of advanced degree requirements, and university publications.
Due to sensitive material which may be present in the Archives, the most recent 40 years of material is closed to public research. Material prior to this date (1872 through December 1967) is available for public research, with the exception of student records which are restricted regardless of date.
VUMC Archives
Please note that the Medical Center has a separate archive which handles all records relating to the Medical Center and its history. For more information about the Medical archives, please see the History of Medicine web site.
Finding Material in the Archives
Special Collections staff can assist researchers in finding individual files in the Archives. For assistance, send an e-mail about your project to the Archives.
Some journals, newsletters, and newspapers (known as serials or periodicals) published by the university can be found by searching the Library Catalog. Publications with short life spans, however, may not be listed in the catalog. Contact one of our librarians for assistance.
The amount of material available in the Archives may seem overwhelming at first. If you need assistance in locating material, please don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Due to the size of the collection, the University Archives is stored off campus. To get research help or to request Archives material, please call Special Collections at 322-2807 (2-2807 on campus) or contact one of our librarians
