About UARC's Collections

University Records, Manuscripts and Papers

The University Archives and Records Center at the University of Louisville holds significant primary resources for research in late nineteenth and twentieth century history. Its materials concern the history of the University of Louisville and the Louisville metropolitan area. As "The Memory of the University," the Archives preserves and makes available for research the official records of the University of Louisville, one of the oldest municipal universities in the United States, in accordance with state and federal law and university policy. The archives is also known for its urban history collections, nineteenth and twentieth century records of significant Louisville-area businesses, cultural organizations, social service agencies, and churches, and personal papers of political figures, scholars, and members of the Jewish and African American communities.

UARC does not actively collect materials relating to other areas of Kentucky. Occasionally, small portions of family papers held by UARC may relate to other parts of the state but such materials are rare in the repository's collections.

Oral Histories

The Archives also administers the University's Oral History Center, which preserves over 1,300 taped interviews with university personnel and students, community leaders, members of ethnic communities, workers, and business executives.

Photographic Holdings

The University Archives and Records Center's photographic holdings primarily concern historical images of the University facilities, activities and campuses. UARC's collections of private and organizational materials sometimes also contain photographs relating to the originating families, companies or associations.

For information about recent photographs of the University, please contact University Communications. For information about photographs of Louisville streets and buildings, and photographic collections such as the Roy Stryker and Standard Oil Collections, please contact the Photographic Archives, part of Ekstrom Library's Special Collections.