Giving to the College Archives

The College Archives relies on your support to help grow its collections and provide materials that document our shared past. College Archives was established to appraise, collect, organize, describe, preserve, and make available documentation of permanent administrative, legal, fiscal and historical value.

Through the generosity and support of individuals over the years, College Archives has continued to acquire materials that contribute to the richness and diversity of our collections and community. We collect in areas that:

  • support the College’s curriculum and the research interests of its students and faculty
  • anticipate future research needs
  • complement other regional special collections repositories

Through donation and purchase, we acquire materials that support the history of Williams College, including:

  • personal and professional papers from alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College
  • rare books
  • manuscripts
  • research-related material
  • artifacts

For more information, please review our collection development policy.

Current gifts and endowed funds include:

  • The Williamsiana Fund supports Archives Programs and Services broadly.
  • The Rudolph Williamsiana Fund, established in honor of Professor Fred Rudolph on the occasion of his retirement
  • The Whiteman Collection Fund, to support the Paul Whiteman Collection
  • The Plater-Schmidt Fund, to ensure the continued preservation and availability of the College’s historical and cultural property
  • The John T. Gibson ’35 Williamsiana Fund, to support Special Collections

Our staff is here to help guide those interested in donating and entrusting their materials to our care in our safe and secure surroundings. Contact us for further information and we thank you for your generous support!