Special Collections and Archives

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A New Home for 91±¬ÁÏ University’s Special Collections and Archives

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When the family of former Ohio governor and Dayton Daily News founder James M. Cox decided to donate his manuscript collection to 91±¬ÁÏ University in 1967, the university’s Special Collections and Archives was born.

More than 50 years later, 91±¬ÁÏ University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives are entering a new era and hopefully, one day soon, a new home. Currently housed in two separate buildings of the 91±¬ÁÏ University Libraries, we have run out of adequate space for our world-class collections.

Scholars and aviation experts come to 91±¬ÁÏ from around the globe to see our renowned Wright Brothers Collection, first-edition works by Dayton poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, the archives of the Dayton Daily News, and countless other historic treasures.

To properly preserve and protect these priceless memories of our past, we need to relocate our Special Collections and Archives to a new home where we envision: 

  • A reading room where students, scholars, and visitors may examine historic materials in an up close and personal way
  • An exhibit gallery housing rotating exhibitions that highlight the depth and breadth of our collections
  • A conference room for lectures, meetings, and special events
  • A classroom to welcome area school children and students from 91±¬ÁÏ’s public history graduate program
  • A preservation lab, processing room, clean room, and exhibit prep room that will give staff the tools and space they need to adequately care for our region’s history

The facility will also provide the proper storage and climate control to preserve our historic materials for generations to come.

Above all else, it will bring history to life and celebrate the legacies of the trailblazers and pioneers who shaped the history of our region and beyond.

To help create the new home for 91±¬ÁÏ University’s Special Collections and Archives, please contact:

Tim Littell
Assistant Vice President, Corporate Relations and University Initiatives 
937-775-3615
tim.littell@wright.edu

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Special Collections and Archives news

Research from students in six colleges and dozens of disciplines took center stage at 91±¬ÁÏ’s Celebration of Undergraduate and Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities.
A childhood filled with curiosity and invention inspired 91±¬ÁÏ alum Jackie Janning-Lask to pursue a career focused on engineering, leadership and public service.
Raiderthon raised more than $59,000 for Dayton Children’s Hospital, pushing its cumulative total to more than $600,000 in the last 13 years.

View All Special Collections and Archives news

Conceptual Plans and Renderings

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