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Michigan State University

Researching MSU Department Histories: Papers of Faculty and Staff

This guide is for those researching the history of MSU departments using collections at the MSU Archives and sources at the Main Library.

Papers of Facuty and Staff

Papers of faculty and staff are held at the MSU Archives.  These collections document an individual's personal career,  but may also include information about their department or other aspects of university history. The collections can be searched in the MSU Archives finding aid website or in the library catalog (Helpful hint- You can limit your search to just the Archives holdings by using the “Advanced Search” feature and selecting “Univ Arch & Hist Coll” in Locations. 

The MSU Archives houses a collection of faculty biographical files created by the Media Communications Department.  The collection also includes some staff member files.   The contents of the files vary, but may contain a biographical form, press releases, articles, or photos.  The files predominantly cover people from the 1950s to the 2000s.  If you are looking for a specific person, please contact the Archives.