About the Collections
Manuscript Collections:
The department has more than 1700 collections of letters, diaries, photographs, scrapbooks, and organizational records documenting the history of the Catawba region, the careers and biographies of Winthrop presidents, faculty and administrators, the activities of South Carolina women and seminal events in the state’s history, such as integration and the Civil War.
University Archives:
Includes the official records of the presidents, the Board of Trustees, and other materials created by the university's academic and administrative departments. Also included are student, faculty, and alumni publications such as the Tatler, Johnsonian, and Anthology. These materials document many facets of Winthrop’s history and the activities of its faculty, administrators, and students.
Special Book Collection:
More than 2,300 imprints on rare South Caroliniana, first before 1800 editions, works by important local authors, books printed in the U.S. before 1870, S.C. - 1935, Confederate imprints and other noteworthy items.
Genealogy/Family History:
Lineage charts, legal records, letters, diaries, sketches, memoirs, and other records on more than 1,000 family surnames.
Oral History Collection:
Recorded interviews concerning various topics, including life at Winthrop, the Catawba Indians, World War II, women in politics and society, African-American South Carolinians, and the Veterans History Project. Copying services are available.
Photographs:
More than one million images, including black and white prints, color prints, negatives and slides documenting the history of Winthrop University. The Manuscript Collections contain a wide variety of photographs as well.
Clipping File:
Thousands of newspaper articles concerning Winthrop events, faculty, staff, and students, as well as those highlighting interesting South Carolina personalities and topics.
