Graci Vlattas, Junior Editor
Archives, as depicted in media and fantasy, hold many dark and spooky secrets. Now, while Sewanee does hold a few ghost stories and tales itself, the University Archives are anything but scary. The department held their Archives After Dark event in February where students, faculty and locals alike were allowed to walk around, view key documents regarding the making of Sewanee, and talk to the figures pulling the strings. To dive deeper into the seeming unknown of the Archives, The Sewanee Purple attended the event in order to learn more about the research pillar (and maybe a secret or two).
At the door of the Archives stood three important figures to the house, ready to greet any and all attendees: Mandy Johnson, director of the Archives; Tiffany Moman, assistant director of the Roberson Project; and Kevin Reynolds, Associate Provost for Library and Information Technology Services. They helped explain the background behind the Archives, the University and how we all were able to end up on this Mountain in the first place.
How the Archives Educates the Community
The University Archives are filled with absolutely everything. Verging from medical records to recent yearbooks and catalogues, the Archives keep track of all the necessary components of the college’s history and research.
Johnson said, “Most of our material relates to the University’s history because that’s one of our main focuses.” The archives also focus on the Cumberland Plateau as a whole, but also how Sewanee came to be.
“We collect the University history, so that goes back to even before the university was founded, and they were just thinking about creating an Episcopal University in the South. Founding materials: thinking about why they wanted to have an Episcopal University, why they wanted to have an Episcopal university in the south, specifically, and where they wanted it to be located because they knew they wanted to have a university, but they didn’t have a specific location,” Johnson explained.
Our beloved University located in Sewanee, Tenn., was almost not even close to this area. In the interview, Johnson and Moman said that the founders and original builders were exploring locations like Huntsville, Ala. and McMinnville, Tenn. for the school. Even Atlanta, Johnson’s favorite choice of the few, could have been where we all attend now. The event curators had documents and letters out for students to view, a few that mentioned the ongoing discussion for the discussion.
Our school would, also at the beginning, admit white men only. Archive records also noted as time went and the historical community pushback, as recounted by Johnson. Sewanee has a lot of history, good and bad, that the Archives wants and strives to bring to light. The more that we are informed, the more we can do better. The University Archives collaborate with projects around campus like the Roberson Project, assisted by Tiffany Moman, to further the exploration of events that promote clarity and truth on campus, and in the community surrounding us. Not all truth is pretty, but the Archives help keep the student body and faculty educated.
On a day-to-day basis, the Archives help researchers and classes collect and develop materials. The best part about the archives is how accessible they are to the entire Sewanee campus. Both online and in-person, the documents and photographs are available to use and cite extremely easily. Many classes and research projects have relied on it; even we at The Sewanee Purple have used it for articles about the yearbook and past counselors. This means that students and faculty can and will use the archives for their own benefit as well.
“We work with the history department, and we work with the FYE classes. Oh, we got a lot of first year students coming in and sometimes literally on their very first day here,” Johnson said. Students are exposed to the archives early in their Sewanee experience, and the resource has never ending potential for greatness amongst the campus.
Academics Opportunities with the Archives
Some programs and majors here work directly with the archives. There is no direct class for archive work, but art history centered around photography and politics classes work with the archives. Wall designs and art exhibits designed by students line the west wing of the building, and extracurricular clubs and research labs transverse the useful abilities of the University Archives.
Reynolds explained the Archives actively work with the library studies program on campus. “So presently, you know, we do offer a course for credit or two credits. And it’s a library resource: LIDR 101. That’s actually not the title. We just changed the title this year, and it has to do with research on personal thinking. There’s a group of us within the Librarian Information Technology Services division who are actually going to start the conversation here fairly soon.”
Along with connections to majors, the University Archives are building their influence through credits and informative classes. Those who are interested in archiving, classics research or the career as a pastime will soon have the ability to reap the benefits, like with Head Archivist Annie Armour (C ‘75), author of Haunted Sewanee which compiles ghost stories from around campus.
This then poses the question: What lies on the horizon for the Archives and how will it affect Sewanee? The Archives continue to grow, serving as a place that everyone on campus should visit at least once. There is a lot to learn throughout college, and we might as well do it with the resources provided to us to help us through it. I know that I will visit the University Archives again, and hopefully discover more about our lovely school: the good, the bad and even the spooky.
Stay safe, Sewanee!
Corrections. Its the “Roberson Project” and “McMinnville, TN”.