{"id":8603,"date":"2015-06-29T16:58:36","date_gmt":"2015-06-29T20:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/?page_id=8603"},"modified":"2025-08-29T11:57:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T15:57:58","slug":"western","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western\/","title":{"rendered":"Western College Memorial Archives"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_9301\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9301\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9301\" src=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-300x216.jpg\" alt=\"Photo taken from the Western College Memorial Archives\" width=\"300\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-1024x739.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-100x72.jpg 100w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-150x108.jpg 150w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-200x144.jpg 200w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-450x325.jpg 450w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-600x433.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Peabody_and_Faculty001-900x649.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9301\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Helen Peabody and class of 1866 Olivia Brice, upper right.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The archives lays claim to materials from the Board of Trustee records dating back to 1853, original material from Western College&#8217;s various Presidents (including Helen Peabody, Leila McKee and William Boyd), an impressive photograph collection and much more. Archival records may be accessed online through our <a href=\"http:\/\/archivesspace.lib.miamioh.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ArchivesSpace instance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In accordance with the vision of Miami University and the Mission Statement of University Libraries, the Western College Memorial Archives serves the university, local and international communities by collecting, preserving and providing access to primary resources on the culture and history of the former Western College for Women (1853-1974).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Photo Gallery<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-buildings-and-architecture\/\">Western College Buildings Architecture<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-photos-of-western-campus\/\">Photographs of Western Campus<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-incarnations-of-peabody-hall\/\">Incarnations of Peabody Hall<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-presidents\/\">Presidents of Western College<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-deans-of-western-college\/\">Deans of Western College<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-western-faculty\/\">Faculty of Western College<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-photographs-of-trustees\/\">Trustees of Western College<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-from-jazz-to-disco\/\">From Jazz to Disco: Western College 1920s-1970s<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-photographs-of-classes\/\">Photographs of Classes<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-western-events\/\">Western Events<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western-college-miscellaneous-photographs\/\">Miscellaneous Photographs<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Materials Collected<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Western College Memorial Archives is dedicated to acquiring and preserving any and all materials directly related to the Western College for Women. The Archives includes Boards of Trustees records dating back to 1853, original materials from Western College presidents and an impressive photographic collection. Primary sources are available in a variety of media including audio and video.<br \/>\nThe following categories of resources are included in the Western College Memorial Archives:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Materials produced by or about the college such as administrative records, policies, catalogs, biographical information about faculty and alumnae, Western College publications, photographs, and other documentary media.<\/li>\n<li>Reference copies of monographs reflecting the history of Western College for Women.<\/li>\n<li>Freedom Summer materials directly related to activities that occurred in 1964.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Miami University Libraries <a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/gifts-and-donations\/\">welcomes the donation of materials<\/a> appropriate to the mission and scope of the Western College Memorial Archives, as determined by the Archivist.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WESTERN-COLLEGE-Brief-History-Final-ed-apr-2024-2.pdf\"><b>Brief History of Western College<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Western College was founded in 1853 as the &#8216;western&#8217; representation of Mt. Holyoke in Massachusetts, with its dual vision of missionary zeal and low-cost yet high-quality education for women. Strongly supported by the leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Oxford, classes at the Western Female Seminary began in 1855 with Helen Peabody, a Mt. Holyoke graduate, as principal.<br \/>\nIn 1888, Western was moving toward becoming accredited as a College and chose Leila S. McKee, a Wellesley graduate, as the new principal. In 1894, Western became &#8220;The Western: A College and Seminary for Women;&#8221; in 1904, the word &#8220;seminary&#8221; was dropped and Western became &#8220;The Western College for Women.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>For the next fifty years, Western remained a general liberal arts college, primarily under the presidency of William W. Boyd. With the arrival of President Herrick B. Young in 1954, an international focus began. Many international students and faculty were recruited, international travel seminars were instituted, and a global emphasis was added to the curriculum.<\/p>\n<p>In 1970, an innovative interdisciplinary approach to education called &#8220;Freedom with Responsibility&#8221; was initiated under the leadership of President William C. Spencer. Another new direction was the decision in 1971 to admit men.<\/p>\n<p>Faced with major financial difficulties, Western College closed in 1974 and the physical facilities merged with Miami University.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Useful Links<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.accessible.com\/accessible\/\">Accessible Archives<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.crmvet.org\/\" target=\"blank\">Civil Rights Movement Veterans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/kelley\/index.php\">Edgar Stillman Kelley Collection Exhibit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/westernarchives.lib.muohio.edu\/freedomsummer\/\" target=\"blank\">Finding Freedom Summer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/digital.lib.muohio.edu\/snyder\/\" target=\"blank\">The Frank R. Snyder Collection<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.stg.brown.edu\/projects\/FreedomNow\/\" target=\"blank\">Freedom Now!<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.muohio.edu\" target=\"blank\">Miami University<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/archives.lib.muohio.edu\" target=\"blank\">Miami University Archives<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/digital.lib.muohio.edu\/miamistories\/\">Miami Stories Oral History Project<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.civilrightsmuseum.org\/\" target=\"blank\">National Civil Rights Museum<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/solomon.nwld.alexanderstreet.com\/\" target=\"blank\">North American Women\u2019s Diaries and Letters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/lanepl.org\/smith_history.htm\" target=\"blank\">Smith Library of Regional History<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.archivists.org\/\" target=\"blank\">Society of American Archivist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohioarchivists.org\/\" target=\"blank\">Society of Ohio Archivist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miami.muohio.edu\/University_Advancement\/WCAA\/\" target=\"blank\">Western College Alumnae Association<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/asp6new.alexanderstreet.com\/was2\/was2.index.map.aspx\" target=\"blank\">Women and Social Movements in the United States<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The archives lays claim to materials from the Board of Trustee records dating back to 1853, original material from Western College&#8217;s various Presidents (including Helen Peabody, Leila McKee and William Boyd), an impressive photograph collection and much more. Archival records<span class=\"ellipsis\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/western\/\">Read more &#8250;<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8603","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8603"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12058,"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8603\/revisions\/12058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spec.lib.miamioh.edu\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}