Kent State University History

Special Collections and Archives acquires and houses Kent State University records of historical and research value. Serving as Kent State’s organizational memory, these materials include university and student publications, correspondence, computer data, financial statements, archives of student organizations, minutes of meetings, photographs, faculty papers, and many, many other types of materials related to the activities, functions, and history of the university. Materials are added on an ongoing basis and Special Collections and Archives is working to develop more collections that document historically-underrepresented groups within the Kent State family.

Recognizing the historic significance of the 1970 shootings on campus, Special Collections and Archives began to build, starting in the weeks following the shootings, collections of both primary and secondary source materials. This has grown (and continues to grow) to become the extensive archive known today as the “May 4 Collection.” It enables students and other researchers to explore in depth that pivotal moment in American history and its enduring legacy here at Kent State.