Arthur Spingarn Jesse E. Moorland Dorothy Porter Wesley
The MSRC's Library Division houses the Center's secondary sources and is responsible for collecting and preserving published and printed materials, including the Center’s books, newspapers, serials, and non-Howard theses and dissertations. The Library Division is rich in the works of African American and African scholars, leaders, poets, novelists, entertainers, educators, and historians. Among the Division's holdings are many rare works dating from the 16th century by such notables as Juan Latino, Jacobus Capitein, Gustavus Vassa, Phillis Wheatley, Jupiter Hammon, David Walker, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Delaney.
The MSRC's Manuscript Division brings together rare and treasured manuscript collections, oral histories, photographs, sheet music, and sound recordings to provide an in-depth view of Black history, politics, literature, and culture as only primary source materials can. Included among our resources are more than 200 fully processed manuscript collections, an additional 300 collections with inventories, over 700 oral histories, more than 150,000 photographs and other images, and 3,000 pieces of sheet music.
The Howard University Archives serves as a secure repository for the official records of the University, including the administrative files of schools, colleges, departments, institutes, University publications, Howard theses and dissertations, as well as materials illustrating the contributions of Howard alumni to the local, national and international communities. The Archives provides information on the history of Howard University and its important personages; it also acquires and preserves University artifacts and memorabilia.
Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Digital Howard is the online repository for the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) and the Howard University Libraries (HUL). Digital Howard preserves and provides open access to work produced by Howard University faculty and eventually students (including theses and dissertations). It also houses select manuscript, archival and photographic materials held by MSRC.
Surveying the Campus, 1893 Gen. O. O. Howard Main Building, ca 1870
Howard University Archives
The Founding of the Howard University
Many wonder how Howard University came to be named for General Oliver Otis Howard. The story of Howard University begins with the Congregational Church. The idea to start a theological school for newly freed blacks grew out of several meetings in November 1866 of the First Congregational Society. One of the participants in these meetings was General Howard. It was at the November 20, 1866 meeting that the group chose to name their planned seminary after General Howard. They chose to use his name because of his interest in educating African Americans. read more...
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