College Archives

Mission

The mission of the Gordon College Archives is to identify, collect, arrange, preserve, and make accessible materials that document the programs, people, and operations of Gordon College and Barrington College as well as rare and unique collections that support the College’s administration, teaching, research, and services. 

To accomplish this mission, the College Archives will:

Provide Access. The Archives supports researchers of all kinds by providing the widest possible access to the materials. 

Collect & Preserve. The Archives collects, preserves, and makes accessible college records, rare books, and special collections that relate to the teaching and mission of the college. 

Protect Gordon's Cultural Heritage. The Archives strives to collect and promote material representing a diverse prospective of the College's history. 

Encourage Discovery. The Archives enriches the curriculum of the College by providing opportunity for first-hand research and discovery of rare texts. 

History of the Archives

The Gordon College Archives began in 1921 when the Board of Trustees voted to accept the gift of the Edward P. Vining Library, a rare collection of Historical and Theological books. The donors, Annabel Vining Otis and Charles Otis, had connections to the College, as Charles was on the board of trustees and Annabel was the daughter of Edward P. Vining.

Until 1954, Gordon College could be found in the Back Bay area of Boston. On this campus, the Vining Collection was stored in various places, including boxed in the boiler room. After the Hurricane of 1954, the books were put at a considerable flood risk, and were moved to the new Wenham campus. The Vining Collection was kept in the basement of the Winn Library, and in later years possibly the attic.

After moving between these two locations, the Jenks extension was completed in 1987. In this new wing, a temperature controlled area was built specifically for the Vining Collection and other archived materials to be housed. The first official mention of an archives was on February 11, 1980 at an executive committee meeting of the board, when a formal Archivist position was proposed. The Archives was also to receive papers from staff, students, alumni, and others, and served the purpose of preserving the rich history of Gordon College.

Today, the Gordon College Archives continues to preserve the history of Gordon College, Barrington College, and the Vining Rare Book Collection, and educate the surrounding community about Gordon's impact in the Greater Boston Area. It has a thriving internship program that teaches students about archival work as well as participates in class visits and admissions visits for prospective students. In addition, the Gordon College Archives not only creates exhibits showcasing the Vining Collection and Gordon and Barrington history, but also participates in special outreach events to allow for the greatest number of community members to participate in the joys of the archives. 

Image: White Library, Gordon College, Evans Way, Boston, MA (1920s)

New Exhibit: Translating Pilgrim's Progress

Our new exhibit, Translating The Pilgrim's Progress is now on display through December 2024! The Pilgrim's Progress is the second most translated book behind the Bible and translations in this exhibit include Cree, Dakota, German, Persian, and more! You can see it in person in the Jenks Library Reference Room (on the blue wall as you walk towards Bistro 255) or visit online on the Current Exhibits page!

Fun Facts from the Archives

Keep your eyes peeled for these Fun Facts from the Archives. Find them in person by looking for the small tags on blue garden stakes and scan the QR code on the tag or visit the Fun Facts page here on the website. Want to see more fun facts? Email archives@gordon.edu and let us know what you want to see!

Nahuatl: The Evolution of an Ancient Language

Check out our most recent intern exhibit, Nahuatl: The Evolution of an Ancient Language, curated by Spring 2024 intern Erin Richardson. You can view it in-person in the exhibit case outside of the Archives (Jenks 217).

Nahuatl, or Mexicana, is the language of the Nahua people, and was the most broadly spoken language of the Aztec empire. The Nahuatl language has a rich history, beginning in the 7th century and lasting until today. Even familiar words in English, like Avocado, chili, and chocolate, have Nahuatl origins. Despite the Spanish’s attempted to squash out Aztec culture, the culture has persisted until today, and still maintains a strong presence in central Mexico. The Nahuatl language evolved during the conquest of the Aztec empire and continued to evolve during the colonization of Mexico. Today, there are roughly 1.5 million Mexican people who speak Nahuatl and is revered as a culturally rich language that is one of the most studied languages of the Americas.    

#ColorOurCollections 2024

In February, the Archives participated in the #ColorOurCollections initiative. Launched by The New York Academy of Medicine Library in 2016, #ColorOurCollections is an annual coloring festival on social media during which libraries, museums, archives and other cultural institutions around the world share free coloring content featuring images from their collections. You can find our coloring pages on the "Outreach & Events" tab here on the website. Or you can visit the #ColorOurCollections website to access coloring pages from collections around the world!