Guides: College Archives: Class Visits & Research

Class Visits

Schedule a Class Visit

Do you want your students to explore sources first-hand? Take a trip to the archives or bring the archives to your class! Class visits can be scheduled to view a selection of material from the Archive's Collections - including material from Gordon's history, exploration of Vining rare books, archeological artifacts, and more.

To schedule a visit please email Archives at archives@gordon.edu.

Not sure if the Archives has information that can work with your class?

You might be surprised! The Vining and Special Collections cover topics including music, art, literature, history, travel, geography, foreign language, politics and law, and more. Contact our archival staff to chat about the materials that you might be able to use or schedule a visit to see the depth and wealth of our collections.

Photo from a visit with the Architectural Design class in Spring 2021.

Photo from the World Writing Systems class visit in Fall 2019.

Photo from a Historical Perspectives class in Fall 2022.

Photo from a Museum Studies class in Fall 2022.

Photo from a Renaissance and Reformation class during the Spring of 2021.

Photo from a Renewals and Reformation class in Fall 2022.

Jerusalem and Athens Forum (JAF) 2021-22 cohort visit in Fall 2021.

Research Opportunities

Thinking about using the Vining or Special Collection for research?

Great! We encourage students and staff to use our resources for research projects. If you think you might be interested in doing research, but not sure what to do, check out some of the possible topics below.

Lewis Henry Morgan (1818 – 1881) was an anthropologist and social theorist best known for his theories on social evolution, kinship and social structures, as well as his description of the Iroquois people and culture. The Archives holds the first draft of his history on the Iroquois Nation.
John C. Frémont (1813 – 1890) was, among other things, an American explorer who led multiple expeditions into the American West. The Vining Collection contains an edition of his first and second expeditions where a letter has been pasted into the front dating to 1879 when Frémont was serving as Governor of Arizona. In the letter he mentions “Empire” which has been called a “smoking gun on American imperialism” by the volunteer who transcribed the letter.
Textual Criticism and Paleography (the study of ancient writing systems and the deciphering and dating of historical manuscripts).

The Archives offers many unique and extraordinary opportunities for research projects. Think about how your research might be enhanced by exploring a primary source, such as a 16th century Polyglot Bible or a 1600s Algonquin translation of the Bible, the possibilities are endless. Contact the archival staff today to talk about your research ideas.

Have suggestions for other research topics stemming from Archives material? Let us know and we'll add it to the list.

Have a topic in mind but not sure if we have the material?

Explore the Collections tab to get an idea of possible subject areas in the archives' holdings. Then reach out to the archival staff to schedule a consultation on your ideas. We'll see if we can match you up with treasured sources to meet your research interests!