News
Columbia University's Revolutionary War History Told in a Diploma | Columbia Close-Up
Columbia University's Revolutionary War history told in a diploma: University archivist Jocelyn Wilk shares a recent acquisition in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library - a 1775 diploma from King's College, the predecessor to Columbia.
The U.S. Semiquincentennial and Columbia University
As the United States marks its semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, Columbia News reflects on the story of a University that began before the nation itself. Discover archival treasures in the Libraries that help readers explore the past through rare documents and collections.
1784: Columbia College en Français?
Days after the Regents of the former King's College decreed that the school would be known as Columbia College, the committee made its first faculty appointment: a professor of the French language. University archivists address why a French instructor was the very first professor at Columbia.
What 1976 Reveals About 1776 (and 2026): The American Bicentennial at Columbia, Revisited
What 1976 reveals about 1776 (and 2026): The American Bicentennial at Columbia, revisited. Columbia News reports on a new exhibition in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library that explores how the University marked the United States’ 200th birthday in 1976.
Research in the Archives | Elizabeth McCall on Archival Housing
Researcher Elizabeth McCall visited the Rare Book & Manuscript Library to explore variations of archival housing and "how archival objects are continually shaped through different practices of keeping, from bindings and wrappers to boxes and conservation housing."
Art Properties and the Rare Book & Manuscript Library Acquire Gordon Parks Photographs
Art Properties and the Rare Book & Manuscript Library acquire photographs by pioneering African-American photographer and filmmaker, Gordon Parks, whose work at Life magazine featured a photographic series with writer Ralph Ellison called “A Man Become Invisible.”
1776: Battle of Harlem Heights
The once-disputed location of the 1776 Battle of Harlem Heights, a "much-needed morale boost" for the Continental Army in the American Revolution, was confirmed to have taken place in present-day Morningside Heights through the meticulous work of Columbia College alum Lincoln Diamant, 1943CC.
Archivist Pick: Artistic Encounters in the Archives
The latest installment in the Archivist's Pick exhibition series features six sets of materials drawn from newly-processed Chinese and Chinese-American archival collections from the C.V. Starr East Asian Library, united by a shared thread of artistic expression.
Lost and Found: The King’s College Seal
Did you know that the original engraving of the King's College seal, the predecessor to Columbia University, was lost for over 120 years? The Libraries recounts the history of the seal, which was believed to be lost until the early 20th century and is now held by the University Archives.
How Well Do You Know the History of Columbia’s Commencement?
How well do you know the history of Columbia Commencement? From graduation tchotchkes to special speakers, Columbia News consults the Libraries' University Archives to test readers' knowledge of one of Columbia's most cherished traditions.
SAA 250 for the 250th: 1776 Register of Admissions | University Archives
The Society of American Archivists (SAA) "presents 250 for the 250th, an online repository that tells the story of our country in documents," including a 1776 register of admissions from the University Archives that "explains why there were no admissions at King’s College for the year 1776."
The U.S. Semiquincentennial and Columbia University
To mark 250 years of American independence, Columbia News brings together the many ways in which the University engages with this national legacy, including archival treasures in the Libraries that explore the past through rare documents and collections.
Lessons of Jewish History
Lessons of Jewish history: Columbia Magazine consults Librarian for Jewish Studies Michelle Margolis on the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Israel and Jewish Studies (IIJS) about its role in connecting the Columbia community to the currents of Jewish thought.
Confronting McCarthyism: Facebook Reels Playlist
WATCH: Michael Meeropol, son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and MaryLouise Patterson, daughter of civil rights leaders Louise and William L. Patterson, speak to the lasting impact of the Red Scare on their childhoods as well as its parallels to American politics and society today.
Obama Took On Recession, Health Care and Iraq. What He Didn’t See Coming Was Trump.
Accessible through the Libraries' Oral History Archives, "a new set of oral history interviews documents how Barack Obama and his advisers missed the shifting mood of the country that would ultimately replace him with a successor they considered a 'con man,' 'clown' and 'laughingstock,'" reports the New York Times.
Complete Obama Presidency Oral History Archive Is Now Available
Columbia News announces that the "complete Obama presidency oral history archive is now available: Columbia University’s Incite Institute offers more than 450 perspectives from the Obama White House and beyond," which will be accessible to researchers through the Oral History Archives.
Presidents' Days: From Obama to Trump
"Presidents' days: From Obama to Trump": The New Yorker writes that the official oral history of the Obama White House, accessible through the Libraries' Oral History Archives, "is a stark and extensive reminder of the values and the principles that are being trampled."
Oral Histories Behind Every Tile: Nicole Wong & The Mahjong Project
Oral histories behind every tile: Hear from the Mahjong Project’s history keeper, Nicole Wong, about her efforts to preserve mahjong's rules, etiquette, and personal anecdotes for generations in conversation with Curator of Oral History Kimberly Springer.





