Archives FAQs
Discover Lincoln University's History
A book bearing a mark made by Harriet Tubman. More than 68,000 digitized images. Records that help families uncover connections to Lincoln University stretching back more than a century.
These are just some of the historical treasures preserved by the Lincoln University Archives. Since the university’s founding in 1866, Lincoln has built a rich history that continues to shape the institution today. Preserving and sharing that history is at the heart of the Archives’ mission.
Below, University Archivist Mark Schleer answers frequently asked questions about the Archives, its remarkable collections and the work of preserving Lincoln’s past for students, alumni, families, researchers and the public.
According to our mission statement, we maintain, preserve and make accessible the holdings and heritage of the institution while conducting research and outreach to further and promote the university's image. Keep it in order, make sure it's safe, and let people see it.
Lincoln is unique. No other institution of higher learning was founded and funded in the way we were, by formerly enslaved Civil War soldiers. That bold beginning and the ability for the school to overcome many obstacles to become what we are today — it's very inspirational, and it's something that we should be proud of.
Personally, I feel it is my duty to ensure that the student body has knowledge and appreciation of not only the founding of our school, but how we have been able to succeed for 160 years. I hope it gives them an appreciation of the place that they will be calling home for the next four years and that they will feel welcome, secure and successful at Lincoln.
The Archives' holdings cover a variety of topics, including institutional history, African American history, the evolution of education in general and specifically regarding that of an HBCU. Many landmark events happened at Lincoln: We're the oldest 1890 land-grant institution, the birthplace of HBCU journalism, and LU alumnus Lloyd Gaines' historic Supreme Court decision paved the way for educational integration in the United States. We have a lot to share!
Three main types of requests are researchers looking for information on the school itself, coursework, events and personalities; family members trying to locate relatives; and students requesting information on Greek organizations.
Student registers, yearbooks, alumni directories, university bulletins and the vertical files, which are not official documents, but contain information such as newspaper articles.
Luckily, the same person from 1879 through 1900 was in charge of registering students, and so it's just their handwriting on the pages; and their penmanship is impeccable! I've been reading these books for 17 years, and I've grown accustomed to it. My student workers are amazed that I can decipher it.
Probably the most valuable item is the biography of Harriet Tubman, Harriet, the Moses of Her People. We have had that book since 1886, and when Harriet Tubman was in Jefferson City in 1893, she made her mark on the inside of the cover. It's quite the iconic item for an HBCU to have in its holdings.
Also, we have a full run of the institutional publication called the Midwest Journal, which Dr. Lorenzo Greene established in the late 1940s and continued through the next decade. Contributors included not only Lincoln faculty and staff, but people such as W.E.B. Du Bois, among other African American scholars.
The Thomas Hart Benton mural on the main floor of Page Library, depicting the founding of Lincoln, is a big attraction for visitors.
We have a rather large collection of images of the local neighborhood and business district known as "The Foot," which was vital to the African American community for many years and was relevant to the growth and progress of the university.
When we celebrated 100 years of Homecoming last year, we were able to find portraits of all the Homecoming queens except for one! I am still on the lookout for that!
When I can provide an image of a person who attended Lincoln over 100 years ago to their descendants who had never seen it, and witness their reaction to visually uniting with family, I feel that I have done my duty, not only for the institution, but for helping others.
Everyone is more than welcome to come in and visit the Archives in person, but a lot of requests are made either by phone or email.
On the university website, there are links to yearbooks and the Clarion student newspaper, which is now being published online.
There are several exhibits on the Blue Tiger Commons repository. We are currently in the process of updating the repository, and we will be adding items such as bulletins from the schools of graduate studies, journalism and law. In addition, commencement programs, alumni publications and presidential reports are scheduled to be included in the coming months.
Providing as much information as possible greatly assists in being able to locate information about family members. Name, years of attendance or employment, hometown, etc. The Archives has had a pretty decent success rate in locating alumni for their families, utilizing information like that.
Calling the Archives is a good first step. If we can find a connection, then we can branch out and see what other information we can find out about family members. I'm currently researching the Wrens from East St. Louis and have found 15 Lincolnites in their family, dating from the 1950s to the 1980s.
I hope they get a sense of fulfillment and find the answers they were seeking. I am very passionate about the history and heritage of my alma mater, and I am very sincere about sharing that.
There's an expression in archiving, "You can only throw away something once."
If you think a document or a photograph may be important, hang on to that. If you think it's very important, put it somewhere safe. Also, exploring online resources and contacting local organizations for assistance regarding families and communities make it much easier. Help is there.
