Oberlin College and the Movement to Establish an Archives, 1920-1966

Acquiring an appreciation for an archival program's history is one of several steps to be taken by an archivist when involved in planning or self-study exercises. This is an especially important step for a new appointee who succeeds an archivist who held the position for a long period of time. This article describes the conflict and issues surrounding the establishment of an archives at Oberlin College. As a case study, Oberlin is considered somewhat atypical. While the study will add to our understanding of the development of archives in the United States, it was written in order to educate institutional resource allocators on past issues and to advance specific archival program objectives.