The Archives, Rare Books, and Manuscripts encompasses the Univeristy Archives, Penrose Library's Rare Book holdings, and manuscript collections from the Univeristy of Denver community and beyond.

Among the holdings of the University Archives are complete runs of the student newspaper, the Clarion, and the student annual, the Knewisbok. Trustee minutes, Chancellor's reports, and department records are also housed here.

The majority of the rare book collection and guides to manuscript collections may be searched through Peak, the library catalog.

Significant Collections

University Archives

The University Archives contains records of the University from its founding in 1864 to the present. Included are meeting and department minutes, reports, publications, correspondence, photographs and other materials from both active and inactive University departments. Also included are faculty research and alumni papers.

Cookery

The Husted Culinary Collection is one of the three largest cookery collections in the United States, with over 9,000 books, magazines, and pamphlets spanning 400 years. The Special Collections Department also houses the papers of Katie Stapleton, a well-known Denver cookery expert, radio host and newspaper columnist.

Women’s History and Women’s Studies

The Department’s holdings in Women’s Studies focus on collections pertaining to the activities of women in higher education and work for social causes. Highlights are the papers of the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) and of the Colorado Women’s College. The Circle of Sisters/Circle of Friends Collection pertains to civilian women’s involvement in the Vietnam War. A number of smaller collections, such as the Colorado Poetry Fellowship, the Denver Women’s Social Union Club, and the World Association of Mothers for Peace, document the activities of women’s clubs in the Denver area.

Political Papers

The Political Papers Collection consists of the papers of congressmen, governors and individuals who participated in the political life of the State of Colorado and the United States Government. Many of the collections have a special emphasis on issues important to Colorado and the West, such as water rights and natural resources. Highlights include the papers of Wayne N. Aspinall, Peter Dominick, and Byron Rogers.

Theater

The University has had a long association with the Central City Opera Association, and Special Collections holds the Association’s records dating from 1932 to 1970. The Department also holds the papers of a variety of individuals involved in theater, including playwright Mary Coyle Chase, theater critic John Chapman, early theater director and producer Willis Marks, and theater educator R. Russell Porter.

Transportation

The Department holds collections covering a variety of aspects of transportation. The Stanton P. Sender Collection documents the laws and legislation surrounding transportation issues from the 1950s to the 1990s. The Interstate Commerce Commission Collection covers the operations of that governmental agency up to its disbanding in 1995. The William Cox Collection contains materials relating to vehicles of all types, from early airplanes to modern automobiles.

Local and Community History

The local history collections include the records of community organizations such as the Park Hill Action Committee, and historians’ research on Colorado events such as the Sand Creek Massacre.

Public Education

In addition to the wealth of materials on education located in the University’s own archives, the Department also holds the papers of a number of educators involved with the Denver Public Schools. The Newlon and Threlkeld collections cover the administration of the Denver Public Schools for the first half of the twentieth century.