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Brown University Family History Resources

Family history archival resources.

Brown Family History Resources

This guide provides brief descriptions of sources that may be useful in your search for family history information.  The Brown University Archives may have information about your family member if they were a Brown alumnus, non-graduate, or member of the faculty or staff.

Please submit reference questions via the John Hay Library's Reference Request Form.

Brown University Archives

The University Archives serves as the institutional memory of Brown University by collecting, preserving, and making accessible the materials that provide evidence of past University actions and contribute to an understanding of the University's structure and its history.

The University Archives documents the intellectual, social, cultural, and visual history of Brown University from its beginnings in 1764 to the present through the University's official records, the papers of Brown's presidents, administrators, faculty and alumni, the records of related student, alumni, and faculty organizations, and University publications.

In support of research, teaching, and the dissemination of Brown University's rich history, the University Archives offers reference services to the Brown community, including administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as the general public.

There are a variety of access points to find University Archives and Special Collections materials: