Welcome to the Pitzer College Archives

Commencement speaker James Dickey addresses the first three graduates.
June 1965 – First Commencement speaker James Dickey addresses the three graduates, in perhaps one of the smallest graduation ceremonies in history.

The Archives is the institutional memory of Pitzer College and shares its mission with that of the College: to facilitate the search for and acquisition of knowledge. In this regard, the Archives supports teaching, learning and research at the College and in the wider intellectual community by providing access to collections, documents, publications and artifacts that help to illuminate the inspirational people and turbulent time of the College’s founding while charting its progress and evolution to the present day.

To fulfill these responsibilities, the Archives identifies, acquires, preserves, maintains and makes accessible records and materials of enduring historical value. By preserving evidence that reflects and chronicles the development of the College, as well as the life and activities of the people who influence its culture and development, the Archives ensures that this information will be available for generations to come.

Recently Added to the Archives

The Archives is continually adding and updating its website. Check out some of the most recent additions.

History of the Grove House

This exhibit features fascinating and little-known information about the Grove House comprised of newspaper clippings, letters, photos, and more. Learn about Pitzer’s iconic Craftsman bungalow.

Radical Roots of Pitzer Part 2: Environmental Sustainability

This exhibit explores the roots of the core value of Environmental Sustainability. John Rodman, Carl Hertel, and Paul Shepard were professors who were instrumental in shaping this ethos and whose legacy continues today.

Arthur Dubinsky: The Life and Times of Pitzer College

Starting in the summer of 1964, photographer Arthur Dubinsky photographed a young and evolving Pitzer College. This remarkable collection was curated for Pitzer’s 50th-anniversary celebration in 2014.

Sound Off!

’Sound-Off!’ was established in September 1964 when the College first opened to insure necessary communication throughout the Pitzer community.

About the Archives

The future site of Pitzer College.
A young girl looks out at the future site of Pitzer College in 1963.

The Pitzer College Archives is located in the Lucian Marquis Library in Mead Hall. If you would like to visit the Archives, or have questions regarding its resources or collections, please contact archivist Stacy Elliott:

Campus Mailbox A-95
1050 North Mills Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711
909.607.0670
[email protected]

If you have an item you would like to donate to the Archives when our office is unattended, please feel free to use Scott Hall mailbox A-95. If your items are too large for the mailbox, please drop them off in the Pitzer College Mail Center located on the ground floor of Atherton Hall.