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Oakland University Events collection

 Collection
Identifier: OU-HISTORY-EVENTS

Scope and Contents

The Oakland University Events collection groups together files and materials documenting selected events organized by university departments and offices, beginning as early as 1959 through the recent present. In its earliest years, Oakland University invited many prominent artists, writers, politicians, scientists, and other impactful personalities of the 1960s (both locally and nationally), to speak at various events. The years following incorporated more campus-specific events, as OU offices and departments expanded their programming and outreach to its faculty and students.

The files are of unknown provenance and were amassed by archivists over time, barring inclusion into pre-existing collections. The collection is arranged first according to type(s) of event(s), and then chronologically. Most folders contain brochures, programs, and correspondence about these events. Additional series have been created for audiovisual materials related to specific events.

Dates

  • 1960 - present day

Access and Use note

The Oakland University Events collection is open for research.

Copyright

Copyright held by Oakland University. The collection includes occasional materials produced by outside parties. Copyright to these items may be held by the original creators.

History

From its opening year in 1959, the leaders of MSUO (Oakland University) understood the important role the campus could be as cultural hub in Oakland County and offered many lectures, conferences, and other events that were open to the campus community and the general public.

In its earliest iterations, the university's committees were actively engaged in bringing such programming to the campus. Particularly active was the Scholarship Committee, which organized events on higher education, and the Division of Continuing Education. The Oakland Speaker Series brought to Oakland such renowned speakers as Arthur Larson, David Riesman, William Stringfellow, Roger Hilsman, Anais Nin, John Kenneth Galbraith, and Julian Bond.

As the university expanded its academic and departmental programs, events became more frequent and expansive in scope, representing all aspects of the campus community's operations. Materials related to events are frequently represented in archival collections related to the office or department which presented them, and annual / repeated events many have their own collections. Items within this collection represent (in general) single-occurrence events, or events commemorating notable moments in the university's history.

Extent

7 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Files and materials documenting selected events organized through Oakland University's various campus departments and offices, as early as 1959 through present day.

Processing

Processed by Dominique Daniel, August 2023. Reviewed and reprocessed by Emily Ruth Benoit and Shirley Paquette, July - August 2025.

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Oakland University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Kresge Library
100 Library Drive
Rochester MI 48309 USA