The GFU Archives: Time Travel Made Possible

Reported By: Benny Schorie

Photographed By: Yolanda Diaz

In the quiet Murdock Library basement lies the George Fox University (GFU) Archives. The room is calm and unassuming, but its shelves store hundreds of documents and artifacts providing a gateway to the past.

University Archivist Dustin Kelley said the archives hold “institutional records such as yearbooks, Crescents, papers of past presidents, and other various records. We also hold the records for the Northwest Yearly Meetings of Friends, including local Friends church records.” 

GFU also has the collection of Richard Foster including his correspondence, teachings, and books. The Yearly Meetings records include the world travels of local missionaries. The Archives also contain collections that have been donated by alumni families to be held in the archives. 

These documents are all carefully preserved in acid-free folders: non-paper materials like staples and paperclips must be removed to avoid rust, according to Kelley. Aside from documents, “we do have audio visual material like cassette tapes, VHS, and reel-to-reel. So, we have to think about how to best preserve those types of digital media. Both in terms of hardware and digital presentation,” said Kelley. To ensure accessibility, the Archives regularly upload their contents to their digital commons.

All of these things combine to paint a picture of life in the past for those of the present and future. We can learn what events had an impact on life in Newberg and what shaped the campus we enjoy today. Students can continue to understand and perpetuate traditions that make Bruin life what it is, and the values and morals of this small community can be better understood through this unique lens. These important elements form the collective memory of the GFU community, and the Archives play an important role in ensuring all students and faculty have the opportunity to relish this.

The archives are available by appointment; contact archives@georgefox.edu for more information.