Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.
This blog may contain archived web content. This blog may link to catalog records which no longer exist as of a software change in 2026.
A collage of materials related to Jayhawks at the Olympics. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know that ten participants with ties to the University of Kansas are currently in Paris competing in the 2024 Olympics? Michael Joseph, Yoveinny Mota, Sharon Lokedi, Bryce Hoppel, Hussain Al Hizam, Alexander Emilianov, Head Coach Stanley Redwine, and Event Manager Tim Weaver will be present at various track and field events. Joel Embiid will be competing on Team USA for men’s basketball, and Liana Salazar will be competing for Colombia in soccer.
Did you also know that these Jayhawks are the most recent of the sixty-four coaches and athletes who have competed in twenty-two different Olympic Games over the past 120 years?
A 1900 KU graduate, Fay Moulton became the first Jayhawk to compete at the Olympics. Moulton won a bronze medal in the 60 meter dash at the 1904 games. Here, Moulton is shown as a member of KU’s track team in The Galaxy yearbook, 1900. Call Number: LD2697 .J3. Click image to enlarge.
You can now learn more about KU’s incredible Olympians through a new online exhibit, Celebrating the Olympic Spirit: KU Olympians. The exhibit includes digital reproductions of selected photographs, letters, news releases, newspaper clippings, fliers, handouts, and other items from University Archives documenting selected athletes and coaches with ties to the University of Kansas.
Wishing you and yours a very merry holiday season!
William E. Culver’s children “bringing in the Christmas tree,” Topeka, Kansas, 1903. From left to right are Louise (born circa 1892), Elizabeth (born 1895), and Wellington (“Duke,” born 1898). William E. Culver Photographic Collection. Call Number: RH PH 75. Click image to enlarge.
Spencer Research Library will be closed from December 23rd through January 1st and will reopen on January 2nd. We look forward to seeing you in 2024 and sharing more stories about our collections, staff, and services.
Visit the KU Libraries website for more information on winter recess across the libraries, including hours and options for accessing to online resources services available when buildings are closed.
Stoker-ed about Halloween? Count get enough spooky stories? Excited to sink your teeth into this year’s Booktoberfest Community Read at Lawrence Public Library?
But of corpse!
Stop by and check out Spencer’s current short-term exhibit (ahem, exhi-bite) featuring a selection of materials by Bram Stoker, special editions of his novel Dracula, and copies of other early vampire stories. Highlights include:
the first installment of The Primrose Path, Stoker’s first novel that was initially published as a serial in 1875;
a handwritten draft of an unpublished article written and signed by Bram Stoker in 1887;
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
Did you know that President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day? Be sure to celebrate with a scoop or two of your favorite flavor.
An ice cream wagon on Jayhawk Boulevard, 1926. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 0/24/1 Jayhawk Boulevard 1926 Negatives: Campus: Areas and Objects (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
Information about KU’s past can be found in Spencer collections beyond University Archives. This week’s photo, for example, comes from our Kansas Collection.
A view of Lawrence from KU’s North College, 1886. Note the two people, possibly students, standing on the walkway up to the building. Lawrence, Kansas, Photographs Collection. Call Number: RH PH 18, Box 8, Folder G:6. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
North College was located roughly where Corbin Hall now stands, between Tenth and Eleventh streets. The notation on this photograph states that it shows the view looking west from North College. However, a cursory exploration of maps and other photos – plus a portion of the Kansas River in the background – suggests that the view might actually be looking north from the building, likely up Louisiana Street.
