Archival Collections

"A Century of Tallahassee Girls: As Viewed from the Leaves of their Diaries," collected and compiled by Clara R. Hayden.

Pamphlet entitled "Constitution and by-laws of the Anaxagorean Literary Society, Tallahassee Florida, 1901." It bears the signature of A. A. Murphree, President of the West Florida Seminary at that time.

The Student Record Books contain information about each student who attended the State Seminary West of the Suwanee River from 1890-1899, the Florida State College, from 1905-1909, and Florida State College for Women, from 1913-1927. Data includes student name, name of parent or guardian, city of residence, date of admittance and graduation, courses taken, and grades.

The Florida State University Historical Photograph Collection is a large and diverse array of visual materials ranging from the late-19th to the 21st century. Formats represented include black and white and color photographic prints; 35mm, 120mm, and 4x5 acetate negatives; and other various kinds of small photographic ephemera including postcards, leaflets, and promotional materials. The bulk of this collection was produced by an official Florida State University entity or department with the express purpose of publication, dissemination, or otherwise public-facing service for the University. The majority of photographs pertain to specific academic departments, student clubs and activities, athletics organizations, and faculty and staff. The collection mostly covers the 20th century, encompassing the formation and existence of Florida State College for Women (FSCW, 1905 - 1947) to the creation and growth of Florida State University (1947 – Present). There are also some materials related to West Florida Seminary (1884-1901) and Florida State College (1901-1905). Date ranges for specific folders have been provided where appropriate and applicable.

17 original, handwritten letters, mostly written by James Lucius Cross, arranged chronologically. Some of the letters have been photocopied. Topics include his military experiences and the death of his young wife. Correspondents include his mother, brother, sister, and Francis Eppes. Seven of the letters are datelined from Tallahassee, where he lived and taught at the West Florida Seminary, including a letter from just after the Civil War (December 1865), where he worked for the United States Government shipping ordnance from Florida to South Carolina.

Matriculation book, Session 1887-88, Seminary West of the Suwannee. Inscribed on end paper: "Miss Susie E. Cameron."

Minutes Book, 1856-1905, containing minutes of meetings held at the Florida Institute, the Seminary West of the Suwanee River, and Florida State College. Also listed as MSS 0-364.

The collection consists of one bound volume, containing minutes taken at Platonic Debating Society meetings and the Society's constitution and by-laws.

This collection contains President Albert Alexander Murphree's official presidential correspondence as well as his personal correspondence. It includes letters concerning his work as editor and publisher of the Florida School Exponent, the only teacher's journal in Florida, which began publication in 1894.

Several booklets, pamphlets, and other catalogues pertaining to past history of Florida State University and its predecessor institutions. Especially interesting is a catalogue of the Seminary West of the Suwannee River, 1892-1893, and a Programme of the 42nd Annual Commencement of the Seminary held at Munro's Opera House, June 9, 1893. Many names familiar to Tallahassee appear on this program and in the catalogue. At this time the Board of Visitors was made up of four prominent citizens of north Florida: E.P. Dismukes of Quincy, William Miller of Port Washington, Samuel Pasco of Monticello, and E.J. Vann of Madison. Unique among Mr. Scarborough's gifts is one of Hazeltine's miniature Almanacs, the Pocketbook Almanac of 1893, measuring 1.5x2 inches, apparently distributed by Dr. J.M. Carn. However, this particular tiny Almanac bears evidence of having been kept by Dr. Carn as a sort of Birthday Book, as family names were written on a number of the pages.