Family History

University Archives holdings can be a rich source of information about family members. They include the following:

• Alumni Directories various years from 1873-2006.
• Yearbooks 1888-1967
• Commencement Programs 1873-present.
• Student Directories 1867-present list students’ college of enrollment, college addresses, and occasionally their hometowns.
• University Budgets 1911-2004 are used to track faculty and staff members by department, their titles and dates of service.
• Biography Files of University of Minnesota faculty generally contain news and other articles regarding appointments, awards, resignations or retirements, obituaries. Also curriculum vitas, bibliographies of published works and articles regarding research can sometimes be found in biography files.
• Alumni Magazine 1900-present contains articles concerning University faculty, alumni and topics of interest to the University community.
• Sports Media Guides various years for all varsity sports.
• M Club Directories, 1881-1973 list sports and year in which a varsity letter was received, addresses and occupations of letter winners.
• Employee index prior to 1920 lists appointments, promotions, resignations and retirements of faculty and staff.
• Register of Ph.D. Degrees 1888-1986 lists undergraduate and graduate degrees granted, thesis title, thesis advisor, and employment information.
• Photograph files largely include faculty but some staff are included.

Other University of Minnesota sources include transcripts, which supply information about years of enrollment and degrees granted. They also may list high school attended, birth date, parent’s names and home town and extra-curricular activities. For information about obtaining a transcript of a family member, contact the Office of the Registrar at 612-624-3731. University Archives does not have student records.