UNT Archives

Students should be aware that most archival collections are room-use only (because the materials are unique and therefore irreplaceable) and that often there are materials in the collections that are not documented in on-line library catalogs.  Students will need to work with archives’ staff in order to search the various collections.  Many archives are in the process of digitizing some of their records but a lot of what’s out there in the archives is not online and not available through interlibrary loan.  Students will most likely need to physically go to archives in order to see primary sources on particular topics.  It is best to call ahead and tell the archives’ staff what you are researching because often they have materials stored off-site and they will need time to retrieve them for you. 

The UNT Archives (Willis Library, Room 430) consists of: university records; papers from leaders in politics, business, and industry in the North Texas area; county records for Cooke, Wise, Montague, and Denton counties, and an oral history collection. Materials in the collection that may be of particular interest to students in this seminar include:

• Maps (3) (WWI and WWII).

• Newspaper and magazine clippings (21) (WWI and WWII).

• Scrapbooks (mostly newspaper clippings) (5 boxes) on WWII.

• Photographic prints (2 documents boxes and 48 oversize) (“Military”).

• Photographic prints (1 documents box) pictures taken at UNT during both wars.

• Posters (2) (WWI).

• German Circulars and printed materials (7) (WWI).

• Collections (33) of personal papers from various people (WWI and WWII).

• Oral History transcripts (400 on Pearl Harbor; 150 on Pacific Theater; 140 on Prisoners of War; 80 on European Theater; 14 on Holocaust; 7 on the United States home front; and 5 on Japanese-American Relation.)

• La Forte collection (approx. 440 books about POWs.)

• WWII Casualty lists (2 documents boxes).

• Owsley Collection (Alvin Owsley served in WWI and later had a long diplomatic career) Collection consists of 60 scrapbooks, papers, artifacts, but most are from his life after the war. Twelve scrapbooks include information about WWI. Seven scrapbooks include materials about WWII.