Online Collection Guides and Inventories
Troy University Collection
RG-001 (Processing)
Record Group 1 documents the history of Troy University from its establishment as
a State Normal School in 1887 to its present status as a university serving undergraduate
and graduate students worldwide. This extensive collection is chronologically organized
by decade and then by functional grouping. A general finding-aid and guide for locating
material within RG-001 may be accessed here.
Community/Regional Collection
RG-002 (Processing)
Record Group 2 documents the history of individuals and public/private organizations
that have resided, or have been established, within the immediate geographical area
surrounding Troy, Alabama.
University Leadership
RG-003: Dr. Ralph W. Adams Collection
This extensive collection documents the administrative and philanthropic activities
of former Troy University President (1964-1989), Dr. Ralph W. Adams. Materials are
organized as received from administrative staff to preserve original context. Privacy
issues or institutional concerns may limit access to some materials. RG-003 is partially
organized with a staff-prepared index completed in 2009.
RG-009: Edwin R. Eldridge Collection
Documents pertaining to the former president of the State Normal School at Troy. RG-009
is partially organized.
RG-018: Matthew Downer Pace Collection
Documents pertaining to the former president (acting) of Troy State Teacher's College.
RG-018 is partially organized.
RG-020: Dr. Edward Madison Shackelford
This collection documents the administrative and philanthropic activities of former
Troy State Teachers College President (1899-1936), Dr. Edward M. Shackelford. This
collection includes the original handwritten manuscript notes for Shackelford's book, The First Fifty Years of the State Teachers College at Troy, Alabama, by Paragan Press, 1937. Privacy issues or institutional concerns may limit access
to some materials. RG-020 is partially organized.
RG-021: Dr. Charles Bunyan Smith Collection
This collection documents the administrative and philanthropic activities of former
Troy State College President (1937-1961), Dr. Charles Bunyan Smith. Privacy issues
or institutional concerns may limit access to some materials. RG-021 is partially
organized.
RG-023: Dr. Frank Ross Stewart Collection
Documents pertaining to the former president of Troy State College. RG-023 is partially
organized.
Faculty & Staff Collections
RG-010: Dr. Robert Ervin and Violet Ervin Collection
Dr. Robert Ervin and his wife, Violet Ervin, were both long-term professors at Troy
State University between the 1930s and the 1960s. This collection includes documents
from Dr. Ervin's career as a psychology professor and Mrs. Ervin's career as a music
student, performing artist, and piano instructor. A significant amount of musical
books and scores are held within this collection. RG-010 is partially organized.
RG-016: Woody Ishmael Collection
Woody Ishmael was a a renowned artist and illustrator and instructed many classes
at Troy University in his role as resident artist in the 1970s and 1980s. This collection
includes examples of his work and other documents related to his tenure at Troy University.
RG-016 is partially organized.
RG-024: Dr. Carl Vollrath Collection
The University maintains an extensive collection of Dr. Vollrath's original music
compositions and other documents of interest from his exceptional career at Troy University.
For more information, please visit the Archive of Carl Vollrath's Music.
Regional Interest Collections
RG-006: John Cross Collection
Mr. John Cross (1945- 2021) was a Troy University graduate, an accomplished businessman,
successful author, and a world traveler. This collection includes a diverse grouping
of materials (documents and artifacts) that Mr. Cross obtained during his travels
throughout the world between the 1960s and early 2000s. RG-006 is partially organized.
RG-008: Donnell Mercantile Collection
The H.T. Donnell Family operated a mercantile store in Daleville, Alabama, for several
decades during the early 20th century. This collection includes numerous ledgers,
order books, and receipts, recording the family's business transactions in Alabama
while operating the store from the early 1900s until the 1940s. These documents include
lists of community members and their store accounts, receipts for wholesale cotton
purchases, letters of business correspondence, and numerous billing notices from wholesale
suppliers. Many items in this collection are in poor condition and they are extremely
fragile. In such case, the use of a digital surrogate will be employed for researcher
access. RG-008 is partially organized.
RG-013: Congressman George M. Grant Collection
George M. Grant (1897-1982) was a resident of Alabama's Barbour and Pike County Region.
Grant served the community as a lawyer in Troy, Alabama and as a United States Congressman
for Alabama's 2nd and At Large District (1938-1965). This collection includes documents
and official correspondence created during his term as congressman in the early 1960s.
Privacy issues or institutional concerns may limit access to some materials. RG-013
is partially organized.
RG-019: Mark I. Pinsky: Drifting Into Darkness
Journalist and author Mark Pinsky's book, Drifting Into Darkness, was the result of a highly-detailed investigation into a high-profile double-murder
case which occurred in an upscale Montgomery, Alabama community on Thanksgiving weekend
in 2004. This collection documents his extensive research efforts and the inner workings
of the criminal justice system in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Pinsky was a guest speaker
at Troy University Library in October, 2022. Some portions of this collection have
restricted accessibility per request of the donor. RG-019 is partially organized.
RG-025: George C. Wallace Collection
A small collection containing assorted documents and an interesting group of Christmas
cards sent to the Governor from the people of Alabama during the late 1960s. RG-025
is partially organized.
RG-027: Dr. Paul V. Yoder Collection
A large collection of documents and photos pertaining to the life and experiences
of this respected musician and band director. RG-027 is unprocessed.
RG-028: Dr. Wade Hall Collection
The University maintains an extensive collection of Dr. Hall's vintage postcards that
were accumulated during his career as a military service member and a university professor.
For more information, please visit the Wade Hall Postcards website.
Vertical Files
In addition to collections designated with an institutional record group, TUASC also
maintains a vertical file of tangible paper records documenting significant contributions
or accomplishments by faculty, staff, alumni, or distinguished guests. For further
information, please contact the University Archivist.
TVF-STA-WAL-1: Ruth Walker (Vertical File Holding)
Mrs. Ruth Walker was an artist employed by Troy University during the 1980s. She designed
many of the early promotional images used by the University, and she also painted
a number of portraits of individuals with importance to the University. This vertical
file holding is primarily composed of an audio interview of Mrs. Walker recorded in
January 2023. This material is partially organized.
Digital Holdings
TUASC maintains an online archive of digital holdings that may be accessed via the Troy University Digital Archives. This website is a recent (October 2023) acquisition of TUASC, and as such, holdings will be limited as files are prepared and ingested. Currently, researchers will discover access to many of the Palladium yearbooks and early issues of the school's catalogs and bulletins. For access to specific digital holdings, or for more information on TUASC digital files, please contact the University Archivist.
Contact Us
University Archivist
Rodney C. Lawley
Wallace Hall, Room 215
rlawley@troy.edu
334-670-3261