University Archives
Documents, photographs, sound records, and video that document the history of California Polytechnic State University
Documents, photographs, sound records, and video that document the history of California Polytechnic State University
Yearbooks, annuals, class directories, and annual journals published by the Cal Poly student body annually. Published as The Polytechnic Journal between 1906-1927 and El Rodeo between 1927-1990. No annuals were published between 1943-1945. Yearbooks provide student/faculty directories, along with recaps of yearly events. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c89310cn/
Records created or collected by the nonprofit auxiliary organization Cal Poly Corporation, which operates independently of the university, while simultaneously supporting the university's educational mission. Formerly Cal Poly Foundation. Includes the El Corral bookstore and University Bookstore.
Records and photographs related to the administration, accreditation, and marketing of the Orfalea College of Business, formerly the Department of Business Administration. Includes department meeting minutes, business magazines, and miscellaneous faculty information. Records date between 1960 and 2008. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8v98dsp/admin/
Records and photographic images related to the development, administration, and curriculum of the Horticulture and Crop Science Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Includes the records of Professor Virginia Walter, former Interim Head of Environmental Horticultural Science (retired); the records of the Pi Alpha Xi honorary society Upsilon Chapter at Cal Poly; the Floral Design Team; program planning and activities; and curriculum and course content. Includes information for department previously known as Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Gardening. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8bc44pj/admin/
Photographs and documents related to the development, programs, and curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts.
Records created by the Office of the President and Office of the Director between 1901 and 1924 relating to university operations, administration, promotion, international relations, and development, including campus life and commencement. Records include correspondence, meeting minutes, speeches, publications, audio/visual materials, and objects. Includes the papers of Director Leroy Anderson (1902-1907), Director Leroy Burns Smith (1908-1914), Robert Weir Ryder (1914-1921), and Nicholas Ricciardi (1921-1924).
Records created by the Office of the President during the term of President Robert E. Kennedy (1967-1979) relating to university operations, administration, promotion, international relations, and development, including campus life and commencement. Records include correspondence, meeting minutes, speeches, publications, audio/visual materials, and objects.
Records created by the Office of the President during the 30-year term of President Dr. Warren J. Baker (1979-2010) relating to university operations, administration, promotion, international relations, and development, including campus life and commencement. Records include correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, speeches, publications, and audio/visual materials. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8xg9wx0/.
Photographs and documents related to the buildings, programs, and policies of University Housing, as well as documentation related to student life within the dorms and other University Housing buildings.
Records of the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. Includes documentation of commencement proceedings.
Records of the student government at Cal Poly, established in 1940 and incorporated as Associated Students, Inc. in 1964.
Records of CTLT, which was established in summer 2012 in a reorganization involving the former Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Academic Technology. The CTL was established in 2001, while Academic Technology had been created in spring 2012 as a unit of Information Services. The reorganization merged the CTL's operations and staff with Academic Technology to create CTLT.
Records created by Information Technology Services (ITS), its predecessor unit Information Systems, and other units organized within them. In 1982, the first Associate Vice Provost for Information Systems was hired, and the position's responsibilities included oversight of the Computer Center, the Audiovisual Department, the Computer Aided Productivity Laboratory, and telecommunications. When ITS was established in 1994, Communication Services (hardware), Computing Systems and Operations, Support Applications, and Instructional Applications were the unit's core sections. Documentation includes photographs and annual reports.
Records and publications relating to the Alumni Association, its operations, its members, and its predecessor organizations the Alumni Office and Alumni Services.
Records of the U.S. Naval Flight Preparatory School which operated on the Cal Poly campus in 1943-44, and which trained over 3,600 cadets.
Includes records, photographs, research documents, and academic fraternity Pi Alpha Xi materials.
Photographs and documents related to the development, programs, and curriculum of the College of Engineering. Includes memorabilia, projects, and excerpts, along with personal materials of engineer Enrico Bongio. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8jw8m0x/admin/
Records related to the administration and programming of KCPR student radio station. Includes manuscript, analog, and digital records.
Records of the administration and programs of the campus library.
Records created or collected by the office of the president but not specific to one president (i.e. annual reports, committee reports, etc.).
Records created by the Office of the President during the term of President Julian A. McPhee (1933-1966) relating to university operations, administration, promotion, international relations, and development, including campus life and commencement. Records include correspondence, meeting minutes, speeches, publications, audio/visual materials, and objects.
Records created by the Office of the President during the term of President Benjamin R. Crandall (1924-1933) relating to university operations, administration, promotion, international relations, and development, including campus life and commencement. Records include correspondence, meeting minutes, speeches, publications, audio/visual materials, and objects.
This collection includes the records of both the organization Cal Poly Arts and the Performing Arts Center venue. Cal Poly Arts was founded in 1985, and the Performing Arts Center (which hosts Cal Poly Arts programming) opened its doors in 1996.
Records related to the development and administration of the International Center (formerly the Office of International Education and Programs) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, including the records of inaugural director Jon M. Ericson, and the Peace Corps Program records containing the letters and reports of Robert E. McCorkle, retired professor and former Director of International Education and Programs. Records date between 1959 and 1990. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8v410wp/admin/
Records of the operational ranch in Davenport, CA, donated to Cal Poly by Al Smith in 1993 as an educational and research facility for Cal Poly's faculty and students.
Records related to the preparation, promotions, and events of Poly Royal and Poly Royal Rodeo.
Objects created for promotional or ceremonial purposes or as memorabilia; objects used in daily operations. Includes diplomas, class, rings, and other related items from alumni. From 2017 forward, such items will be retained in the collections through which they were received, rather than being added to this collection.
Records created by the Construction Management Department, College of Architecture and Environmental Design.
Records created by the Office of Institutional Research, and its predecessor the Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis. These offices were responsible for compiling data about Cal Poly students, and reporting the data in publications such as the Fact Book.
Records created by the Architectural Engineering Department, College of Architecture and Environmental Design.
Documents, photographs, newspapers, and exhibit content related to the Journalism Department, College of Liberal Arts. Includes The Polytechnic Journal, department information, and reports on the 1960 Cal Poly football team plane crash. Records date between 1906 and 2005. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8vx0n7k/admin/
Records created by the Office of the President during the term of Jeffrey D. Armstrong, which began in 2011.
Records created by the Animal Science Department, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
Records created and collected by the Cal Poly MultiCultural Center, including photographs related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day events and Black student activities on campus 1984 – 1996, as well as images of African American Student Union and Society of Black Business Students and one folder related to the Lantern Festival. Also includes VHS videotapes of campus activities and events organized by the MultiCultural Center including discussion panels, celebrations, and performances. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8pg1xgc/admin/
Records created by the History Department, College of Liberal Arts.
Records created by the Office of Academic Programs and Planning, as well as its predecessor Office of Academic Planning and Instruction. Includes records of commencement and related activities once administered by this office.
Photographs, negatives, and photographic slides created and collected by campus staff, faculty, and students between 1900-2017. Images include campus buildings and landscape, student activities, special events, classrooms and coursework, faculty and staff events, and aerial views of campus and the surrounding area. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8w09c4b/admin/
Collection related to the annual Cal Poly Rose Float, and the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Audio-visual recordings created by campus departments, students, and faculty. May include public relations, sports, and other departments. May also include recordings produced by the ITS department, when that department was involved in media production for the campus.
Records related to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Cal Poly, held in 2002.
Records, papers, and photographs related to the administration and programming of the Biological Sciences Department, College of Science and Mathematics.
Items related to the events and activities related to the 1960 football game with Bowling Green Ohio and the subsequent airplane crash. Also included are related events and fundraisers following the plane crash.
Student and student-press produced newspapers, journals, magazines, and newsletters. Includes The Polygram (1916-1932), The Polytechnic Californian (1940), El Mustang (1938-1939, 1941-1942, 1946-1967), Mustang Daily (1967-2013), and Mustang News (2013- ), monthly Polytechnic Journals (1906-1912), Mustang RoundUp (1942-1948), and The Alternative (1986-1987). Not produced between 1933-1937 and 1943-1945. Newspapers cover local and international events from the perspective of Cal Poly students. A more comprehensive collection of the student newspapers and a finding aid can be found at https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/studentnewspaper/ and https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8mc94qc/
Records relating to the administration, marketing, and program management of the Athletics department including sports schedules, programs, photographs, and team data, as well as records related to Title IX. Collection is unprocessed and requires advance notice for research access. Related photographs can be found in the UA0099 University Archives Photograph Collection. Limited finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8t72q18/
Records created by the Political Science Department, College of Liberal Arts.
Records created by the Women's and Gender Studies Department, College of Liberal Arts.
Records created by the Graphic Communications Department, College of Liberal Arts.
Publications from the Office of the Registrar which provide descriptions of colleges, departments, degree programs, and course offerings, among other information about the university. From 1905 - 1983, the catalog was published as a special issue of Cal Poly's circulars, bulletins, or announcements service.
Documents related to the development and activities of the Pride Center and the former Gay Student Union. Includes flyers, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, event information, and other documents related to the creation of GSU. Alternatively known as Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals United (GLBU). Records date between 1972-2018. Finding aid available at https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8tb1dcp/admin/