About this Collection
San Francisco State’s earliest records of the Normal School founded to train teachers were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. The University Archives traces the history of San Francisco State from a vocational school for teachers to a liberal arts college to its becoming a preeminent urban university as documented with its own records, images and artifacts. We also have a small sampling of faculty and alumni papers, but do not collect any materials comprehensively. The complete archival organization for the University Archives developed by Emeritus Archivist Helene Whitson and completed May 20, 2004 has not been published online. To access these materials, please email Special Collections & Archives.
Since its inception in 1899, San Francisco State University has held a unique position as an institution of higher learning in the San Francisco Bay Area that has consistently promoted educational equity. The University Archives serves as the collective memory of San Francisco State University containing unique primary source materials about our University's colorful history.
Instruction Requests
The faculty of Special Collections also offer instruction. Utilizing primary source materials, we can create course-specific assignments and lead customized classes to support primary source literacy. Faculty can request instruction through our Primary Source Instruction Request form.
Questions?
Email Special Collections & Archives with questions about this collection. Please allow up to five days for us to respond to your email. Thank you for your patience.
SF State Strike Video Collection
Local newsfilm covering events relating to the San Francisco State College Strike, from the late 1960s
SF State Strike Digital Collection
Publications
