Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections: Welcome

The Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections are located in the G.A. Pfeiffer Library, on the Misenheimer campus of Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, NC. The University Archives and Manuscript collections are housed on the basement level of the library; Pfeiffer University publications and the University's rare books and imprints are found on the second floor of the library in the Mary Fisher Floyd Room.

History

It is difficult to tell the history of Pfeiffer University without including the efforts of Mary Fisher Floyd. The Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections were so named in honor of the woman who helped rediscover and preserve much of the school's history.

There was no official effort to maintain the records of Pfeiffer until the 1970s, but Mary Fisher Floyd researched Pfeiffer's beginnings as Oberlin Home and School, solicited donations from former students and teachers, and encouraged others to participate in honoring school founder Emily Prudden. Many of the initial deposits into the archives were due to the work of Mary Fisher Floyd.

A biographical sketch of Mary Fisher Floyd is available here.

A brief history of Pfeiffer University is available here.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections of Pfeiffer University is to; preserve University records and information of permanent historical value; to serve as an educational resource encouraging administrative and scholarly research in its collections; to further the mission of Pfeiffer University.

Vision Statement

The Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections will be the historical hub of the Pfeiffer University Community by ascertaining that the historical records of Pfeiffer University and all of its predecessor institutions are identified, collected, preserved, maintained, made available to, and used by the Pfeiffer University Community to increase their knowledge of this institution.

The Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections will:

• appraise, accession, arrange, describe and preserve records transferred to its custody while providing access to its holdings, in accordance with accepted archival principles;

• in consultation with appropriate campus offices and University officials, determines administrative, financial, legal, and historical records preservation needs within the University;

• cooperate with local, state, and national archival, historical, and records management professional organizations on behalf of the University to keep informed on major issues of concern to the profession and participate in networking arrangements to share resources with other institutions;

• develop and maintain exhibits as a visual representation of the evolution of Pfeiffer University;

• participate in campus community programs;

• actively collect materials which further the mission of the University.

Collecting fields

• University records of administrative, legal, and historical value.
• Records of predecessor institutions.
• Biographical and historical information relating to Pfeiffer University and its programs.
• Historical records of the Methodist Church, especially those pertaining to Pfeiffer University and its predecessor institutions, the Woman's Home Missionary society, mission education, higher education, and the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The focus of the collection is the late 19th century to the present. Other time periods may be accepted upon examination and approval.

If you have materials that you are interested in donating to Pfeiffer, please contact the archivist, Jonathan Hutchinson.

Our physical address:

G. A. Pfeiffer Library
Pfeiffer University
48280 US Highway 52
Misenheimer, NC 28109

Mailing Address:
Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections
G.A. Pfeiffer Library
Pfeiffer University
P.O. Box 960
Misenheimer, North Carolina 28109

Phone:
(704) 463-3361

Email:
jonathan.hutchinson@pfeiffer.edu.