Location

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

The primary purposes of the Pfeiffer University Archives and Mary Fisher Floyd Special Collections are:

• 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.

• appraises, accessions, arranges, describes and preserves 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;
• cooperates 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 participates in networking arrangements to share resources with other institutions;
• develops and maintains exhibits as a visual representation of the evolution of Pfeiffer University;
• participates in campus community programs;
• actively collects materials which further the mission of the University;

1. University records which are of administrative, financial, legal, and historical value.
2. Records of predecessor institutions.
3. Biographical and historical information relating to Pfeiffer University.
4. Manuscript (primary) materials from individuals, families, and businesses of the Pee Dee/Lakes region including Stanly, Cabarrus, Rowan, Davidson, Randolph, Montgomery, and Anson counties. Printed materials whose subject matter includes aspects of the Yadkin Pee Dee Lakes region.
5. Historical records of the Methodist Church, especially those pertaining to Pfeiffer University or its predecessor institutions, the Woman's Home Missionary society, mission education, higher education, or the Western North Carolina Conference
Focus of the collection is late 19th century to 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.

Mary Fisher Floyd Archives and Special Collections
G.A. Pfeiffer Library
Pfeiffer University
P.O. Box 960
Misenheimer, North Carolina 28109
(704) 463-3361

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For more information concerning North Carolina history please see:



For more information on the history of the United Methodist Church, please see:


The General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church
The SEJ Commission on Archives & History and The Heritage Center
Western North Carolina Conference Archives and History

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