As graduation and commencement returns to Tufts’ campuses in May, TARC is excited to feature our Classes Collection (UA039) in relation to the celebration! The Classes Collection contains memorabilia and other materials relating to various graduating classes from Tufts University. The collection spans approximately 58 linear feet and comprises 69 boxes, 10 oversized folders, 32 VHS cassette tapes, and 1 oversized framed photograph.
The Classes Collection is not a traditional archival collection—instead, it is what archivists refer to as an “artificial collection." The Society of American Archivists defines an artificial collection as "an intentionally assembled collection of archival resources with varying provenances"—in other words, while most archival collections are created by a single person or organization, the Classes Collection was deliberately put together using items that come from dozens of different sources! The Classes Collection was assembled by former Tufts University Archivist and Historian Russell Miller, who is well-known for establishing the first iteration of the Tufts University Archives in 1959 and for publishing Light on the Hill, A History of Tufts College from 1852 to 1952 (1986). Miller created several artificial collections at TARC, though we no longer use this technique.
Like many archival collections, the nature of the Classes Collection means that it is constantly growing. Since its creation by Miller, TARC has regularly accessioned new items into the collection through donations from generous students, alumni, and their families who have shared their Tufts memorabilia with us so it can be preserved for future Tufts classes to explore. This makes the Classes Collection an invaluable resource for all things Tufts—it contains reunion notes and programs, class day and class activity books, scrapbooks, graduation ceremony records, and photographs of graduating classes from 1858 on. The collection also includes newspaper clippings, correspondence, audio and video recordings, and memorabilia such as graduation gowns, class rings, pins, and patches.
Celebrate graduation and commencement with a visit to TARC so you can see these amazing materials for yourself! You can view the finding aid for the Classes Collection on Archives @ Tufts here. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
References
Miller, Russell. Light on the Hill, A History of Tufts College from 1852 to 1952. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986, http://hdl.handle.net/10427/14802.
Society of American Archivists, “Artificial collection,” accessed April 28, 2025, https://dictionary.archivists.org/entry/artificial-collection.html.