Archives: Exhibits

Chatham and the Suffrage Movement

Founded with a guiding principal of ensuring that women have access to an education equal to that available for men, Chatham University has fostered civic engagement among students, staff, and faculty for generations.  For many members of the Chatham community, that engagement took the form of activism with the women’s suffrage movement, an effort to ensure women’s access to the polls as well as equity in employment, marriage, and property.   

"Best All-Around Girl"

The Chatham University Archives is pleased to highlight the story of Kamala Cornelius Asirvatham, graduate and member of the Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University) Class of 1918.  Additionally, we are honored to announce that materials documenting Asirvatham’s connection to Chatham and writings she shared with the Chatham community are now accessible through the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA).  SAADA works to create a more inclusive society by giving voice to South Asian Americans through efforts that represent their unique and diverse experiences.  We appreciate the opportunity to work with SAADA to empower communities through history.

1972 Choir Tour of Europe

The Chatham University Archives and Special Collections is pleased to share the history of the 1972 tour of Europe by the Chatham Choir and the Hamilton College Choir.  Explore the exhibit pages and learn about the student-led efforts to fundraise leading up to the tour, the delays and challenges of travel, the surprising encounters with alums, and overwhelmingly positive reception recieved by the choirs. Through images from a photograph album, recently preserved audio recordings, and archival newspapers and magazines, the stories of the 1972 Chatham and Hamilton Choir tour of Europe come to life are sure to delight. 

Chatham Community Covid-19 Collection Project

As part of an effort to document the impact of the pandemic on the Chatham community, the Archives & Special Collections invites Chatham students, faculty, staff, and alums to share their thoughts and experiences as part of the COVID-19 Collection Project. Donated stories, writings, artworks, photos, and videos will be preserved alongside archived websites and public statements showing the university’s response efforts.

The Chatham-Hampton University Exchange and the Civil Rights Movement

Overview of student activities in the early 1960s both on and off campus.

The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and Chatham University

Explore how the 1918 pandemic impacted students and campus life.

Fun and Games from the Chatham Archives

Quizzes, puzzles, and coloring pages to show how fun archives can be!

Chatham Leadership: The Presidency of Cora Helen Coolidge

Feature on Chatham President from 1922-1933