News for University Archives
Restoring the Sexual Violence Program: A new oral history project documenting feminist student activism
When the University of Minnesota abruptly closed the Sexual Violence Program’s peer counseling service in 1989, students and staff sprang into action. “We were the program, and it was ours to fight for,” said Stacy Sorenson, one of the many dedicated students who campaigned to preserve the program.
The Daily and ‘Beyond the Page’ online
In 1996, The Daily Online was named the best collegiate online newspaper in the country by the College Press Service.
The Tradition of a Holiday Edition
A gallery of holiday covers from the Minnesota Daily student newspaper.
Are You Ready for Some FOOT BALL?
To coincide with the 1899-1900 football season, editors of Ariel, the weekly student newspaper, announced the creation of a supplementary daily bulletin titled FOOT BALL, the purpose of which was “to create enthusiasm in football, to get everybody thinking and talking about it, and so to aid in bringing success to our team” (Ariel, October 14, 1899, page 60). Twenty-six (26) issues of FOOT BALL were published from October 17 – November 24, 1899.
‘Take this Daily home. Send it to a serviceman’
“Take this Daily home. Send it to a serviceman,” read the recurring appeal from the staff of the student newspaper in the fall of 1943, accompanying a special edition dedicated to the army and navy servicemen training at the University of Minnesota during World War II.
The Spirit of the Daily Homecoming Editions
In the October 2, 1914 issue of The Minnesota Daily, it was announced that the All-University Council had adopted a resolution declaring November 14, 1914, as the “home-coming day for Minnesota alumni.” From that point forward, Homecoming evolved into an annual campus tradition.
The Daily Reveals the Doors
The University of Minnesota Archives 3-D collection contains 3 small pieces of wood, 2 with hinges, 2 with tags. Each item is numbered in black paint, 1800, 519, and 540, respectively.
On the back of item 1800 is an address label with the name “C.D. Bedford.” Item 519 has a tag attached with the name “H.C. MacKall.” Handwritten on the back is the date “9/26/04,” and the notations, “H.C. MacKall P.O. Box, for 3 years,” and “Taken from the ‘Old Main’ after the fire of Sept. 24, 1904.”
‘Welcome’ to the Year of the Daily
University of Minnesota Archives’ exhibit, "Beyond The Page: Preserving the Spirit of the University Through An Independent Student Press" will be open from October 13, 2025 through January 30, 2026. During the academic year, supplementary blog posts featuring The Minnesota Daily and ways in which they went “beyond the page,” will be posted to celebrate its 125th anniversary. Stay tuned for more!
A Collective Record: The Progression and Work of a Student Group
Student organizations have long been a part of university history across the nation. They were involved in activism and cultivating a sense of community on college campuses. This history is no less different here at the University of Minnesota.
Happy 125th to The Minnesota Daily
Today marks the 125th anniversary of The Minnesota Daily.
Old Main destroyed by fire, 120 years later
A retrospective on the University of Minnesota’s Old Main building, which was engulfed by a fire on September 24, 1904, and within two hours, was reduced to nothing but walls and embers.
‘Welcome to your University’
In 1947, the formerly known, “Freshman Week” was transformed into what is now known as Welcome Week for all incoming freshmen and new students. Under the direction of the Dean of Students and Orientation Office, Welcome Week was organized to help acquaint these students “with the University, its organizations and activities during the week preceding the opening of the fall quarter.”