How to Donate to Gallaudet University Archives

NOTE: Due to the upcoming major renovation of the Merrill Learning Center, the Archives is currently occupying temporary space, which is very limited and does not easily allow large-scale processing. Due to these space limitations, prior to accepting any donation, we require a preliminary email conversation with a member of our Archives staff, please contact us. Then we will set an appointment to review the collection on Zoom or VP. Additionally, be aware that unsolicited donations may be at risk for recycling. Finally, we may ask that you accommodate us by:

1. Adjusting the nature of your donation (whether in size or scope)
2. Adjusting the timing of your donation (in stages or by postponing)

Help us preserve Deaf History, Culture, and Heritage. Donate your things to the Gallaudet University Archives.

The Archives collects materials related to Gallaudet University, including, but not limited to:

• Administrative records
• Media (photography, videography, artwork)
• Historical documentation (e.g., letters from Edward Miner Gallaudet)
• Documents and items related to student life, including, but not limited to:
• Student organization records
• Athletic memorabilia
• Event posters
• Artifacts relating to regularly-occurring events (e.g., Unity Fest)

The Archives is also unusual in that its collection seeks to collect, organize, and preserve d/Deaf* history and culture for our unique global community. To that end, donations we will accept include:

• Administrative records of deaf organizations of any kind
• Photographic or video documentation of events involving deaf organizations of any kind
• Artwork of, by, and for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals
• Documentation of deaf cultural groups of any kind, including those within the United States
• Historical documents, media, and other communications from schools for the deaf (e.g., yearbooks, newsletters, general ephemera/memorabilia)
• Personal papers, photos, videos, and other items from d/Deaf individuals of note

*- We recognize the cultural specificity of the “d/Deaf” distinction and in no way mean the use of the term to be exclusionary.

Please do not send donations without first consulting with a member of Archives staff. You can begin this process by contacting us.

Once it is agreed that your donation is of historical and/or research value, you may ship them to:

Gallaudet University Archives
800 Florida Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695

What if I want to donate my papers, but the Gallaudet University Archives is not able to accommodate my donation?

We are happy to consult with you on the best home for your donation and how to assure that your items are as well-preserved as possible until they reach their destination.

Can I also make a financial gift?

Yes. People make financial gifts to the Archives most often because they want to assure the best of care for their donations, which are often of a significant size and which require resources beyond the scope of a typical annual budget for the Archives.

Additionally, people sometimes make financial gifts to support the Archives’ work in a specific area, such as digitization.

Should you decide to make such a gift—whether through an immediate monetary contribution or via planned giving—consider contacting the Office of Development.