University Archives

Mission

The University Archives serves as the institutional memory for Roger Williams University. It supports the teaching, learning, and research activities of the university and is committed to collaborating with the local community to facilitate access to historical material and develop exhibits and special programs.

To carry out its mission the archives collects, preserves, and provides access to records that document the history of the university, as well as the town of Bristol and the East Bay. The archives also houses the University Libraries' Special Collections, the Roger Williams Family Association Papers, and The Bristol Phoenix (ca.1840-1960).

Roger Williams University: A Virtual Look Back

Roger Williams University can trace its beginnings back 100 years to its time as a branch campus of Northeastern University. Known then as the School of Commerce and Finance, it offered classes at the Providence YMCA.

Scroll Through A Presentation of RWU's History

Contact our Archivist:
Heidi Benedict
401-254-3049

We are beginning to digitize items from the archives and make them available online:

• Student Newspapers
• University Yearbooks
• Commencement Programs
• See other items from the archives in RWU's Digital Commons and JSTOR'S Open Community Collections.

Visit the Bristol Phoenix Newspaper Digitization Projectto view historic issues of the newspaper, 1837-2015.