Perlstein Hall Archives William T. Covington records, 1977-1989

Collection

Identifier: 025.03.15

Staff Only

Collection management files and inventories created by William T. Covington as archivist and records manager of IIT's first institutional archives, located in the basement of Perlstein Hall from 1977 to 1989. Covington served in this capacity from June 1977 until August 1982. His collection management files document the offices of origin (with dates of transfer to the archives) for many important records from the history of IIT, including the papers of presidents Henry Heald (1940-1952) and John T. Rettaliata (1952-1973); other prominent IIT administrators and key offices also transferred their records to this particular archives. Also present are drawings and printed maps of storage locations within the archives, as well as documents detailing its policies and procedures.

The collections from this archives were moved to the IIT Tower in October 1989 folliwng the creation earlier that year of the university's first comprehensive and professional University Archives (under archivist Valerie A. Metzler). Metzler moved them a second time (in January 1991) to their permanent home in the Paul V. Galvin Library, where they remain.

Dates

Creation: 1977-1989

Creator

Covington, William T. (Person)

Collection Size

1 Box (43 folders)

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

In 1977 IIT created a university institutional archives in the basement (room 31) of Perlstein Hall, to which records were transferred. William T. Covington, a 1976 IIT graduate in Chemistry, was hired as its archivist and records manager. He remained in that position until June 1982. By around 1987 the "Perlstein Hall Archives" held 690 linear feet of manuscripts and 13 linear feet of publications. In 1989 it was moved to the IITRI Tower for incorporation into IIT's first comprehensive University Archives (under archivist Valerie Metzler); the University Archives was then moved to Galvin Library in 1991, where it remains.