Archives FAQ

We are happy to complete research for you. To request that research be conducted for you, please contact the Archives with as much information as you can, and the Archivist will contact you as soon as possible.

There are several ways in which we can ascertain this. We have an extensive collection of Alumni Files. Remember that there can be inconsistencies in how names are spelled and that women can be listed under either their married or maiden names. If you are looking for information on a specific graduate or attendee, an alumni file is the best source of that information. We also have a List of Graduates for each year. You can search this the same way you would the alumni files. Contact the Archives for more information. If you are not completely certain that your relative attended Albion, be aware that Albion seems to be often confused with Adrian and Alma Colleges when it comes to family histories.

Our collection of Historical Photographs and Alumni Photographs are both indexed. Some alumni photographs are still located in the historical photographs collection, so be sure to check both places for the image you need. If you find your relative’s name in the index, please contact the Archives for additional information on how to obtain a copy of the image. Please see our policy on reproductions.

Information on and photographs of campus buildings and landmarks are available at the Archives. Please contact the Archives for more information.

Our vertical files, which contain historical information on programs, professors, speakers, events, etc., are indexed. Additionally, our campus newspaper, the Pleiad is available digitally on this website and is word searchable. This publication can provide a wealth of information. Please contact the Archives for information concerning what is included in the file and how to obtain copies. Please see our policy on Reproductions.

There are books located in the College Archives, Methodist Archives and Rare Books collections. Please search our online library catalog to see if we have the book you need. If we do, contact the Archives to schedule an appointment to view the book. If we do not, make sure you also search MeLCat, the Michigan eLibrary that is available 24/7 for Michigan residents. You can get to MeLCat from the Albion College Library catalog. If neither the Albion College Library or any of the libraries in MeLCat have the book, you can most likely place an InterLibrary Loan request with your local library. Albion College faculty, students, and staff can place an InterLibrary Loan request.

If your pastor was a member of the Michigan or West Michigan Conferences of the United Methodist Church, we may be able to locate information on him or her. Please note that our collections contain very few records about individual pastors. If you see nothing there, please contact the Archives for research into resources not available online. If you have access to the Minutes of the Michigan Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, be aware that this publication prints a memorial for pastors after they have died that may be useful to your research. If your pastor was a member of the Detroit Conference, please contact the Archives at Adrian College.

In rare instances (usually only when the church has provided us with such information), we will have a list of pastors for a church. Please contact the Archives for this information. If we do not have this information already compiled, and you have access to the Minutes of the Michigan Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, be aware that this is the best source for compiling this information on your own. If you do not have access to copies of the Minutes, please contact the Archives to ask that the research be conducted for you.

Generally, we do not have the baptism, marriage, membership, or funerary records of individual churches. To check on whether or not this is true for your search, contact the Archives to see if the type of record you need is available for a specific church.