Reflecting the College's long history of African American engagement, beginning with John Brown Russwurm's matriculation in 1824 and antislavery activities among College faculty, the Bowdoin College Archives are rich in documenting the Black experience at Bowdoin. Included among the Archives' holdings are biographical files detailing the lives of Black alumni and collections that detail the efforts of Black and white students to increase racial diversity and tolerance on campus. Administrative records trace College initiatives both to recruit more African American students and faculty and to provide ways for students of different racial backgrounds to express their own cultures while also integrating their diverse voices into a larger community of intellectual and social inquiry.
For information about specific early Black alumni, see our Subject Guide dedicated to those individuals.
