Fort Hays State University
Victor E. Tiger
Fort Hays State University



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 HomeForsyth Library > Departments >

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Archives/Special Collections/Western Room

Kansas Heritage

Patty Nicholas
(785) 628-5901
pnichola@fhsu.edu

Regular Hours (including January intermission)
Monday - Friday  8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday  Closed

Summer Hours
Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday  7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Saturday - Sunday  Closed

Archives

The University Archives serves as a repository for historical documents pertaining to FHSU. The archives include the following:

  • Official Papers of the Presidents
  • Yearbooks, Class Schedules, and College Catalogs
  • Athletic Programs, Game Tapes, and Score Books
  • News Clipping
  • Records of Various FHSU Offices
  • Photographs

Special Collections

A) C Collection

Rare books in the "C" collection are located in both the Special Collections room and the Center for Ethnic Studies. These books were removed from the general collection to more secure areas because of their physical condition, age, or value. Materials are not allowed to be checked out.

B) Western Collection

If you like researching or reading about Kansas, then you will feel at home here. This collection contains fiction and nonfiction material about Kansas and the American West. Topics include railroads, the cattle trade industry, cowboys, Native Americans and frontier life. The Elmer and Eartha Pugh Trust Fund provides a wonderful opportunity for us to add new materials to the Western Collection. Their generosity is appreciated.

C) Graduate Theses

The Graduate Theses collection has one copy of each thesis written by master's degree candidates from Fort Hays State University. A second copy is available for circulation from the general collection, but there are several second copies in the Western Collection due to their topic.

D) Fort Hays Genealogy Society Collection

This collection consists of periodicals, books and newsletters owned by the Fort Hays Genealogical Society. Patrons are welcome to use these sources and members of the Society can check these items out.

E) Cecil B. and Laura G. Currey Archive of Military History: Dr. Cecil B. Currey, a noted military history expert and FHSU alumnus, donated his personal papers and library of military history to Forsyth Library.

The collection, dedicated in 1997, contains items on the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Viet Nam Conflict. Correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, photographs, declassified Army documents, and transcripts of interviews are among many things that are a part of this distinctive collection.

F) William D. Pashchal World War II History Collection: Dr. William D. Paschal, a retired dentist from Wichita, Kansas, donated this collection to the archive of military history in 1998.

It contains books, declassified government documents, maps, photographs, and other materials focusing on World War II. Materials about Edmund Pfannenstiel, a Munjor native, are also included. Dr. Paschal and Mr. Pfannenstiel served time in the same German prison camp, Stalag IX B, located in Bad Orb, Germany. Dr. Paschal later recommended Mr. Pfannenstiel for the Distinguished Service Cross.

Related Information

A Bibliography of Interest (this is a pdf format) - a bibliography of genealogical materials for Hays and Ellis County available in the Special Collections room and the Center for Ethnic Studies. It was first compiled in 1999 by Judith Salm; it was updated in 2006 by Patty Nicholas.

A Bibliography of some Primary Sources in the Western Collection (or a pdf) - a bibliography of sources of western history found in the Western Collection of Forsyth Library.

Visitors are encouraged to call ahead or email to make an apointment to use the room; walk-ins are also welcome.

Circulation of the materials in Special Collections is restricted, although there are some materials that can be checked out with special permission.

For information on the Center for Ethnic Studies, see Departments.

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