Manuscripts and Personal Papers is a collection of original historical source material produced by or acquired from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Typical material found in a specific manuscript group includes letters, correspondence, subject files, printed materials, and photographs. Also included in this collection are ferryboat and textile mill records, store ledgers and journals, oyster bed and fishery records, and weather statistics. Most of the collections are of Rhode Island interest.

Electronic versions of selected finding aids are linked to this web site.

Amalgamated Transit Union, Division 618 (Providence, R.I.)
Mss.Gr.233; 1913-1996; 3.5 linear feet

American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
Mss.Gr.118; 1945–1991; 89.5 linear feet

American Association of University Professors (AAUP)– University of Rhode Island Chapter
Mss.Gr.118A; 1931–1971; 0.5 linear feet

Art of Democracy Poster Collection
Mss.Gr.218; 2008; 38 items

Leonard Bacon Papers
Mss.Gr.145; 1887-1947; .25 linear feet

Biscuit City Press Archives
Mss.Gr.177; 1970-1992; 3 linear feet

Blue Ribbon Commission, Records of
Mss.Gr.59; 1981–1987; 2 linear feet

Bonoff Family Papers
Mss.Gr.216; 1899-2007 ; 123 linear feet

Brown and Sharpe Labor Strikes
Mss.Gr.219; 1853-1997; 2.25 linear feet

Edwin C. Brown Labor Union Collection
Mss.Gr.230; 1953-1984; 5 linear feet

Paul Buhle Rhode Island Labor Collection
Mss.Gr.231; 1904-2000; 2 linear feet

Burt/Bock Family Papers
Mss.Gr.46; 1836–1979; 5.5 linear feet

Peter J. Capelotti Papers
Mss.Gr.45; 1941–1984; 6 linear feet

Carolina Mills, Records of
Mss.Gr.104; 1869–1956; 4.5 linear feet

Francis H. Chafee Barometric Pressure Readings Collection
Mss.Gr.186; 1929-1990; 1linear foot

Chime of Bells and Music at Grace Church, Providence, Rhode Island
Mss.Gr.157; 1857-1987; 0.75 linear feet

Garret Clough Case
Mss.Gr.26; 1969–1974; 5 linear feet

Coastal Resources Center
Mss.Gr.113; 1971–1990; 76.5 linear feet

Coffin/Robinson Family Papers
Mss.Gr.50; 1870–1970; 9 linear feet

Colt Family Papers
Mss.Gr.78; 1793–1961; 115.25 linear feet

Arthur Custer Papers
Mss.Gr.168; 1940-1997; 17 linear feet

Henry Wight Diman Papers:
Mss.Gr.161; 1842-1884; 7 linear feet

Dismissed With Prejudice
Mss.Gr.146; 1957-1960; 1 linear foot

Rowland Sever Dodge World War I Letters
Mss.Gr. 247, 1917-1929; 2 linear feet

Michael Driscoll, Secretary of the Robert Emmet Association Papers
Mss.Gr.236; 1880-1922; .25 linear feet

Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island
see Rhode Island Episcopal Church Records

Fayerweather Family Papers
Mss.Gr.121; 1836-1962; 2.5 linear feet

Benjamin Fine Papers
Mss.Gr.5; 1947-1975; 2 linear feet

Foster Parents Plan International
– Mss.Gr.117.1; 1939–1994; 393.5 linear feet
– Mss.Gr.117.2; 1937-1982; 101 linear feet

Harold N. Gibbs Papers
Mss.Gr.171;1940-1954;1.75 linear feet

John R. Griffith Papers
Mss.Gr. 243;1946-1954;.5 linear feet

Susan Hale Papers
Mss.Gr.88; 1844-1934; 1.25 linear feet

Robert Harrison Papers
Mss.Gr. 181; 1931-2004; 35.25 linear feet

Ralph Hartman Papers
Mss.Gr.25; 10 linear feet

Richard L. and Kathleen A. Hauke Papers
Mss. Gr. 68; 1930-2001; 11.5 linear feet

Haymarket People’s Fund
Mss.Gr.83; 1973-1990;1.3 linear feet

Caroline Hazard Papers
Mss.Gr.7; 1871–1939; 5.25 linear feet

Rowland Hazard Papers
Mss.Gr.6; 1846–1897; 3 linear feet

Rowland Gibson Hazard Papers
Mss. Gr. 9; 1823–1886; 5.5 linear feet

Thomas Arnold Hazard Papers
Mss.Gr.8; 1833–1873; 2.2 linear feet

Bernon Helme Photograph Collection
Mss.Gr.125; 1895-1930; .5 linear feet

Frank Heppner Papers
Macc. 2015.05; 1961-2015; 5 linear feet

Higgins, Thomas and Rachel Papers
Mss.Gr.192; 1924-1995; 3 linear feet

Hillel Foundation, Rhode Island Chapter
Mss.Gr.159; 1972-1999; 8.5 linear feet

Burton Hoffman Papers
Mss.Gr.184; 1852-1986; 17.25 linear feet

Tony Hofford Kingston Hill Scrapbook
Mss.Gr.214; 1963-1970; 1 linear foot

Leon Holland Papers
Mss.Gr.51; 1877–1963; 5 linear feet of papers; 440 civil engineering drawings, plans

Hospice of Washington County
Mss.Gr.84; 1979–1989; 22 linear feet

Jamestown and Newport Ferry Company
Mss.Gr.48; 1872–1969; 136 linear feet

E. A. Kenyon Mill Store
Mss.Gr.103; 1873–1944; 3 linear feet

Kingstown Associates, Inc.
Mss.Gr.147; 1946-1948; .25 linear feet

Kingston Congregational Church
Mss.Gr.169; 1835-1968; .75 linear feet

Kingstowne Music Club
Mss.Gr.140; 1939-1966; 1 linear foot

Charles Lanman Papers
Mss.Gr.10; 1841-1866; 0.25 linear feet

George H. M. Lawrence Papers
Mss.Gr.49; 1850–1982; 15.25 linear feet

John Davis Lodge Research Collection
Mss.Gr.210; 1864-1999; 9.75 linear feet

Paule Loring Papers
Mss.Gr.67; 1931–1973; 62.50 linear feet

Herbert Leon MacDonell Papers
Mss.Gr.245; 1958-2015; 125 linear feet

Faith McNulty Papers
Mss.Gr.18; 1958–1990; 22 linear feet

William D. Metz Papers
Mss.Gr.53; 1946–1982; 20.5 linear feet

Julius C. Michaelson Papers
Mss.Gr.238; 1962-1982; 4.5 linear feet

John Romeo Miglietta Papers
Mss.Gr.91; 1902–1969; 20 linear feet

Casey Miller (Foster Parent Plan) Letters
Mss.Gr.223; 1942-1997; .75 linear feet

William Davis Miller Papers
Mss.Gr.11; 1920–1944; 1 linear foot

John Carter Minkins Papers
Mss.Gr.226; 1882-1920; 19 linear feet

Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection
Mss.Gr.20; 1755-2000; 9 linear feet

Scott Molloy Research Collection
Mss.Gr.232; 1864-2009; 15 linear feet

Scott Molloy Papers
Mss.Gr.232.1; 1773-2024; 26.5 linear feet

Blanche Murray Collection of the Co-Ed Colonel
Mss.Gr.215; 1940-1941; 1 linear foot

Narragansett Times Index, Research Notes and Index
Mss.Gr.160; 1.5 linear feet

National Weather Service Office, Records of
Mss.Gr.70; 1904–1995; 20 linear feet

Samuel Neilson Papers
Mss.Gr.72; 1799–1977; .5 linear feet

New England Library Association (NELA), Records of
– Mss.Gr.153; 1938- 2002; 16.75 linear feet
– Mss.Gr.153.1; 1963-2003; 13.5 linear feet

NELINET Archives
Mss.Gr.40; 1972–1979; 23 linear feet

Nineteen Eighteen (1918) Club
Mss.Gr.178; 1960–2004; 2.5 linear feet

North East Region of the American Accounting Association (NERAAA)
Mss.Gr.170; 1951-2003; 1.75 linear feet

Parents’ Cooperative School
Mss.Gr.77; 1969–1981; 5.25 linear feet

Bishop James DeWolf Perry Papers
Mss.Gr.29; 1866–1966; 26 linear feet

Raymond Henry Jones Perry Papers
Mss.Gr.4; 1836–1902; 28 linear feet

Plum Beach Light
Mss.Gr.138; 1864–2000; 2.5 linear feet

Elisha Reynolds Potter Papers
Mss.Gr.12; 1833–1879; 2.5 linear feet

John Potter Papers
Mss.Gr.133; 1850-1895; 0.5 linear feet

Pym-Randall Press
Mss.Gr.19; 1964–1982; 13.5 linear feet

Allen K. Remington Papers
Mss.Gr. 235;1918-1950 ; 4.75 linear feet

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Game
Mss. Gr. 28; 1949-2015; 125 linear feet

Rhode Island Feminist Theater
Mss.Gr.158; 1973-1985; 7 linear feet

Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) Records
Mss.Gr.90;1903- 1998; 27 linear feet

Rhode Island Organizing Committee for the National Women’s Conference
Mss.Gr.221; 1976-1978; 1 linear feet

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Mss.Gr.234; 1891-2000; 3.75 linear feet

Arthur H. Riani and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Lodge 66
Mss.Gr.229; 1923-1989; 1.5 linear feet

Michael Rice Papers
Mss. Gr. 240; 1984-2014; 6.25 linear feet

Thomas Romeo Papers
Mss.Gr. 246; 1975-2007; 6 linear feet

Edward J. Schroeder Papers
Mss.Gr. 237; 1969-1973; 2 linear feet

Michael Spero Papers
Mss.Gr.156; 1930-1989; 4.25 linear feet

Theatre-by-the-Sea
Mss.Gr.191; 1930-1989; 19.25 linear feet

Theatre-by-the-Sea Research Notes of David Sherman
Mss.Gr.225; 1892-2010; 0.5 linear feet

General Elliot Thorpe Collection
Mss.Gr.154; 1928-1999; .25 linear feet

URI Historical and Pictorial Collection
Mss.Gr. 148; 1998, 4.25 linear feet
see also University Archives,  Miscellaneous Archives

Joseph Uscio Collection
Mss.Gr.33; 1892-1975; .5 linear feet

Louise White Papers
Mss.Gr.42; 1924–1974; 2 linear feet

Betty Williams Collection
Mss.Gr.213; 1796-1995; 29.5 linear feet

Richard Wilmarth Papers
Mss.Gr.165; 1979-2003; 15 linear feet

Woman’s Temperance Union Collection
Mss.Gr.112; 1922-1977; 2.25 linear feet

Carl R. Woodward Papers
Mss.Gr.1; 1880-1973; 83 linear feet

Eligible users and restrictions on use

Before beginning research, everyone is required to sign the “Research and Guest Register.” A Research Form must be completed if the researcher is using manuscript or archival collections. Collections are used under specific restrictions and may not be removed from the Reading Room area. Items may not be borrowed from the collections. Permission may be granted to obtain copies of items in the collections. A fee is charged for this service and the copying is performed by the staff.

Care must be exercised at all times when handling materials. Consuming food or beverages, smoking/vaping, and the use of pens are not permitted.