Archives
The Mission
The mission of the school Archives is to collect, preserve and make available the historical records of Rosemary Hall, The Choate School and Choate Rosemary Hall. To this end, the Archives, located on the second floor of the Andrew Mellon Library, houses more than 1,500 linear feet of documents and serves as an information resource for staff, students, alumni and interested researchers.
The Collection
Records collected by the Archives include: administrative files; campus publications such as the alumni magazines, catalogs, viewbooks, programs; student publications such as the Brief and Answer Book (yearbooks), The Lit and Question Mark (literary magazines) and The Choate News. Other sources that document the history of the schools include scrapbooks, journals, uniforms, photographs, video- and audio tapes.
A selection of Rosemary Hall memorabilia is on permanent display in the rotunda of the Paul Mellon Humanities Building. In addition throughout the year, three different exhibits illustrating the history and traditions of Choate Rosemary Hall are mounted in the foyer of the Andrew Mellon Library.
Special Collections
The Archives houses two special collections of material related to Adlai Stevenson ’18 and John F. Kennedy ’35. The Kennedy Collection contains correspondence (nearly 500 letters) between The Choate School and the Kennedy family, photographs and books about JFK. Interested researchers should contact the archivist for access to the collection which is available only on site. Information about John F. Kennedy’s years at Choate can also be explored at the John F. Kennedy Library.
Gifts to the Archives
Just as the Archives continues to expand its collection by adding the files and publications of the day, we are delighted to accept memorabilia from alumni and friends that further illuminate and enliven the past history of the schools.
Staff
The Archives was established in 1963. In January 2001, Judy Donald (RH 1966) succeeded founding archivist, Mrs. Lee Sylvester. As an alumna, Judy brings to the job a personal respect for the history of the schools.
Hours
The Archives is open from September to June when school is in session. The hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30am – 4:30pm. Visitors are welcome.
Contact
Judy Donald
Choate Rosemary Hall Archives
333 Christian St.
Wallingford, CT 06492
(203) 697-2325
jdonald@choate.edu