The archives of Carnegie Corporation of New York have resided in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Columbia University since 1990. This is a rich record, documenting the nearly century-long philanthropic work of the Corporation, and includes correspondence, memoranda, minutes, annual reports, press releases, financial records, photographs and printed materials relating to the foundation and its board members, officers, staff, and grant applicants. Also included in the collection are more than one hundred reels of microfilm relating to gifts and grants made by Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Corporation in its early days to support free public and academic library buildings and for church organs, as well as Andrew Carnegie’s donations to various causes in the years before the Corporation was founded. These materials, which are available to the general public as well as to researchers, provide a remarkable insight into the history and evolution of the foundation and the programs, projects and initiatives it has supported, which often parallel critical developments relating to American society and democracy in the twentieth century.

Included in the Carnegie Corporation of New York records are documents from the Home Trust Company (a financial institution that administered Andrew Carnegie’s personal philanthropy during his lifetime). The Rare Book and Manuscript Library also houses related collections of philanthropic institutions endowed by Andrew Carnegie, such as the archives of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which shared staff, officers, and office space with the Corporation for a period of time. Records relating to the work of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs are also housed at the Library.

Under the supervision of Carnegie Archive Curator Jane Gorjevsky, who responds to over 300 Carnegie-related research requests each year (the majority dealing with the Corporation’s records), the Carnegie Corporation archives comprise a growing collection: the foundation continues to donate its inactive grant files, board and executive committee files, annual reports, publications and other records of permanent historical value. Information about the archives and directions for how to contact the curator can be found online, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/rbml/collections/carnegie/CCNY.html, or by phoning (212) 854-8937.

Copyright information | Masthead | Carnegie Corporation of New York web site