2025 was a year of changes in the archives, with new staff joining the team. With changes come new opportunities and 2026 looks like it will be an exciting year with various anniversaries being celebrated at Loughborough including 60 years of university status and 50 years of the Loughborough Student Union.
Here's a rundown of various archive activities from 2025.
Accessions
We added some interesting items to our archives in 2025:
Private papers
- Papers of Christopher Spray, 1955-1964. One box file of papers and photographs related to Loughborough College 1955-1964. Still awaiting cataloguing.
- Papers of Simon Jacobs, 1972-1976. Three boxes of material related to his time at Loughborough University, 1972-1976. Still awaiting cataloguing.
- Accruals to Papers of Ernie Miller, 1918-2008. Two boxes of material related to Chemistry and Staff Development at the University. Added to D086 which is currently being catalogued.
- Frank Slack scrapbook 'Loughborough Training College 1944-1946'. Catalogued.
- Papers of Sue Daniels 1983-1986. One box of papers relating to her time at Loughborough University. Still awaiting cataloguing.
- Papers of Paul Blissett, c.1968-2012. Seven boxes relating to his time as an Athletics Coach in Leicestershire. Added to D228 which is currently being catalogued.
Institutional records and heritage material
- Photographs of 1960 Summer School at Loughborough College. 7 Kodachrome transparency slides. Catalogued as D227.
- Hockey and tennis photographs 1943-1946. Two items. Catalogued under Loughborough college photographs.
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Loughborough College Hockey 2nd XI 1943-44 (Reference: PE-S01-1-4-14) Image: courtesy of Loughborough University Archives |
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Loughborough College tennis team, 1946 (Reference: PE-S01-1-6-11) Image: courtesy of Loughborough University Archives |
Cataloguing
2025 focused on adding collections to our online catalogue, AtoM. We added 19 collections from our donated private papers. Highlights include correspondence of Herbert Schofield, Principal at Loughborough College, 1897-1926.
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Postcards to Herbert Schofield from Mrs Grayson (Reference: D005-S1) Image: courtesy of Loughborough University Archives |
We are also in the process of cataloguing a large collection of publications from the Student Union. These magazines and newspapers include some amazing snapshots of student life through the decades.
Other news and highlights from 2025
In November 2025 we loaned some artefacts to Loughborough Library as part of an exhibition on Herbert Schofield. Schofield can rightly be described as “the father of the University”. As Principal of Loughborough College for 35 years, from 1915 to 1950, he built up a remarkable institution from which the University is directly descended.
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| Schofield exhibition at Loughborough Library, including items provided by Loughborough University Archives. |
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| Schofield exhibition at Loughborough Library. |
Watch this space for 2026 content from the archives! If you have any questions or queries for us, please get in touch with the Archivist.