Homecoming is all about coming back, reconnecting, and remembering. What better way to step into the past than with never-before-seen films, tapes, and recordings from Archives & Special Collections?
Just in time for Homecoming weekend, we’ve added a fresh set of audiovisual treasures to Amherst College Digital Collections (ACDC)! Some are joining existing collections you may already know, while others are launching brand-new ACDC collections that will continue to grow over time. Together, they capture the spirit of campus life, from the quirky to the heartfelt, and offer alumni a chance to relive moments that shaped their time here.
Why We’re Excited
- You’ve never seen these before. Hidden away in audio reels, VHS tapes, and 16mm film, these digitized recordings are made accessible online for the first time.
- They bring campus life to life. Think spirited and costumed alum parades, Cal Coolidge at the dinner table, JFK speaking at the groundbreaking for the Robert Frost Library, the moment coeducation was announced at Amherst, and more – distilled in time.
- This is just the beginning. More audiovisual materials will be added over time. The vaults run deep, and we’re just scratching the surface.
Our Newest Audiovisual Additions
Dedication Ceremony for the Gerald Penny Black Cultural Center
October 1974
Captured on October 12, 1974, this film records the dedication of the Gerald Penny Black Cultural Center, created in memory of Gerald Gilbert Penny (AC 1977).
Collection: Afro-American Society/Black Students’ Union Records
Watch the dedication ceremony for the Gerald Penny Black Cultural Center on ACDC
Finding Aid for Gerald Penny Black Cultural Center dedication ceremony
Read more about Gerald Penny’s legacy
Uhuru SASA!
1977
This documentary, produced by Barry Baskind and Dan Miller, shines a light on the Springfield Amherst Summer Academy (SASA), a program that brought Black high school students from Springfield to Amherst College between 1969 and 1978.
Collection: Afro-American Society/Black Students’ Union Records
Broadcasts on Vietnam War Student Protests
April 16, 1972 & May 10, 1972
This audio reel captures the urgency of student activism during the Vietnam War. Recorded on April 16, 1972, it features reports from student radio stations across the country, including Amherst College, UMass, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire. The second half is recorded in Johnson Chapel on May 10, 1972, where President John William Ward introduced Scott Campbell (AC 1972) and spoke candidly about his own opposition to the war.
Collection: Amherst College WAMH/WAMF Records
Listen to the broadcasts on the Vietnam War student protests on ACDC
Finding Aid for broadcasts on Vietnam War student protests
Interview with President Biddy Martin
April 26, 2020
Broadcast live in the spring of 2020, this conversation with President Biddy Martin and host Theo Perez (AC 2020) offers a snapshot of Amherst during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. With campus closed and life upended, the dialogue reflects on leadership, resilience, and the challenges of keeping a community connected in a moment of profound uncertainty.
Collection: Amherst College WAMH/WAMF Records
Listen to the interview with President Biddy Martin on ACDC
Finding Aid for the interview with President Biddy Martin
Convocation Featuring President John F. Kennedy & the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Robert Frost Library
October 26, 1963
On October 26, 1963, Amherst College welcomed President John F. Kennedy to campus for convocation and the Robert Frost Library groundbreaking. Hear Kennedy’s address alongside speeches by Archibald MacLeish, President Calvin Plimpton, and more.
Collection: Amherst College WAMH/WAMF Records
Finding Aid for convocation with JFK and Frost Library groundbreaking
Amateur Film of President Kennedy Visit by Edward Rowen (AC 1950)
October 26, 1963
An amateur film taken by Edward Rowen (AC 1950). The film includes clips of the convocation ceremony featuring President Kennedy, the groundbreaking for the Robert Frost Library, and the presidential motorcade.
Collection: Kennedy Convocation Collection
Watch the amateur film of President Kennedy’s visit by Edward Rowen (AC 1950) on ACDC
Finding Aid for amateur film of President Kennedy
Response to the Death of President John F. Kennedy
November 22, 1963
Recorded in Johnson Chapel on the day of President Kennedy’s assassination, this broadcast preserves the words of Reverend Lewis Mudge and Amherst President Calvin Plimpton as they addressed a shocked and grieving campus community.
Collection: Amherst College WAMH/WAMF Records
Listen to the response to the death of President John F. Kennedy on ACDC
Finding Aid for response to the death of president John F. Kennedy
Going Through College: A Study in Perspective
1978
Produced by John D. Coles (AC 1980) and Kim Farry (AC 1978), this student-made film offers a candid look at Amherst College life in the late 1970s. Through interviews and unscripted campus moments, it captures the humor, anxieties, and perspectives of students making their way “through college.” Coles went on to become an award-winning director of film, television, and theater, but here, you can see where it all began.
Collection: John D. Coles (AC 1980)
Watch Going Through College: A Study in Perspective on ACDC
Finding Aid for Going Through College
There’s Never Been a Better Time Than Now
1984
Produced as part of a 1984 fundraising drive, this promotional film captures Amherst’s bold call to action: “There’s Never a Better Time Than Now.” Under President Peter Pouncey’s leadership, the campaign sought new facilities, a stronger endowment, and the resources to keep Amherst competitive among top liberal arts colleges. Equal parts urgency and optimism, the film reflects the College’s ambitions in the 1980s.
Collection: Amherst College Audio and Video Recordings
All-College Meeting on Coeducation
April 26, 1978
An audio recording of an all-college meeting hosted by the student members of the Trustee Committee on Student Life. The meeting was held to solicit input from the campus community on the experience of coeducation at Amherst. Issues raised at the meeting were to be brought to the president and the trustees for further consideration.
Collection: Amherst College Audio and Video Recordings
Listen to the all-college meeting on coeducation on ACDC
Finding Aid for the all-college meeting on coeducation
A Question of Place: Women at Amherst
May 1988
This documentary film was created in response to the 10th anniversary of coeducation at Amherst College. Produced by more than 30 students during two and a half years of special topics courses, it includes interviews with Professors Theodore Green, Rose Olver, and Eve Sedgwick, with the director of the Women’s Center, Kristin Joy (AC 1988).
Collection: Amherst College Audio and Video Recordings
Watch A Question of Place: Women at Amherst on ACDC
Finding Aid for A Question of Place
Announcement of Coeducation Decision
November 2, 1974
This multi-part film records George Shinn (AC 1945), president of the Board of Trustees, announcing that the college will begin admitting women for the 1975-1976 academic year. It also includes a statement on the announcement by President John William Ward, as well as portions of the question and answer period with Shinn and Ward following the announcement. The original third reel also contains footage of a football game, including President Ward and Professor Henry Steele Commager in the stands, and a student holding up an Amherst Student issue with the headline “We’re Co-ed.”
Collection: Amherst College Motion Picture Films Collection
Freshman Rope Pull
Fall 1950
The Freshman-Sophomore rope-pull was an annual tradition in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1950, the rope-pull took place on November 19 in the Wildlife Sanctuary with a rope stretched across “Tyler Pool,” with members of the honor society, Scarab, serving as judges and monitors.
Collection: Amherst College Motion Picture Films Collection
Class of 1915, 15th Reunion
June 13-15, 1930
These films document the 15th reunion of the Amherst College class of 1915. The films include the annual alumni parade, focusing on the class of 1915 in their class costumes as firemen. Featured in the parade are two hand pumped fire engines belonging to the class. Following the parade and fire engine demonstration, the film contains footage of the class at their reunion headquarters and at other reunion events on campus.
Collection: Amherst College Motion Picture Films Collection
Behind the Scenes (or: How the Sausage Gets Digitized & Made Available Online)
Making analog recordings viewable online isn’t glamorous. It takes a lot of patience, expertise, and time – not to mention stubborn equipment and creative problem-solving. (It also helps to have expert partners like our colleagues at Scene Savers, who handle our complex digitization requests with great care.)
Our small team in the Library has worked hard to make these materials available, proving that with enough determination (and caffeine), a little can go a long way.
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