Archives & Special Collections

He Knew The Dangers Before Him: Elon graduate Dewey Hooper in World War II

This Omeka exhibit tells the story of Dewey G. Hooper, a 1940 graduate of Elon College who served during the Second World War.  Hooper enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces.  In 1942, 2nd Lt. Hooper was killed when his B-24 Bomber crashed in a remote area of Australia. 

Explore student Emily Lange's StoryMap project detailing the student-led protests for Black Studies curriculum at Elon beginning in 1969, and the road to the hiring of Elon's first Black professor and the beginning of the African and African-American Studies at Elon (AAASE) minor. 

Explore student Emily Lange's StoryMap project detailing the journey of Lithuanian Faculty as they escaped Eastern Europe after World War II and came to Elon. 

Explore student Rachel Feld's StoryMap highlighting the growth of Elon University, featuring buildings past and present, and the origins of their names. 

Archivist Randall Bowman's StoryMap tells the story of Elon College during World War I.

  Elon History and Memory Tour

The Omeka exhibit is a campus tour built upon the 2020 Committee on Elon History and Memory Report and resources from Elon University Archives & Special Collections. You can follow along the campus tour to learn about the hidden injustices and acts of resistance in the university's history. 

 Elon University Fire of 1923

An online exhibit showcasing the fire of 1923, which destroyed the Administration Building, also known as "Old Main", on the campus of what was then Elon College. This historical event marked a shift into a growth period and allowed Elon to be reborn from the ashes just like a Phoenix. The exhibit was created by Brie Melchor, Elon Class of 2026 and includes a video titled "Triumphant From Ashes" produced by Evan Smith, Elon Class of 2026.

The Elon Liberal Arts Forum

Founded in 1958, the student-led Liberal Arts Forum has provided Elon with quality scholarly lectures centered on the humanities and social sciences. This exhibit describes the organization's establishment and its evolution. Created by Blake Healey, Class of 2024, and Evan Smith, Class of 2026