The American Heritage Center is the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

's repository of manuscripts, rare books, and the university archives. Its collections focus on

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

and the Rocky Mountain West (including politics, settlement, and western trails) and a select handful of national topics: environment and conservation, the mining and petroleum industries, air and rail transportation, popular entertainment (particularly radio, television, film, and popular music), journalism, US military history, and book history.

Usage

Students and scholars from around the globe use these collections for research. In one recent year, researchers traveled from 45 states and 12 countries. The AHC also sponsors a wide range of scholarly and popular programs including lectures, symposia, and exhibits. Housed in the Centennial Complex on the campus’ east side, access to the AHC is free and open to all.

Description

Established in 1945, the AHC now holds more than 90,000 cubic feet (roughly 17 miles of cubic-foot increments) of collection material and 55,000 rare books. The Center annually receives between six and seven thousand researchers and provides fellowships and travel grants for research. It administers a teaching and research grant program to fund University of Wyoming faculty who wish to develop new courses based on primary sources in the AHC. The Center has an active outreach program to reach undergraduates and students in grades 6-12, organizing and hosting the Wyoming History Day program, which is tied to the

National History Day National History Day is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland that operates an annual project-based contest for students in grades 6-12. It has affiliates in all fifty states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Sam ...

. The Toppan Library at the American Heritage Center holds the University's rare book collection. The collection documents the history of the book, from medieval manuscripts to modern printed books.

Location

Along with the University of Wyoming Art Museum, the AHC is located in the Centennial Complex. Named for the University of Wyoming’s centennial anniversary (1986) and designed by internationally acclaimed architect

Antoine Predock Antoine Predock ( ; born 1936 in Lebanon, Missouri) is an American architect based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is the principal of Antoine Predock Architect PC, the studio he founded in 1967. Predock first gained national attention with the La ...

, the Centennial Complex opened to the public in 1993.

References

External links

The American Heritage Center

{{Authority control Libraries in Wyoming Antoine Predock buildings University of Wyoming