About
"To be wholly adequate as a memorial, the Stadium must serve living generations effectively, besides preserving a realization of the gallantry of those who fell. But to fulfill its possibilities, it must be more than the arena for exciting and colorful games. It must contribute directly to the well-being of all the students of the University"
-- President Lotus D. Coffman, Memorial Stadium dedication, November 15, 1924.
With this interactive digital archive, the University of Minnesota honors the history of Memorial Stadium. In 2008 while watching enthusiasm grow as TCF Bank Stadium came to life an inspired group of University Libraries staff explored how the rich archival resources and the digital technology expertise of the Libraries could be channeled to capture and share the history of Memorial Stadium. Photos, game footage, programs, correspondence, reports, and blueprints from the University Archives' collections were scanned by the Libraries' Digital Library Services and uploaded into Omeka, a free, open source, interactive web-based publishing platform which allows visitors to the site to share their own stories and recollections of Memorial Stadium. The result is a lasting resource reflecting the history of Memorial Stadium from a wide variety of perspectives
University Libraries Project Team:
Shane Nackerud, Jason Roy, Claudia Sueyras, Beth Kaplan, Karen Spilman, Erin George, Jennifer Claybourne Torkelson, Ahnna Mahoney, Maggie Eichenlaub, Joe Bartoletti
Support University Archives
The financial contributions of thousands of students, faculty, alumni, and staff built Memorial Stadium. Over the decades, those same groups have contributed priceless and unique collections to University Archives. But collecting that history in the Archives is just the beginning. Ongoing support is needed to ensure preservation and broad access to treasured films and photographs such as those featured on this site, and for all of the rich resources in the University Archives. Many of these materials need cleaning, cataloging, and reformatting before they can be accessed by researchers.
Your gift today can help preserve a piece of University history for tomorrow. Materials in need of preservation and cataloging include:
- Gopher yearbooks 1890-1967 and other student / staff publications.
- Campus maps and blueprints from the University's founding to the present.
- Thousands of 16 mm films and tens of thousands of photographs, lantern slides, and glass plate negatives documenting the University's history in sports, the arts, natural history, medicine, research and teaching.
Questions
The site is not displaying properly on my computer, what can I do?
You may need to upgrade your browser. The site requires IE 7 or higher, Firefox 3 or higher, and Safari 3 or higher.
Who can I contact to learn more about this site?
Feel free to call or email University Archives. We're open Monday through Friday.
uar@umn.edu or 612-624-0562
Can I upload a photo from the Memorial Stadium to my personal website?
You are welcome to use the images on the site for personal, educational or other non-commercial uses. Please include the caption information and credit University Archives - that way, visitors to your site will know where it came from.
Can I print a photo from the website to give to my dad?
Yes, this would be considered a personal use.
Can I use a photo from the site in my new line of greeting cards and coffee mugs?
Please contact us to talk about this and other commercial uses.
Can I get a publication-quality copy of an image?
Yes. Just contact us for information about obtaining a high resolution scan and publication information.
Can I link to the Memorial Stadium site?
Please do!
Are the photos and films from the University Archives copyrighted?
Yes, for the most part. The Regents of the University of Minnesota own rights to all of the Archives' content on the site except for material in the public domain. Please contact us for permission to publish content from the site.
I'm having trouble adding my story. Who can I contact?
Feel free to call or email University Archives. We're open Monday through Friday.
uar@umn.edu or 612-624-0562
I just sent in my story but don't see it on the website. When will it be posted?
We review submissions as they come in and post them as quickly as possible. If your story isn't posted immediately, please try back later today or tomorrow.
Who owns the stories I contributed to the site?
You do! The University reserves the right to make your contribution publicly available, to copy it for preservation in the Archives, and to use it in ways consistent with University and Libraries policies.