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MCPHS Archives: Researching the History of MCPHS

What's On This Page?

Are you researching the history of our institution?  Do you want to know more about an alum? Are you looking for pictures from your time at school?  We are here to help! 

MCPHS Archives

Our physical archives are located on the Worcester campus and contain an array of unique artifacts including documents, photographs, books, blueprints, scrapbooks, records, plaques, historical medical and pharmaceutical material, ephemera, and more relating to the history of the institution as well as to the history of pharmacy.

Generally speaking, in terms of physical material concerning the history of the institution in the archives, we cut off at 2000. Notable exceptions are yearbooks, course catalogs, and issues of The Bulletin.

Institutional Repository

Our institutional repository contains both archival and current documents from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and it includes scholarly publications by students and faculty, as well as documents produced about the school and the life at MCPHS.

The current collections in our IR include the following:

  • Alumni Directories
  • Commencement Bulletins
  • Faculty Publications
  • Issues of The Bulletin
  • Course Catalogs
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Yearbooks

We are in the process of digitizing new material, so be sure to check back to see what we've added!

Local Resources

Our institution grew alongside the City of Boston, and if you are looking for photographs or general information on a specific person or building, other libraries, museums, and repositories in the area can be a huge help! 

Pharmacy Journals

Pharmacy journals from the 1800's and 1900's are incredibly valuable resources for finding information about the early days of our institution. Did you know that you can find many older issues of pharmacy journals freely available online?  Check out HathiTrust, Google Books, and the Internet Archive!

Resources that are helpful include old issues of the following:

  • American Journal of Pharmacy
  • The Pharmaceutical Era
  • Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association (now Journal of the American Pharmacists Association)
  • American Druggist
  • New England Druggist / The Apothecary
  • The Druggists' Circular and Chemical Gazette
  • The Western Druggist
  • The Spatula
  • The Midland Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review

Primary Sources

Primary sources are vital in archival research.  However, what is considered a primary source and how do they differ from secondary sources?  Check out this video from the University of Guelph Library!

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