A Description and Evaluation of the Archival Materials of the Pontifical College Josephinum.

A description and evaluation of the archival materials of the Pontifical College Josephinum (Columbus, Ohio) is presented, with a focus on the founder of the Josephinum, Monsignor Joseph Jessing, and his place within the archives. The paper is intended to provide the administration of the Josephinum with recommendations and to stimulate further research of the archival principles being used within seminaries as a means of preserving the history of some of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. The historical information used was gleaned from actual records, documents, photographs, correspondence, artifacts, and literature, all from within the archives. The researcher made numerous visits to the archives and interviewed several persons; following each visit, field notes were transcribed. A brief history and overview of the archives is provided. The archives are described and evaluated in terms of physical locations, organization of records, preservation issues, and security issues. Items associated with Monsignor Jessing are then described. Two appendices contain photographs of the archives and of various archival items, and field notes. (Contains 42 references.) (Author/DLS)