The archive of the London School of Economics and Political Science documents the development of the School from its foundation in 1895 to the present day. It consists of those records created by the school to record its business and decision making, selected for permanent preservation.

The LSE Archive is maintained to support the work of the School administration in:

• Enabling new policy proposals to be set in context.
• Ensuring consistency and coherence with previous decisions.
• Enabling precedents to be identified.

It is kept to provide timely access to documentation and to ensure compliance with legal and financial regulations; enable the School in using its unique history to promote its profile to supporters, fundraising bodies and the media; and to support research into the history and development of LSE and the social sciences.

What is in the LSE Archive?

The core LSE archive includes:

• The minutes of School Committees, 1894 onwards, (reference: LSE\MINUTES)
• Administrative files on matters such as academic policy, finance, organisation, buildings, publications and external relations, 1895-1995 (reference: LSE/CENTRAL FILING REGISTRY)
• Staff and student files (See Researching Staff and Students at LSE)
• Publications including the School Calendar, printed reports and official photographs (LSE/UNREGISTERED).

The institutional archive is enhanced by additional material including:

• LSE Oral Histories a series of interviews conducted to mark the Schools Centenary
• Smaller LSE Deposits a collection of small deposits relating to the history of the School, mainly deposited by alumni or former members of staff. These include lecture notes, papers relating to student societies, ephemera (such as leaflets) and material relating to the Troubles.
• Student Union papers including student union committee minutes  LSE Students' Union Minute books, 1903-76 (COLL MISC 0649) and LSE Students' Union papers, 1973-96 (LSE/STUDENTS UNION) and copies of publications including The Beaver and Clare Market Review.
• Selected papers of academics and alumni who have worked and studied at LSE traceable through the Archives Catalogue.

Adding material to the Archives

For advice about depositing material in the LSE Archives contact: GLPD.Archives@lse.ac.uk

Useful links

• LSE History Timeline
• LSE History
• LSE History Photograph albums 
• LSE First World War Memorial 
• Archives catalogue
• Information and Records Management
• Researching staff and students at LSE
• LSE Digest