The University Archives Digital Collections document the history, impact, and major activities of Pepperdine University. Explore these collections to learn about some of the people who have shaped the university, student life over the years, and the way that Pepperdine has been shaped by global and political events. Collections include images, publications, and audiovisual recordings. 

Read our University Archives Guide to learn more about Pepperdine University's origins and history and to access finding aids for all collections in this collecting area.

Pepperdine University Archives Photographs, Negatives, and Slides

The University Archives Photograph Collection presents high-resolution digital renditions of the thousands of photographic prints, slides, and negatives that compose the Pepperdine University archival image collection. These images capture the history of Pepperdine University from its founding in 1937 as George Pepperdine College to the present (bulk dates 1940-1990).

The Graphic

The Graphic has been Pepperdine's primary student newspaper since the school's founding in 1937. The name was chosen by students because of the prominence of the letters “GPC,” the initials of George Pepperdine College.

George Pepperdine College Photography of Hanson A. Williams

Hanson A. Williams, Jr. was already an accomplished photographer when he attended George Pepperdine College from 1946 to 1950 on a photography scholarship. Williams worked as a student photographer throughout his time at Pepperdine, taking many of the photographs for the Pepperdine Yearbook, and serving as its editor-in-chief during his senior year.

Historic Pepperdine Films

COMING SOON

The Historic Pepperdine Films collection features moving image materials produced by and about Pepperdine University throughout the history of the institution.

Historic Sound Recordings

COMING SOON

The Historic Sound Recordings collection features streamable recordings of memorable speeches and significant events that chart the history of Pepperdine University and, more broadly, Southern California. Prominent speakers include past Pepperdine presidents, as well as national figures, such as Ronald Reagan, Milton Friedman, and singer Pat Boone.

Margaret Martin Brock Collection

COMING SOON

Margaret Martin Brock was involved in fundraising for the Republican Party and had a long-standing relationship with Pepperdine University. This collection features photographs and correspondence chronicling Brock's involvement with Pepperdine and politics.

M. Norvel and Helen Young Collection

COMING SOON

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of M. Norvel and Helen Young, both critical figures in the history of Pepperdine University. The bulk of the materials document the Youngs' involvement with Pepperdine University, their families' lives, and their activities while based in Tennessee, Texas, and California.

George Pepperdine Collection

The George Pepperdine Collection features rare and unique materials—including photographs, writings, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, collectables, and home movies—from the personal and professional life of this notable Los Angeles philanthropist and founder of Pepperdine University.

Associated Women for Pepperdine

This collection of photographs documents the history of the Associated Women for Pepperdine (AWP). AWP was started in 1958 by Helen Young and a group of women united in their belief of the importance of Christian education.

Student Life Collection

COMING SOON

The Student Life digital collection comprises photographs, memorabilia, documents, scrapbooks, correspondence, and other materials donated to Pepperdine University Libraries by alumni of George Pepperdine College and Pepperdine University.

Pepperdine Publications

COMING SOON

This collection contains magazines, periodicals, and newsletters produced by Pepperdine students, schools, and administrative offices from 1966 to 2018.

Pepperdine Yearbooks

COMING SOON

A complete and searchable digital collection of the Pepperdine University yearbook through its various incarnations as a bound publication (1939-2006). The collection also includes Crest of a Golden Wave, a pictorial history of Pepperdine University from 1987.

Inner View

COMING SOON

Inner View was a student newspaper based at Pepperdine University's Los Angeles campus from 1972 to 1976. It provided award-winning coverage of this transitional period in Pepperdine's history, local news, and national politics.

Pepperdine University Commencement Collection

The collection consists of more than 200 commencement programs and nearly 6,000 photographs taken at commencement ceremonies held at Pepperdine University between 1938 and the 1990s.

Rose Parade

COMING SOON

As a part of Pepperdine University's 50th Anniversary celebrations in 1987, the university entered a float into the 98th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. This collection is based on a selection of photographs, both formal and candid, digitized from a photo album provided by Hung Le, one of the eight students chosen to ride on the float as representatives of Pepperdine.

Korean War Photography of Hanson A. Williams

Photographer Hanson A. Williams, Jr. was drafted into service for the Korean War in 1950, shortly after graduating from Pepperdine. This collection provides an intimate, rarely seen, and visually stunning vision of the Korean War.

Pepperdine College Freedom Forum Collection

COMING SOON

The Pepperdine College Freedom Forum was an annual, three-day seminar designed to promote American values as a defense against communism, held in Los Angeles between 1959 and 1971.

Anti-Communism Films of the early 1960's

COMING SOON

In the early 1960s at the height of the Cold War, Pepperdine College sponsored a four-part, Hollywood-produced film series titled Crisis for Americans. Utilizing newsreel footage and scripted narration, each film sought to expose the threat of Soviet-based communism to capitalism and free societies around the globe.

George Pepperdine College WWII Newsletters

COMING SOON

On the Beam was a monthly newsletter designed to maintain communications with George Pepperdine College (GPC) students and alumni serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Second World War.

Woolsey Fire Memory Project

COMING SOON

The Woolsey Fire Memory Project collects, preserves, and presents the history of the Woolsey Fire and its impact on our local community, with a focus on Malibu and Pepperdine University.