Special Collections & Archives: Records of Students in the Archive of the University of Liverpool

The Archive of the University of Liverpool contains extensive archive collections of former students. We also hold records of student activities, ranging from societies and sporting groups through to records of examination results and attendance at lectures

Please note that student records (not including papers deposited by former students) are subject to strict closure periods and most post war archival material is closed to access. Please contact us for further details on accessing The University Archives.

We hold nearly 200 collections of past graduates' papers. To check and see if we hold the Papers of the graduate that you are interested in, go to the Records of Graduates section of the Archive of the University of Liverpool (arranged in alphabetical order). The University Archive is a very large collection, so it is possible that the student you are interested in features somewhere. Try a full text search on our Archive Database to see if you can find the graduate you are interested in.

For 19th and early 20th century Liverpool students who took London degrees as external students, see records at the University of London.

Student Activities

• Student Publications: Sphinx 1883/4-1998, Guild Gazette 1937 - May 1999, details of the Gazette's successor follow below:
• On 13 September 1999, the first issue of the successor newspaper, Liverpool Student was published. This newspaper, which is the organ of the students' union of the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University College, continues to be published with offices at the Guild of Students, University of Liverpool. To find out more visit the Liverpool Student website
• University press cuttings, 1875-2000, also sometimes include reports upon the work of individual students, obituaries of distinguished formers students etc.
• Details of Guild Committees, student societies, etc. can be found in: The University of Liverpool Students' Handbook 1905-06 - 1982/83 and Diary of the Guild of Undergraduates 1937-38 - 1989-90. 
• See too Archive of the University of Liverpool: Records of the Guild of Undergraduates, which includes the records of individual student societies (GLD/4), records of the University Athletic Union (GLD/2) and records relating to student life (GLD/5)

Graduation

Please note that no access to Examination Results dating post-1930 is permitted.

• The University College, Liverpool Calendar 1884 to 1903 and The University of Liverpool Calendar for 1903-04 to 1930-31 inclusive, list the names and year of graduation of graduates, diploma and certificate holders of the University.
• The Archives holds an alphabetical card index of those who were awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates of the University. 1903-77.
• There is a section of Graduation Records in the Archive of the University of Liverpool: Academic Secretary
• Orders of Proceedings produced for University Degree Ceremonies lists graduates (but not those to whom diplomas or certificates were awarded)

Student life highlights

Les Marottes annual French plays

Posters, photographs, programmes and other material in the archive document the plays put on by French students and staff. Guy Snaith was the company’s producer and director from 1982-1997. Read more...(PDF). University archives D1047

University of Liverpool Panto, January 1936

Students enjoying an unusual vantage point from which to sell copies of Pantosfinx to raise funds for Merseyside's hospitals during the annual charitable Panto, or Rag Week. University archives D983/2/4

University of Liverpool Women's cricket team

The University team existed from c.1914. A star of the 1930s was Miss K. Ainsworth, who also played cricket for Lancashire's second XI. Her batting average had reached 61 in the 1940 season. See University of Liverpool Athletic Union records (within the records of the Guild of Students, Student Societies and Student Life)

Finding and using

• Finding aid for the Archive
• University Archive
• Arrangement of the Archive
• The University's Foundation
• University Buildings
• University Staff
• University Students