Herbert H. Lehman Suite, Columbia University Library
- Lehman Center for American History
Address
6th Floor East Butler Library; 535 West 114th Street
New York
New York
NY 10027
United States
Phone
Address
406 International Affairs; 420 W. 118th Street
New York
New York
NY 10027
United States
Phone
Fax
History
The Herbert H. Lehman Suite and Papers was founded in 1971 to serve the Columbia academic community. At its dedication, Governor Lehman's widow, Edith Altschul Lehman, expressed her desire that the new facility would become a vital and important resource for young scholars. In 2004, Columbia expanded its mission and mandate and renamed it the Herbert H. Lehman Center for the Study of American History. The new Center celebrated its opening in March 2005, and launched a series of programming exploring emerging scholarship on the American past.
From its founding in 2004, the Lehman Center was directed by Kenneth T. Jackson, Jacques Barzun Professor of History and a distinguished scholar of American and New York City history. He was joined by Associate Director Lisa Keller, Professor of History at SUNY-Purchase and scholar of trans-Atlantic US and British, women's, and urban history.
From 2005 to 2019, the Lehman Center hosted a wide range of seminars and lectures featuring emerging scholars and new works on diverse themes in American history.
Additionally, from 2005 to 2017, the Center co-sponsored and hosted occasional conferences on themes ranging from urban history to the World War I Centennial to immigration in Europe and the Americas.
In 2019-2020, in conjunction with a planned renovation of the Lehman Suite in the International Affairs Building and in anticipation of longtime Director Kenneth Jackson's retirement, the US faculty in the Department of History joined with Columbia University Libraries staff to re-envision the Lehman Center. In Fall 2020, the Center re-launched with an ambitious wave of programming designed to revitalize the study of US history at Columbia and engage critical contemporary issues through historical scholarship and debate.
Mandates/Sources of Authority
The Lehman Center for American History is a collaboration between the Rare Book & Manuscript Library and the Department of History, and is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the study and teaching of history at Columbia University.
Building(s)
The Lehman Suite, located in 406 International Affairs Building on Columbia's Morningside Campus, has historically hosted Lehman Center events and exhibitions. The Lehman Suite is currently undergoing extensive renovations, and will resume its role as the physical site for events as soon as health conditions once again permit indoor gatherings.
Archival and Other Holdings
The Herbert H. Lehman Collections include the personal and official papers of Governor Lehman, as well as those of his wife, Edith Altschul Lehman; Frank Altschul; Charles Poletti; Paul Baerwald; Julius Edelstein; James G. McDonald; the Senate Research Papers of William B. Welsh; and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) papers of Hugh R. Jackson, Robert G.A. Jackson, Marshal McDuffie, and Richard B. Scandrett. In addition, the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League Collection of Pamphlets and Periodicals and UNRRA microfilm records from 1943 to 1949 are part of the Collections.
Opening Times
10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
Closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Conditions of Access
By Appointment Only to external visitors and current Columbia students, faculty and staff whose individual research requires consulting RBML materials.
Research Services
If you would like to hire a Columbia graduate student to assist you, you may contact the following office where you can post a short-term research position:
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Career Development: gsas-compass@columbia.edu
Reproduction Services
Non-flash photography is allowed for personal research purposes, within the limits of U.S. copyright law and provided it will not damage collection materials.
- Tripods, flash, and additional lighting is not permitted.
- Silence your camera, phone, and all other electronic devices
- Personal copiers and scanners are not permitted.
Low-resolution digital reproductions (PDFs), high-resolution digital reproductions and original or archival time-based media conversion services are provided to our users to support teaching, research, and other scholarship. The RBML provides reproductions from our collections upon request as long as the staff determines that copying will not harm the original document(s) or violate copyright law.
More detailed information and required forms to be found here
Public Areas
Available exhibitions and public programs in the Columbia University Library can be found here.