Purdue University Archives and Special Collections announces digitization of Neil Armstrong’s paper speeches

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Purdue University Archives and Special Collections (ASC) is pleased to announce the digitization of paper transcripts used by Neil Armstong for his public addresses and select speeches. The nearly 500 transcripts—totaling 7,700 pages—were generously donated by his wife, Carol Armstrong, in 2011. The speeches are available for public viewing, text-searchable, and accessible on Purdue’s online archives platform, e-Archives.

The speeches are annotated by Armstrong with comments, quips, and jokes, or with arrows in the margins suggesting changes to word or phrase order. Jo Otremba, Barron Hilton Archivist for Flight and Space Exploration and clinical assistant professor at Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies, said Armstrong frequently added information that provides readers with additional context of the speech.

“He often added notes on the speeches sharing the date and location the speech was given, which is an interesting feature for the readers to consider,” Otremba said.

The Neil Armstrong papers continue to be one of the most accessed collections for research requests and instructional usage through ASC. Work to digitize the speeches, funded by the Purdue Research Foundation and Carol Armstrong, began in 2022.

“This project highlights the continuous effort required to make these resources accessible, and it’s wonderful to celebrate the speeches’ public availability through our e-Archives,” said Otremba.

Building this digital collection would not have been achieved without the detailed and steady collaboration between ASC’s Otremba; graduate assistant Camryn Beeman; Neal Harmeyer, Archivist for Digital Collections and Initiatives, Interim Head of Archives and Special Collections, and clinical associate professor; Sammie Morris, former Head of Archives and Special Collections and former director of the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center; and members of Purdue Libraries’ Digital Programs team—Cliff Harrison, operations manager; M Lewis, digital collections photography assistant; and Samuel Wilson, digitization project assistant.

Purdue University Archives and Special Collections

Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, housed within Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, aims to support the discovery, learning, and engagement goals of Purdue University by identifying, collecting, preserving, and making available research records and papers of enduring value created or received by the university and its employees.

To learn more, visit lib.purdue.edu/spcol.

SOURCE Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies