Burman University Archives

Alumni Archives collects a wide range of materials relating to alumni, faculty, staff, and other individuals connected with Burman University.

The Archives had its beginning in January 1997 when Bob Tetz, then Vice President for Development, asked Willis Clark, a former teacher and staff member of CUC, to sort and identify a box of old pictures. Willis was overwhelmed with the task and asked Edith Fitch, a long time CUC supporter and retired elementary teacher to assist him. However, what was expected to be a short-term assignment turned out to be a task with no end in sight!

Norma Vatcher, a former CJC student, joined the Archives team in the fall of 1997 and Maj-Britt Rusk, a teacher and former staff member, in 2000 (retired in May, 2014). What began as filing pictures expanded to including printed information with emphasis on CUC /PAA. This again expanded to include information on Alberta churches and church schools as well as other Canadian Conferences, SDA church histories, SDA media and institutions, and articles written by former students. Over 3, 000 file cards of handwritten information were stored in baskets. When computers became the mode of filing information, the file cards were shredded in the summer of 2013.

In June 2015 the department was renamed the Edith Fitch Department of Archives, in honour of all the work Edith Fitch has done for the department. As Edith’s health began to fail, she encouraged university administration to hire someone to maintain the Archives department. In August 2015, Adorée Hatton was hired as the first paid University Archivist, to continue the work that Edith had started as a long-time volunteer. Also at this time, the management of the department was transferred from the Office of Advancement to the Burman University Library. It was felt that with the hiring of an archival professional, the Archives department would have more in common with the mandate of the Library than it would with the Office of Advancement.

Currently, the department is working on continuing digitization projects, including submitting many of its photos and documents to the Adventist Digital Library. It also keeps up with day to day publications, making sure they are recorded in the database. Time is also spent finding requested information and establishing relationships with faculty and students.