June 11, 2025

As part of the course History T280: Archives, Research & Historical Methods, taught by Assistant Professor Nic John Ramos in the winter term of 2025, students had the opportunity to conduct research in  the Drexel University Archives.

For the course, which explored the intertwined historical development of the twentieth-century American university with the Military Industrial Complex, Professor Ramos asked students to examined the history of Drexel and other local institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. Acting as ”archive reproducers,” students explored unique primary source materials from the Drexel University Archives and elsewhere and engaged deeply with higher education’s historic connections to the U.S. military industrial complex.

The following interview with undergraduate student Bug Wylie-Chaney—who was one of 30 students enrolled in the course—captures one student’s reflections on that experience, offering insight into the discoveries made, the research approaches taken and the personal impact of working with historical collections. This student voice helps illuminate the vital role archival research plays in connecting academic study with lived history — and how Drexel students are utilizing the Drexel Archives in new and meaningful ways!

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: What was the class about?

Histry T280 was about analyzing, in both a historical and contemporary context, the intimate connection between the military industrial complex, and the American university system.

Q: Why did you enroll in this class?

I signed up for this class primarily because I was seeking ways to reconcile my personal antiwar beliefs with the visual ties that Drexel maintains with military contractors. A particularly acerbic example of this relationship for me was the Lockheed Martin Launchpad, which I walk past every day on my way to the music studios, which pridefully displays the logo of the company.

I wanted to delve into the nature of this relationship, not just in the context of Drexel, but with universities more broadly. I have many friends at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and Stanford who feel very similar to me and who tell me stories of similar spaces on their campuses. I had no idea that we would be working in the University Archives, so even though use of the [Drexel Archives] was not a primary, or even secondary or tertiary reason for me taking the class, that would change soon after starting the course. 

Q: I understand the course required you to not only do research in the University Archives, but to act as “archive reproducers.” What did that mean for this course?

My understanding was that, as “archive reproducers,” we were responsible for digitizing the relevant parts of the physical archives [for class use] and disseminating the class documents hidden in the depths of the digital archives. But on a more, I suppose, poetic level, it felt like being an archive reproducer meant keeping knowledge alive - what good is a piece of paper in an archive if no one knows what it says? To me being an archive reproducer felt like being a protector of the past, making sure it doesn’t lay forgotten in the dark abyss of historical obscurity.

Q: Very briefly describe the types of materials you used in the Archives – what did you use for your final projects? Why did you select the archival materials you selected?

Almost the entirety of what I looked at were financial documents, and these are almost exclusively what I used in my final project, although since it was a group project a wider variety of documents were presented in our final, I just didn’t supply them. My group was trying to build a comprehensive case, and so we delegated specific subjects (financials, correspondences, news articles, etc.) to different members which more or less dictated the types of documents that would be relevant to each member's sub-focus.

Q: What are some of the materials that stood out the most to you and your classmates? Why?

I think that the financial documents, especially contracts and receipts, were some of the most intriguing documents found. They very clearly illustrated the direct financial ties between Drexel and certain defense contractors, especially including direct financial investments into companies like IBM, Northrop Grumman, and others.

Q: How did the class and/or working with the Archives surprise you? Did you learn things you were or weren’t expecting?

An incredibly surprising aspect of working in the University Archives was how much fun it was. I felt almost like a caveman foraging for berries, going through box after box filled with documents to finally find that one receipt I was looking for. It was way more rewarding than I thought it would be--it literally gave me a passion for archivism I didn’t know I had, and for the first time in my life I actually enjoyed doing research. There’s something so profoundly beautiful when I’m sitting there holding a piece of paper from 1944, reading handwriting that’s almost a hundred years old, smelling dust that gathered before my parents were born. Of course, in terms of the content of what I was reading, I was shocked at how intertwined Drexel is with the military industrial complex.

Q: What tokens of wisdom would you pass on to future students in a future iteration of this course or in their own research?

I would encourage future students enrolled in this course to find the joy in going through the University Archives. I could understand why some people may find it tedious, but personally I would have to tear myself away every time. It almost became a game with myself and was above all incredibly enjoyable. So if you, future student, can find the joy in finding the exact document that perfectly illustrates the point you’re trying to make in your final, for example, not only will the class be more fun, but you will also learn so much more.