Accessing the Madden Papers

The fall 2021 discovery of deeply-held antisemitic views and Nazi sympathies of our library’s first dean, Dr. Henry Miller Madden, has led to an increased interest in the Henry Miller Madden Papers in our Special Collections Research Center.

More than 100,000 documents were reviewed by Fresno State’s Task Force to Review the Naming of the Library. In May 2022, the Task Force presented a 74-page report recommending the removal of Madden’s name from the library entity. The CSU Board of Trustees voted to remove the name on July 13, 2022. For more information on the Task Force process and findings, please visit their website.

Our library is committed to transparent access to all of our collections for research by students, faculty, the community, and members of the media. If you are interested in viewing this collection, please refer to the process outlined below. This is an EDIT.

Finding Aid to the Henry Miller Madden Papers:
http://archives.library.fresnostate.edu/repositories/2/resources/113

Access to the Henry Miller Madden Papers - Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)

Media Inquiries

Media inquiries should be directed to campus Public Information Officer Lisa Boyles Bell before proceeding to the SCRC for researcher appointments. lboyles@csufresno.edu / 559.278.5366.

Researcher Access to the SCRC

1. Researchers should make an appointment to visit the SCRC. Hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Make an appointment by emailing scrc@mail.fresnostate.edu or calling 559.278.2595. The SCRC closes from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. daily.
2. Appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Researchers will receive a confirmation email regarding their scheduled appointment. When researchers arrive for their appointment, they must show an ID and will be asked to place bags and other personal items in a locker.
3. Staff will monitor the reading room to ensure that the terms of use for the collection are followed, to protect the integrity and organization of the materials, and to answer any questions.

Visits by Classes or Groups of More Than Five

1. Staff can arrange a private group viewing appointments during open hours for the Task Force, classes, and community stakeholder groups.
2. Please speak with Tammy Lau, Head of the SCRC and University Archivist, about plans to bring large groups into the library to address possible logistical concerns.

Special Instructions

Special instructions for the Henry Miller Madden Papers during this period:

1. No photography or mechanical reproduction is permitted, per the contractual terms of use for the collection. The full terms of use for the collection are documented in the Finding Aid.
2. Researchers will be asked to place their personal belongings in a secure locker during their visit. Researchers may take notes on their personal laptop or using pencil and paper. No pens are permitted in order to protect the materials.
3. The Finding Aid details the scope of the collection and the organization of the 53 boxes of papers. Researchers can request materials by box, box and folder, or ask staff to assist them in locating a particular document.
4. To assist researchers, staff have identified items of particular interest and created three folders — photos, postcards, and letters — that any researcher may request. These include letters cited in the book Hitler’s American Friends by Dr. Bradley Hart and other items staff have encountered.
5. To protect the materials during this period of heavy use, library staff have protected key items with archival mylar sleeves. Researchers will be asked to wear cotton gloves provided by staff to handle photographs and certain delicate items.