Who we are
The Harry Ransom Center has achieved international recognition as one of the world’s preeminent collectors, keepers, and interpreters of creativity. The Center’s extensive collections provide unique insight into the creative process of some of our finest writers and artists, deepening understanding and appreciation of literature, photography, film, art, and the performing arts among students, scholars, and the general public.
What we are fundraising for
The Ransom Center’s mission is to encourage discovery, inspire creativity, and advance understanding of the humanities for a broad and diverse audience through the preservation and sharing of its extraordinary collections. The Harry Ransom Center has introduced thousands of UT students to primary sources that inspire discovery and creativity. Donors can help us offer more experiential learning opportunities for both graduate fellows who teach at the Center and undergraduate students who immerse themselves in the collections.
UT students have access to one of the finest humanities collections in the world at the Ransom Center. The Center’s holdings offer incredible opportunities for teaching and learning that we believe should reach every student on campus. Working with primary source materials not only offers extraordinary research opportunities but also helps students make personal connections to history, deepens understanding, and sparks questioning and creativity.
The Ransom Center supports more than 400 classes and 8,000 students working with primary sources in the collections each year. This number has grown from 1,147 students in 2014, demonstrating the broad reach of our recent investment in teaching and learning.
Your impact
Much of the Center’s success comes from the generosity and advocacy of individual collectors, donors, and friends. Your gift will enable us to expand our thriving program by hiring two graduate fellows to increase our teaching over the next two years. Our graduate fellows learned dynamic new methods for online instruction. Hiring two additional graduate fellows will allow us to expand our virtual teaching this fall to serve more students. We will also be able to enhance the quality of in-person instruction at the Center, offering more students the chance for hands-on experiential learning opportunities with original materials. Our Advisory Council has launched a fundraising challenge and will match your contribution dollar-for-dollar. Double your impact by giving today!
Invest in Discovery
I ask students: What connections do you see? There is an incredible sense of discovery at the Ransom Center. I never know what I will see in the diversity of collections here.
- Graduate Fellow
“THESE OPEN SHELVES ARE GOING TO KEEP INVITING OPEN MINDS.”
—HARRY HUNTT RANSOM