Welcome to Simmons 125 to America 250

Welcome to Simmons 125 to America 250. This exhibit is brought to you by the Simmons University Library and Archives and it commemorates significant anniversaries for our institution and country.

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH, 2021) notes that the, "people, events, and ideas of the Revolutionary era profoundly changed the world" (AASLH, 2021, p.6). As the United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday, the staff of the Simmons University Library and Archives has prepared this exhibit looking at examples of how the people, events, and ideas of Simmons University have produced meaningful change and transformation in the world.

Recognizing milestone anniversaries is an opportunity for reflecting as well as imagining. The University, and some of its signature programs (Social Work and Library Science), have existed for 125 years - half the life of modern-day America. In selecting the themes of We the People, The Power of Place, and Unfinished Revolutions (AASLH, 2021) to highlight some of the stories, moments, and experiences of our community, we offer an exhibit that celebrates Simmons as an active participant in the evolution of the American experiment.

Through images, vignettes, and verses, the exhibit traces institutional change and transformation and notes the impact. By interrogating the then and now we open a lens to the future. This exhibit centers the Simmons community as its audience and it further underscores our responsibility as stewards of Simmons history precisely because we are our history.