The following resources may be useful in locating photographs and biographical information regarding students and alumni of MIT.

Technique (MIT’s Yearbook), 1877–present, T171.M4257. Physical copies are available in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries. The Technique's Archive includes digitized and searchable issues from 1885–1930, as well as special publications by Technique staff: the Technology War Record, New Campus Sketches 1916, and the Class of 1928 Freshman Gray Book. 

Yearbooks include information about the MIT Corporation, departments, student life, clubs, and organizations. They also contain individual photos of seniors and profiles that often include birthdate, hometown, course, campus involvement, and title of thesis.

Please note: from 1885–1924 (volume 38), senior information is listed in the year following graduation (e.g., Class of 1919 is pictured in the 1920 Technique). Beginning in 1924 (volume 39), seniors are pictured in their graduation year (e.g., Class of 1930 is included in the 1930 Technique). 

Senior Portfolios, 1893–1914. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M46.S4.

These books served as “face books” for the senior class and pre-date the yearbooks' inclusion of individual senior portraits and biographical information. They are arranged by course and often include a photograph, birthdate, hometown, education prior to MIT, campus involvement, and thesis title.

The portfolios can be found in the following catalog records:

MIT, Class of ... its Book, 1893/94 (T171.M46.S4) 

The Class of ... its Book, 1895 (T171.M46.S4) 

Class of ... Portfolio, 1896 (T171.M46.S4)

Senior Portfolio, 1897–1911, 1913–1914 (T171.M46.S4)

Freshman Picture Books, Class of 1953–present. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M4242 F7.

These books include the following information about students: a photograph, education prior to MIT, and hometown. They are published in August before classes begin in September. They may include individuals who were set to come in August, but had a change of plans, and may not include those who were admitted in August before starting classes in September.

The Tech, MIT’s student-run newspaper in publication since 1881. 

Issues from November 1881 through August 2016 are available at https://thetech.com/issues. All current issues are available at https://thetech.com/.

The newspaper is published weekly during the regular school year and monthly during the summer.

Keyword searchable digitized issues are also available through the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/mit_the_tech. 

Photo of the Class of 1902 in front of Boston Public Library. (1902 Technique, 70).

Although the MIT Libraries' Department of Distinctive Collections houses records in many formats including photographs, most historic photographs documenting the Institute are housed at the MIT Museum. A search for images should start with the Museum's Explore the Collection page. To contact the Museum, please use their MIT Museum Reference Inquiries Form. Please note, the MIT Museum is not responding to inquiries from outside MIT until after September 2024 due to a collections move. 

MIT Theses may be located through MIT’s catalog function that limits the search to only MIT Theses.

Please note: early theses were often cataloged using only the first initial of the author's first name or were co-authored with a fellow student. We recommend searching by last name and sorting by date to identify a given thesis more easily.

If a thesis has already been digitized, there will likely be a link in its catalog record.

MIT publications may be found using MIT’s catalog at Search Our Collections. 

Instructions on how to view MIT theses and publications in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room or order copies are available at the Requesting Materials page of our website. 

The following are resources that are commonly used to research students and alumni. To search Distinctive Collections holdings for specific individuals or affiliated groups/departments, please visit MIT ArchivesSpace. 

MIT, Class Photograph Albums (AC-0319). This collection is composed of class photo albums received by early MIT alumni (1870–1895) and loose photos, primarily individual portrait photographs of class members, faculty, and MIT administrators. The classes included are: 1870, 1873, 1882, 1885, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, and 1895.

MIT, Records of the Association of Alumni and Alumnae of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (AC-0010). These records were created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alumni Association to keep track of alumni deaths as part of the periodic publication of an alumni directory. 

Collection on Student Life at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MC-0618). The collection contains materials that document student life on the MIT campus, including notebooks and papers, news clippings, magazines, student publications, photographs, brochures and programs, and other memorabilia donated by MIT alumni and alumnae, families, friends, and affiliates. 

Interviews of the Margaret MacVicar Memorial AMITA Oral History Project (MC-0356). This collection includes oral histories conducted by MIT undergraduates in an effort to document the lives of women who attended MIT. More information about the project is available at https://amita.alumcommunity.mit.edu/page/oral-history-project.

This collection can be requested to view in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room and has also been digitized. It is searchable and available online through Dome.

F. Stapleton MIT Crew Certificate, Collection on Student Life at MIT (MC-0618), Box 10. 

The MIT Alumni/ae Association may have information about students who attended the Institute.

Association of Alumni and Alumnae
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Telephone: 1.800.MIT.1865
Email: aacomments@mit.edu
URL: http://alum.mit.edu

The following resources are commonly used in learning more about students and student life on MIT’s campus, but do not include photographs.

Student Directories, 1916–2011. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M42b.S78. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries.

These directories include information regarding an individual’s course of study, year identification, campus residence, and home address. Individuals are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

The directories can be found in the following catalog records:

Directory of Students, 1916 (T171.M42b.S78). 

Directory of Officers and Students, 1917/1918–1932/1933 (T171.M42b.S78). 

Directory Issue, Staff and Students, 1933/1934–1941/1942 (T171.M42b.S78). 

Directory Issue, Students, 1942/1943–1951/1952 (T171.M42b.S78). 

Student Directory, 1952–1968 (T171.M42b.S78). 

Student Directory Including Foreign Student Directory, 1969–1974 (T171.M42b.S78). 

Student Directory, 1975/1976–2010/2011 (T171.M42b.S78).

Graduation Exercises (1880–1960) and Degree Lists (1961–present). Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M42j. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries. 

The Graduation Exercises and Degree Lists provide lists of those who graduated from MIT in that year as well as information regarding Commencement activities.

These graduation-related publications can be found in the following catalog records:

Graduation Exercises, 1880–1980 (T171.M42j). 

Degrees Awarded, 1934–present (T171.M42j). 

Commencement Exercises, 1981–present (T171.M42j). 

MIT Handbooks, Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room under various call numbers. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries. The Handbooks in all their iterations have been digitized and are searchable and available online through Dome. 

These handbooks contain information regarding MIT's campus, local culture, social activities, and academics.

The handbooks can be found in the following catalog records:

Handbook of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1913/1914–1953 (T171.M42.S678)

The Social Beaver, 1954–1969 (T171.M42.S678)

This is MIT, 1924 (T171.M42.T4); 1952–1968 (T171.M42.T4)

MIT Today, 1976/1977–present (T171.M42.T4)

How To Get Around MIT, 1969–present (T171.M42H.H847)

Course Catalogs, 1865–present. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M42. These catalogs are searchable and available online through Dome.

The bulletins include directories of students, degree candidates, and faculty lists.

Annual Reports to the President, 1871–present. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M4195. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries. These reports are searchable and available online through Dome. MIT's Comparative Media Studies/Writing department has created a searchable PDF of all issues of the President's Report, 1872–2014.

These reports serve as a summary of the year's activities and an introduction to the next year's goals. They include lists of faculty, personnel, and trustees; statistics about students; and treasurer reports. 

The Reports to the President can be found in the following catalog records:

Reports of the President, Secretary, and Departments, 1870/1871–1871/1872 (T171.M4195). 

President's Report for the year ending..., 1873–1877; 1883–1931/1932 (T171.M4195). 

President's Report Issue, 1936/1937–1964 (T171.M4195). 

Report of the President, 1966–1970/1971 (T171.M4195). 

Reports to the President, 1982/1983–present (T171.M4195). 

Report of the President and the Chancellor, 1971/1972–1979/1980 (T171.M4195). 

Report of the President, 1980/1981–1981/1982 (T171.M4195). 

Reports to the President, 2001/2002–present (T171.M4195). 

The Tech, MIT’s student-run newspaper in publication since 1881. 

Issues from November 1881 through August 2016 are available at https://thetech.com/issues. All current issues are available at https://thetech.com/.

The newspaper is published weekly during the regular school year and monthly during the summer.

Keyword searchable digitized issues are also available through the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/mit_the_tech. 

Thursday (Cambridge, Mass.), also called Voo Doo.

Volume 2 (April 24, 1969) - Volume 10 (May 11, 1978). Available at T171.M425.T48.

The Thistle (Cambridge, Mass.), T171.M424.T45.

Alternative student newspaper, available by request for use in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room.

Innisfree (Cambridge, Mass.), T171.M425.I55.

Alternative student newspaper, available by request for use in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room.

The MIT Social Beaver 1958, T171.M42.T4 1958

The following resources may be useful in locating information regarding an individual’s life as a former student or an alum.

Register of Former Students and Alumni, 1893–2002. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M47. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries. The following issues have been digitized and are searchable through Google Books, Archive.org, or Hathi Trust: 1903/04, 1909, 1912, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1948, and 1961.

Names are arranged by class year or alphabetically. They are indexed alphabetically, geographically, by class year, by department, and by living and deceased alumni. This Register was published in 1893, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1948, 1955, 1961, 1967, 1975, 1984, 1989, 1994, and 2002. Following the 2002 publication, the alumni register was made available online only.

Please note that the 1961 and 1967 registers are particularly strong as they include additional information about faculty, staff, and the MIT Corporation. The 1948 register also contains records of MIT alumni in the military during World War II.

Information regarding former students and alumni before 1893 is available in the Course Catalogs (T171.M42) and on Dome.

The alumni register can be found in the following catalog records:

Register of Graduates, 1893, 1903/1904–1911 (T171.M47)

Register of Former Students, 1909–1940 (T171.M47)

MIT Alumni Register, 1948–1984 (T171.M47)

MIT Alumni/ae Register, 1989–2002 (T171.M47)

Class Reunion Books, class of 1870–present (not complete). Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M4258.

This resource provides biographical sketches (typed or in their hand), directories, bibliographies, and occasionally photographs.

There are many class years represented, though not every class is present. Additionally, there are some classes where multiple reunion books are present.

Technology Review, 1899–present. Shelved in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room, T171.M4256.T43. While Distinctive Collections holds the most complete set, many copies are available in other locations within MIT Libraries. The following issues of the Technology Review are available online through Google Books or archive.org: 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923.

This resource is useful because it includes class-related notes at the back of each publication. 

An index of the Technology Review through 1972 is available in the Distinctive Collections Reading Room.

The Technology Review can be found in the following catalog records:

Technology Review, 1899–1997 (T171.M4256.T43)

MIT's Technology Review, 1997–1998 (T171.M4256.T43)

Technology Review: MIT's Magazine of Innovation, 1998–present (T171.M4256.T43)