Portrait photo of a black woman with a straightened bob smiling up and off to the right.

The Indispensable Role of Blacks at Johns Hopkins

From Kelly Miller, the first Black student at the university in 1887, to Lisa Cooper, renowned physician, researcher, and professor, Black individuals at Johns Hopkins have helped to shape the institution in important ways. This exhibit, co-sponsored by university President Ronald J. Daniels, Johns Hopkins External Affairs and Development, and the Johns Hopkins University Black Faculty and Staff Association, features photographs and stories of people whose lives and experiences demonstrate the indelible mark Black folks have left on Johns Hopkins. In addition to physical displays on multiple Hopkins campuses, this website includes narratives of all those highlighted in the exhibit. 

Read More About the Exhibit

Close up of the 1905 JHU yearbook cover, titled The Hullabaloo. It has a dark cover with a blue sash across its front and the name Johns Hopkins University in gold.

Guide to Researching Hopkins History

Want to dig deeper to research various aspects of Johns Hopkins history? This guide, created by the University Archives, can get you started on the right path. Browse it to learn about what resources are available in the library and online to aid in your research. 

The top of Gilman Hall, visible in the photo is its uppermost floor and its clock tower, painted in white in contrast to the red brick of the rest of the building.

Ferdinand Hamburger Archives of Johns Hopkins University

The Ferdinand Hamburger University Archives is the official archival repository for the Homewood Campus divisions of the Johns Hopkins University: Central University Administration, Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Carey Business School, G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering, and the School of Education, as well as the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. The archives documents the administrative, scholarly, and cultural life of the university. It is open to the public for research and is actively seeking to acquire records that support its collecting mission.

Search the Collections

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Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives is the official archival repository for Johns Hopkins Medicine, Nursing and Public Health.  Its primary objectives are to collect and preserve records and cultural materials critical to the legacy and ongoing operations of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and to promote access to collections for use as primary resources in research and education. 

Visit Their Website

Photo of three exhibited photos along a red wall. Wall text sits beneath each. A single wooden chair sits underneath the furthest photo against the red wall.

The Peabody Archives

The institutional records of the Peabody Institute, maintained by the Peabody Archives, chronicle Peabody’s history and the cultural development of Baltimore and Maryland from the mid-19th century to the present. The records include an extensive archive of recorded Peabody performances—including visiting artists, faculty and student recitals—and a large photographic collection. The archives also maintains the records of performing arts institutions in the Baltimore area, such as the Baltimore Civic Opera, the Harford Opera Company, and the Lyric Theater. Special collections include the personal papers of the Institute’s trustees, faculty, and noted musicians and artists.

Explore the Peabody Archives

The entrance to the Evergreen Museum and Library, a neoclassical building with four greek columns and stairs leading up to its wooden door.

Johns Hopkins University Museums

As teaching museums of a world-renowned university, the Johns Hopkins University Museums contribute to the advancement of scholarship and museum practice by helping to train future art historians, historic preservationists, and museum professionals. They provide curricular support to faculty through their collections, exhibitions, and programs; and offer credit-bearing courses and internships to help meet the university’s academic mission. The museums welcome members of the public to experience their collections and special exhibitions, as well as to enjoy their tours, lectures, and other programs.

Visit Their Website

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Krieger School of Arts & Sciences: Museums and Society Program

Museums and Society is an exciting interdisciplinary program that introduces Johns Hopkins undergraduates to the institutions that preserve, interpret, and present our material heritage. Students work with a diverse array of faculty, curators, and other specialists; take museum-based courses focused on both collections and outreach; participate in local and regional fieldtrips; and explore career opportunities in culture and the arts.

Museums and Society Minor

Black and white photo of the surface of the moon.

APL’s 75 Years: Defining Innovations

Founded on March 10, 1942—just three months after the United States entered World War II—APL was created as part of a federal government effort to mobilize academic resources to address wartime challenges. From its original headquarters in a converted auto dealership to today’s expansive Howard County campus, the Applied Physics Laboratory has remained dedicated to keeping our nation safe and doing it in remarkable ways. This Hub article explores the many innovations the APL has contributed to our national defense and how it continues today to serve as a national resource for technical and scientific knowledge and innovation.

Read More About APL [PDF]

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A Century of Saving Lives: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Since its founding as the first independent, degree-granting institution for research and training in public health, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has advanced research, education, and practice to create population-level solutions to public health problems around the world. Explore the school’s centennial website to learn more about its trailblazing history. 

Explore BSPH History

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100 Years of the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic

It began with a generous gift, a magnificent building, and a leader with an innovative mission. The building of the Phipps Clinic in 1913 represented a shift in American psychiatry from isolated asylums to providing humane care in a medical clinic attached to a teaching hospital. The beautiful building’s presence next to The Johns Hopkins Hospital made psychiatry visible and a full partner in the medical discovery of the era. A Hub article on the clinic’s anniversary covered how the clinic celebrated its centennial. Learn more about its celebrated past, continued cutting edge scientific investigations into the causes of psychiatric illnesses, and the search for better treatments.

Read About the Centennial

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A Brief History of JHU

Looking for an overview of Johns Hopkins history, or want to know more about the present-day institution? This page is a good place to start and connects you to key facts and figures about the university.

Learn About the University’s History