From the Archives revealed: Course registration at the Armory

Photo from Purdue Libraries Archives and Special Collections Download image

For a large portion of Purdue's history, course registration took place not on a computer or in a registrar's office but in a large room alongside hundreds of potential classmates. Beginning in 1926, registration took place in the Armory, where each of Purdue's thousands of students arrived to sign up for classes at an assigned time during a three-day registration period. Each department had its own table, identified by signs on tall stands, where students could ask questions and enroll in their preferred class sections. After signing up for all their classes, students proceeded to a bursar's table to pay their fees and finally to the registrar for schedule approval, all in one place. The process changed slightly from year to year.  This large-scale registration event disappeared in the 1960s with the introduction of computer-based enrollment through the Registrar's Office.

This image shows registration in the Armory, circa 1930s, with a large schedule board listing class sections along the back wall.

The "From the Archives" photo series from Purdue Today and Purdue Libraries Archives and Special Collections will continue to share a glimpse at Purdue’s past throughout the year. More from the course registration and on the series can be found on the Purdue Libraries blog.