McKay Archives

Come visit us! 

Hours:

Weekdays, 8am-5pm

Please contact us for an appointment at (863) 616-6487 / (863) 680-4994 or via email at archives@flsouthern.edu

Planning your visit to the McKay Archives

We welcome FSC faculty, staff, and students as well as off-campus researchers

Appointments

Appointments are strongly suggested. To make an appointment, email archives@flsouthern.edu

Send Us a Request List

In the list, be sure to include important details about the item, including the folder title and box number, so we are sure to prepare the correct item. If you have questions regarding your research, or if you need help finding materials, we recommend consulting with archival staff in advance.

Day of Your Visit

Please plan carefully in order to make best use of your time.

Getting to the Archives

Off campus patrons are encouraged to use the visiter parking spots adjacent to Frank Lloyd Wright Way. If none are available, you may park in any spot not marked Faculty or Staff. For GPS, the Archives address is 827 Frank Lloyd Wright Way.

The entrance to the McKay Archives is located on the plaza between the Roux Library and McKay Archives. The double glass doors are available to FSC students and employees who have swipe card access. All off-campus visitors must call archival staff upon arrival so that they may let you into the building.

Signing In, Setting Up, and Conducting Research

Please sign-in on the log provided at the Information Center desk. We will ask that you place personal belongings in the lockers located adjacent to the sign-in desk. All food and uncovered drink must be kept outide of the archives Reading Room, no exceptions.

While you conduct your research, you may use paper and pencils, or a laptop computer at the table with you. No other materials will be permitted. As a precaution to protect archival materials, pens may not be used for note-taking during research.

You are permitted one box at a time and may only use one folder at a time. As you finish with each box, you may return it to the book truck in exchange for another. If you would like to page additional items, there may be limitations to paging materials the same day. Please ask staff for assistance.

You are permitted to take non-flash photography with a cell-phone camera. Scanning of materials is available. Please see archival staff for use of scanners.

Wrapping Up

See Florida Southern College's academic calendar for any holiday closures

Explore the Archives

We have organized our finding aids into three separate repositories: Manuscript Collections, College Archives, and the Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives. Please click on the appropriate link to view the collections within each corresponding repository. 

Manuscript Collections

Manuscript Collections are unpublished papers of an individual or entity. Our archives include papers from alumni, faculty, public servants, and organizations significant to the history of FSC, Lakeland, and Central Florida. 

College Archives

The College Archives contain the organizational records of Florida Southern College. Within the archives are the stories of each department and organization that has made FSC what it is today. Materials in this collection date back to the earliest days of the college, from its founding in Orlando, through subsequent moves to Sutherland (current-day Palm Harbor), Clearwater, and finally Lakeland. 

Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives

The Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives include papers, research, business records, and ephemera related to the Florida Citrus Industry. These are the stories of the people and organizations who made citrus one of the most successful agricultural operations in the country and a significant part of Florida's history. 

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View our Digital Collections 

Florida Southern College and Citrus Archives Digital Collections

View digitized scans of Frank Lloyd Wright's correspondence with Dr. Ludd Spivey, The Child of the Sun Photo Collection, the work of Shirley Jackson Case, and various publications including the FSC student newspaper and yearbooks. 

Florida Southern College maintains one of the largest known collections of the unique and historic citrus crate and can labels. We also have digitized photographs and beautifully designed postcards that tell the story of the citrus industry. 

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The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

The McKay Archives is the home of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellowship Program was created in 2008 to help describe, preserve, and digitize citrus documents while creating an engaged learning environment for students.

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Archival Collections

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Visit our Digital Exhibits Created by our Dedicated Work-Study Students, Volunteers, and Staff Members

Digital Exhibits

Explore the history of Florida Southern College the Florida Citrus Industry through engaging digital exhibits and videos created by our dedicated staff, students, and interns. 

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Watch the Story of Frank Lloyd Wright's Vision for the College

Frank Lloyd Wright: Child of the Sun

Did you know that Florida Southern College is home to the single largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings in the world? The designer of such famous works as the Guggenheim Museum, the Imperial Hotel, and Fallingwater left his mark on our small campus. This mini-documentary created by WEDU-PBS tells the story of Frank Lloyd Wright's vision for the "Child of the Sun" campus which was, notably, largely built by the students. (note: external link)

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Watch us on YouTube

Visit our YouTube channel, where we post digitized copies of historically significant videos, oral histories, and other material from our collections. 

Photocopy and Image Services

Please follow this link to learn more about our services and policies.

Please also view our copyright guidelines.