Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division

We collect these items:

• Memoirs
• Diaries and journals
• Personal correspondence (letters written to family or friends, etc.)
• Official documents (studies, reports, drafts of
• Personal photographs and photo albums
• Audio and video recordings
• Films
• Unit histories
• Maps (with annotations or markings)
• Other materials that meet our requirements

We DO NOT collect these items:

• Artifacts (uniforms, flags, medals, etc.)
• Artwork and posters
• Books and publications
• Copies of orders, technical manuals
• Commercial motion pictures
• Cruisebooks, graduation books, and yearbooks
• Equipment
• Medical or financial records
• Newspapers and newspaper clippings
• Photocopies or scans of original materials
• Periodicals and magazines
• Personnel records and certificates
• Uniforms, clothing, and other textiles
• Weapons and ordnance
• Items in poor condition (water damage, insect or rodent infestation, or mold/mildew)
• Any item that does not fulfill the mission of the Archives Branch

Materials that do not adhere to the criteria outlined above will be returned to the sender. Coordinate your shipment by sending an e-mail to history.division@usmcu.edu or calling (703) 784-4685.

Donating Materials to the Archives Branch

We appreciate your interest in donating to the Archives Branch.  The Archives welcomes donation offers of archival material pertaining to the history of the Marine Corps created and/or collected by individuals.  

Each prospective donation is carefully evaluated to determine whether the Archives is the appropriate repository for the items being offered. Offers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and referred with a recommendation to President of Marine Corps University for final decision. The process, from the donation offer to final acceptance, can take 10-12 months.

Not all of the items offered for donation are accepted by the Archives.  

Please DO NOT send any original items without contacting the Archives via email or telephone.  Any materials received without prior coordination will be returned to the sender.  

When making a donation offer via email, please include your contact information and a thorough description of the materials being offered. For larger collections, an itemized list is preferred.  Also include the full name and service dates of any individuals associated with the materials, if applicable.

After we have agreed to review the materials offered for donation, these can be mailed to the archives or delivered in person to our physical address:

Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division

Attn: Registrar

2044 Broadway Street

Quantico, VA  22134

NOTE: Please be sure to provide a completed Donor Information Form with the materials.

If you are sending photographs, please ensure that they are labeled as accurately as possible.  We do not accept photographs without accompanying descriptions.

Please email history.division@usmcu.edu with a description of the materials you wish to gift. A member of the Archives staff will contact you after reviewing the description to discuss the gifting process.  We receive dozens of offers every year, so be advised that it can take several days for us to reply.

Criteria for Evaluation of Donation Offers

When reviewing donation offers, the Collections Committee uses the following criteria to make determinations on which offers should be recommended for acceptance:

1. Relevance to and consistency with the purpose and mission of the Archives Branch
2. Avoids inappropriate duplication
3. Authenticity (whether an item is an original or a copy)
4. Possible legal or ethical restrictions
5. Historical significance
6. Accuracy and quality as a historical document
   1. unaltered, if original
   2. accurately copied from original sources, if copy
7. Evidential or informational value
8. Relevance to resident collections
9. The acquisition is viewed with an eye toward permanency