The Center for Fraternal Collections and Research boasts and impressive collection of objects and records of fraternal organizations from across the United States. The materials represent a broad spectrum of organizations, including Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Grange, Shriners, Knights of Pythias, and more. The CFCR collects these materials to preserve them for research and public engagement. Through collecting, the CFCR preserves fraternal history that would otherwise be lost.
Featured Exhibit
LinkedIn to the Lodge: The Original Social Network
Working in collaboration with staff at University Collections at McCalla, the CFCR curated "LinkedIn to the Lodge: The Original Social Network." This exhibit utilizes objects and records to tell the story of fraternal organizations in the United States. The exhibit is open to the public and can be seen online.
Select Objects
The objects preserved by the CFCR are intriguing. They include hoodwinks, medals, ribbons, postcards, hats, costumes, and more. Examples of these materials are featured below.
The CFCR is actively receiving donations of relevant objects.
The CFCR collection may be browsed in person by appointment. To make an appointment for an in-person visit, please email cfcrinfo@iu.edu. Below is a sampling of objects found in the CFCR collection:
