American School of Architecture Archive
Information
The American School refers to the imaginative school of design and practice that developed under the guidance of Bruce Goff, Herb Greene, and others at the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s and ‘60s. Under the leadership of Bruce Goff (1904-82), Herb Greene (b. 1929), Mendel Glickman (1895-1967), and many others, OU architecture and design faculty developed a curriculum that emphasized individual creativity, organic forms, and experimentation.
University of Oklahoma Libraries and the Gibbs College of Architecture have collaborated to collect, preserve, and provide access to an expansive archive of primary source materials including architectural drawings, photographs, planning records, and models that document the legacy of the American School. The American School Archive is accessible to the public on the 5th Floor of Bizzell Memorial Library in Special Research Collections.
View information about our collection materials below. For more help, visit our American School of Architecture Research Guide.
All visitors are required to follow the American School of Architecture Archive reading room policies. The policies include no food or drinks and leaving bags in the designated lockers.
Notable Initiatives
New Digital Collections Platform
The University Libraries is beta testing a new digital repository platform. The purpose of the University of Oklahoma Libraries digital collections is to provide free online public access to high-resolution digital images of OU Libraries Special Research Collections materials to enhance scholarship, teaching, and community engagement. We invite you to explore the new beta site and share your feedback to help us improve.
Research Services
Anyone can use the American School of Architecture Archive materials regardless of their university affiliation or geographic location. We require appointments to view collections in person as many of our materials are stored offsite. Our staff are available for in-person, virtual, and email consultations if you need assistance with your research. Collection materials do not circulate and are made available for use in the Duane H.D. Roller Reading Room.
To view materials in person, request an appointment.
To request assistance with distance research, please contact us.
For information about viewing materials, support for research and instruction, tours, and details about sources and services, see the Research Services page.
Instruction Services
The American School of Architecture Archive curatorial team welcomes discussions with faculty about integrating primary sources from our collections into teaching and research activities.
Visit our Instruction Services page to learn more.
FAQ
Due to many items being located off-site, we require a 48 hour notice in order to ensure availability of materials for appointments. If we are able to acquire items quicker than the 48 hour buffer, we reach out to our researchers to let them know of the availability.
We offer a sample of works in our Murphy Hall display of select items from each of our collections including American School. We cannot, however, guarantee having materials available for walk-ins other than the display items.
Staff members do not interpret information contained in collection materials and are not available to perform in-depth research. For research that requires more than one hour of staff time, we will direct you to a researcher-for-hire.