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The Core Curriculum records contain teaching and administrative materials chiefly pertaining to the longstanding Columbia College courses Contemporary Civilization and Humanities A (now called Literature Humanities). Materials include syllabi, exams, quizzes, teaching resources, administrative correspondence and memos, and curricular reviews and reports. The Core Curriculum records contain limited material pertaining to Core classes beyond Contemporary Civilization and Literature Humanities.

The collection consists of materials used by Frederick Fried in his research and writing about folk art and material culture, especially related to Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. A significant portion of the collection consists of the personal archive of William F. Mangels, which was purchased by Fried in 1955. Mangels was a designer and manufacturer of amusement rides and founder of the American Museum of Public Recreation at Coney Island. Subjects include amusement parks, amusement rides, architecture, bathing pavilions, beaches, beauty contests, carousels, carousel animals, Brooklyn, coin-operated machines, Coney Island, exhibitions, games of chance and skill, hotels, mechanical rides, mechanization, parades, pleasure railways, recreation, roller coasters, sideshows, transportation, and other subjects related to American material culture and popular amusement.

This collection is composed of the general files of Columbia College's Dean's Office, the minutes of Columbia College committees and the correspondence of Columbia College administrative officers during the years 1892 through 2019. A review of this collection allows researchers to gain insights into the interaction of Columbia College faculty and administrators with students, fellow faculty members, parents of students, and administrators of other colleges.

The George A. Plimpton Papers consist largely of personal and professional correspondence, financial and real estate records, personal diaries and albums, writings, and lectures produced by or for George Arthur Plimpton. But the Papers also contains not only the correspondence and records of Plimpton's colleagues at Ginn and Company, the publishing house that Plimpton led for decades, but also correspondence and records relating to the dozens of other institutions and organizations that Plimpton helped lead. In addition to extensive correspondence relating to Plimpton's collecting of rare books, manuscripts, and historical artifacts, the Papers also contain such diverse items as autographs of presidents, handwriting specimens, studies of medieval manuscripts, and documents relating to the American slave trade.

Oscar Newman (1935-2004) was an architect, planner, and theorist. Newman was best known for his theories on crime prevention and residential design, which he introduced in his book Defensible Space. This collection contains the majority of Newman's projects and writings spanning from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. It consists of textual materials in the form of correspondence, notes, written and typed drafts, and publications; accompanied by prints, negatives, slides, drawings, and audio/visual material.

Ntozake Shange (1948-2018, BC '70) was an American playwright and poet. The Ntozake Shange Papers include manuscripts and drafts of works; correspondence; diaries and agendas; clippings, programs, and ephemera; teaching documents; personal and professional photographs; awards, memorabilia, and personal effects; and texts, music, and other works by others collected by Shange.