College Archives exists to document the history of Wheaton College (1860 to the present) and its predecessor, the Illinois Institute (1853-1859). The archives holds papers, documents, photographs, and other materials about the people and events that are part of the college’s history, including extensive holdings on the college's eight presidents, major college publications, and the records of academic committees and departments.
Special Collections strives to collect, preserve, and promote materials related to the lives and legacies of significant adherents to the Christian faith, particularly those who have a significant relationship with Wheaton College and/or evangelical Christianity. The holdings include extensive collections on various writers, public figures, and subjects, including Frederick Buechner, Jacques Ellul, Madeleine L’Engle, Malcolm Muggeridge, Shakespeare in the Christian Tradition, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Sojourners. It also contains the Evangelism & Missions collection, a research-level book collection.
The Evangelism & Missions Archives specializes in collecting and preserving unpublished materials relating to North American, nondenominational, Protestant, evangelistic activities and global missionary efforts, especially focused on the twentieth century, including the areas of mass evangelism, Bible translation, medical missions, Christian education, student movements, prison ministries, religious radio and television broadcasting, and political advocacy, among others. Collections include the records of organizations such as Africa Inland Mission, Overseas Missionary Fellowship, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, and Prison Fellowship; and the papers of individuals, including Billy Sunday, Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, Billy Graham, Donald McGavran, Chuck Colson, Corrie ten Boom, Harold Lindsell, and Aimee Semple McPherson.