Stanford Historical Society

Every old campus has people who remember how things used to be. At Stanford, those memories are recorded on purpose. The Stanford Historical Society has spent half a century interviewing faculty, staff and alumni, publishing research on campus buildings and traditions and running talks and tours that anyone can attend. If you have ever read a Stanford story that explains who carved a plaque or why a lab sits where it does, there is a good chance the society's work is behind it.

This page explains what the society does, how to use its oral history archive and how to find its public programs. For the university's story itself, start with our history of Stanford.

Who runs it

A small group of faculty and campus loyalists founded the society in 1976. Its stated mission is to support the preservation, examination and appreciation of Stanford's history and to give members access to Stanford stories.

The society uses Stanford branding and a campus address, but it pays its own way through membership dues, gifts and grants. Stanford News reported in March 2026 that it has about 800 members and about 200 volunteers. The first full-time staff member, Natalie Marine-Street, was hired in 2015 to lead the oral history program.

You do not need a Stanford connection to take part. The society says it welcomes everyone, with or without a Stanford affiliation. That makes it one of the easier ways for Palo Alto residents to get behind the scenes on campus.

The oral history program

The society's biggest contribution is its oral history program, which began in 1978. Interviewers sit down with faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and others to record how a research university developed and who built it. Stanford News counted 1,468 recorded and transcribed interviews in March 2026, most of them online. Today the program adds about 100 interviews a year: roughly 40 with faculty and staff, 40 with alumni and a couple dozen tied to suggestions or themed projects.

Themed projects

The society groups many interviews into projects. Ones listed on its oral history page include:

• Disability at Stanford. Stanford News counted 27 interviews with community members with disabilities available online.
• Stanford Asian American Pacific Islander experiences.
• Stanford Pioneering Women.
• Voices from the Hennessy Presidency. Interviews with 21 leaders who served during John Hennessy's term from 2000 to 2016.
• Partner projects such as JSK Voices with the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, Urban Studies at 50 and an Arizona Garden Oral History Project about the cactus garden in the Arboretum.

How to listen or read

Transcripts or recordings exist for every interview and most are online. The oral history page links to an All Oral Histories listing on exhibits.stanford.edu, where you can browse by name. The society also posts clips on its YouTube channel. For a Palo Alto angle, try searching the listings for people who lived in town or worked in Stanford Research Park.

Alumni can also add their own voices. During Reunion Homecoming in October 2026, the society invited alumni to sign up for short interviews about their student years.

Sandstone & Tile and other writing

Members receive Sandstone & Tile, the society's journal, three times a year. Articles cover buildings, people, traditions and forgotten episodes of campus life. A commemorative issue in Winter 2026 marked the 50th anniversary and the society has made it available online.

The society also publishes occasional books and monographs. It funds the Beyers Prize for Excellence in Historical Writing, which gives $1,000 to up to two students a year for strong work on Stanford history. Many campus web pages and news stories cite its research. Our own Arboretum and Old Union pages draw on it.

Public talks and tours

The society runs on-campus and off-campus programs during the academic year, plus some events for members only. Formats include lectures, panel talks, building tours and historic house and garden tours. Its website also lists a Historic Houses Project under its research work.

Its 50th anniversary series in 2025 and 2026 gives a good idea of the range:

In fall 2026 the society opened its year with a members-only garden party on October 11 featuring Richard Saller, followed by a Zoom talk on October 15 called The Stanford Tree at 50. No November or December programs were listed on its anniversary page in late October 2026. Check the society's website or the Stanford events calendar for new dates.

In past years society docents have also led free tours of the Arboretum during Reunion Homecoming. The Arizona Cactus Garden there is the subject of one of its oral history projects. The plaques talk ended with an optional self-guided tour, which pairs well with our self-guided campus walk.

Using its research on a campus walk

You can put the society's work to use on any visit, even without a ticket to a talk. Its guides and articles explain many things that look ordinary until you know the story:

• Old Union. The society explains that the three Old Union buildings went up between 1915 and 1923 to serve as women's housing and as the university's first student union.
• The Arboretum. A society guide notes that the quiet stretch near the Mausoleum was once planned as the site of the Stanfords' country mansion.
• The Arizona Garden. The society singles out two ancient Yucca schottii as the garden's most remarkable plants.
• Plaques and memorials. The 2026 Written in Stone talk told Stanford's history through the plaques and memorials found across campus. Our Main Quad guide covers the class plaques set into the walkway there.

Reading one or two Sandstone & Tile articles before a walk turns a stroll past sandstone arcades into a lesson in how the campus grew.

Joining and supporting

Membership includes in-person and online programs, the journal, community events and priority registration for popular talks. The society lists an individual membership at $60 and offered new members a one-time anniversary rate of $50. Gift and student memberships are also available. Dues are tax-deductible.

If your interest is Palo Alto

The society focuses on the university, but campus and town grew up together. For topics that cross the line, such as faculty homes in Professorville or the growth of the research park, the oral history listings are worth a search. For the city's own story, the Palo Alto Historical Association covers the town side. Our historic landmarks guide lists sites in both places, including campus landmarks such as the Lou Henry Hoover House.

Frequently asked questions