The Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Archives is a branch of the MSK Library that collects papers and artifacts documenting the history of MSK and its predecessor organizations. This guide provides an introduction to the Archives, our holdings, and how we can support you.
Though conversations about starting an Archives were evident in the early 1970s, the Archives was officially founded in 1980. Since then, the Archives has grown to house over 1,000 linear feet of materials ranging from Board minutes, photographs, research materials, and more. Feel free to explore this page and reach out if you have and questions or wish to research our materials.
Note: The physical space of the MSK Library located in the MSK Scholar’s Residence Building (with Library entrance at 430 E 67th Street) closed to visitors on Friday, May 17, 2024. Physical use of archival materials as well as receipt of new donations will cease, but digital access to collections items will be made available on an as-needed basis. Please contact us at sayless@mskcc.org for more information.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has a storied history that dates back to 1884. MSKCC—then the New York Cancer Hospital—was initially founded with funds from a group that included John Jacob Astor III and has grown to the institution that we know it today through the creation of the Sloan Kettering Institute in 1945 through donations from Alfred P. Sloan and Charles F. Kettering and through its merging with Memorial Hospital in 1960. To learn more about the history of MSKCC and the discoveries throughout our institution’s history, you can view the linked page below.
https://www.mskcc.org/about/history-milestones
