International House is pleased to welcome Caroline Donadio as its first Lead Archivist consultant. Donadio will oversee the development of a new archival program that spans almost 100 years’ worth of records. In this role, she will process materials, manage fellowships, build institutional relationships, and direct long-term mission and vision projects.   

Previously, Donadio worked as Archives Technician at the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives American Art and the New York Transit Museum, with additional experience at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SUNY Empire State, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Library and Archives. 

Founded in 1924 by the Dodge and the Rockefeller families, the mission of International House has always been to support and empower the lives of the world’s next globally minded leaders. By providing compelling programming and promoting daily discourse between graduate students from around the world, International House creates a lived experience that emphasizes and develops the core values of respect, empathy, and moral courage. This innovative approach has affected generations of diverse Alumni who have gone on to make positive contributions to the world. The International House Alumni Community includes notable figures such as author Chinua Achebe ’63, singer/composer Leonard Cohen ’57, opera legend Leontyne Price ’52, and automaker Tatsuro Toyoda ’58. 

Serving as its institutional memory, the International House Archives will preserve the House’s historical legacy, informing and engaging its present and future. International House’s mission and core values will guide the project, and the Archives will embrace the principles of access, transparency, and outreach. I-House President Calvin Sims stated: “It is with these intentions, as we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, that the archives will deepen the experience and knowledge of the House’s Alumni, staff, Trustees, Residents, and other stakeholders.”  

Since its initiation in 2018, the Archive project has won broad support from the House’s stakeholders and has been presented as a successful case study in how to develop an institutional archive from the ground up. As the House approaches its centennial, the project has been recognized as both urgent and important not only for its role in furthering the mission of International House but as a resource for the City of New York and the international community at large. More background on the project is available here.  

Read the first of Caroline’s blog posts about the Archives here.