Alumni records are part directories, part newspapers, and magazines, part biographies, part obituaries, part yearbooks, part vital records, etc. You get the idea. If you are seeking genealogy clues, these “records’ are full of them. All of the information is derivative, but it can provide leads for you to search for original documents. And if you are documenting a person’s family story, well, there’s a ton of that kind of information too.
So what am I including in Alumni Records?
- Alumni directories
- Alumni registers
- Alumni newsletters, bulletins, newspapers, and magazines
- Commencement programs
And what information is available in them?
- Graduation dates and degree(s) received
- Current photos and/or those of their family
- Current address lists
- Where are they now and what are they doing?
- Obituaries and “In Memoriam”
- Marriages
- Children born to the alumnus
- Deaths in their family
- Life achievements and awards
- Interesting stories about the alumnus and their family
Below is a list of links to free online alumni record and index collections for the state:
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
(Updated October 2023)
Iowa Alumni Records
- Ames High School Alumni Newsletters
- Assumption High School Alumni Newsletters
- Ballard Community School District Alumni News
- Beckman Catholic School Alumni Newsletter
- Catalogue of Officers and Alumni of the State University of Iowa, 1847 to 1877 Iowa City, Iowa
- Cedar Falls, Iowa State Teachers College, The Alumni Register
- Cedar Falls, Iowa State Teachers College, The Alumni Register, 1913
- Central College Magazine
- Clinton County, Lyons Alumni 1871-1930
- Cornell College, Alumni, 1916
- Denmark Academy History, The Alumni alpha
- Drake University Alumni Magazine
- Drake University Alumni News
- Graceland University Alumni Magazine
- Historical sketch and Alumni record of Iowa Wesleyan University, 1905
- History and Alumni record of Iowa Wesleyan College, 1842-1942
- Iowa City, University of Iowa, Catalogue of Officers and Alumni, 1847 to 1877
- Iowa State Normal School Alumni Register 1909
- Iowa State Teachers College Alumni Register, 1913
- Iowa State Teachers College Alumni Register, 1917
- Iowa State University College of Design Alumni Newsletter
- Iowa State University Commencement Programs
- Iowa State University Honors Program Alumni Newsletter
- Iowa Wesleyan University Historical Sketch and Alumni Record
- Iowa Wesleyan University Historical Sketch and Alumni Record, 1917
- Iowa Wesleyan University, Historical Sketch and Alumni Record
- LeMars’s Community High School Alumni Newsletters
- Luther College Alumni Magazine
- Morningside College Alumni Newsletter
- Mount Pleasant, Iowa Wesleyan College Historical Sketch and Alumni Record
- Mount Pleasant, Iowa Wesleyan College History and Alumni Record, 1842-1942
- Mount Vernon Community School District Alumni Newsletters
- Mount Vernon, Cornell College Alumni of Cornell College: a Register … by State, cities
- Northwest Iowa Community College Alumni Magazine
- Prince of Peace Catholic School Alumni Newsletters
- Regina Catholic Education Center Alumni Magazine
- University of Iowa Alumni Magazine
- University of Iowa Alumni News
- University of Iowa Alumni Register, 1847-1911
- University of Iowa Alumni Register, 1856-1904
- University of Iowa Commencement Programs
- University of Iowa Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Alumni Newsletter
- University of Iowa, Catalogue of Officers and Alumni, 1847-1885, and Students, 1884-5
- University of Iowa, Irving Institute, History and Alumni Register of Irving Institute, 1908
- University of Iowa, Alumni Register, 1847-1911
- University of Northern Iowa Alumni Publications
- University of Northern Iowa Commencement Programs
- University of Northern Iowa Theatre Alumni Newsletter
- Waldorf University Alumni Magazine
- Western Iowa Tech Community College Alumni Newsletters
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!