Secrets of the Century - Edmon Low Library

About the Collection

The Secrets of the Century collection preserves handwritten messages placed in a time capsule created during Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College’s (OAMC) 50th-anniversary celebration on December 14, 1941. Organized under President Henry G. Bennett, the anniversary weekend invited attendees to write reflections, predictions, and messages to future students on small notecards, which were then sealed in a capsule embedded in the south wall of what would become the Edmon Low Library.

Gathered just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, many of the 527 cards capture the uncertainty of a nation entering World War II. In contrast, others express optimism, humor, and hope for a peaceful future. The capsule remained sealed for fifty years until it was opened in 1991, revealing a vivid snapshot of campus life, national mood, and personal perspectives from the early 1940s.

Access the Physical Collection

Materials from this collection are available in Special Collections and University Archives. For assistance or to request archival materials, contact (405) 744-6311 or libscua@okstate.edu.