Biographical materials and football career, 1947-2017 and undated

The Ara Parseghian Collection ranges in date between circa 1945 and 2017 although the bulk of the material dates to Parseghian’s tenure as football coach of Northwestern University, 1956 through 1963. Arranged in ten boxes, 12.3 megabytes of born-digital video, and includes two oversized drawings, the collection is organized into the following categories: biographical materials, photographs, Northwestern University football programs, trophy footballs, artifacts, audiovisual materials, and oversized items.

Biographical materials and football career include biographical items and clippings which outline the details of Parseghian’s life as well as his appointments as head football coach at Miami University of Ohio, Northwestern University, and the University of Notre Dame. Of particular note are the records associated with Parseghian’s Northwestern years, especially a game and practice diary and game plans, scouting reports, and analyses of specific games played against selected Northwestern opponents. This series includes one DVD of born-digital video content.

Photographs document Parseghian’s teams as well as showcase specific individual players, especially from his Northwestern years. Also included are game and practice views, portraits, and shots of non-football events.

Programs from Northwestern University home football games are bound together in annual volumes which cover the years 1956 through 1963. Parseghian’s name is embossed onto the covers of those volumes.

Four trophy footballs relate to important games or moments in Parseghian’s association with Northwestern.

Artifacts likewise document significant achievements related to Parseghian’s Northwestern tenure.

Audiovisual items include a 16-millimeter film from Parseghian’s coaching clinic. Also included is a videotape record from the reunion of Parseghian’s 1962 Northwestern team, a group that earned a top national ranking for a portion of that season.

Completing the collection are two oversized drawings. Especially noteworthy is an original Joe Parrish (Chicago Tribune) cartoon which celebrates the accomplishment of Parseghian’s 1962 Northwestern Wildcats.