A $5 million gift from the late historian Elizabeth A.R. Brown, alongside the gift of her professional papers, will elevate the Penn Libraries’ position as a leader for research in medieval studies. Brown, who died August 8 at age 92, honored the Libraries with a bequest to establish an archive preserving the professional papers of medieval historians and an endowed archivist position to develop and manage it.
“Professor Brown made significant contributions to medieval history during her long and distinguished career,” notes Penn Interim President J. Larry Jameson. “Now, her remarkable bequest to the Penn Libraries, together with the donation of her papers, will establish a lasting legacy here at Penn. Her thoughtful gift strengthens the University’s existing medieval collections and ensures that scholars will have access to these materials for years to come, allowing them to illuminate and expand our understanding of the past.”
The Elizabeth A.R. Brown Medieval Historians’ Archivist Fund will create a repository for the professional papers of medievalists, to be led by the Elizabeth A.R. Brown Archivist, an endowed position in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. The Penn Libraries expects to invite applications for this new position soon. The inaugural Brown Archivist will begin by assessing, organizing, and cataloging Brown’s own collection of professional papers.
“We deeply appreciate this gift from Professor Brown, which enables the Penn Libraries to preserve and provide access to the works of medieval studies scholars in perpetuity,” says Brigitte Weinsteiger, H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and director of the Penn Libraries. “Professor Brown’s selection of the Penn Libraries for this gift is a testament to Penn’s expertise in the field of medieval studies, particularly through the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies. We look forward to honoring her legacy of scholarship through this initiative for generations to come.”
Brown was an eminent medieval scholar best known for refuting the existence of feudalism, a position which sparked lively debate and controversy in the field. Her research and teaching focused on 13th-century France, and she published six books as well as numerous articles. She taught at Brooklyn College for decades, and CUNY Graduate Center recognized her work at a “Peggyfest” conference in 2018—a reference to Brown’s nickname, Peggy.
Once Brown’s archive has been processed, the Brown Archivist will be responsible for identifying and working with other significant medievalists whose papers will add research value to the archive. Brown’s donation will also cover the operating costs associated with acquisitions and processing.
“There are a lot of hidden costs in any special collections item, especially with extensive archives,” explains Nicholas Herman, the Lawrence J. Schoenberg Curator at the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies and Medieval Studies Librarian at Penn Libraries. “Archives take a lot of processing and a lot of time and space and resources.” Brown was enthusiastic about underwriting this initiative so that future scholars could explore medieval studies by building on the work of experts like herself.
Brown worked closely with Penn faculty in medieval studies and with Penn Libraries staff to design this unique position, which combines traditional archival work with the ability to network with contemporary scholars in the field of medieval studies, and to facilitate continued acquisitions for the archive, Herman says.
The Brown Archivist “will be one of the key people in identifying these archives and then assessing them through on-site visits,” Herman says. “There’s also a born-digital archival component. Correspondence and project files are increasingly electronic, so the archivist will be preserving Peggy’s digital records in tandem with her physical materials.”
As part of the relationship-building aspect of the role, the Brown Archivist will serve on the Advisory Committee of Medieval Historians, created in accordance with Brown’s wishes to provide guidance on the development of the archive and strategic collecting efforts.
The Brown Archivist “will also liaise with faculty, students, and researchers who, over time, will start coming to Penn to do research in this particular collection,” Herman, who chairs the Advisory Committee, adds.
“Through Peggy Brown’s incredible generosity, Penn becomes the home of an invaluable archive of images, transcriptions, and documents collected by medieval historians. This is both an act of preservation and of intellectual generosity to future generations of scholars, who will now have access to these private treasure troves,” says Ada Maria Kuskowski, associate professor of history, medieval and legal historian, and member of the advisory committee. “This, alongside the rich manuscript collections of the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies and the Katz Center, place Penn as a central hub for medieval history and medieval studies."
Several memorial events in Brown’s honor are being planned at Penn, including a one-day Symposium at Penn in September 2025. More information will be shared on the Penn Libraries website in the coming months.
The Elizabeth A.R. Brown Medieval Historians’ Archivist Fund makes it possible for the Penn Libraries to pursue acquisitions of materials related to the field of medieval studies. Parties interested in contributing materials to the archive may contact Carrie Greif, senior assistant director of Development, with suggestions for the Advisory Committee of Medieval Historians.
