Located in George Mason University’s Special Collections Research Center in Fenwick Library, this collection consists of the papers of the Nobel Prize-winning economist James M. Buchanan and documents his career and research from the mid-20th century through the early 2000s. There are also materials chronicling his time at Mason’s Center for Study of Public Choice.
The work of organizing, describing, and rehousing (i.e., processing) the Buchanan papers was made possible by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant. Helmed by project archivist Rebecca Thayer, she and her students processed the 270 linear foot collection from spring of 2021 through May 2023.
“The SCRC wishes to thank Thayer for her excellent work guiding the project, as well as her student assistants Rachel Barton, Vilma Chicas Garcia, and Colin McDonald,” said SCRC Director Lynn Eaton. “The University Libraries would also like to thank the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for their support.”
We expect strong researcher interest in the collection. The guide to the collection, or finding aid, for the Buchanan collection is found here.
All reference inquiries should be directed to speccoll@gmu.edu. A celebration of the collection’s opening is being planned for Fall 2023.