School Records

By Lisa South - Certified Genealogist

I remember telling my children to be aware that their early school records would "follow them" when they were attempting to get into college. It turns out those records can follow you a lot longer than that!

When trying to locate school records for your ancestors, you will need to do some investigating.
Try to determine the following:

  • residence of ancestor
  • religious background
  • schools in existence during ancestor?s lifetime

If the school is no longer extant, search for records at:

  • nearest headquarters of religion that sponsored the school
  • state archives and genealogical libraries
  • historical societies
  • National Archives

As you do research in the above facilities, remember to check for yearbooks, school magazines, alumni directories etc.

Two good reference books that could be of help are Patterson?s American Educational Dictionary and Good?s Universities and Professional Schools in the United States.

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