Modern Records Centre

The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the leading archive in the United Kingdom for collections of national-level trades union and employers’ organisation records. It holds the historic records of the University of Warwick and is an important archive for such diverse topics as fringe politics, pressure groups, and cycling, amongst others. The MRC is a key teaching resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students across Warwick’s Arts and Social Science faculties and contributes to public engagement and outreach through events for local community groups and schools. In 2023, the MRC celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of events, culminating in a symposium at the University of Warwick. This paper provides historical background about the MRC's foundation and development, situating it within the wider research climate of the 1970s. It then introduces the contributions to this collecting of proceedings from the anniversary symposium.