Mission  

The Papers of Albert Gore, Sr.  The Center preserves and makes available to researchers the Congressional papers of Albert Gore, Sr. 

Regional history.  The Center is a valuable resource for regional and state history. As an archival repository that acquires, preserves, and makes available to the public unique research collections documenting the middle Tennessee region, the Center provides an important community service in accordance with the University’s mission statement.   Its collections now encompass 1500 linear feet of manuscripts, 750 audiovisual items, 5000 books and serials, and 12,000 photographs. The collections fall into three categories: Political, Community, and Equestrian. 

University Archives. The Gore Center preserves and makes available to researchers University records with permanent historical value.  These records currently include the papers of President Q. M. Smith (1938-1958) and an extensive collection of University publications, photographs, and scrapbooks. 

Oral history.  As part of its mission to document the history of the University and the region that it serves, Gore Center staff and volunteers conduct oral history interviews, prepare transcriptions, and preserve and maintain the collection, which now numbers more than 400 interviews.

Academic excellence and student-centered learning.  The Gore Center supports the pursuit of academic excellence and student-centered learning at MTSU by providing unique research resources, working with faculty in all disciplines to enhance teaching and learning, acting as both a sponsor and a venue for service-learning projects, and offering training to graduate students in the Public History Program.

Community service.   The Gore Center serves the broader community by offering opportunities for civic education on matters related to the region’s and its citizens’ history.  These opportunities generally take the form of exhibits, lectures, symposia, and oral history projects. Furthermore, through a partnership with Rutherford County, the Center provides advice and consultation regarding the preservation of and public access to county government records of permanent historical value.  In this respect, the Gore Research Center Director trains and supervises graduate assistants who staff the Rutherford County Archives and works with the County government toward a plan to provide permanent staff and greater support for the Archives.  The Gore Center also hosts the website for the Rutherford County Historical Society.