The bulk of the records dates from 1968 to 1973. Included are some earlier records pertaining to the running of Hazelwood, the predecessor of Fordyce House as a retreat center.



These records provide a snapshot of conditions at Fordyce House during its early years. The Minutes Series contains material for only three meetings on the status and operation of Fordyce House, but this information is supplemented by that in the Retreats and Workshops Series, which chronicles the evolution of the University's policy of mandatory retreats for Catholic students and provides evidence of the far-reaching influence of the center's community-building seminars on religious throughout the country.



The Correspondence Series also fleshes out the daily activities at Fordyce House when it served as a meeting place for the corporate, religious, and University communities. The Subject Files Series illustrates the work and concerns of a retreat master: M.B. Martin, S.J. was Director of University Retreats as well as Director of Fordyce House. Some of Martin's other interests are represented by the Manuscripts Series, which contains versions of a work by Martin finally entitled "The Mystery of Life."



The Physical Plant Series houses material on the construction of Fordyce House, its furnishing, and the extensive landscaping plan devised by Brother August A. (Al) Knoll, S.J. of Regis College in Denver, Colorado. This series also contains an early operating plan for the facility.