The NTU Archives preserve the original paper manuscripts of all official documents related to the university’s development since 1945. Due to the diligent efforts of successive archival staff, over two million paper documents have been systematically cataloged and archived, making the Archives the central repository for NTU’s collection of historical records.
NTU’s inaugural official document, Document No. 1, is significant for not only its place in the university’s timeline but also revealing the history of the university’s name change from Taihoku Imperial University to National Taiwan University.
For years, the first official document (with the code “034000001 校總”) had been missing during archival clean-ups and inspections. In 2007, while preparing for an exhibition of the NTU archives, the archival staff sorted through thousands of historical documents, page by page, to select suitable materials. It was then, on the second page of another document, that they discovered the elusive first official document. Upon closer examination, it was apparent that the document was not signed under the name “National Taiwan University” but rather “National Taipei University.” This discrepancy led to its misclassification behind other formal documents, nearly burying this key piece of the university’s history.
After assuming leadership over Taihoku Imperial University, NTU’s first president, Lo Tsung-Lo, established the “National Taipei University Affairs Committee” on the orders of Chen Yi, the Chief Executive of Taiwan Province. Therefore, at the time of the official handover on November 15, 1945, the university was referred to as “National Taipei University,” and the official documents bore this name as the institution’s designation. The first official letter issued by the university on December 5, 1945, was addressed to the Keelung City Government under this name. It was not until early December 1945, after the Ministry of Education submitted a request to the Executive Yuan for approval, that the university was officially renamed to “National Taiwan University,” a name that has been retained to this day.
The first official document is now housed in the Archives at the Shuiyuan Campus (No. 18 Siyuan Street, Taipei City). The Archives safeguard these paper records in low-temperature, low-humidity storage rooms and has a team of 20 volunteers who assist with the restoration of damaged documents. The Archives also regularly organizes themed exhibitions and promotes archive-related cultural souvenirs highlighting the uniqueness of its historical records. We warmly invite visitors from all walks of life to the Archives for guided tours, where our guides can offer valuable insights into the Archive’s collections.
Figure 1. The first official document.
Figure 2. The interior of the NTU Archives.
Figure 3. The exterior of the NTU Archives.