The Mercer Cluster Archive is an online database of Mercer University’s school newspaper that provides access to seventy years of the publication ranging from 1920 to 1990. The archive provides images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. The images were scanned from microfilm and originals held by the Mercer University Libraries’ Special Collections.

Mercer University was established as a private Baptist-affiliated school in 1833 in Penfield, Georgia, where students were trained in manual labor. In 1871 the school moved from Penfield to Macon, where it remains to this day. The Mercer Cluster began weekly publication as the university’s first student newspaper in 1920. The paper is named for school namesake Jesse Mercer’s hymnal, the Cluster of Spiritual Songs, Divine Hymns, and Sacred Poems. Throughout its existence the newspaper has covered and provided editorials about campus events, sports, student life, sororities and fraternities, local issues, religious affairs, and club activities. The new Mercer Cluster Archive will allow users to explore twentieth century student life at Mercer University from the convenience of their computers.

The 1920-1970 issues provided in the Mercer Cluster Archive were a project of the Digital Library of Georgia, a GALILEO initiative that shares Georgia’s history and culture online. Digitization was made possible by the Mercer University Libraries. This section may also be viewed from their web interface. Digitization was made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Betty L. Bedgood; Mr. and Mrs. Elliott E. Brack; Mr. Thomas E. Cauthorn III; Ms. Allison Forkner; Mr. Weyman T. Johnson, Jr.; Mrs. Charis K. Johnson; Rev. Julian R. LeRoy; Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. McDavid; Mr. and Mrs. Jerry N. Moore; Mr. David A. Wansley; Ms. Pamela Sue Byrd; Mr. Jason D. Shumate; Ms. Meghan Elisabeth Lasseter; The Brack Group (GA), Inc.; and the Office of the Provost, Mercer University. The 1971-1990 issues were added by Mercer University in 2016.