Established in 1870 under the direction of Professor William A. Anthony, the Physics Department (1870-1891) has since been known as the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering (1891-1910), the Department of Physics and Illuminating Engineering (1910-1915), the Department of Physics (1915-1991), and finally the Department of Physics and Astronomy (1991-present). Graduate studies began prior to 1881, with doctoral work beginning in 1926. The collection consists of correspondence, reports, and other collected materials on various topics of concern to the department.

The Physics Department was established in 1870 under the direction of William A. Anthony, Professor of Mechanics and Physics. Graduate work leading to the degree of Master of Science was first offered before 1881. The department was combined with the Department of Electrical Engineering in 1891. Separated from the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering in 1910, the name of the department changed to the Department of Physics and Illuminating Engineering. In 1915, the name changed back to the Department of Physics. In 1926, doctoral work in applied physics was added to the graduate studies program. Rapid development of graduate education and research in physics began after World War II, when the Institute for Atomic Research was established with Professor Frank Spedding as the Director.  The departmental name was changed to the Department of Physics and Astronomy as of the 1991-1993 university course catalog.

The collection (1882-2000, undated) consists of correspondence, reports, and other collected materials regarding various topics of concern to the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The Enrollment and Staff History folder is the most diverse in terms of content, including reports on faculty teaching assignments and workloads, equipment recently purchased for the lab, current student enrollment data with projections for future terms, payroll tables for instructors, and other documents that provide information about the makeup of the department.

Additional collections related to the Department of Physics are classified under the RS 13/20 record series and can be found through the department's website.

The collection (1882-2000, undated) is arranged chronologically by each folder's oldest item.