Sylvia Lassam, Trinity’s beloved and widely respected Rolph-Bell Archivist, will retire after a 17-year career with the College. She will be missed for her dry wit and deep knowledge of Trinity’s rich history.
On August 31, 2025, Sylvia Lassam, Trinity’s Rolph-Bell Archivist (above, in June 2025), will retire after a 17-year career with the College. She will be missed for her scholarship, her mentorship, and her storytelling ability, which helped connect members of the Trinity community to stories they didn’t know they were part of.
Lassam’s position was made possible through Dr. Ruth Bell’s transformative $1 million endowment in 2008, which honored her late husband, Bill Rolph ’40, his uncle Frederick Rolph ’05 (a graduate of Trinity’s former medical faculty), and Dr. Bell herself.
Under Lassam’s careful stewardship, Trinity’s archives found a permanent home in 2017 with the opening of newly renovated facilities featuring climate-controlled vaults, a dedicated reading room, processing space, and exhibition area. Her commitment to making Trinity’s history accessible included community engagement scholarly research, public outreach programs, and ongoing collaboration with Trinity’s students and alumni.
Known for her dry wit, meticulous attention to detail, and deep knowledge of Trinity’s traditions, Lassam also mentored student assistants, supported researchers ranging from undergraduate students to academic scholars and alumni, and encouraged a broader appreciation for archival research within the College community. She also served for several months as interim director of the Graham Library in addition to her archivist duties.
Lassam’s impact extends beyond preservation—she has fostered a culture of curiosity about the past, and helped shape how Trinity remembers and reflects on its own story. On behalf of the entire Trinity community, we extend our deep gratitude to Sylvia and wish her well in her retirement. She will be missed.
Here, in her own words, Lassam reflects on what she will miss most about Trinity.
Reflections on 17 years as the Trinity Rolph-Bell Archivist
By Sylvia Lassam
I never thought to ask to see the facility before I accepted the position of archivist at Trinity, in the summer of 2008.
It was a bit of a shock, then, to discover that the archivist shared working space with the vault, which was kept at 18 C. The door was kept locked for security reasons and very few people came by. As a result, most of my early memories at Trinity have to do with being very, very cold and quite isolated. This was rectified a couple of years later by taking over the next-door office, recently vacated by the Divinity 150 Project, so I could separate office work from the vault, and keep the door open, an enormous quality of life improvement. Still later, the opening of the present archives space under the main corridor was an improvement for staff and researchers alike, and the opportunity to develop the perfect archives environment for the College was one of the highlights of my time at Trinity. Now the archives itself is warm and inviting, within the beautiful Trinity building at 6 Hoskin Avenue. I have marvelled daily at my great good fortune to work in such a lovely place.
The work itself has been varied and interesting. The history of the College, manifested in ledgers, letters, reports, and minute books, has been endlessly fascinating. Various iterations of the physical space are captured by the stunning architectural drawings collection. The private papers of former faculty and administrators reveal their professional and private passions. The records of student activities have amused, amazed, and sometimes horrified me by turns. Private papers donated for their research potential are an important part of the collection—increasingly so—and it has been professionally satisfying to contribute to the scholarly impact of the Trinity archives.
My predecessor, Henri Pilon, went out on a limb many years ago and took in the papers of John W. Holmes, which became the foundation of our specialization in Canadian politics and international relations. I am very grateful to John English, Bob Bothwell and others for their introductions to individuals who have added to our holdings, and to the many Trinity graduates who have remembered us when they are downsizing or winding up an estate.
My work has many facets, and I intersect with many facets of the Trinity community. It’s been a great pleasure to develop rewarding relationships with alumni, donors, colleagues, students, and faculty. The staff has grown considerably since I started but it retains that essential component of a real community, a shared sense of mission that binds us together. In our case, the education and well-being of our remarkable students is the glue. They inspire us to do our very best work, we worry about them, we enjoy their company, and we support them as we can. I’ve always felt that part of my job as archivist is to encourage the students to carry on the long tradition of being slightly subversive, and to remind them that there are many ways to make a living besides becoming a lawyer.
I will miss the place, the work, and the community. Specifically here is what I will miss, in no particular order: difficult reference questions that cause me to look hard and think deeply; donors who entrust the College (me) with the care and preservation of their life’s work; the Art Committee who have shared with me their love of Trinity’s collection of paintings; the art collection that I’ve stewarded and grown to love; my colleagues in the library, especially Kate who has mostly left me to my own devices but has always supported me when I needed it; my student assistants, some of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in the archives, conservation, and museum worlds; the assorted geniuses who have helped me over the years with the work that I do, including conservators, picture-hangers, appraisers, photographers, painters, and architects; the students who have dropped by to talk about life, careers, romance, and archives; Thursday walks with Sharon; and wonderful conversations with random members of the Trinity community who have wandered through my door.
Trinity attracts exceptional people, and I’ve had an exceptional time interacting with some of you.