Collection inventory

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Pan Am 103 Clippings Collection

An inventory of the collection at the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: Vanessa L. St.Oegger and Cara A. Howe
Date: 2012

Historical Note

On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, a Boeing 747 christened Clipper Maid of the Seas, was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland. The bombing and subsequent crash resulted in the deaths of 270 individuals, including 35 students returning home from study abroad through Syracuse University's Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA). The investigation and eventual indictment in 1991 of two Libyan intelligence agents, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi and Lamen Fhimah, were covered by news outlets across the globe. The trial held at Kamp van Zeist, Netherlands in 2001 and the eventual release of al-Megrahi, the only person convicted of the bombing, in 2009 returned Pan Am 103 to the world spotlight. Subsequent events in Libya, including the fall of the Gaddafi regime and the 2022 arrest and indictment of accused bombmaker Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, have brought Pan Am 103 back into headlines once again.

Scope and Content Note

The Pan Am 103 Clippings Collection contains articles and news items related to the December 21, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and its aftermath. These clippings were collected from various periodicals beginning in December 1988, immediately following the bombing.

The collection has been divided into the following series:

Anniversaries contains articles related to commemorations of the anniversary of the bombing.

Books and publications contains articles related to monographs, special issues of periodicals, and other long-form analyses or commentary related to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Subject files comprise the bulk of the collection, and are arranged alphabetically by subject. This series encompasses the following subsections: Legal proceedings, containing articles related to litigation and prosecution surrounding the bombing; Lockerbie, containing articles pertaining to the town of Lockerbie, Scotland and its residents; and Syracuse University, containing articles and news items documenting the impact of the bombing on the University community following the loss of 35 students traveling through its Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA).

Television, film and radio consists of articles related to documentaries, feature films, and significant interviews pertaining to the bombing of Pan Am 103. Files are arranged alphabetically by title.

Theatrical productions contains articles and news items pertaining to dramatic works or other live performances inspired by the bombing and its aftermath.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions for this collection.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

The Pan Am Flight 103 Archives contains additional materials and information related to the Clippings Collection. Related collections include:

Alexander Lowenstein Family Papers

Andrew McClune Collection

Artistic Responses Collection

Colleen Renee Brunner Papers

Fredda Weiss Collection

Joan Hart Willard Papers

Ken Dornstein Papers

Lockerbie Academy Collection

Matthew Cox Papers

Pan Am 103 Anniversaries Collection

Pan Am Flight 103 Audiovisual Collection

Pan Am Flight 103 Publications Collection

Pan American World Airways, Inc. Collection

Police Scotland Collection

Riverwalk Collection

Tom Foster Papers

Selected Search Terms

Names

Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Incident, 1988 -- Public opinion.
Pan American Airways Corporation--History.
Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Incident, 1988.
Pan American Airways Corporation.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- Case Studies.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- History.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States.
Terrorism -- History -- 20th Century.
Lockerbie (Scotland)

Types of Material

Clippings (information artifacts)

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Pan Am 103 Clippings Collection,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

These materials have been collected by the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives staff.

Active collection of clippings by Archives staff was discontinued in May 2016. Clippings for notable events may occasionally be added to the collection at the discretion of Archives staff.

Processing Information

Clippings have been photocopied and placed in acid free folders and boxes.

Arrangement

The materials in the Pan Am 103 Clippings Collection are arranged alphabetically by topic within each series.

Table of Contents

Anniversaries

Books and publications

Subject files

Television, film, and radio

Theatrical productions

Inventory