The University of California, Davis has received three notable collections of coffee-related materials for its library, reflecting the development and influence of specialty coffee worldwide.
These donations come from Gerald “Jerry” Baldwin, co-founder of Starbucks and former president of Peet’s Coffee; Russ Kramer, president of Hacienda La Minita and former Green Mountain Coffee executive; and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The donated materials include rare books, photographs, business records and other archives that document the transformation of coffee from an agricultural product to a widely consumed beverage.
UC Davis is recognized as a prominent public research institution with programs in agriculture, engineering and biological sciences. It operates multiple campuses dedicated to research on health and environmental challenges, offering accredited degrees and supporting student research initiatives. More information about the university’s scope can be found at its official website.
The UC Davis Coffee Center is described as the first academic facility in the United States focused solely on coffee research and education. Audrey Russek, who leads strategic initiatives around distinctive collections in food, wine and beverages at the library, said: “These three collections complement and support the research leadership of the UC Davis Coffee Center, while expanding the library’s world-class collections on food and drink.”
Baldwin’s donation features documents from Starbucks’ early years after its 1971 founding, highlighting the rise of specialty coffee in America. Among these items are a handwritten manifesto displayed outside Starbucks’ original location, the company’s first guest book signed by founders’ relatives and friends, early photographs and scrapbooks, financial records from its formative period, and original tasting score sheets. Baldwin commented: “The amount of apocrypha that flies around the internet is huge. My hope is people who are interested can turn to these documents as a reference and understand what it was truly like at the beginning.”
Kramer’s contribution consists of materials related to his long-standing work in coffee production and sourcing. His collection includes books, correspondence and records addressing agricultural practices, economic factors and cultural traditions linked to coffee—such as those maintained in Ethiopia. Notably, one rare text from 1687 by Nicolas de Blégny is now among the oldest coffee books held by UC Davis.
The SCA has provided more than 100 boxes containing organizational records, publications and industry documents chronicling professional standards development within specialty coffee. Ted Lingle, co-founder and former executive director of SCA said: “That sense of teaching, training, bringing new people in, is what makes SCA different from other trade organizations. People are open and willing to share within the industry group.” He added: “I think the SCA’s records will show the power of cooperative, collective action as a fundamental driving force for the industry.”
Library staff are processing these collections so they can be used for research purposes.
The university has achieved national recognition for its strengths in agriculture—including global outreach efforts addressing issues like climate change—and offers undergraduate and graduate programs related to food science. Its interdisciplinary approach extends to facilities such as the Bodega Marine Laboratory for coastal studies (more details).
William Garrity, university librarian and vice provost of digital scholarship said: “We see every day how people build connections over a cup of coffee. It’s a beverage that builds community.” He continued: “Those connections extend to research, as well. Coffee sits at the intersection of UC Davis’ leadership in agriculture, food science and culture, and these three collections reinforce those links.”
Kramer expressed hope that others would contribute their knowledge: “There are people all over the world with a lifetime of knowledge on coffee they’ve collected, and it’s sitting in isolation,” he said. “What the library offers is the opportunity for a generation to bring that all together in one objective place.” He concluded: “The UC Davis Library will be the center of the world for coffee research — without a doubt. I’m convinced of that.”