# Can one get the college transcripts of a dead famous person?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-get-the-college-transcripts-of-a-dead-famous-person/547418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 21, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-get-the-college-transcripts-of-a-dead-famous-person/547418 "2010-07-21T02:37:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-get-the-college-transcripts-of-a-dead-famous-person/547418/1 "2010-07-21T02:37:40Z")

</div>

Suppose I wanted to see the college transcript of, say, Ezra Pound. Could I? Could I even ask for permission to see it, or would it be illegal for them to show me?

Talking about the US here.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bpelta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Bpelta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bpelta)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-get-the-college-transcripts-of-a-dead-famous-person/547418/2 "2010-07-21T03:57:55Z")

</div>

Awhile back I was googling about President Obama and found this from Occidental College’s website:  
“The 1974 federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (34 CFR Part 99) protects the privacy of student education records. We, therefore, cannot disclose students’ classes, grade point averages, majors or other such information. President Obama’s transcripts and other student records have not been released by Occidental College.”

So I just googled re 1974 FERPA and found the following from [http://www.fortlewis.edu/academics/records\_office/ferpa.aspx](http://www.fortlewis.edu/academics/records_office/ferpa.aspx) :  
“When a student reaches the age of 18 or begins attending a postsecondary institution, regardless of age or dependency status, FERPA rights transfer from the parent to the student. FERPA applies to all students who are currently enrolled, or were formerly enrolled, and **does not apply to deceased students** or persons who have applied but have not attended.” (emphasis mine)

Hope that helps…FWIW, I know you’re talking about the US, but I just read a book about the late Lubavitcher Rebbe and they were able to get his grades from the college he attended in France.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-get-the-college-transcripts-of-a-dead-famous-person/547418/3 "2010-07-21T13:31:32Z")

</div>

FERPA doesn’t apply to dead guys, but the individual college has no particular obligation to release them, if they don’t want to.