The Marshall College database was a feature of the IndianaJones.com website detailing information on aspects of the Indiana Jones franchise.
Last version of the database (as of 03/14/2015)
Originally, the database was similar in form and function to the StarWars.com Databank, categorizing pages by "characters", "historical figures", "artifacts", "locations" and "events" from the first three theatrical films and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles television series.
Much of the character information was taken and edited from The World of Indiana Jones roleplaying game by West End Games. The company did not produce a sourcebook for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the database apparently reflected this with no entries for that movie's characters such as Walter Donovan, Henry Jones, Kazim and Elsa Schneider. Marcus Brody and Sallah, who were given biographies in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook did not get detailed either. The film, however, was represented in Indiana Jones's biography as well as in the historical figure and artifact fields through Adolf Hitler and the Holy Grail respectively. Information from the television series was also detailed on Indiana Jones's page and mentioned in the sole events entry explaining the Mexican Revolution.
Around the time of the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the whole website was revamped and redesigned which included a new version of the Marshall College database this time placing articles under "history", "events", "figures" and "artifacts" fields but with heavily truncated entries. Again, besides Hitler, Last Crusade's characters weren't referenced though the artifacts were expanded to include the Cross of Coronado, and Raiders of the Lost Ark's Headpiece to the Staff of Ra and Chachapoyan Fertility Idol which were not included the first time around. Neither the television series or Crystal Skull were included. Indiana Jones's entry was replaced with a shorter general biography and details on the archaeological processes of the time while the events field was changed to include a timeline of significant historical events between 1920 and 1957.
The database was closed in 2016 as a consequence of the IndianaJones.com URL becoming a redirect to the franchise's official Facebook page.
Behind the scenes[]
The database's original look (Screencap taken 03/14/2015 via Internet Archive.)
Events as ordered by the database's timeline:
- 1920: The start of Prohibition
- 1922: The birth of USSR
- 1925: The Cotton Club flourishes
- 1927: Lindbergh flight
- 1929: Black Tuesday
- 1930: The Great Depression
- 1934: Hitler in power
- 1936: Spanish Civil War
- 1939: The World's Fair
- 1939: The Nazi-Soviet Pact
- 1941: Pearl Harbor attack
- 1945: Germany surrenders
- 1945: United Nations established
- 1948: Berlin Blockade
- 1949: Cold War begins
- 1950: Korean War begins
- 1953: Elvis' first recording
- 1955: Rosa Parks arrested
- 1956: Hungarian Revolution
- 1957: Sputnik launches
