TABLE OF CONTENTS
Other Guides to this Collection
Detailed Description of the Collection
Guide to the Nineteenth Century Administrative Records, 1830 - 1929
Descriptive Summary |
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| Repository | Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University |
| Creator | Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.) |
| Title | Nineteenth Century Administrative Records, |
| Dates | 1830 - 1929 |
| Linear Feet | 7 |
| Archival Boxes | 18 |
| Abstract | Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 in Middletown, Conn. |
| The Nineteenth Century Administrative Records Collection consists of the original charter for Wesleyan University, early Trustee, University Secretary, and faculty records, and financial records related to donors, students, and the university itself. The financial items consist of correspondence, statements, accounts, bills, receipts, inventories, tuition, and housing information. There is also information about student admittance, attendence, absences, and demerits. | |
| Call Number | 1000-97 |
| Location | For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Special Collections & Archives staff. |
| Language of Material | Material in English |
Historical Note
Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 in Middletown, Conn. Originally a small Methodist institution for men, with a student body of 48, it had by the end of the 19th century admitted both male and female students for a population of 339.
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Collection Overview
The Nineteenth Century Administrative Records Collection consists of the original charter for Wesleyan University, early Trustee, University Secretary, and faculty records, and financial records related to donors, students, and the university itself. The financial items consist of correspondence, statements, accounts, bills, receipts, inventories, tuition, and housing information. There is also information about student admittance, attendence, absences, and demerits.
Collection Arrangement
The collection is arranged into the following series: General Records; Financial Records: General; Financial Records: Donors; Student Records: Financial and General; Alumni and Visitor Records, and Oversize.
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Restrictions
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright for Official University records is held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
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Online Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Administration.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Charters.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Faculty.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Finance.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--History.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Students.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.). Board of Trustees.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Nineteenth Century Administrative Records, Collection #1000-97, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.
Acquisitions Information
The collection was assembled through transfers from various University departments prior to 1982.
Processing Information
Processed by Elizabeth Swaim, University Archives Staff, 1982
Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, December 2006
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Other Guides to this Collection
There is an older, paper finding aid also available for this collection.
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Detailed Description of the Collection
| General Records | ||||||||||||
| Box | ||||||||||||
| 1 | An Act to incorporate the Wesleyan University, 1831 | |||||||||||
| Note: Charter of University. 4 leaves. On verso of last leaf: "Wesleyan University: Act of incorporation. Registered draft by Mr. Stanley." Original is in some places illegible. Accompanied by typed transcript. | ||||||||||||
| Charter of the Wesleyan University, 1859, and Laws and rules of the Joint Board of Trustees and Visitors | ||||||||||||
| Note: 16 leaves. Apparently a printer's copy for the 1859 (first) printing. The "laws and rules" were adopted by the Joint Board, 21 June 1859. The first two and last three leaves are in the handwriting of President Cummings. | ||||||||||||
| Board of Trustees: Extracts from minutes, 1830-1857 | ||||||||||||
| Board of Trustees: Committee reports, correspondence, financial exhibit, etc., 1871-1917 | ||||||||||||
| Joint Board of Trustees and Visitors, 1830-1870 | ||||||||||||
| Extracts from minutes, 1830-1844 | ||||||||||||
| Committee reports, correspondence, etc., 1831-1870 | ||||||||||||
| List of trustees and visitors, resolutions passed, etc., 1836-1859 | ||||||||||||
| Visitors from various conferences, 1835-1841 | ||||||||||||
| Prudential Committee: Various reports, 1833-1840 | ||||||||||||
| Prudential Committee: Annual reports to the Joint Board of Trustees and Visitors, 1839-1870 | ||||||||||||
| Faculty: extracts from minutes, resolutions, etc., 1840-1866 | ||||||||||||
| Correspondence of Jacob Huber, Secretary for the Wesleyan University, October 1837-July 1842 | ||||||||||||
| Note: Records of outgoing correspondence and lists of visitors from various conferences. | ||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous correspondence, 1836-1847 | ||||||||||||
| Note: Correspondence regarding honorary degrees; letters to Augustus W. Smith regarding nominations of visitors and members of the examining committees by the Methodist Conferences. | ||||||||||||
| Financial Records: General | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 2 | Sundry records, 1830-1877 | ||||||||||
| Note: One volume containing: sundry journal entries, 1830-1831; sundry ledger accounts, 1839-1843; lists of students entering Wesleyan University between 1831/32 and 1844/45; and sundry accounts, July 1871-June 7, 1877. | |||||||||||
| Financial papers (various), 1830-1902 | |||||||||||
| Note: Receipts and expenditures, loans due by Wesleyan University. | |||||||||||
| Financial statement of the first five years at Wesleyan, 1831-1836 | |||||||||||
| Financial exhibits and statements, including tuition exhibits, 1836-1877 | |||||||||||
| Checkbook, 1834-1836 | |||||||||||
| Note: Check stubs, empty checks; also laid in are scratch sheets and a letter regarding pipes. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence on financial matters, 1834-1851 | |||||||||||
| Note: Money owed to the university, cancellation of stock. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous bills and checks, 1834-1837 | |||||||||||
| Volume containing list of materials belonging to the Wesleyan University Laboratory, 1835-1837 | |||||||||||
| Volume containing list of apparatus belonging to the Wesleyan University Laboratory, 1835-1837 | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 3 | Vouchers, numbers 1-692, 1837-1847 | ||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 4 | Vouchers, numbers 692a-1088, 1847-1855 | ||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 5 | Treasurer's accounts, 1837-1877 | ||||||||||
| Note: Expenditures and receipts. Also laid in are various separate financial exhibits. | |||||||||||
| Treasurer's notes on the Wesleyan University, 1837-1877 | |||||||||||
| Cancelled notes and miscellaneous bills and receipts, 1844-1851, 1877 | |||||||||||
| Order book, 1839-1845 | |||||||||||
| Note: Check stubs, numbered 1-50, for bills paid to various people for supplies. | |||||||||||
| Notes and bills payable, 1856-1877 | |||||||||||
| Notes and bills payable and receivable, 1855-1875 | |||||||||||
| Financial Records: Donors | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 6 | Volume containing list of original subscribers and sums promised for support of the Wesleyan University, 1830-1833 | ||||||||||
| Lists of subscribers, 1831-1835, 1877 | |||||||||||
| Correspondence regarding subscriptions to Wesleyan, including inability to pay, 1835-1852 | |||||||||||
| Subscription book for endowment of the Wesleyan University, 1839-1848 | |||||||||||
| Volume with list of subscribers to a $20,000 endowment fund, 1836 | |||||||||||
| Volume of Fisk professorship fund and centenary subscriptions at the Wesleyan University, circa 1841-1842 | |||||||||||
| Note: List of subscribers; in back pocket: "Statistics of the church at Wesleyan University"; miscellaneous regarding Centenary subscription | |||||||||||
| Book of accounts of monies received for the Wesleyan University within the bounds of the New Hamshire [sic] conference and elsewhere, 1844-1854 | |||||||||||
| The Centum Millia fund, 1852-1855 | |||||||||||
| Note: 3 volumes with records of subscribers to the $100,000 permanent endowment fund. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and agreements regarding permanent endowment fund, 1847-1855 | |||||||||||
| Volume of donations to Wesleyan University, 1858-1862 | |||||||||||
| Note: List of donors and the amounts paid to Wesleyan; also a list of bonds owned by the school at this time. | |||||||||||
| 2 volumes of serial subscriptions, 1870-1876 | |||||||||||
| Note: Subscribers agree to pay for five successive years the sums attached to their names . . . for the purpose of endowing new professorships and for other essential improvements. | |||||||||||
| Volume of minutes of meetings of the Ladies Centenary Association, June 5, 1866-July 23, 1867 | |||||||||||
| Note: The Ladies Centenary Association for the Wesleyan University raised funds for the erection of the Memorial Chapel. | |||||||||||
| 1 volume with list of subscribers and amounts subscribed for the erection of the Wesleyan University Memorial Chapel, July 19, 1866 | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 7 | Financial appeals, 1832-1876 | ||||||||||
| Note: Appeals to the State of Connecticut, to the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church; appeal for the Centum Millia fund, for serial subscriptions; for Memorial Chapel; general appeals; and appeals via the alumni regarding support of athletics. | |||||||||||
| Scholarships and subscriptions to them, 1830-1888 | |||||||||||
| Note: Scholarships include Permanent or Perpetual, Clergyman's or Ministerial, 10 percent stck, 15- and 50-year, Seney, etc. | |||||||||||
| Expired certificates for use of scholarship, 1833-1847 | |||||||||||
| Blank scholarship certificates | |||||||||||
| Alumni Centennial Fund, 1875-1887 | |||||||||||
| Note: Appeals made by the committee and correspondence regarding donations. | |||||||||||
| Student Records: Financial and General | |||||||||||
| See also Records of Attendence and Boarding Hall Cash Book in Oversize series. | |||||||||||
| 1 volume of parents' and guardians' accounts with Wesleyan University for the expenses of students, 1830-1840 | |||||||||||
| Note: Parent's or guardian's name at top of page with lists of expenses during stay at Wesleyan. | |||||||||||
| 3 volumes of tuition books and bills, 1831-1835 | |||||||||||
| Note: Volumes for 1831-1833, 1833-1834, and 1834-1835. Includes lists of students and amount of tuition by term. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 8 | Tuition book, 1835-1839 | ||||||||||
| Note: Lists of students and amount of tuition by term. | |||||||||||
| Tuition bills, 1835-1847 | |||||||||||
| Note: Individual bills and lists of students and amount of tuition by term. | |||||||||||
| Student bills and bonds, 1833-1882 | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 9 | 6 volumes of Boarding House accounts, 1833-1845 | ||||||||||
| Note: Volume 1 is Treasurer's book for the Boarding Association, 1833-1835. Volumes 2-6 are Board books, 1833-1844. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 10 | 3 volumes of Boarding House accounts, 1834-1844 | ||||||||||
| Note: Volume 7 is an Inventory of boarding hall, 1834-1844. Volumes 8-9 contain a running expense account, 1834-1844. | |||||||||||
| Boarding Hall, 1837-1845 | |||||||||||
| Note: Statement by term on expenses, property of boarding house. | |||||||||||
| Committee report on boarding hall arrangements recommending appointment of a steward, January 24, 1834, signed "W. Fisk." | |||||||||||
| Lists of students, 1835-1841 | |||||||||||
| Note: Number of students by term, scholarships, room rents, stove rents, etc. | |||||||||||
| Occupants of rooms, 1837-1841 | |||||||||||
| Note: Lists of occupants, repairs needed in college rooms. | |||||||||||
| Stove rents, 1834-1841 | |||||||||||
| Repairs of college buildings, 1835-1837 | |||||||||||
| Damages and repairs of rooms, 1836-1846 | |||||||||||
| Recommendations of students for admission to Wesleyan, 1850-1857 | |||||||||||
| Reports of prize award committees, 1860-1874 | |||||||||||
| Boarding hall cash book, April 1834-December 27, 1843 | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 11 | 1 volume of records of admittance, 1873-1892 | ||||||||||
| Note: Lists of students' names, ages, courses of study, residences, names of parents or guardians and their occupations, and places of preparation. | |||||||||||
| 3 volumes of preparatory schools, 1888-1908, 1908-1918, 1919-1929 | |||||||||||
| Note: Alphabetical list of preparatory and high schools and number of students from each; list of schools with students' names, manner of admission, and grades (first half year). | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 12 | Reports of the Examining Committee of the Wesleyan University, 1833-1844 | ||||||||||
| Note: Name of department, list of students who passed or were deficient, with comments by committee interspersed. Includes report of the first outside examining committee, recommending the first group of Wesleyan seniors for the B.A. degree. | |||||||||||
| Examining Committee, annual reports, 1835-1843, 1847, 1856-1860 | |||||||||||
| Examining Committee, June 1887 | |||||||||||
| Examining Committee, annual reports, 1861-1873 | |||||||||||
| Teacher's Record Book, 1839 | |||||||||||
| Note: Divided by class, list of students; divided into weeks; lists of numbers and alphabet letters (meaning uncertain); title page says "Weekly Exercises." | |||||||||||
| Class standing, 1845-1854 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Record of standing, class of 1860 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: By student and subject. | |||||||||||
| Deficiencies in scholarship, 1870-1873 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: By class, by students--exceptions, admonitions, not examined, not passed in various courses. | |||||||||||
| Merits and Demerits, 1832-1848 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Church attendence, 1843-1852 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Attendance, 1849-1857 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 13 | Absences, spring 1849-fall 1858 (1 volume) | ||||||||||
| Absences, spring 1859-winter 1860 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Merit record, 1861-1885 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Attendance and Demerits, fall 1865-fall 1874 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: Includes information on scholarships. | |||||||||||
| Demerits, dismissals, and suspensions of students, 1874-1881 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: List of student names, number of demerits, dates. | |||||||||||
| Attendance, spring 1874-November 1874 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Demerit record, spring and fall 1875 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 14 | Demerit record, winter 1875-1876 (1 volume) | ||||||||||
| Demerit record, spring 1876 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Demerit record, fall 1876 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Absences, January 1879-April 1879 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: Pieces of paper pasted in, includes chapel roll by classes, W.N. Rice classes, various courses. | |||||||||||
| Absences, spring and fall 1879 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: Pieces of paper pasted in, includes chapel roll by classes, W.N. Rice classes, various courses. | |||||||||||
| Absences, spring and fall 1879 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Note: Pieces of paper pasted in, includes chapel roll by classes, W.N. Rice classes, various courses. | |||||||||||
| Excuses and demerits, class of 1884, January-June (2 volumes) | |||||||||||
| Note: Arranged chronologically: name, what missed, excuse. | |||||||||||
| Censure and suspension, 1884-1893 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Alumni and Visitor Records | |||||||||||
| See also Visitor's Register in Oversize series. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 15 | Record of Alumni and Visitors, 1852-1854 (1 volume) | ||||||||||
| Alumni register, June 1893-June 1922 (1 volume and 1 folder) | |||||||||||
| Alumni Association, minutes of meetings, 1836-1916 (1 volume) | |||||||||||
| Oversize | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 16 | Wesleyan University Visitor's Register, 1899-1903 | ||||||||||
| Boarding Hall Cash Book, April 1, 1834-December 27, 1843 | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 17 | Record of Attendence, 1896-1897 | ||||||||||
| Record of Attendence, 1910-1911 | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 18 | Record of Attendence, 1920 | ||||||||||
| Record of Attendence, 1920-1921 | |||||||||||