Contents
Collection Overview
Historical Note
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Search Terms
Committees - curriculum
1929-42
Committees - departmental
1927-47
Committees - library
1918-56
Constitution and by-laws
1920, 1933
Correspondence
1915-40
Curriculum
1918-34
General and miscellaneous
Graduate studies
1927-42
History
1925
Honors - departmental
1922-80
Honors - general
1931-42
Honors - special
1919-39
Majors
1937-39
Newsletter
1995-98
Photographs
1946-57, 1981-88
Poetry Center
1998-
Prizes
1918-41
Prizes
1953-59
Programs
1916
Writing - remedial programs
1951-52, 1972-86
Courses - ENG 11
Courses - ENG 11 Handbooks
Courses - ENG 12-13
Courses - ENG 14
Courses - ENG 16-19
Courses - ENG 21-24
Courses - ENG 25-28
Courses - ENG 30-36
Courses - ENG 37-39
Courses - ENG 40-48
Courses - ENG 111-120
Courses - ENG 201
Courses - ENG 207-218
Courses - ENG 220-291
Courses - ENG 309-310
Courses - ENG 311-319
Courses - ENG 321-327
Courses - ENG 328-416
Courses - Lyric Poetry
Courses - Miscellaneous
Minutes, Jan.1912-Jan. 1919
1912-19
Minutes, Jan. 1919-May 1920
1919-20
Minutes
1941-42
Minutes
1942-43
Minutes
1943-44
Minutes
1944-45
Minutes
1945-46
Minutes
1946-47
Minutes
1947-48
Minutes
1948-49
Minutes
1949-50
Minutes
1950-51
Minutes
1951-52
Minutes
1952-53
Minutes
1953-54
Minutes
1954-55
Minutes
1955-56
Minutes
1956-57
Correspondence re: Sylvia Plath hiring
1956-57
Minutes
1957-58
Minutes
1958-59
Minutes
1959-60
Minutes
1960-61
Minutes
1961-62
Minutes
1962-63
Minutes
1963-64
Minutes
1964-65
Minutes
1965-66
Minutes
1966-67
Minutes
1967-68
Minutes
1968-69
Minutes
1969-70
Minutes
1970-71
Minutes
1971-72
Minutes
1972-73
Minutes
1973-74
Minutes
1974-75
Minutes
1975-76
Minutes (incomplete)
1976-77
Minutes (incomplete)
1977-78
Minutes
1978-79
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Department of English Records, 1912-[ongoing]
Finding Aid
Finding aid prepared by Christina Lehman.
Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
© 2003
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Creator:
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Smith College. Dept. of English. |
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Title:
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Department of English Records |
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Dates:
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1912-[ongoing] |
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Abstract:
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The English Department records contain materials describing the history and work of the department. Types of materials include course syllabi, correspondence, meeting minutes, newsletters, photographs, handbooks, and assorted typescripts and fliers. Meeting minutes provide a look at the administration of the department, while the scope of the academic material can be discovered through the numerous syllabi.
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Extent:
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7 boxes(2.5 linear ft.) |
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Language:
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English. |
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Identification:
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RG 52 |
The first professor of English at Smith was L. Clark Seelye, who was also the college's first President. The third President, William Neilson was also an English professor. Seelye's early curriculum emphasized elocution and foreign languages as tools for better understanding English. His dual responsibilities as professor and President led him to share teaching duties with Heloise Hersey in 1878. In its early days, the English department had trouble attracting and keeping a full staff, and as a result was quite transitory and disorganized. Many instructors were young women who taught only a few years before resigning their positions to get married. The most prominent and influential English professor was Mary Augusta Jordan, who taught from 1884 to 1921. Kate Sanborn (1880-83) was also well-known. Early areas of study in the department included Rhetoric, Old English, Composition, and Literature, and writing requirements tried to guarantee that every student be able to competently express herself in written English. In 1893, student demands for a college magazine resulted in the creation of the Smith College Monthly. Beginning in 1904, the faculty adopted an official course of study that required students to write four long papers, one each year. This requirement continued, despite students' unhappiness, until 1916, when the college adopted the major-minor system, with distributed electives and no yearly papers. The Committee on Special Assistance in Written English was created in 1921 to provide one-on-one instruction to those students deficient in writing. The professors believed that "no girl should be able to graduate from Smith without the ability to write a clear, grammatical English sentence, properly punctuated and spelled." In the 1930s, course offerings were divided into Composition, Language, Literature, and Types; in the 1940s, areas were consolidated into two sections: Language and Literature, and Composition. In the 1950s English 11 became a requirement for first-year students. Important professors during these years include Mary Ellen Chase (1926-54) and Elizabeth Drew (1946-61). The school year 1970-71 brought the introduction of the ENG 120 course, composed of various colloquia in literature. In 1975-76 course offerings were rearranged into 100 level (introductory classes), 200 level (intermediate classes), and 300 level (advanced seminars). In 1996-97 a college-wide requirement was instituted, requiring that every student take a writing intensive course within her first year. Many English courses (especially 120 colloquia) were subsequently designated as fulfilling the "writing intensive" requirement. September 1997 marked the opening of the Poetry Center, which brings many prominent poets to campus each year to give readings.
Return to the Table of Contents
The English Department records, 1915-1998, contain materials describing the history and work of the department. Types of materials include course syllabi, correspondence, meeting minutes, newsletters, photographs, handbooks, and assorted typescripts and fliers. Meeting minutes from 1912 to 1920 and 1941 to 1979 provide a look at the administration of the department, while the scope of the academic material can be discovered through the numerous syllabi.
Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents
Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
1 |
Committees - curriculum
1929-42
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
2 |
Committees - departmental
1927-47
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Box
|
Folder
|
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| 1149 |
3 |
Committees - library
1918-56
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Box
|
Folder
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| 1149 |
4 |
Constitution and by-laws
1920, 1933
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
5 |
Correspondence
1915-40
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
6 |
Curriculum
1918-34
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
7 |
General and miscellaneous
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
8 |
Graduate studies
1927-42
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
9 |
History
1925
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
10 |
Honors - departmental
1922-80
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
11 |
Honors - general
1931-42
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
12 |
Honors - special
1919-39
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
13 |
Majors
1937-39
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
14 |
Newsletter
1995-98
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
15 |
Photographs
1946-57, 1981-88
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
16 |
Poetry Center
1998-
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
17 |
Prizes
1918-41
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
18 |
Prizes
1953-59
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
19 |
Programs
1916
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Box
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Folder
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| 1149 |
20 |
Writing - remedial programs
1951-52, 1972-86
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
1 |
Courses - ENG 11
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
2 |
Courses - ENG 11 Handbooks
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
3 |
Courses - ENG 12-13
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
4 |
Courses - ENG 14
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
5 |
Courses - ENG 16-19
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
6 |
Courses - ENG 21-24
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
7 |
Courses - ENG 25-28
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
8 |
Courses - ENG 30-36
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Box
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Folder
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| 1150 |
9 |
Courses - ENG 37-39
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
1 |
Courses - ENG 40-48
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
2 |
Courses - ENG 111-120
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
3 |
Courses - ENG 201
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
4 |
Courses - ENG 207-218
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
5 |
Courses - ENG 220-291
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
6 |
Courses - ENG 309-310
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
7 |
Courses - ENG 311-319
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
8 |
Courses - ENG 321-327
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
9 |
Courses - ENG 328-416
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
10 |
Courses - Lyric Poetry
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Box
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Folder
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| 1151 |
11 |
Courses - Miscellaneous
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Box
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Folder
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| 1152 |
1 |
Minutes, Jan.1912-Jan. 1919
1912-19
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Box
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Folder
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| 1152 |
2 |
Minutes, Jan. 1919-May 1920
1919-20
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
1 |
Minutes
1941-42
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
2 |
Minutes
1942-43
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
3 |
Minutes
1943-44
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
4 |
Minutes
1944-45
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
5 |
Minutes
1945-46
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
6 |
Minutes
1946-47
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
7 |
Minutes
1947-48
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
8 |
Minutes
1948-49
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
9 |
Minutes
1949-50
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
10 |
Minutes
1950-51
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
11 |
Minutes
1951-52
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
12 |
Minutes
1952-53
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
13 |
Minutes
1953-54
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
14 |
Minutes
1954-55
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
15 |
Minutes
1955-56
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
16 |
Minutes
1956-57
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
17 |
Correspondence re: Sylvia Plath hiring
1956-57
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
18 |
Minutes
1957-58
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154 |
19 |
Minutes
1958-59
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
1 |
Minutes
1959-60
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
2 |
Minutes
1960-61
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
3 |
Minutes
1961-62
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
4 |
Minutes
1962-63
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
5 |
Minutes
1963-64
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
6 |
Minutes
1964-65
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
7 |
Minutes
1965-66
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
8 |
Minutes
1966-67
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
9 |
Minutes
1967-68
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
10 |
Minutes
1968-69
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Box
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Folder
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| 1154.1 |
11 |
Minutes
1969-70
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
1 |
Minutes
1970-71
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
2 |
Minutes
1971-72
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
3 |
Minutes
1972-73
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
4 |
Minutes
1973-74
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
5 |
Minutes
1974-75
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
6 |
Minutes
1975-76
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
7 |
Minutes (incomplete)
1976-77
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
8 |
Minutes (incomplete)
1977-78
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Box
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Folder
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| 1155 |
9 |
Minutes
1978-79
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