Mount Holyoke College. Board of Trustees

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Historical Note

Members of the Mount Holyoke College Board of Trustees are responsible for overseeing the institution's finances, admissions policies, academic affairs, student life, development, and physical plant. Board members also play a role in the selection of presidents of the College and honorary degree recipients. The Board was established in 1836 and originally consisted of several benevolent gentlemen who helped Mary Lyon plan a school for the higher education of women that would its own property and not be a for-profit venture. The first woman trustee, Sarah Williston, was appointed to the Board in 1884. Mount Holyoke principals and presidents have also been members of the Board since that year. Alumnae began serving on the Board in 1892 and the practice of adding a Young Alumnae Trustee to the Board began in 1970. An advisory group of former trustees, called the Trustee Fellows, was established by the Board in 1988. The trustees have diverse backgrounds and are primarily drawn from academia, human services, the government, and the corporate world.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

Mount Holyoke College Board of Trustees Records date from 1836-2004. They document all aspects of the College's operation, including financial affairs, admissions practices, regulations for students, the employment and promotion of faculty and staff, improvements to buildings and grounds, and the selection of Board members. Materials are arranged in eleven series: Correspondence, Reports, Proposal, Petition, Statistics, Receipts, Tribute, and Audio cassette; Minutes; By-laws; Meeting Files; Workbooks; Chronological Files; Subject Files; Correspondence; Files for Individual Trustees; Litigation Records; Trustee Fellows Records; and Young Alumnae Trustees Records.

Correspondence, Reports, Proposal, Petition. Statistics, Receipts, Tribute, and Audio cassette (1836-1985) primarily concern improvements to buildings and grounds and the purchase of land by the College, the activities of trustee committees, faculty reappointments, revisions of Mount Holyoke's by-laws, and changes to social regulations for students. Correspondents include Andrew W. Porter, A. Lyman Williston, Joseph A. Skinner, Emily Jessup, Julia M. Tolman, and John M. Greene. These materials include reports by the Library and Education Committee (1870-1873) regarding Mount Holyoke's first library building and an audio cassette (circa 1974) of College President David Bicknell Truman discussing student membership on the Board of Trustees.

Minutes (1836-1998) record discussions and decisions by members of the Board. These documents often include reports by committees of the trustees as well as College administrators. Topics frequently mentioned in the minutes include the College's financial affairs, admissions and financial aid policies, changes to the curriculum, honorary degree recipients, salaries for faculty and staff, and improvements to campus facilities.

By-laws (1875-2004) describe the composition of the Board of Trustees and the duties and responsibilities of all of the units and officers of the College. The records consist of published copies of the by-laws and correspondence concerning proposed revisions to them.

Meeting Files (1951-2003), and Workbooks (1970-1997) contain a wide range of materials documenting the planning, implementation, and topics discussed during each meeting of the Board. These records include minutes and agenda, reports, correspondence, surveys, lists, copies of readings, and announcements.

Chronological Files (1993-2004) Chronological Files compiled by the Secretary of the Board or the Senior Administrative Assistant to the President contain reports, correspondence, plans, lists, publications, biographical information, and photographs documenting a cruise by Trustees during a retreat in Chicago, Illinois in 2000. Topics discussed by these materials include the Plans for 2003 and 2010 the relationship between the College and the Alumnae Association, and Mount Holyoke's decision to no longer require candidates for admission to submit Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT) scores.

Subject Files (circa 1951-1996) Subject Files primarily contain reports, correspondence, memoranda, policy statements and guidelines, articles, publications, lists, financial information reflecting the interests and concerns of the Board. These files include information about meetings, retreats, and visits to academic departments by Board members, improvements to campus facilities, and the College's support of a summer theatre at Mount Holyoke.

Correspondence (1966-1995) consists of letters by and two Trustees or the Secretary of the College, chiefly concerning plans for meetings of the Board, potential honorary degree recipients, or Mount Holyoke's financial affairs.

Files for Individual Trustees (1951-1994) contain letters by and to them concerning their support of the College, service on Board, and events and issues of interest to members of the Mount Holyoke community. These files also include resumes, articles, press releases, and biographical sketches relating to these individuals.

Litigation Records (1967-1990) concern a federal investigation which began in 1989 into possible anti-trust violations at a number of private colleges and universities in the United States, including Mount Holyoke. This investigation by the United States Justice Department focused how each school established fees for tuition room and board, faculty salaries, and financial aid awards for students. These records primarily consist of copies of agenda and minutes for meetings of the Board of Trustees (November 1967-May 1989), Joint Conference Committee (1984-1989), and Trustee Advisory Committee on Resources and Priorities (1987) which are marked with notes identifying documents relating to the investigation.

Trustee Fellows Records (1988-1993) contain agenda, minutes, correspondence, and notes (1988-1993) for meetings of former Trustees who act as advisors to the President of the College. Topics discussed by these materials include admissions policies and financial affairs.

Young Alumnae Trustee Records (1984-1994) consist of guidelines, correspondence, lists, and biographical information. These materials concern alumna from one of the three most recent graduating classes who serve a three-year term on the Board of Trustees.

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Search Terms

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into 12 series:

• Correspondence, Reports, Proposal, Petition. Statistics, Receipts, Tribute, and Audio cassette (1836-1985)
• Minutes (1836-1998)
• By-laws (1875-2004)
• Meeting Files (1951-2003)
• Workbooks (1970-1997)
• Chronological Files (1993-2004)
• Subject Files (circa 1951-1996)
• Correspondence (1966-1995)
• Files for Individual Trustees (1951-1994)
• Litigation Records (1967-1990)
• Trustee Fellows Records (1988-1993)
• Young Alumnae Trustee Records (1984-1994)

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Series List

Correspondence, Reports, Proposal, Petition. Statistics, Receipts, Tribute, and Audio cassette 1836-1985 1 box

These materials consist primarily of letters (1836-1985) by and to Board members. The correspondence concern the erection of new buildings, reports of committees, land transactions between the College and the town of South Hadley, faculty reappointments, College by-laws, and reforms to campus social regulations. Correspondents include Andrew W. Porter, A. Lyman Williston, Joseph A. Skinner, Emily Jessup, Julia M. Tolman, and John M. Greene. Reports include documents issued by the Library and Education Committee (1870-1873) regarding Mount Holyoke's first library building, the Executive Committee (1876) concerning building maintenance, and Mary E. Tuttle as the Senior Alumnae Trustee (1964), chiefly discussing changes to the religious program at the College. The proposal from February 1, 1842 describes Mount Holyoke's gift of $2400 to the first parish of South Hadley for the erection of a meeting house. The petition of February 17, 1864 to the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requests an appropriation of $25,000 to support the work of the school. A sheet of statistics from July, 1867 concerns the mortality rates of Mount Holyoke graduates and those of Amherst College, Andover Theological Seminary, Bangor, Bowdoin College, Dartmouth College, Williams College, and Yale College. Receipts (1868, 1869, 1873) are for the payments of tuition, a donation to Mount Holyoke, and bonds and certificates purchased by Mount Holyoke. The tribute honors Edmund H. Sawyer, a member of the Board from 1873 until his death in 1879. The audio cassette from about 1974 is of College President David Bicknell Truman discussing student membership on the Board of Trustees.

Arranged chronologically.

Minutes 1836-1998 16 Boxes

Minutes document Trustees discussions and decisions at regular meetings of the Board. Records often include agenda and excerpts of reports by Trustees committees, faculty committees, and College administrators. Topics frequently discussed at meetings include tuition rates, endowment funds, gifts to the College, admissions policies, financial aid policies, academic requirements, honorary degree recipients, salaries for faculty and staff, and improvements to campus facilities. A card index to minutes for 1913-1980 is part of this series. Minutes from 1998-2003 are available in other series in the collection, including Meeting Files (Series 4) and Chronological Files (Series 6).

Arranged chronologically.

By-laws 1875-2004 1 box

By-laws outline the duties and responsibilities of all of the units and officers of the College, including the President and the faculty. They also concern the duties and composition of the Board of Trustees. Records consist of published copies of the by-laws as well as correspondence concerning proposed revisions.

Arranged chronologically.

Meeting Files 1951-2003 29 boxes

Meeting files document the planning and implementation of each meeting of the Board, including retreats and conference calls. These records consist of minutes and agenda, reports, correspondence, surveys, proposals, and lists of attendees. Meeting files include copies of records of Trustees committees and the Trustee Fellows concerning campus renovations, faculty salaries, admissions statistics, annual budgets, and College expenditures. There are also reports on grants received by Mount Holyoke, individuals nominated for honorary degrees, and technological improvements at the College and documents concerning the Alumnae Association's reassessment of its goals and strategies in 1990. The files includeBoard Books from 1998-2003 containing agendas and minutes from Board of Trustee committee meetings.

Arranged chronologically.

Workbooks 1970-1997 11 boxes

Workbooks prepared by the Secretary of the College for use by the Trustees at each meeting contain the minutes and agenda, meeting schedules, copies of reading material associated with each meeting as well announcements of deaths of individuals associated with the College. The workbooks include reports of Committees of the Board of Trustees and letters from alumnae concerning issues for the Board to address.

Arranged chronologically.

Chronological Files 1993-2004 7 boxes

Chronological Files compiled by the Secretary of the Board or the Senior Administrative Assistant to the President contain reports, correspondence, plans, lists, publications, biographical information, and a photograph album. Topics discussed in these materials include the Plans for 2003 and 2010; the Campaign for Mount Holyoke and other financial matters; changes in the relationship between the College and the Alumnae Association; development of the Harriet and Paul Weissman Center for Leadership; the College's decision to no longer require applicants for admission to submit Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores; improvements to campus facilities; honorary degree recipients; and Commencement ceremonies. The files include copies of a self-study of the Five College Consortium (1998), annual statements of the administrative goals of Mount Holyoke President Joanne V. Creighton, and three publications concerning trends and issues in higher education: Uses and Abuses of the U.S. News Rankings by Daniel J. Levin of the Association of Governing Boards (2002), Great Expectations: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College prepared by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (2002(), and Why Do We Feel So Poor: How the Overspending of the '90s Has Created a Crisis in Higher Education by Verne O. Sedlacek and Sarah E. Clark of the Commonfund Institute (2003). In addition, there are minutes, summaries, notes, and evaluations for meetings, retreats, and conference calls of the Board; biographical sketches of Trustees and candidates for the Board; and photographs of Mount Holyoke trustees and administrators on a Retreat Dinner Cruise in August 2000.

Arranged chronologically.

Subject Files circa 1951-1996 7 boxes

Subject Files contain reports, correspondence, memoranda, policy statements and guidelines, articles, publications, lists, financial information, and several photographs. Of particular note are documents relating to Richard Glenn Gettell's decision to resign as President of the College (1967), a through review of the coeducation issue on the part of administrators, faculty, and students (1968-1972), and Mount Holyoke's support of a summer threatre at the College (1971-1983). Some materials reflect activities of the Trustees, such as their regular visits to academic departments at the College (1956-1990), a retreat in 1979 to review retirement policies for Mount Holyoke faculty, and a trip to Washington, D.C. in 1987 (with a photograph of some of the participants in that group). Other files concern aspects of student life, including cooperative housing, the use of alcoholic beverages, and policies regarding privacy and religious practices. In addition, these files contain materials about the Mount Holyoke College Day Care Center, efforts to recruit minority students, and the construction of or improvements to a number of buildings on campus, including the Sports Complex, Willits-Hallowell Center, and Williston Library. There is also a copy of a study of Factors in the College-Selection Decision of Female High School Seniors in Selected States prepared by the Opinion Research Corporation (1978).

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Correspondence 1966-1995 1 box

Correspondence consists of letters by and to Trustees or the Secretary of the College. Topics discussed in these letters include arrangements for meetings of the Board; grants, investments, and other financial affairs of the College; President Elizabeth T. Kennan's proposed sabbatical in 1992-1993; and possible candidates for Mount Holyoke honorary degrees. There is also a copy of a speech about The Future of Women's Colleges which Anita Pampusch, President of the College of St. Catherine, presented at Mount Holyoke in October 1989.

Arranged chronologically.

Files for Individual Trustees 1951-1994 9 boxes

These files primarily contain letters by and to Trustees. These documents discuss arrangements for Board meetings and issues and events affecting the College. There is also information about each person's support of Mount Holyoke, including their donations to the school. In addition, many files contain resumes, press releases, articles, and biographical sketches about these individuals and the file for Floyd Hall includes a photograph of him.

Arranged alphabetically by each person''s surname.

Litigation Records 1967-1990 2 boxes

In 1989, the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division launched an investigation of the practices of a number of educational institutions in setting their fees for tuition room and board, salaries, and financial aid. About sixty colleges and universities (including Mount Holyoke) were involved in the investigation and asked to produce documents and answer questions relating to setting budgets, fees, faculty salaries, and financial aid awards. The materials in this series were collected to comply with this request. These documents include letters from the College's administrators or attorney to Trustees discussing aspects of the case; a Workbook prepared for the attorneys by the Office of the President containing copies of documents distributed and discussed for Board meetings in 1988; correspondence and notes from meetings of the Trustee Advisory Committee on Resources and Priorities in 1987 which chiefly concern faculty salaries; and articles and notes about the investigation. There are also copies of minutes and agenda for meetings of the Mount Holyoke Joint Conference Committee (1984-1989) and Board of Trustees (November 1967-May 1989). Documents in these records which relate to the investigation are marked with notes.

Arranged by form of material, then chronologically.

Trustee Fellows Records 1988-1993 1 box

The Trustee Fellows (all former Trustees of the College) were established by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the President in March 1988 to provide advice about the governance of the College. The records consist of agenda, minutes , correspondence, notes, and articles for annual meetings of the Fellows (1988-1991, 1993) Topics discussed at these meetings include admissions policies, fund raising campaigns, and strategic planning and governance issues.

Arranged chronologically.

Young Alumnae Trustees Records 1984-1994 1 box

Every three years since 1970, the Board of Trustees elects an alumna from one of the three most recent graduating classes to serve a three-year term on the Board of Trustees. Candidates for Young Alumnae Trustee are nominated by their classmates in an election that takes place during their senior year. The names of the top two candidates from each class are forwarded to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, who keeps a file of nominees until the year of election. These records consist of correspondence and biographical information related to Young Alumnae Trustee candidates, descriptions of and guidelines for the position, and lists of these individuals.

Arranged chronologically.

Correspondence, Reports, Financial Records, Proposals, Statistics, and Audio cassette Tape 1836-1985

Minutes 1836-1998

By-laws 1875-2004

Meeting Files 1951 -

Workbooks 1970-1997

Chronological Files 1993-2004

Subject Files circa 1951-1996

Correspondence 1966-1992

Files for Individual Trustees 1951-1994

Litigation Records 1967-1990

Trustee Fellow Records 1988-1993

Young Alumnae Trustees Records 1984-1994