This finding aid is made available for public use following the Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons designation.
This collection has no restrictions.
The following box is located offsite: Box 1. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
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No additions are expected.
The Series I materials were transferred to the University Archives by Joseph Kissane, from the Summer Session Director's Office, School of General Studies, 418 Lewisohn Hall, in July 1994. (1994.006)
This collection is arranged in three series.
In December 1898, President Seth Low sent a circular to the Columbia faculty. He proposed a working plan for a summer school: daily sessions would run during six consecutive weeks; each course would meet daily from Monday to Friday; instructors would receive two-thirds of the student fees and one-third would be retained for administrative expenses. In the letter, faculty were asked if they were inclined to offer any courses, and, if so, which courses and the length of each course in hours per week. Faculty had one week to submit their reply.
With the Trustees' conditional approval, Columbia offered its first summer session in 1900 with 29 courses and 417 registered students, under the guidance of Director of Summer Session Nicholas Murray Butler. The following year, 1901, Columbia offered 43 courses to 581 students. In 1904, the Summer Session was granted permanent status (no longer needing the yearly Trustee renewal) and it was formally incorporated into the University statutes.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Summer Session records; Box and Folder number (if known); University Archives, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.
This collection was processed by Joanna Rios. Finding aid written by Joanna Rios in June 2019.
For materials related to the establishment of the Summer Session, please consult the
This collection consists of the correspondence relating to a proposed summer school in 1898, administrative records of the Summer Session, and the Summer Session bulletins or announcements.
This series consists of the faculty responses to President Seth Low's inquiry about starting a summer session at Columbia. The series includes the individual responses as well as a summary sheet which organizes the faculty by department and lists those who offered a "conditional acceptance" or an "unconditional acceptance." Some of the letters were originally kept in a binder and these have been foldered individually. The rest were collected in an envelope. This series also includes correspondence related to the establishment of the first summer session in 1900.
(Prof. Chandler discusses the Chemistry Department's summer session experience in the late 1880s.)
(A summary sheet which organizes the faculty by department and lists those who offered a "conditional acceptance" or an "unconditional acceptance" to teach during the summer session.)
(Excerpts from the minutes of the University Council and the Trustees' Committee on Education.)
(11-page plan submitted to President Seth Low by Nicholas Murray Butler.)
(Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences)
This series contains the administrative records of the Summer Session, including the financial statements from 1900 to 1919, the minutes of the Administrative Board from 1905 to 1940, and the Registrar's reports on enrollments by academic department for the last five years.
(Includes schedule and proceedings. Conference held at Columbia and sponsored by Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard University, New York University, Trinity College, Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania.)
(Raymond J. Young and William P. McDougall. Distributed by the National American Association of Summer Sessions.)