Frederick A.P. Barnard Papers, 1830-1944, bulk circa 1855-1889

Creator:

Barnard, Frederick A. P (Frederick Augustus Porter), 1809-1889

Extent:

7 linear feet 13 manuscript boxes, 1 flat box, and 1 map case folder

Language:

Materials are primarily in English, with the exception of three printed documents in Norwegian and one in Italian.

Scope and content:

Correspondence, manuscripts, and printed material by and about Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard (1809-1889), spanning his adult life from 1831 to 1889. The majority of the correspondence covers his positions as President of the University of Mississippi, 1856-1861, and President of Columbia College, 1864-1889.

Biographical / historical:

Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard (1809-1889) was President of Columbia College from 1864 until 1889. He was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Yale University in 1828. Prior to his appointment at Columbia, he was a professor of mathematics, chemistry, natural philosophy, and natural history at the University of Alabama (1838-1854) and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi (1856-1861). He was also ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1854. In 1857, a controversy erupted over his acceptance of the testimony of Jane, a woman enslaved by Barnard, against that of two students who had assaulted her. Barnard moved north in 1861, when the University of Mississippi closed after its entire student body enlisted in the Confederate army.

Barnard oversaw the rapid growth of Columbia College and advocated for the education of women. As a result, he is the namesake of Barnard College. He served in various other public capacities as well, including President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1866, commissioner to the 1867 and 1878 Universal Expositions in Paris, and President of the American Metrological Society. He married Margaret McMurray (1820-1891) in 1847. They had no children. He died in New York City on April 27, 1889.

Acquisition information:

Source of acquisition--Columbiana. Method of acquisition--Transfer; Date of acquisition--1955. Accession number--M-55-01.

F.A.P. Barnard letter to J.S. Brown: Source of acquisition--Alum. Rep. Comm. of Philadelphia. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--11/09/1994. Accession number--M-94-11-09.

FAPB letter to J.H. Alexander: Source of acquisition--Momjian, Mark A. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--12/12/1996. Accession number--M-96-12-12.

Ned O'Connor donated the materials in boxes 10 through 14 and in the map case folder in December 2017. These materials were separated from the Barnard Family Papers and added to this collection in May 2019.

Processing information:

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 03/31/1989.

F.A.P. Barnard letter to J.S. Brown Cataloged HR 12/22/1994.

FAPB letter to J.H. Alexander Cataloged HR 03/07/1997.

The 2019 addition to this collection was processed by Celeste Brewer. EAD finding aid written by Celeste Brewer in May 2019.

The collection was arranged according to material format prior to 2019. Cataloged correspondence, loose manuscripts, and photographs were stored in boxes 1-6. Boxes 7 and 8 contained the bound volumes in the collection, and printed materials were stored loose in box 9. Materials in box 9 were placed in folders in May 2019.

Materials that arrived in 2017 with the Barnard Family Papers were not physically integrated with the collection, both for efficiency's sake and to maintain evidence of their distinct provenance. They are located in boxes 10 through 14. Oversize materials in this addition were physically separated and stored in one flat box and one map case folder.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in three series. Series I: Cataloged correspondence is arranged in alphabetical order by the sender's last name. Series II: Arranged correspondence, and Series III: Manuscripts and publications, are arranged in chronological order.

Accruals:

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related material:

Columbia College Papers: The Columbia College Papers contain the surviving files of official correspondence, reports, documents, and printed materials of King's College from 1750 to 1784 and Columbia College from 1785 to 1890. Additional pieces of Frederick A. P. Barnard's professional correspondence and documents from his tenure as President of Columbia College, 1864 to 1889, are located in the collection. In the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Barnard Family Papers: The Barnard Family Papers contain personal correspondence of Frederick A. P. Barnard. These are chiefly letters to his wife, Margaret McMurray Barnard, and letters to and from his brother, John Gross Barnard, and sister, Sarah Gross Barnard Porter. In the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Hamilton Fish letters: The Hamilton Fish letters include Fish's correspondence with Frederick A. P. Barnard in the former's capacity as chair of the Columbia College Board of Trustees. In the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Gouverneur M. Ogden letters: The Gouverneur M. Ogden letters include three volumes of letters from Frederick A. P. Barnard to Ogden, who was Treasurer of Columbia College from 1866 to 1874. In the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

F. A. P. Barnard Collection: A collection composed of photocopies of correspondence from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library's Frederick A. P. Barnard Papers and a small group of original documents related to Frederick A. P. and John Gross Barnard. In the Archives and Special Collections of the J. D. Williams Library, University of Mississippi.

Alternative form available:

Microfilm available of the Sermons and Autobiography volumes.

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Frederick A.P. Barnard Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:: Rare Book & Manuscript Library

RBML Home Page
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Contact:: rbml@library.columbia.edu

Collection