These records deal with administrative and financial matters, but many transactions between the college campus and the New York Office were directly affected by policies of the Turkish Government. Finances were complicated by the fact that tuition rates had to be adjusted to fluctuations of the Turkish lira. Faculty salaries were affected by conditions during World War I, particularly when the Turkish Government imposed a personal tax on college personnel in April 1915.
Mary Patrick's letters to Susan Olmstead, secretary and bursar, while largely administrative, are sprinkled with comments about life at the college as well as about events in Turkey. Patrick's fundraising trips to the United States also involve correspondence with the New York Office. She continued to be active in raising funds after her retirement in 1924 and thus continued to correspond through 1926. The records contain information on teachers' salaries, currency rates, scholarship awards, and travel arrangements.
Kathryn Adams, Patrick's successor, writes about the effect of Ataturk's reforms. For example, the college was asked not to distinguish any longer among the nationalities of the Republic when identifying students, unless their legal residence was outside Turkey. The Government also required that the teaching of the Greek and Armenian languages be dropped.
Adams also kept Olmstead informed as to how new faculty members adjusted to life at ACG, along with writing about the difficulties involved in filling the places of longtime members of the faculty who retired. Olmstead in turn reported to Adams regarding decisions by the trustees and the state of financial support.
Box 24 Folder 1
Correspondence to Olmstead from Patrick, 1912
Box 24 Folder 2-15
Correspondence Olmstead/Patrick, 1915-1924
Box 25 Folder 16-17
Correspondence Olmstead/Patrick, 1925-1926
Box 25 Folder 18-32
Correspondence Olmstead/Burns, 1916-1930
Box 25 Folder 33-34
Correspondence Olmstead/Adams, 1924
Box 26 Folder 35-45
Correspondence Olmstead/Adams, 1926-1927
Box 26 Folder 46-47
Correspondence Olmstead/Marion Talbot, acting president, 1927-1928
Box 26 Folder 48-55
Correspondence Olmstead/Adams, 1928-1930
Box 27 Folder 56
Correspondence from Olmstead to Walker re fundraising trip to the United States,, 1913
Box 27 Folder 57-60
General correspondence to Olmstead, 1914-1924
Box 27 Folder 61
Olmstead; general, 1925
Box 27 Folder 62
Correspondence to Olmstead from Briggle, 1922
Box 27 Folder 63-64
Copies of Olmstead's correspondence to Williams, chairman, Instruction Committee,, 1919- 1920
Box 27 Folder 65-66
Correspondence between Olmstead and William S. Murray, 1919-1925
Box 27 Folder 67
Copies of Olmstead's correspondence to Elizabeth Ingersoll, field secretary,, 1919
Box 27 Folder 68-69
Correspondence Olmstead/Professor Isabel Dodd, 1919-1926
Box 27 Folder 70-78
Correspondence Olmstead/Wallace, 1914-1929