Minutes of the Board of Trustees are restricted for 50 years from the date of creation.
This collection is located onsite.
This collection contains the minutes created by the Governors of the College of the Province of New York in the City of New York in America, the Corporation of King's College in the City of New York, the Regents of the University of the State of New York, and Trustees of Columbia College (and since 1896, University) in the City of New York. It also includes two subject indices.
Series I. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1755-2019
This collection begins with the minutes Governors of the College of the Province of New York in the City of New York in America in 1755. There is evidence that the Board met during the War of Independence, but the minutes for the period after July 1781 and before May 1784 are missing. The volumes listed below contain transcriptions of the original manuscript volumes. (To access manuscript copies, please contact uarchives@columbia.edu.) Starting in 1890-1891, the minutes are organized by academic or fiscal year, and were recorded in typewritten form. Minutes created since 2005-2006 are available in electronic format only.
Series II. Indices to the Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1755-1997
There are two sets of subject indices available to search the minutes of the Trustees. The first set covers the minutes from 1755 to 1879 and the second from 1890 to 1997. The first set is made up of printed index cards: they include the volume number and page number based on the original manuscript volumes. These page numbers have been added to the typescript text: look for the red pencil handwritten numbers inserted in the text to find the beginning of the page numbers on the index card. The second index is a collection of handwritten, typed and/or printed cards that cover the more recent era. In this case, the volume number and page numbers on the cards match the physical volumes. In addition, starting in 1890-1891, at the back of each volume (or the back of the second volume for those years split over two volumes), there is an index for the given year.
This collection is arranged in two series.
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
Minutes of the Board of Trustees are restricted for 50 years from the date of creation.
This collection is located onsite.
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.
Identification of specific item; Date; Minutes of the Board of Trustees; Volume number, page number; University Archives, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.
Additons are expected.
Materials have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact uarchives@columbia.edu for more information.
Source of acquisition--Minutes transferred to the University Archives from the Office of the Secretary on a yearly basis.
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
This collection was processed by Joanna Rios and Vianca Victor. Finding aid written by Joanna Rios in March 2019.
2019-03-20 File created.
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
2020-01-06 Removed expired restrictions. (JR)
2021-01-11 Removed expired restrictions. (JR)
2022-01-07 Removed expired restrictions. (JR)
Overall governance of the University is in the hand of its 24-member Board of Trustees. The Trustees select the President, oversee all faculty and senior administrative appointments, monitor the budget, supervise the endowment, and protect University property.
The first meeting of the "Governors of the College of the Province of New York in the City of New York in America" was held on May 7, 1755. The Governors managed the monies raised in the public lottery for the foundation of King's College. They were also charged with hiring instructors, appointing a President, and eventually, building a home for the College and creating a medical school.
In 1783, after the end of the War of Independence, the surviving members of the Board of Governors petitioned the Legislature for a new charter. The "Regents of the University of the State of New York" took charge of what was once King's College. This body included the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor, the President of the Senate, the Mayor of Albany, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State and 24 other members. This arrangement proved impractical and in 1787 Columbia College was granted its own Board of Trustees. To this day, Columbia University has remained under this form of governance.
The Trustees would meet once a month and set up committees to address individual issues. For example, the Visitation Committee, established in 1785, used to send Trustees to inspect the college: visit the rooms, see that they were well ventilated and warm, and inspect the records of the College. Other committees were appointed to establish new professorships or a Library Committee to oversee the library. Standing committees include Buildings & Grounds, Education, Finance and Honors. Since 1908 six seats are reserved for alumni representatives, voted on by the alumni of the different schools to serve for six-year terms. Currently twelve Trustees are elected by the Trustees acting alone, six by the Trustees working in consultation with the Executive Committee of the University Senate, and six elected after nomination by the University's alumni.
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.