Alumni Class Records, 1850-1989

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

Organized chronologically by class year.

• Series I: Alumni Class Records

Description

Summary

The Alumni Class Records contains materials pertaining to the alumni from the Classes of 1842 to 1963, from Columbia College and the School of Mines, later the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Content includes programs, menus, invitations, clippings, correspondence, and printed matter related to activities from college days to the many reunion events in the subsequent years.

• Series I: Alumni Class Records

  The Alumni Class records are made up of two types of records: those from the college days and those from the alumni events. The first type of records includes class day programs, menus, dance cards, invitations, chapel attendance rosters, college acceptance letters, class schedules, etc. The second type is mostly reunion programs, menus, invitations, minutes, newsletters, necrologies, directories, class histories, and the correspondence kept by class secretaries. There are clippings from student publications (Columbian yearbook, Acta Columbiana and Spectator newspaper) but also from the alumni magazine and newspapers. Clippings can be loose or collected in scrapbooks. Some classes are better documented than others. Materials are organized by class year.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

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.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

There are no restrictions on this collection.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies 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); Alumni Class Records; Box and Folder number; University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.

Related Materials

For information about classes, please consult the Columbia Yearbooks, Facebooks and Class Books (UA#0027) and, for earlier classes, the Class Photograph Albums Collection (UA#0131). Additional information about alumni, class materials and photographs can be found in the Historical biographical files (UA#0004), Historical subject files (UA#0002), and Historical photograph collection (UA#0003).

Accrual

No additions are expected.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Collection-level record describing unprocessed material made public in summer 2018 as part of the Hidden Collections initiative. This collection was processed and finding aid was written by Joanna Rios (November 2022).

Revision Description

2022-11-28 Finding aid published (JR)

2022-11-29 Added boxes 39-40 (JR)

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Historical Note

The Alumni Class records were initially collected for the Columbiana Collection. Many of these items (mostly class memorabilia) were then displayed during "Alumni Day." Starting in 1908, an Alumni Day or the mid-winter reunion was held every year on Lincoln's birthday (February 12) because it was the only business holiday in the year when alumni can visit their Alma Mater. Alumni would come back to campus, could join classes and enjoy the displays at the Columbiana Library (originally, room 307 Library).

The Columbiana Collection was built up by alumnus (CC 1877, Law 1879), clerk of the Board and University historian John B. Pine. After his death in 1922, a fulltime Columbiana curator was appointed "in order that the work of collecting memorabilia for the Columbiana Collection ... should suffer no relapse but should be carried on and extended." Robert Arrowsmith CC 1882 was the first Columbiana curator (1923-1929), followed by Milton Halsey Thomas (1929-1959). According to the Columbia Alumni News, June 1, 1923, (460) "[i]t is hoped eventually to have a complete individual record of each class in the shape of class albums, scrap books, class programmes, publications and other memorabilia, so arranged that information regarding any class activitity or material for a class reunion shall be at once procurable."