Reid Hall records, 1919-1997

Reid Hall records, 1919-1997

Summary Information

Abstract

Reid Hall is Columbia University's study abroad center in Paris, France. The university acquired Reid Hall in 1966 from the American University Women's Paris Club's Reid Hall, Inc., which had previously operated the building as a residence for American women studying in France. Columbia's School of General Studies took over the administration of Reid Hall and maintained a variety of semester and yearlong programs for Columbia students in French language, history, and culture. The collection contains the administrative records for Reid Hall and its programming.

At a Glance

Call No.:
UA#0256
Bib ID:
6943275 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Columbia University. Reid Hall
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
10.42 linear feet (7 record cartons, 4 manuscript boxes)
Language(s):
Material is primarily in English with some French.
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.

All administrative records of the University are restricted for 25 years from the date of creation.

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.

Description

Summary

Included in the Reid Hall Records are documents related to the administration and operation of Reid Hall in Paris. These records cover Reid Hall from its founding by the American University Women's Paris Club as a center for educated women to visit and study to its acquisition by Columbia University in 1966 as a study abroad program center. Under Columbia, the program expanded to serve students from universities across the United States and to offer a range of academic and cultural programs for semester and yearlong study. The records contain meeting minutes and correspondence of various entities that held financial, operational, and academic governance of Reid Hall between 1922 and 1995 as well as documents related to the programming and events held there. The majority of the records come from the offices of Columbia administrators including the Office of the Provost and the School of General Studies.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 2 series.

Using the Collection

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.

All administrative records of the University are restricted for 25 years from the date of creation.

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.

Restrictions on Use

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.

The RBML cannot provide access to original time-based media material which has not been first been reformatted for preservation. Researchers are welcome to examine archival time-based media items and decide whether they wish to place an order for Audio/Video reformatting. If copyright and/or condition restrictions apply, it may not be possible to digitize a requested item. Please note that A/V reformatting is handled by an outside vendor and typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Reid Hall Records; Box and Folder; University Archives, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accrual of Records

Additions are expected.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

1994.001, 1995.013, 2006.010.

The Reid Hall Records were transferred from Columbia University. Five boxes were from the office of Frank Wolf in the School of General Studies, and six boxes were received from the office of the Provost in 2016.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Rachel Klepper. Finding aid written by Rachel Klepper in June 2018.

Records from three different sources were combined into one collection. Four folders from the office of Frank Wolf were not related to the administration of Reid Hall and were moved to the School of General Studies Records (UA# 0123).

Revision Description

2018-08-08 File created.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

2020-01-02 Expired restriction removed from box 7, folder 21 kws

Historical Note

In 1922, Elisabeth Mills Reid (Mrs. Whitelaw Reid) donated Reid Hall to found the American University Women's Paris Club. The club served as a residence and a space for cultural, social, and educational events for women traveling and studying in Paris. In 1929 Reid Hall, Inc. was founded to take over governance of the building and its programs. By the mid-20th century, Reid Hall hosted a number of courses for American university students studying abroad. In 1966 it transferred ownership of the building and governance of Reid Hall, Inc. to Columbia University.

Columbia operated Reid Hall out of its School of General Studies, creating a study abroad program that offered semester and year-long opportunities to Columbia and Barnard students as well as students from other colleges. In 1972 Barnard Professor Danielle Haase-Dubosc was appointed the Director of Studies on site in Paris, but the rest of the administration of Reid Hall continued out of Columbia's New York City Campus. From 1979 to 2006, Frank Wolf, Associate Dean of the School of General Studies oversaw academic aspects of Reid Hall's administration, including the Academic Advisory Council, which made decisions about courses, enrollment, and faculty.

Beginning in 1975, events on French history and culture were sponsored regularly at Reid Hall through the Sterling Currier Fund, an endowment given by Edith Sterling Currier, a member of Reid Hall since before its acquisition by Columbia. French History Professor Robert Paxton became the Chairman of the Fund's board.

In the 1980s, Reid Hall grew to be more financially stable and more integrated into Columbia University's academic programs. Two new programs opened, including the Art History Institute and the Graduate Student Research Institute. In 1995, when the School of General Studies reorganized, Reid Hall became part of the new Division of Special Programs. It remained there until the creation of Columbia's Global Centers in 2009.

Subject Headings

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.

Genre/Form
Administrative reports
Correspondence
Syllabi
minutes (administrative records)
Name
Columbia University. Reid Hall
Columbia University. School of General Studies
Subject
College students
Columbia University -- Administration
Columbia University -- History
Education
Foreign study
Reid Hall (Paris, France)
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges -- Administration
Women college graduates

Series I: American University Women's Paris Club, 1919-1975

Series I documents the origins and administration of Reid Hall as the American University Women's Paris Club prior to 1966. In 1922 Elisabeth Mills Reid (Mrs. Whitelaw) donated her house to the club, and it became a residential center for women studying and traveling abroad. Meeting minutes of the club's board and executive committees from 1919-1928 show the operational and funding priorities of Reid Hall in its early years. In 1929 a new body, Reid Hall Inc., was established to take over governance of Reid Hall. Series I contains the board meeting and annual meeting minutes of Reid Hall, Inc. from most years between 1929 and 1964. It also includes documents related to the transition of Reid Hall to Columbia University between 1964 and 1966 and correspondence with donors and members.


Box 1 Folder 1

Various Education Organization Minutes, 1919-1928

Includes minutes of the American University Women's Paris Club, the International Federation of University Women, the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, and the Committee for the Reception of Foreign Women Students


Box 1 Folder 2

Edith Sterling Currier Estate, 1975


Box 1 Folder 3

Reid Hall Inc. Board of Directors (Resignations, etc.), 1964


Box 1 Folder 4

Permanent Reference File, Reid Hall, 1932-1947


Box 1 Folder 5

Reid Hall Permanent File E.S. Currier, 1972-1973


Box 1 Folder 6

Publications, 1970-1972


Box 1 Folder 7-10

Reid Hall Correspondence, 1938-1972


Box 1 Folder 11

Reid Hall Finances, 1924-1930


Box 2 Folder 1-11

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Reid Hall, Inc.,, 1929-1939


Box 3 Folder 31-38

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Reid Hall, Inc.,, 1940-1950


Box 2 Folder 12-25

Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Committee of Reid Hall, Inc.,, 1929-1954


Box 2 Folder 26-34

Minutes of the Finance Committee of Reid Hall, Inc., 1929-1956


Box 2 Folder 35

Third Year Services, 1955-1961


Box 2 Folder 36

Receipt Books, 1958-1964


Box 3 Folder 1

Reid Hall, Inc. Organization Papers, 1922-1928


Box 3 Folder 2

Women's Realty Corporation, 1927-1928


Box 3 Folder 3

Form of Agreement in Regard to the Property, 1922


Box 3 Folder 4

American University Women's Paris Club Constitution, 1922


Box 3 Folder 5-30

Reid Hall, Inc. Annual Meeting, 1929-1964


Box 3 Folder 39

Reid Hall Guest Book, 1951-1960

Series II: Columbia University Administration of Reid Hall, 1927-1997

Series II documents Columbia University's administration of Reid Hall from 1966 until 1995. It includes meeting minutes and correspondence that show the continued governance and financial considerations of Reid Hall, Inc. after being taken over by Columbia as well as the Sterling Currier Fund which sponsored programs out of Reid Hall. This series also covers the academic coursework and programs at Reid Hall and associated decision-making processes by Columbia administrators.


Subseries II.1: Reid Hall Governance, 1927-1994

Subseries II.1 contains the financial and governance records of Reid Hall through its management of Reid Hall, Inc. These functions are documented through chronologically arranged administrative files and board meeting minutes from 1979-1990. It also includes correspondence and files from Deputy Provosts Michael Mooney and Paul Carter. Other materials relate to the operations of the Reid Hall building, such as contracts, security measures, and renovation plans, as well as to agreements with other universities in Paris.


Box 4 Folder 6

Reid Hall, Inc. Fundraising, 1980-1985


Box 4 Folder 7-14

Michael Mooney, Deputy Provost Correspondence, 1983-1991

Includes a folder of correspondence with Daniel Haase-Dubosc, Reid Hall Director


Box 5 Folder 34

Reid Hall Program Correspondence, 1972-1982


Box 4 Folder 15

Reid Hall Renovation Plan, 1991


Box 4 Folder 16

Reid Hall Renovation Plan Loan Authorization, 1990


Box 4 Folder 17

Reid Hall Guest Book Gift, 1990


Box 4 Folder 18

Reid Hall Security re: Saddam Hussein's Threat, 1991


Box 4 Folder 19

An Old House in Paris: The Story of Reid Hall (publication), circa 1969


Box 4 Folder 20

Reid Hall, Inc. Certificate of Incorporation and Amendments, 1928-1980


Box 4 Folder 21-22

By-laws and Amendments, 1928-1989


Box 4 Folder 23

Contract of Sale Elisabeth Mills Reid (Mrs. Whitelaw), 1920


Box 4 Folder 24

Reid Hall renovation plan /University Women's Realty Corporation, 1927-1990


Box 4 Folder 25

"Je Suis Americaine" - Especially in Paris, Columbia Magazine, 1983


Box 4 Folder 35

Columbia and Paris VII Agreement, 1977-1978


Box 4 Folder 36

Clumbia and Paris X Agreement, 1984-1988


Box 4 Folder 37

Agreement with Sciences Politiques, 1987


Box 4 Folder 38

Reid Hall Memberships, 1975-1991


Box 5 Folder 32

Reid Hall Programs, Columbia Univeristy Bulletins, 1988-1991


Box 5 Folder 33

Study Abroad Program Evaluations, Commission on Higher Education,, 1981 and 1989


Box 5 Folder 35

Reid Hall American Business Program, 1987


Box 5 Folder 36

Reid Hall Academic Affairs Committee Meetings, 1985-1989


Box 5 Folder 37-38

Reid Hall Graduate Research Institute, 1984-1992


Box 6 Folder 12-23

Reid Hall Board Meetings, 1979-1990


Box 7 Folder 1-21

Reid Hall Administrative Files, 1962-1994


Box 7 Folder 22

Reid Hall Advisory Committee, 1975-1993


Box 7 Folder 23

Sterling Currier Fund, 1975-1978

Correspondence and memos between Paul Carter and members of the Sterling Currier Fund Advisory Committee


Box 7 Folder 24

University Women's Realty Corporation Certificate, 1993


Box 9 Folder 1

Etude prealable a des travaux de renovation du Reid Hall/Preliminary study of the renovation,, 1988


Box 9 Folder 2

Architechtural Study with Drawings, 1988


Subseries II.2: Sterling Currier Fund, 1970-1997

Subseries II.2 documents the administration and programs of the Sterling Currier Fund, an endowment set up by Edith Sterling Currier to "further the understanding within the Franco-American community" in 1975. The Fund sponsored conferences and events out of Reid Hall and Maison Française on Columbia's Manhattan campus. The subseries includes proposals, agendas, and materials from these events as well as meeting minutes, financial records, and correspondence related to the fund.


Box 4 Folder 1

Sterling Currier Fund Travel Policy Information, 1981-1990


Box 4 Folder 2

Sterling Currier Fund Proposal Submission Guidelines, 1980


Box 4 Folder 3-5

Sterling Currier Fund Correspondence, 1983-1990


Box 4 Folder 26

Sterling Currier Fund Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes, 1975-1990


Box 4 Folder 27-34

Sterling Currier Fund Advisory Committee Meeting Materials, 1980-1982


Box 6 Folder 1-11

Sterling Currier Fund Advisory Committee Meetings, 1980-1993


Box 8 Folder 10-13

Reid Hall, 1970-1997

From the office of Robert Paxton, Columbia History Department Chair and chair of the Sterling Currier Fund Advisory Committee


Box 8 Folder 14-19

Robert Paxton's Reid Hall Files, 1970-1997


Box 5 Folder 1

Le Temps des Constitutions 1787-1795, 1986


Box 5 Folder 2

Conference on East Asian Studies, 1985-1988


Box 5 Folder 3

Colloque Zola / Colloquium on Emile Zola: History, the Book, the Novel,, 1990-1991


Box 5 Folder 4

L'An 2000 / The Year 2000 (proposed), 1986


Box 5 Folder 5

The French Revolution and the Emancioatiion of the Jews, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man: France and the United States,, 1989


Box 5 Folder 6

Public Policy and Dental Health in France and the United States (proposed),, 1990


Box 5 Folder 7

Conference on De Gaulle and the United States, 1990


Box 5 Folder 8

Citizenship and Military Service in France and the United States,, 1991


Box 5 Folder 9

Revolutionary Etudes: Paris, 1830-1848, 1989


Box 5 Folder 10

Quel environement nous prepare le genie genetique?, 1990


Box 5 Folder 11

Femmes et pouvoirs sous l'ancien regime, 1989


Box 5 Folder 12

Revolutions, 1889-1989, 1989


Box 5 Folder 13

Refugees and the Right of Asylum in France and the United States,, 1985


Box 5 Folder 14

Perceptions of Anti-Americanism in French Political Discourse,, 1985


Box 5 Folder 15

Elliot Carter Musical Presentation, 1984


Box 5 Folder 16

Urban Space and the Public Realm: Contemporary vs. Traditional Models,, 1984


Box 5 Folder 17

Psychoanalysis in France and the U.S. Today, 1984


Box 5 Folder 18

La femme du tiers monde et l'emploi, 1984


Box 5 Folder 19

Visual Anthropology Colloqiuum, 1983


Box 5 Folder 20

State Policy and Business Strategy: Reshaping the Economy in France and the U.S. in the 1980s,, 1983


Box 5 Folder 21

Alain Germain Dance Company, 1983


Box 5 Folder 22

American Film Festival, 1983


Box 5 Folder 23

Histoires de Femmes a partir d'un journal (oral history videos),, 1983


Box 9 Folder 4-8

Videos related to Histoires de Femmes a partir d'un journal Event,, undated, 5 videocassettes (U-matic)


Box 5 Folder 24

American Women Painters in Paris, 1890-1950, 1982


Box 5 Folder 25-27

The Women's Movement in France and the U.S., 1982


Box 5 Folder 28

A Year in Power: Mitterrand's France, 1982


Box 5 Folder 29

Power and Authority in the Seventeenth Century, 1981


Box 5 Folder 30

Continuing Education in the United States and France, 1981


Box 5 Folder 31

Memoires du Present (an audio-visual archive), 1981


Box 8 Folder 1

The French in New York During World War II, Colloquium and Exhibit,, 1992


Box 8 Folder 2-4

The New France and the New Europe of 1993, 1991


Box 8 Folder 5-7

De Gaulle and the United States, 1990


Box 8 Folder 8

A France of Pluralism and Consensus? Changing Balances in State and Society,, 1987


Box 8 Folder 9

A Year in Power: Conference on Mitterand's France, 1982


Box 9 Folder 3

Events at Reid Hall, Paris, Sponsored by the Sterling Currier Fund (scrapbook),, 1976-1984


Box 9 Folder 9-12

Books in French


Subseries II.3: School of General Studies, 1961-1993

Subseries II.3 focuses on the administration of Reid Hall's academic programs and their association with broader university systems in the 1980s and 1990s. Until 2009, Reid Hall was operated under the School of General Studies, though its place within the school structure changed over time as it reorganized. Frank Wolf, originally Associate Dean of the School of General Studies and later head of the Division of Special Programs, which covered Reid Hall beginning in 1995, led this aspect of Reid Hall's work. These functions are documented through meeting minutes, correspondence, and other papers from the Academic Advisory Committee as well as memos on faculty, coursework, and salaries. There are also records from two programs that ran out of Reid Hall, both beginning in the mid-1980s: the Art History Institute and the Graduate Student Research Institute.


Box 10 Folder 1

Reid Hall, 1989-1993

Frank Wolf's administrative records including those pertaining to the Academic Affairs Committee


Box 10 Folder 2

Academic Affairs Committee, 1987-1989


Box 10 Folder 3

Reid Hall I, 1982-1992

Additional records from Frank Wolf including correspondence, budgets, salaries, memos, and bulletins.


Box 11 Folder 1

Reid Hall II, 1982-1983

Additional records from Frank Wolf including correspondence, budgets, salaries, memos, and bulletins.


Box 11 Folder 2-3

Academic Advisory Committee Correspondence, 1964-1975


Box 11 Folder 4

Academic Advisory Committee, 1982-1987


Box 11 Folder 5

Academic Affairs Committee Agendas & Minutes, 1984-1985


Box 11 Folder 6

Art History Institute Proposal, 1985


Box 11 Folder 7

Art History Poster, 1985


Box 11 Folder 8-14

Art History Program, 1986-1992


Box 11 Folder 15

Reid Hall Columbia/Barnard Agreement, 1970-1973


Box 11 Folder 16

Barnard/Reid Hall Equivalency Chart, 1980-1982


Box 11 Folder 17

Buiding Renovation Plan, 1988


Box 11 Folder 18

Magazines and Brochures, 1970-1996


Box 11 Folder 19

Prospective Buyers, 1974


Box 11 Folder 20

Reid Hall Centennial, 1993


Box 11 Folder 21

Committees on Instruciton Submissions and Responses, 1984


Box 11 Folder 22

College Requirements, 1984


Box 11 Folder 23

Courses and Course Development, 1984


Box 11 Folder 24

Course Syllabi and Instructor Vitae, 1982-1983


Box 11 Folder 25

Course Descriptions, 1983-1984


Box 11 Folder 26

Enrollments - Other Schools, 1980-1981


Box 11 Folder 27-28

Student Evaluations, 1988


Box 11 Folder 29

Faculty - Tax status, 1983


Box 11 Folder 30

Graduate Research Institute, 1985-1987


Box 11 Folder 31

Ruth Levenson, Deputy Provost for Special Projects, 1983-1984


Box 11 Folder 32

Reid Hall General Policies, 1982-1985


Box 11 Folder 33

French Uni System - Courses Available, 1984


Box 11 Folder 34

Historical: Bylaws and Amendments, 1961-1973


Box 11 Folder 35-36

Interuniversity Language Consortium, 1984


Box 11 Folder 37

Study Abroad Policies - Other Schools, 1984


Box 11 Folder 38

Staff Vitae/Employee Info, 1980s


Box 11 Folder 39

Sterling Currier Fund: Guidelines, 1985


Box 11 Folder 40

Surveys, 1982


Box 11 Folder 41

Reid Hall Revision of Transcript Proposal, 1983-1985


Box 11 Folder 42

University of Pennsylvania Student Evaluations, 1983