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DePaul University Board of Trustees records

 Collection
Identifier: DPUA0057

Scope and Contents

The DePaul University Board of Trustees records contain meeting minutes, reports, correspondence and memoranda, financial data, by-laws, legal documents, and manuals related to the Members of the Corporation (formerly the Legal Board of Trustees), the Board of Trustees (formerly the Lay Board of Trustees), and various Board committees and subcommittees. Records of the Board of Trustees and Members of the Corporation will be open for general research 25 years after the date of creation. Access to records that pose a legal liability to the University or that pertain to the current administration may be restricted. These restricted records, and those created less than 25 years ago, are accessible only to authorized staff, or with the written permission of the Secretary of the University. The Secretary will make the final determination on all general access policies and individual requests. Please refer any questions to the University Archivist.

Dates

  • 1908-2011

Conditions Governing Access

Permission from the University Secretary is required for access to records that are less than 25 years old.

Biographical / Historical

The 1907 charter of DePaul University called for a Board of Trustees of ten Vincentian Fathers and five laymen to operate the University. The group was variously called the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. The first recorded minutes of this Board date from February 1908. In 1946, the original Board of Trustees was renamed the Legal Board of Trustees, and a Lay Board of Trustees was created. While the function of the lay board was initially to act as fundraisers and public relations advocates, the creation of this board was the first move away from centralized presidential power. Between 1964 and 1967 both of the Boards of Trustees were reorganized again. The Legal Board of Trustees was renamed the Members of the Corporation. They retained the authority to appoint the members of both boards, and two thirds of the Members of the Corporation were required to be Vincentians. The governance and management of DePaul was transferred to the Board of Trustees, formerly the Lay Board of Trustees. The newly created Board of Trustees was given authority in a number of areas, but specifically they were empowered to appoint the President and were no longer required to appoint a Vincentian to this position.

Extent

31 Linear Feet (75 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The collection is organized into three series: 1. Early Records; 2. Members of the Corporation; 3. Board of Trustees; 4. Membership Booklets.

Each series is arranged chronologically according to academic year. See series-level arrangement notes for additional details.

Physical Location

3/13/F-G; 3/14/A-B

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Accession 1985.8; 1986.12; 1987.18; 1988.18; 1990.40; 1995.7; 1995.29; 1995.30; 1998.3; 1998.26; 2001.26; 2001.47; 2002.25; 2004.21; 2007.09; 2008.09; 2010.22; 2013.56; 2014.019; 2014.101; 2015.113; 2016.046; 2018.006. Board minutes transferred to University Archives prior to 2002 came from various University offices and administrators. This manner of receipt affected the arrangement and description of files as small collections were integrated into the whole. The bulk of materials came from Rev. Edward Riley C.M, Secretary to the Board of Trustees, in 1986 and 1988. Subsequent additions throughout the 1980s and 1990s were made from the files of Dr. Patricia Ewers, Vice-President, Dean of Faculties and Elaine Watson, Secretary of the University (1998.3). As Vincentians who worked in administrative positions retired, those records were also transferred. These included: Rev. John Cortelyou, C.M.; Rev. Albert Dundas, C.M.; Rev. Edward Kammer, C.M.; Rev. Comerford O'Malley, C.M.; Rev. John Richardson, C.M.; and Rev. Theodore Wangler, C.M.. Smaller amounts were transferred from University administrators such as David Sharer, Comptroller; Art Schaefer, Director of Public Relations; and Jack Kompare, Vice President for Business and Finance. In 2002, The Office of the Secretary began systematic transfer of Board minutes and files. The files as transferred from this office are the documents of record of the University. As these collections are added they are arranged as defined by the Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

Processing Information

JC 1989; JM 2001; MC, MM 2009; JMC 2014; L Geiger 2017; P. Chavez 2018

Title
Guide to DePaul University Board of Trustees records
Status
Completed
Author
JC 1989; JM 2001; MC, MM 2009; JMC 2014; L Geiger 2017; P. Chavez 2018
Date
2018
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the DePaul Special Collections and Archives Repository

Contact:
John T. Richardson Library
2350 N. Kenmore Ave.
Room 314
Chicago Illinois 60614
773-325-7864