Alumni Association Records

Collection

Identifier: UA 0043.3

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the official records of the Alumni Association at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They reflect the various activities of the office.

These records contain material related to a variety of topics including, but not limited to address forms, alumni biographies, alumni chapters, alumni classes, anniversaries, the Board of Trustees, birth announcements, budgets and funding, clippings, committees, conferences, correspondence, grade sheets, invitations, meeting minutes, obituaries, oral histories, pamphlets, postcards, questionnaires, reunions, scholarships, seminars and other alumni related items. Formats of the materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, oral history transcripts, papers, reports, scrapbooks, and an archive of the department's website.

Dates

1893 - 2021
Majority of material found within 1893 - 2004

Conditions Governing Access

Series 1 is open for research. Since many of the Alumni Biographical folders contain sensitive information, Series 2 use may be restricted for researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

The Alumni Association was established in 1893 at the request of founding President Charles Duncan McIver who wished for graduates to create and maintain a loan fund for needy students. The organization of the Alumni Association was over seen by Laura Hill Coit who acted as alumnae secretary until her resignation in 1919. In 1907, two field secretaries set out across the state to help establish county chapters and raise funds for the student loan fund.In 1912, the first edition of the Alumnae News magazine was published on a quarterly basis.

In 1919, Ethel Bollinger took over as the first full-time alumnae secretary and served until 1922, when she was succeeded by Clara Booth Bryd. Under Byrd's effort and direction, funds would be collected for the construction of an Alumnae House on campus which opened in 1937. The home would be used for a variety of functions including alumnae meetings, faculty meetings, and even weddings. In 1947, Byrd stepped down as secretary and was replaced by Betty Brown Jester who over saw the Alumni Association until 1955. By 1950, there were over 62 alumni chapters and an active membership base of 2,600.

Jester would leave as secretary of the Alumni Association in 1955 following a dispute with Chancellor Edward Graham and was replaced by Barbara Parrish. During the following decades, there was an ongoing dispute about the role and placement of the Alumni Association within the larger university scope. The challenge arose over the fact that the Alumni Association was part a private entity managed by the alumni and also part of the university system. The Alumnae House in particular was noted as a point of contention in that the Alumni Association operated the house, yet legally the university owned the building and land.

In the 1980s and 1990s, tensions became heated as there were several moves by the university to make the Alumni Association fully an official part of the university. Backlash soon arose as the Alumni Association in response pushed for complete independence from the University. After several years of back and forth negotiations, a compromised was reached which allowed the Alumni Association to still receive financial funds from the university but also maintain a sense of autonomy.

Extent

134.12 Linear Feet (162 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Alumni Association was create in 1893 at the request of founding president Charles Duncan McIver who wished to use it as means to establish a loan fund for need students. Since then, the Association has grown significantly and in 1937 constructed a permanent residence on the campus, called the Alumni House. There has also be a long standing debate over the role and relationships with the Alumni Association and the university.

This collection consists of alumni biographical files, correspondence, meeting minutes, notes,oral histories, scrapbooks, an archive of the department's website, and other materials related to alumni chapters, anniversaries, budgets, committees, conferences, and other topics which document the activities and duties of Alumni Association from 1893-2017.

Arrangement Note

Materials have been maintained in the order in which they were received. Series 2: Folders are arranged alphabetically by last name, first name, middle name or initial, maiden name in parenthesis, and year of graduation. Series 3: Scrapbooks arranged by class year.

Method of Acquisition

Periodically transferred from the Alumni Association. Series 2: From 2014 to 2017, the Alumni Association temporally transferred 379 cartons of alumni biographical folders dating from 1893 to 2004 to the University Archives for processing.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Series 1: Preliminary inventory. Collection has not been fully processed. Series 2: Folders for all alumnae who graduated between 1893 and 1932, prominent alumnae and alumni who graduated from 1932 to 2004, and every 30^th folder were transferred to the University Archives. The remaining folders were returned to the Alumni Association. Approximately 18,000 photographs located in the folders were pulled for future review.