Alumni Association Records
Scope and Contents
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, and an archive of the department's website.
Dates
- 1893 - 2021
- Majority of material found within 1893 - 2004
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.
Biographical or Historical Information
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
130.37 Linear Feet (159 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection consists of alumni biographical files, correspondence, meeting minutes, notes,oral histories, 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
Method of Acquisition
Offensive Language Statement
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
- Title
- Alumni Association Records
- Author
- Sean A. Mulligan
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- eng
Repository Details
Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository