Office of the University Registrar records, 1853-2023 (bulk 1853-2000)

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Access restricted. Collection contains Duke University administrative materials. For a period of twenty-five years from the origin of the material, permission in writing from the office of origin...
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Summary

Creator:
Duke University. Office of the University Registrar
Abstract:
The Registrar's position originated in 1899 with Dallas W. Newsom's appointment as Registrar and Recording Secretary to the Board of Trustees to focus on financial matters. In 1953, the office of the University Registrar's responsibilities expanded to include admissions, registration, and student records. The collection includes grade books from Normal and Trinity Colleges; subject files with information on financial aid, the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, and the Undergraduate Faculty Council of Arts and Sciences; statistical information kept on student admissions, enrollment, and grade performance; the official schedules of courses for semesters and summer school, mailings to students, and microfilmed copies of student transcripts.
Extent:
61.5 Linear Feet
0.94 Gigabytes
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
UA.07.09.0002
University Archives Record Group:
07 -- Academic Affairs
07 -- Academic Affairs > 09 -- Undergraduate Admissions

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes grade books from Normal and Trinity Colleges from the years 1853-1926, subject files from the tenures of Tuthill and Cahow, statistical information kept on student admissions, enrollment, and grade performance at Duke University since 1925, the official schedules of courses for semesters and summer school from 1932 to the present, mailings to students from the University, departments, bulletins, and campus organizations, and microfilmed copies of student transcripts from about 1932 to 1969. The subject files include information on financial aid, the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, university curricula, and the Undergraduate Faculty Council of Arts and Sciences.

The bulk of the material covers the early 1950s and through the early 1980s, encompassing the tenures of Richard Tuthill and Clark Cahow. The records consist chiefly of correspondence, memoranda, reports, and statistical information. The records reflect the Registrar's current responsibilities for student records and registration, along with former duties concerning student admissions. Two small collections have been incorporated into the record group: 1. Clark Cahow Papers, 1958-1974 (A77-29); 2. University Schedule Committee records, 1970-1982 (A76-188 and A82-92). The Cahow Papers primarily contained records of the office of Registrar. The Schedule Committee seems to have reported directly to the Registrar's office at one time and someone from the Registrar's office served on the Committee.

Biographical / historical:

The Registrar's position originated in 1899 with Dallas W. Newsom's appointment as Registrar and Recording Secretary to the Board of Trustees. The original position seems to have been largely concerned with financial matters, with the Registrar in charge of "the collection of all bills due the College. He shall rent rooms to students, keep the books of the College, and see that all the laws of the Board governing bills due the College should be duly enforced" (1903 Bylaws). In fact, Newsom was often listed in the Trinity Catalogues as Registrar and Treasurer. He served in this capacity until 1920.

Apparently, the position was not filled from 1921 to 1953. Though included in the Bylaws of 1936, the office remained vacant. As the University expanded, individual schools had their own registrars or recorders. In 1953, Richard L. Tuthill was appointed University Registrar in an effort to centralize the records-keeping processes of the different schools. Unlike the earlier position, the new registrar coordinated admissions to the University as well. Broadly stated, the office of the University Registrar had three major responsibilities: 1) admissions, 2) registration, and 3) student records, and it concerned itself with the policies, procedures, and decisions relating to each. By 1958, the office of the University Registrar consisted of the Central Records Office and the office of Undergraduate Admissions. The University Registrar oversaw both offices.

Following Tuthill's resignation in 1969, Clark Cahow was appointed Registrar and held the position through 1986. Albert Eldridge (1987-1995) and Bruce Cunningham (1996-2015), and Frank Blalark (2015-present) have since served as Registrar.

Acquisition information:
The Office of the University Registrar Records was received by the University Archives as a series of transfer in 1971-2000 and 2023.
Processing information:

Processed by R. Todd Crumley

Completed June 30, 1997

Encoded by Dean Jeffrey, January 20, 2006

Oversize materials added and finding aid updated, including collection-level notes, by Tracy M. Jackson, July 2021.

Accession UA2023-0028 added and finding aid updated by April Blevins, June 2023.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Access restricted. Collection contains Duke University administrative materials. For a period of twenty-five years from the origin of the material, permission in writing from the office of origin and the University Archivist is required for use of administrative records. After twenty-five years, records that have been processed may be consulted with the permission of the University Archivist. Contact Research Services for more information.

Access restricted. Some materials in this collection include student records. In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, Duke University permits students to inspect their education records and limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records. Contact Research Services for more information.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Office of the University Registrar Records, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m10t5f