Collection View
The first volume (1748-1796) is a gold mine of information about the personalities and activities of the young College of New Jersey. As these minutes date from the very beginning of the College, they address the multitude of issues and problems the trustees initially addressed. It was the era of the group decision, with the entire Board involved in solving every type of problem at their infrequent (two or three times a year) meetings. This volume is contained in two forms: the original volume (which does not circulate) and a typed transcript in two parts.
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
1748-1796, 1748-1796
1748-1777, 1748-1777
1778-1796, 1778-1796
Index to Volumes 1-3, 1748-1850
1973 October, 1973 October
1974 January, 1974 January
1974 April, 1974 April
1974 June, 1974 June
1974 October, 1974 October
1975 January, 1975 January
1975 April, 1975 April
1975 June, 1975 June
1975 October, 1975 October
1976 January, 1976 January
1976 April, 1976 April
1976 June, 1976 June
1976 October, 1976 October
1977 January, 1977 January
1977 April, 1977 April
1977 June, 1977 June
1977 October, 1977 October
1978 January, 1978 January
1978 April, 1978 April
1978 June, 1978 June
1978 October, 1978 October
1979 January, 1979 January
1979 April, 1979 April
1979 June, 1979 June
1979 October, 1979 October
1980 January, 1980 January
1980 April, 1980 April
1980 June, 1980 June
1980 October, 1980 October
1981 January, 1981 January
1981 April, 1981 April
1981 June, 1981 June
1981 October, 1981 October
1982 January, 1982 January
1982 April, 1982 April
1982 June, 1982 June
1982 October, 1982 October
1983 January, 1983 January
1983 April, 1983 April
1983 June, 1983 June
1983 October, 1983 October
1984 January, 1984 January
1984 April, 1984 April
1984 June, 1984 June
1984 October, 1984 October
1985 January, 1985 January
1985 April, 1985 April
1985 June, 1985 June
1985 October, 1985 October
1986 January, 1986 January
1986 April, 1986 April
1986 June, 1986 June
1986 October, 1986 October
1987 January, 1987 January
1987 April, 1987 April
1987 June, 1987 June
1987 October, 1987 October
1988 January, 1988 January
1988 April, 1988 April
1988 June, 1988 June
1988 October, 1988 October
1989 January, 1989 January
1989 April, 1989 April
1989 June, 1989 June
1989 October, 1989 October
1990 January, 1990 January
1990 April, 1990 April
1990 June, 1990 June
1990 October, 1990 October
1991 January, 1991 January
1991 April, 1991 April
1991 June, 1991 June
1991 October, 1991 October
1992 January, 1992 January
1992 April, 1992 April
1992 June, 1992 June
1992 October, 1992 October
1993 January, 1993 January
1993 April, 1993 April
1993 June, 1993 June
1993 November, 1993 November
1994 January, 1994 January
1994 April, 1994 April
1994 June, 1994 June
1994 November, 1994 November
1995 January, 1995 January
1995 April, 1995 April
1995 May, 1995 May
1995 November, 1995 November
1996 January, 1996 January
1996 April, 1996 April
1996 June, 1996 June
1996 November, 1996 November
1997 January, 1997 January
1997 April, 1997 April
1997 June, 1997 June
1998 January, 1998 January
1998 April, 1998 April
1998 June, 1998 June
1999 January, 1999 January
1999 April, 1999 April
1999 May, 1999 May
2000 January, 2000 January
2000 April, 2000 April
2000 May, 2000 May
2001 January, 2001 January
2001 April, 2001 April
2001 June, 2001 June
2002 January, 2002 January
2002 April, 2002 April
2002 June, 2002 June
2003 January, 2003 January
2003 April, 2003 April
2003 June, 2003 June
2004 January, 2004 January
2004 April, 2004 April
2004 May, 2004 May
2004 September, 2004 September
2004 November, 2004 November
2005 January, 2005 January
2005 April, 2005 April
2005 May, 2005 May
2005 September, 2005 September
2005 November, 2005 November
2006 January, 2006 January
2006 April, 2006 April
2006 June, 2006 June
2006 September, 2006 September
2006 November, 2006 November
2007 January, 2007 January
2007 March, 2007 March
2007 June, 2007 June
2007 September, 2007 September
2007 November, 2007 November
2008 January, 2008 January
2008 April, 2008 April
2008 June, 2008 June
2008 September, 2008 September
2008 November, 2008 November
2009 January, 2009 January
2009 April, 2009 April
2009 June, 2009 June
2009 September, 2009 September
2009 November, 2009 November
2010 January, 2010 January
2010 March, 2010 March
2010 May, 2010 May
2010 September, 2010 September
2010 November, 2010 November
2011 January, 2011 January
2011 March/April, 2011 March
2011 May, 2011 May
2011 September, 2011 September
2011 November, 2011 November
2012 January, 2012 January
2012 April, 2012 April
2012 June, 2012 June
2012 September, 2012 September
2012 November, 2012 November
2013 January, 2013 January
2013 April, 2013 April
2013 June, 2013 June
2013 September, 2013 September
2013 November, 2013 November
2014 January, 2014 January
2014 April, 2014 April
2014 June, 2014 June
2014 September, 2014 September
2014 November, 2014 November
2015 January, 2015 January
2015 March, 2015 March
2015 June, 2015 June
2015 September, 2015 September
2015 November, 2015 November
2016 January, 2016 January
2016 April, 2016 April
2016 May, 2016 May
2016 September, 2016 September
2016 November, 2016 November
2017 January, 2017 January
2017 April, 2017 April
2017 June, 2017 June
2017 September, 2017 September
2017 November, 2017 November
2018 January, 2018 January
2018 April, 2018 April
2018 June, 2018 June
2018 September, 2018 September
2018 November, 2018 November
2019 January, 2019 January
2019 April, 2019 April
2019 June, 2019 June
2019 September, 2019 September
2019 November, 2019 November
2020 January, 2020 January
2020 April, 2020 April
2020 May, 2020 May
2020 September, 2020 September
2020 November, 2020 November
2021 January, 2021 January
2021 April, 2021 April
2021 September, 2021 September
2021 November, 2021 November
2022 January, 2022 January
2022 April, 2022 April
2022 May, 2022 May
2022 September, 2022 September
Series 2 contains charters and bylaws and facsimiles of the same.
Arranged according to topic.
Trustees By-Laws, 1876-1972
Proposed Amendments to By-Laws, 1974
Trustee By-Laws, 1977
Bylaws, 1998, 2000
Bylaws, 2005-2006
Bylaws, 2007, 2008, 2009
Bylaws, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021
Rules, 1882-1963
Pertaining to Students, 1882, 1896, 1900
Absences, undated
Examinations, undated
Conduct and discipline, undated
Chapel, undated
Catechisms Minor, 1803
Catechisms Articulique, 1803
Series 3 documents the Executive Committee (which was known as the Administrative Committee from its founding in 1919 until November 1924). It met almost monthly in New York during the academic year. It discussed problems best addressed by a small and knowledgeable group of people, centered around the president. It discussed a variety of topics, ranging across the areas of the various other trustee committees.
Arranged according to topic.
Minutes, 1919 June-1968
Series 4 contains a variety of types of papers, and incorporates both original documents and photocopies and photostats of material located elsewhere. Materials are arranged according to chronological order rather than by type or theme.
Arranged chronologically.
Miscellaneous, undated
1746 Charter, 1746
Excerpts from New Jersey State Library Manuscript Collection regarding Princeton, 1775-1821
Finance Committee Report, 1775
1780 Charter Amendment, 1780
Funding Petition, 1784
College wood lots, 1785
Treasury Account, 1794
Subscription Lists, 1802
Pennsylvania, 1802
Delaware, 1802
Maryland, 1802
New Hampshire, 1802
New York, 1802
Virginia, 1802
Places not named, 1802
Rough Minutes, 1802 September
Rough Minutes, 1813-1823
Rough Minutes, 1823-1835
John Bayard Account, 1803
Letters and Accounts, 1803-1807
Jared Ingersoll, Samuel Fox, Robert Smith, William Rawle and W. Milligan Letter, May 5, 1807
Account of Charitable Funds, 1807
Printed, Post-fire Circular, 1804
Voight's Orrery, 1804
Stockton Letter, 1805
Printed prospectus for students and announcement of completed restoration of Nassau Hall, 1807
Letter, Bond, 1810
67 High Street Bonds, 1816
Letters, Accounts, Bonds, 1816-1817
Bond, 1820
Reports to Committee of Repair, 1822
Rough Minutes, 1823
Rough Minutes, 1825 April
Rough Minutes, 1825 September
Printed Petition to New Jersey Legislature, and Faculty Report on Senior Class Examinations, 1825
Rough Minutes, 1827 April
Rough Minutes, Report of Committee on Repairs, and Faculty Curriculum Recommendation, 1828 September
Rough Minutes, 1828 April
Rough Minutes, 1828 September
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1829 April
Rough Minutes, Letters, 1830
Rough Minutes, 1831 April
Rough Minutes, 1831 September
Rough Minutes, 1832 April
Rough Minutes, 1832 September
Rough Minutes, 1834 September
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1835 April
Rough Minutes, Letter, 1836 April
Rough Minutes, Letters, 1840 April
Rough Minutes, 1840 September
Rough Minutes, Accounts, 1841 April
Rough Minutes, 1842 April
Letters on Dod Fence, 1843-1845
Rough Minutes, 1843 April
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1844 March
Rough Minutes, Docket, Finance Committee Report, Faculty Degree Recommendations, 1844 December
Rough Minutes, 1845 June
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1847 June
Rough Minutes, 1847 December
Rough Minutes, 1848 December
Letters, Bonds, 1849
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1849 June
Rough Minutes, 1849 October 12
Rough Minutes, Letter, 1850 December
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1852 June
Rough Minutes, 1852 June
Rough Minutes, 1853 June
Resolutions, Letters, Accounts, Bonds, Faculty Degree Recommendations, Honorary Degree List, 1854
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1854 June
Rough Minutes, 1855 March 4
Rough Minutes, Docket, 1855 December
Rough Minutes, 1856 June 12
Elizabeth Gulick Deed, 1861
Joseph Henry Account, 1865 June
Trustee Attendance Book, 1901-1945
Trustees' Calendars, 1910-1917, 1936-1941, 1947-1948, 1951-1959, 1962-1963, 1969-1983, 1986-1988
Trustee letter, 1910
Trustee letter, 1913
Dodd's Report to trustees, 1955
Wm. Kirkland to Robert Goheen, 1964
Goheen memo to trustees, 1968
List of Trustees, 1984-1986
Includes Committee Records.
Series 5 is subdivided into nine subseries, each containing the records of a particular Trustee committee: curriculum, finance, honorary degrees, grounds and buildings, graduate school, library, nomination, university affairs, and miscellaneous committees, and arranged chronologically therein.
Report of the Dean of the Graduate School to the Trustees' Committee on the Curriculum, 1913-1915
Minutes, 1934-1935
Reports, Minutes, 1936-1951
Report of the Dean of the Graduate School to the Trustees' Committee on the Curriculum, 1916-1959
Finance Committee Minutes, 1914-1918
Finance Committee Minutes, 1920
Finance Committee Minutes, 1953-1955
Finance Committee Reports, 1956-1958
Reports, 1901-1914
Bound volume of History and Organization of the Graduate School at Princeton University, undated
Minutes, 1898-1899
Minutes, 1900-1901
Curator Reports and Letters, 1901-1904
Minutes, 1904-1905
Minutes, Correspondence, 1906
Minutes, 1907-1908
Minutes, Reports, 1909-1910
Minutes, Reports, Correspondence, 1911-1920
Minutes, Reports, 1921-1923
Minutes, Reports, 1925-1926
Minutes, Correspondence, 1927-1928
Minutes, 1929-1933
Minutes, Reports, 1934
Minutes, 1935
Minutes, Reports, 1936
Minutes, 1937
Minutes, Reports, 1938-1939
Minutes, 1940-1946
Minutes, Correspondence, 1947
Room Rent Data, 1948-1949
Minutes, 1952-1959
Correspondence, Nominations, 1904-1914
Standards and Rules, undated
Latin Formulas, undated
Minutes, Correspondence, Lists, 1918
Correspondence, 1920
Correspondence, Lists, 1922
Lists, 1924
Correspondence, Lists, 1926-1927
Lists, 1928
Lists, Citations, 1929
Lists, Citations, 1931
Correspondence, Lists, 1933
List, Citation, 1943
Correspondence, Lists, 1952-1953
Proposals, Lists, 1958
Proposals, 1959, 1964
Committee Minutes, 1918-1924
Committee Minutes, 1925-1934
Committee Minutes, 1935-1940
Committee Minutes, 1941-1942
Committee Minutes, 1953-1959
Guidelines for conferral of honorary degrees by the American Association of Colleges, undated
Albridge Smith Memorial Minute, 1951
John Stuart Memorial Minute, 1970
Harold Helm Memorial Minute, 1986
George Berry Memorial Minute, 1987
John Buchanan Memorial Minute, 1987
Correspondence, Reports, 1897
Abstracts of Faculty Letters, 1897
Faculty Questionnaire, 1997 June 10
(Baldwin to Frazer), 1897
(Harper to Loomis), 1897
(Magie to Murray), 1897
(Ormond to Torrey), 1897
(Vreeland to Westscott), 1897
(Willson to Young), 1897
Correspondence, Reports, 1898
Series 6: Clerk's Records 1881-1951, contains records related to four Clerks: Elijah R. Craven (records date from 1881-1903), Wilson Farrand (records date from 1926-1942), Archibald A. Gulick (records date from 1943-1944), and Albridge C. Smith (records date from 1947-1951, and are currently closed).
Arranged chronologically.
Anonymous report on Assistant Professor Miller's protest on theological character and views, undated
Correspondence, 1940-1942
General Correspondence, 1947
Sullivan Correspondence, 1947
General Correspondence, 1948
Sullivan Correspondence, 1948
Committee on Future Operations, 1948
General Correspondence, 1949
Sullivan Correspondence, 1949
General Correspondence, 1950
Sullivan Correspondence, 1950
General Correspondence, 1951
Sullivan Correspondence, 1951
Series 7: Trustee Resolutions 1953-2006 is a compilation of resolutions that were approved during Thomas Wright's tenure as secretary of the university and subsequently as vice president and secretary of the university (1974-1990, 1990-2003). The series includes a small number of resolutions that precede and succeed Wright's tenure.
The order of the materials at the time of transfer has been maintained.
Series 8: Trustee Oath Books consists of oath books containing the written and sworn oaths of trustees along with the signature of the university president.
No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.
Trustee Oath Book, 2019-2020
Trustee Oath Book, 2020-2021
Trustee Oath Book, 2022-2023
Trustee Oath Book, 2023-2024
Series 9: Indexes to the Board of Trustee Meeting Minutes consists of photocopied indexes to Volumes I-IV of the Board of Trustees meeting minutes (1748-1868), a photocopied index for the years 1976-1987, as well as cards arranged alphabetically by topic that provide an index to the contents of the Board of Trustee meeting minutes for the period roughly from 1898 to the mid 1970s. A card in the "Key" section of the index, which was written in 1968, explains, "This reference file was prepared from Board and Executive Committee minutes and covers the period from October 1948 through January 1968. It goes into little or no detail in the matters dealt with in minutes of the Finance and Grounds and Buildings Committees...The file incorporates cards from the old index, from c. 1898 until c. 1929." The card index was updated into the mid 1970s.
Photocopies of index volumes arranged chronologically. The index cards are arranged alphabetically.
- Scope and Contents
The minutes document the Board of Trustees' concerns with overall policy and administration of the University. The other records provide context to the minutes, in the form of background material, especially correspondence and reports. They also provide information on Trustee actions taken through their appointed committees but not necessarily recorded in the minutes.
- Collection Creator Biography:
Princeton University. Trustees
Since its incorporation in 1746, the College of New Jersey (renamed Princeton University in 1896) has been governed by a Board of Trustees, headed ex officio by the Governor of New Jersey and the president of the college. The Trustees are responsible for the overarching policies that guide the trajectory of the university. Traditionally, committees of Trustees have concerned themselves with the major aspects of maintaining and running a university: finance, infrastructure, staff, curriculum, and student life.
- Acquisition:
Board of Trustee records are periodically transferred to the University Archives from the Office of the Vice President and Secretary.
- Appraisal
Appraisal information was not recorded at time of processing.
- Sponsorship:
The University Archives appreciates the generous support of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey who underwrote preservation efforts on the University Charter.
- Processing Information
Arranged and rehoused by Jennifer Bajorek '92 in 1990-1991. Inventoried by Carl Esche in 1994. Finding aid written by Sara Bush in 1996. Additions integrated by Christie Peterson in May 2012 and Lynn Durgin in January 2018. Accession AR.2021.033 integrated by Phoebe Nobles in 2021; materials from accession AR.2020.015 and AR.2022.045 added by Phoebe Nobles in 2022. Accession AR.2023.035 was added by Phoebe Nobles in 2023.
- Conditions Governing Access
All Trustee minutes and records are closed for 30 years from the date of their creation. Access to the original Second Charter of the College of New Jersey is not permitted under normal circumstances, given the availability of digital surrogates and printed text.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.
For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
Board of Trustees Records; Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/w66343618
- Location:
-
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript LibrarySeeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library65 Olden StreetPrinceton, NJ 08540, USA
- Storage Note:
- Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Boxes 1-74; 74 (Charter); 3A; 47A; 58A
- Existence and Location of Copies
Digital images of the Volumes I through XII of the Trustees minutes and of the second charter of the College of New Jersey are available via the Princeton University Library Digital Collections website.
- Other Finding Aids
An online database is available for searching the minutes spanning 1748-1894. Indexes for volumes covering 1868-1898 are found in the individual volumes.
Series 9 consists of photocopies of indexes to Volumes 1-4 of the Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes, and a card index to the Board of Trustee Minutes that covers the period roughly from 1900 to 1987.
- Subject Terms:
- Education, Higher.
- Genre Terms:
- Bylaws.
Meetings.
Minutes.
Records. - Names:
- Princeton University
Princeton University. Trustees
