Call Number

BC9

Extent

40.79 linear feet

Abstract

The Associate Alumnae of Barnard College/Alumnae Affairs Office records 1889-2000 consist of papers and photographs relating to the Associate Alumnae of Barnard College, the College’s alumnae organization. Included in the records are the records of the Alumnae Affairs office. The AABC was created in 1895 to unite and organize the College’s alumnae.  The AABC organized events such as Reunion and Alumnae Council, oversaw the creation of and donations to the Alumnae Fund, and supervised over forty Alumnae Clubs across the United States.  In addition, the Associate Alumnae Records contain records of over twenty Alumnae Committees, including those responsible for the Barnard Camp, the Distinguished Alumna Award, and the Students’ Aid Committee, and early financial aid organization.  Additionally, the Records cover Barnard’s participation in the National Service Committee during the Second World War.  Finally, the files of Joan Sweet Jankell, president of the Class of 1958 from 1973-1978, and Marian Churchill White, president of the Associate Alumnae from 1960-1963, are also part of the Records.

History of the Associate Alumnae of Barnard College

The Barnard College Associate Alumnae was founded in 1895 to unite and organize the College’s alumnae.  “At the time of the formation of the Associate Alumnae, all the energies of the friends of the College were bent in one direction, the raising of money for the site of the new buildings,” that is, the Morningside Heights campus Barnard currently occupies (1895-1900 AA Report, p. 4).  In 1897, the newborn Associate Alumnae held a fundraising event with performances by the “Glee and Banjo Clubs of Yale University” and “the Hungarian Band,” which raised $2825 for the College; the Associate Alumnae determined to honor the late Ella Weed (1853-1894) by furnishing “a reading-room, to be called the Ella Weed Memorial Room” (1895-1900 Report, p. 6).  This room’s main feature is “the glass mosaic mantelpiece with a marble shelf, surmounted by a memorial tablet to Miss Weed”; this ornamental mantelpiece was designed by Tiffany & Co. (1895-1900 Report, p. 6)

In 1898, the Associate Alumnae formed the Students’ Aid Committee, a body intended to award an early form of financial aid to deserving students; the Associate Alumnae oversaw this Committee (later renamed the Scholarship and Loan Committee) into the 1950s.  Additionally, the early Associate Alumnae were able to secure alumnae representation on the Board of Trustees, and due to the “large proportion” of AABC members “living in New York and its Vicinity,” it was “possible for them to have a share in the development of the College” (1895-1900 Report, p. 11).

As the College developed, the Associate Alumnae began to hold an annual “Christmas Reunion” and an additional reunion at Commencement time “to welcome the graduating classes”; these reunions were “time-honored custom” in 1909, when the first mention of them appears (1904-1910 Report, p. 9).  The Commencement Reunions continued into the present as Alumnae Reunion.  In May of 1912, the Associate Alumnae produced the first issue of the Bulletin of the Associate Alumnae of Barnard College, the ancestor of the current Barnard Alumnae Magazine.  In the late 1920′s the AABC raised funds for the purchase of Barnard Camp, a country retreat which operated from that time until as late as 1974.

Throughout the history of the College, the Associate Alumnae have provided leadership and funding for many of Barnard’s projects and initiatives.  The Associate Alumnae Records detail the energetic participation of the AABC in the ongoing development of Barnard as we now know it.

In 2002, the name of the organization was changed to the Alumnae Association of Barnard College. The organization has two primary aims: to keep graduates in contact with the College and with each other; and to provide financial help for the College and its students.

Scope and Content Note

The Associate Alumnae of Barnard College/Alumnae Affairs Office records reflect the growth and development of the Associate Alumnae of Barnard College from 1889-2000. The records are arranged topically and include bound volumes of receipts and account books, correspondence, meeting minutes, memos, flyers, promotional materials, photographs, mailings, scrapbooks, invitations and guest lists relating to Alumnae Council and Reunion as well as lectures, luncheons, award presentations, and musical concerts given by the AABC. The AABC works closely with the Alumnae Affairs office of the College.

Of particular interest are the Marian Churchill White ’29 and Joan Sweet Jankell ’58 files; these series give insight into the role of President of the AABC (White) and Class President (Jankell).  Additionally, there is a considerable amount of WWII material  in the series Alumnae Affairs Office Files and Committees, dealing mainly with Barnard’s efforts on the home front, participation in the National Service Committee, and the S.S. Barnard Victory

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in nine series and four subseries; Series I Alumnae Affairs Office Files; Series II Committees; Series III Reports & Registers; Series IV Alumnae Fund; Series V Alumnae Council; Series VI Reunion (three subseries); Series VII Marian Churchill White ’29 Files; Series VIII Joan Sweet Jankell ’58 Files; Series IX Alumnae Clubs (one subseries).

Series I. Alumnae Affairs, 1903-2000

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folder titles.  The bulk of the material dates from 1920-1990.  The series contains office files of the Associate Alumnae of Barnard College and Alumnae Affairs office including correspondence, minutes, memos, bylaws, promotional materials, and surveys of alumnae opinion on Barnard. The AABC works closely with the Alumnae Affairs office of the College.

Series II. Committees, 1889-1998

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folder titles.  The bulk of the material dates from 1920-1980.  The series contains reports, minutes, correspondence, and literature produced by and for over 25 committees formed under the aegis of the AABC, notably the Advisory Vocational Committee, the Distinguished Alumna Award Committee, and the National Service Committee.

Series III. Reports & Registers, 1895-1989

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folder titles.  The bulk of the material dates from 1920-1970.  The series contains reports, registers, and minutes for the day-to-day running of the AABC, particularly by the AABC President and Treasurer, the AABC Board of Directors, and the reports of the Alumnae Magazine.

Series IV. Alumnae Fund and Account Books, 1904-1989

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder or volume title and chronologically within those titles.  The bulk of the material dates from 1930-1990.  The series contains reports and records of the Barnard Alumnae Fund as well as correspondence pertaining to fundraising, and fourteen bound volumes of receipts and accounting (1921-1951), as well as two scrapbooks containing publicity materials about the Barnard Alumnae Fund dating from 1933-1942.

Series V. Alumnae Council, 1914-1993

The first seven folders in this series are arranged alphabetically by title, after which the remainder is arranged chronologically by Alumnae Council year; within each year of Council, the folders are arranged alphabetically by folder title.  The series contains office files, literature, promotional materials, correspondence, receipts, and sample packets for Alumnae Councils from 1968-1993, with the bulk of the material related to Alumnae Councils 1970-1983.

Series VI. Reunion, 1908-1999

This series is divided into three subseries, arranged alphabetically by title: Reunion by Class Year (1929-1988), Reunion by Year (1966-1999), and Reunion Office Files (1908-1998).  The bulk of the material dates from 1930-1980.

VI.1. Reunion by Class Year, 1929-1988

This subseries is arranged chronologically by class year and, within that, alphabetically by folder title. It includes correspondence, questionnaires regarding life after Barnard on the occasion of reunion, and planning materials and reunion booklets from the class of 1893 through the class of 1964.

VI.2. Reunion by Year, 1966-1999

This subseries is arranged chronologically by year of reunion and alphabetically within each year.  It contains correspondence, promotional and planning materials, receipts, sample packets, menus, and thank-yous for Reunion 1966 through Reunion 1999, with the bulk of the material coming from Reunions 1974-1987.

VI.3. Reunion Office Files 1908-1998

This subseries is arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folder titles.  It contains meeting minutes and reports of the Reunion Planning Committee as well as publications, correspondence, bills, and receipts related to reunion planning.

Series VII. Marian Churchill White ’29 Reunion Files, 1926-1967

Marian Churchill White ’29 served as president of the Associate Alumnae from 1960-1963.  Her files, arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folder titles, contains correspondence, questionnaires, handbooks, newsletters, and reports regarding the Class of 1929 and the AABC.

Series VIII. Joan Sweet Jankell ’58 Reunion Files, 1965-1978

Joan Sweet Jankell ’58 served as president of the Class of 1958 from 1973 to 1978.  Her files, arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folders, contains reports, correspondence, handbooks, publications, promotional materials, and worksheets for the Class of 1958.  The subseries also contains the Class of 1958 donor registry cards, a record of the gifts of members of the Class of ’58.

Series IX. Alumnae Clubs, 1926-1989

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folders.  The bulk of the material dates from 1950-1980.  The series contains reports, correspondence, publications, and promotional materials from over forty Alumnae Clubs located across the United States.  Additionally, the series includes reports and minutes from the Club Committee of the AABC, information on National Barnard Day (an event in 1938), and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings related to Barnard Alumnae in Palm Beach, Florida.  The folders on the Barnard Clubs of Puerto Rico, South Florida, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin contain photos from club events. This series has one subseries, Barnard in Westchester, 1933-1977.

IX.1. Barnard in Westchester, 1933-1977

This subseries, arranged alphabetically, contains minutes and correspondence of the Barnard in Westchester club, as well as four bound scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings about the club.

ACCESS AND USE

Access

Access to material dated 50 years or less prior to current date is restricted.

This collection is located on-site.

Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information

Photocopies and other reproductions may be purchased at cost.

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes.  Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Barnard College Archives.  The Barnard College Archives approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Location

Barnard College Archives
Lehman Hall Room 19
3009 Broadway
New York, NY 10027