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Purdue University Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UA 58

Scope and Contents

The Purdue University Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes collection documents the operations of the Board of Trustees. Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees include approving the budget of the University, voting to appoint new University presidents, naming buildings, and establishing departments within the University. The collection includes meeting minutes, related documents, and calendars used by the President of the University at meetings of the Board of Trustees.

Dates

  • Creation: 1865 - 2020

Creator

Access Information

Collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Material in this collection is in the public domain. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.

Historical Information

The Board of Trustees was created in 1865 after the Indiana General Assembly accepted the agreement of the Morrill Act of Congress on March 6, 1865 in order to establish a land-grant college or university in Indiana. In the special session of the Indiana General Assembly – called on April 8, 1869 and finally passed on May 6, 1869 – Senator Stein of Lafayette created the bill to accept the gifts of $15,000 in cash and one hundred acres of land from John Purdue and $50,000 from Tippecanoe County for establishment of Purdue University. Originally created as “The Trustees of the Indiana Agricultural College,” the first meeting of the Board of Trustees under their current title, “The Board of Trustees of Purdue University,” was on May 25, 1869 at the Lahr Hotel in Lafayette. Under this act, John Purdue was also made a life member of the Board; even if he were to cease being an active member he would continue to serve the board in an advisory capacity.

Although the term length and number of members on the board was changed by several acts in early years of the Board, in present day ten individuals sit on the Board of Trustees and act as representatives of the people of the state of Indiana to ensure the university carries out its mission competently, honestly, and economically. Since the first meeting of the Board of Trustees, the various individuals who have served the Board have included farmers, business owners, individuals in legislative positions, authors, office holders of the University, and a wide array of other occupations. In contemporary meetings, a student may serve on the Board of Trustees. Notable past members of the Board include United States President Benjamin Harrison, John Purdue, George Ade, David Edward Ross, novelist Charles Major, John A. Stein, and Virginia Claypool Meredith. Throughout the years, the Board of Trustees have passed various administration and legislation laws for the betterment of the University. The Board of Trustees continues to hold meetings and work with the University today.

Extent

26.307 Cubic Feet (23 cubic foot boxes and four flat boxes)

61.890 Gigabytes

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes collection consists of three series.

  1. Meeting Minutes
  2. Related Documents
  3. Calendars

Acquisition Information

Materials donated annually by the Purdue University Board of Trustees.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of meeting minutes are available for research use. Visit the Purdue University Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes online.

Processing Information

The original order of the materials has been retained whenever possible. Related documents have been housed in acid-free folders.

Title
Purdue University Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
Status
Completed
Author
Margaret Sheble and Emily Sandgren
Date
2021-06-23
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Third edition. Collection description first completed 2014-11-04.

Revision Statements

  • 2016-12-13: Collection identifier updated from UA 1.01 to UA 58 as of December 13, 2016.
  • 2020-05-11: Collection description updated by Adelle Rogers.
  • 2021-06-23: Collection descriptions updated; Series 2 and 3 added and organization updated; and extents and instances updated by E. Sandgren

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839