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A Finding Aid for the Historical/Archival Committee Records 1977-1995

Collection Summary

Collection Title: Historical/Archival Committee Records

Creator: Ferris State University. Historical/Archival Committee.

Dates: 1977-1995

Abstract: The Historical/ Archival Advisory Committee was a faculty based committee providing assistance, guidance and support to the Ferris State University Archives. The committee merged in 1995 with the Library Advisory Committee. The records in the collection consist of annual reports, membership lists, minutes and other records relating to the meetings.

Language: English

Quantity: 0.2 cubic feet; 1/2 Hollinger box

Identification: UA 31.4.7

Repository: Ferris State University Archives and Records Management Program

Historical Note

On September 29, 1977, eight Ferris staff members meet at the invitation of library director Robert Geiman. The mission was the creation of a new committee that could serve as an advisory council to the archival/historical program initiated by the library two years earlier. Invitations were sent to those with an interest or skill-set which made their advice valuable. Members present were Joseph E. Deupree, Robert C. Ferguson, Robert H. Geiman, Linda Makonnen, R. Lawrence Martin, Neva C. Martin and Richard A. Santer. John Cummings, the director of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University was invited to be a consultant and unofficial member of the committee.

Early goals for the committee included: surveying the college community for objects for the centennial, surveying the community for materials on local history, determining the boundaries for the local history collections, and advising on guidelines for the archives. Joseph Deupree, who worked in the Public Relations office, and later wrote the centennial history served as a chair well into his retirement.

Members were rotated on a regular basis. In 1982, the first annual report submitted to the Representative Faculty Council appears in the collection. Committee activities and structure gradually began to resemble other advisory committees which only met during the academic year and had equal academic college representation. Larry Hanson, who took over as chair from Joe Deupree, was a faculty member. Membership for the committee consisted of faculty members along with two seats for the archives coordinator and the library director.

The committee continued to serve as an resource for the archives coordinator and as an advocate for the program within the wider community. In April 1995, the Academic Senate chose to reorganize the committee structure. Despite the protests of the committee, the Historical/ Archival Advisory Committee was merged with the Library Advisory Committee to form the Library/Historical/Archival Advisory Commitee.

Scope and Content Note

The Historical/Archival Advisory Committee was formed at the suggestion of Dr. Thomas Cook, Dean of the School of Education and Learning Resources, and Robert H. Geiman, Director of the Library. It differed from other advisory committees in that it did not start out as a faculty-only committee reporting to the Representative Faculty Advisory Council.

The records are arranged into a single series. Within the chronological files are the basic records of the committee by year- correspondence, minutes and supporting documents. In certain years, minutes may be missing. There are also basic administrative files such as membership lists and some of the annual reports. Projects of the committee include the Ferris Heritage Lectures, support for the archival programs, care of historic objects and advocating for a historic museum.

Arrangement

The papers are contained in a single series.

Access Information

Conditions of Access

The Historical/Archival Committee Records are open for research to all users in accordance with University Archives and Records Management access policies. It is available in the reading room of the Ferris State University Archives.

Conditions of Use

Requests for permission to publish material should be directed to the University Archivist. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Copyright interests for this collection have been transferred to Ferris State University. For more information, contact the University Archivist.

Subject Headings

Below are a list of names, organizations and subjects relating to the collection. Names have been taken from Library of Congress Authority headings whenever possible.

Related Materials

None specified.

Administrative Information

Citations

Footnotes and bibliographic references should use the following format:
[Item], Folder, Box. Historical/Archival Committee Records. Ferris State University Archives. Big Rapids, Michigan.

Provenance (Acquisition Information)

These records were donated in several segments by various individuals. Segments were donated by: Larry Martin, University Archivist and committee member when he retired in 2001, secretary Laurie Wernette as part of the library director records in 2002-2003, Glendon Hynes, a former Representative Faculty Advisory Council official in 1991 and in various boxes located in an archives collections survey in 2002.

Processing Information

The Historical/ Archival Advisory Committee Records were processed to the folder level by Melinda McMartin Isler in October 2006. A finding aid was prepared in a word processing format and converted to EAD 1.0. A collection level MARC-21 record was prepared and placed in the library online public access catalog. Description based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2004).

Separated Materials

Most records were retrieved out of either library records or RFAC records. Any duplicate material was removed from the collection. This collection does not contain any records from the merged committee which was formed in the fall semester of 1995.

Technical Requirements

This collection consists of paper based materials. No specialized hardware or software is required for viewing

Content Listing

Series 1. Subject Records. 1977-1995.

These records are organized into a single series. The majority of this collection consists of material relating to meetings such as minutes and supporting reports.

The records are arranged in chronological files by academic year.

Box Folder Contents
1 1 Annual reports. 1982-1989.
1 2 Chronological files. August 1977-July 1988.
1 3 Chronological files. August 1978-July 1979.
1 4 Chronological files. August 1979-July 1980.
1 5 Chronological files. August 1980-July 1981.
1 6 Chronological files. August 1981-July 1982.
1 7 Chronological files. August 1982-July 1983.
1 8 Chronological files. August 1983-July 1984.
1 9 Chronological files. August 1984-July 1985.
1 10 Chronological files. August 1985-July 1986.
1 11 Chronological files. August 1986-July 1987.
1 12 Chronological files. August 1987-July 1988.
1 13 Chronological files. August 1988-July 1989.
1 14 Chronological files. August 1989-July 1990.
1 15 Chronological files. August 1990-July 1991. (Missing)
1 16 Chronological files. August 1991-July 1992.
1 17 Chronological files. August 1993-July 1993. (Missing)
1 18 Chronological files. August 1993-July 1994.
1 19 Chronological files. August 1994-April 1995.
1 20 Membership lists. 1977-1992.
1 21 Response re: merger plans. Report. March 1995.