A Finding Aid for the Student Record Cards 1903-1953

Collection Summary

Repository: Ferris State University Archives and Records Management Program, 410 Oak Street, Big Rapids, MI 49307

Title: Student Record Cards

Identification: UA 8.5.10

Date: 1903-19533

Extent: 4.4 cubic feet; 44 card boxes

Language: English

Abstract: This collection consists of student registration cards used by the Business Office to record payment of tuition and fees. This collection is restricted and may only be used with the permission of the University Archivist.

Preferred Citation:

Footnotes and bibliographic references should use the following format:
[Item], Box. Student Record Cards. Ferris State University Archives. Big Rapids, Michigan.

Historical Note

These cards were used by the Business Office to record student payment of tuition and fees. The information they include is the name of the student, the name of the parent guardian, spouse, etc., home address and date, description and amount of payments. Some have student letters attached asking that his or her tuition be transferred to another person, withdrawal clearance from the Registrars Office, letters from the dean, etc. They were later transferred to the Alumni Office for tracking purposes.

Scope and Contents Note

These cards provide often the only proof of a students attendance in the early years and the years in which no yearbook existed prior to 1950. The cards are filed alphabetically by student name, letter by letter, with Mc filed not Mac, St. filed as st, not saint, etc. Some of the cards for married women are filed under their maiden names and some under their married names. Because these cards were later used by the Alumni office, they include a few cards generated by that office, which give addresses, positions held, alumni reunions attended, dates of death (references to obituaries) etc.

Sometimes you will find cards with information other than ledger type information, or often a ledger card will be stamped "Missing," or "Deceased," which was done by the Alumni office. A card stamped "Approved for write-off / August 17, 1954 / Mich. State Adm. Board" shows that the person left Ferris owing money that was never paid. After the state took over all of those debts had to be officially approved to be written off.

Abbreviations used on Ledgers and Ledger cards

A / c or On Ac On account (in Credit column)
Acct. Accounting
BK bookkeeping
Bal Balance
C College or Commercial
C.P. College preparatory
Coml. Commercial
L Left
Pen. Penmanship
R.E Re-entered
Shnd. Shorthand
Teleg. Telegraphy
Tr Transferred
WKS. Weeks

The cards arrived in several large boxes with the cards mostly in order as they were in drawers but out of order overall e.g. the cards from a drawer of J's may have been followed by cards from the drawer of D's, which was followed by cards from the drawer of R's etc. Some fo the cards were in small groups with their own order, reverse order or no apparent order. As the cards seem to have been originally in one alphabet, the original processors tried to refile them into as much of one alphabet as possible. A second large donation, already in alphabetical order at an unknown date was added on beginning with box 26. When searching for names, you need to search both sections.

Arrangement Note

This collection is organized into a single series.

Administrative Information

Publication Information:

Ferris State University Archives and Records Management Program. May 2009.

Conditions Governing Access:

The Student Record Cards are open to all researchers in accordance with the University Archives and Records Management access policies. Copyrights to this collection have been transferred to Ferris State University. All copyrights to non-Ferris materials found in the collection are held by the individual author or his/her heirs. Any questions concerning rights should be directed to the University Archivist.

Conditions Governing Use:

This collection contains student records which are subject to FERPA regulations. This collection may only be used with permission of archival staff.

Acquisition Note:

The original 25 boxes of cards were transferred to the University Archives by Donna Churchill in the Alumni Records office on March 10, 1983. An additional transfer of records was received by the archives at some point between that date and September 2002.

Processing Information:

The Student Record Cards were processed to the card level by by Larry Martin at some point between 1983-2002. A finding aid was prepared and entered into the Archivist Toolkit by Melinda McMartin Isler in May 2009. A pdf version of the finding aid and an EAD 2.0 file were produced by the Toolkit. 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).

Related Materials

None specified.

Separated Materials note

None specified

Controlled Access Headings

Name(s)

• Ferris State University. Records Office.
• Ferris State University. Students.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note

This collection consists of handwritten and typed 4 x6 index cards. There is no specialized software required for viewing.

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Student registration cards. 1903-1953.

Arrangement Note

These cards are arranged into two alphabetical sections.

Scope and Contents Note

Cards include contact information, courses registered for and fees paid.

Contents	Box
Student registration cards. Adams, James A- Hansen, Frederick L.	1
Student registration cards. Hansen, Gustave H. - Heustis, Rose S.	2
Student registration cards. Hevenor, Alice- Howell, Walstein.	3
Student registration cards. Hower, Gladys-Johnson, Corinne J.	4
Student registration cards. Johnson, Dagmar A - Kennedy, William.	5
Student registration cards. Kennelly, Elizabeth- Kyle, Dorothy.	6
Student registration cards. Kyte, Ernest-Lennox, George Eldred Jr.	7
Student registration cards. Lennox, Ross- Lyttle, Birdena M.	8
Student registration cards. Maakstad, Hans J. - Mazurek, Peter.	9
Student registration cards. McAleer, Henry George-McNutt, Maude.	10
Student registration cards. McPhall, Alvah- Moore, Paula.	11
Student registration cards. Moore, Ransom- Neven, Norman.	12
Student registration cards. Neville, ida- Ozanich, Matthew.	13
Student registration cards. Paas, Richard- Philio, C. Everett.	14
Student registration cards. Phinisey, Guy- Rankin, Margaret.	15
Student registration cards. Ranney, Fred- Roberts, Winifred.	16
Student registration cards. Robertson, Duncan- Sarle, John.	17
Student registration cards. Sarmiento, Calio -Shaver, Lillian M.	18
Student registration cards. Shaw, Alsa-Smith, Grace L.	19
Student registration cards. Smith, H. Ezra- Steere, Howard.	20
Student registration cards. Steffan, Emma- Szymoniak, Lucy.	21
Student registration cards. Taber, Mildred- Townsend, Jay.	22
Student registration cards. Trahan, John-Voyt, Gene.	23
Student registration cards. Vrancic, Mary - Wetherby, William G.	24
Student registration cards. Wetmore, Burton- Zimmerman, Ronald.	25
Student registration cards. Abbe, Floyd- Ansorge, Phil.	26
Student registration cards. Anspaugh, Albert- Barnard, Edward D.	27
Student registration cards. Barnard, Fred-Benthin, Christopher.	28
Student registration cards. Bentley, Addie-Bonifield, Donald.	29
Student registration cards. Bonkoski, Martha-Briza, Charles A. Jr.	30
Student registration cards. Broad, Athanasius-Buss, George Milton.	31
Student registration cards. Buss, Josephine- Cizmadji, Mathew.	32
Student registration cards. Clabuesch, Herman A.- DeYoung, William N.	33
Student registration cards. Dickinson, Robert- Grettenburger, Orin K.	34
Student registration cards. Groat, Claude-Hokenson, Ida.	35
Student registration cards. Holbert, Charles- Kempton, John.	36
Student registration cards. Kenega, Alice (Bunting)-Loos, John.	37
Student registration cards. Lorch, A.H.-Meyers, Paul Allen.	38
Student registration cards. Michael, Grant- Ollgaard, Verner.	39
Student registration cards. Olson, Albert E.-Ramsey, William.	40
Student registration cards. Ranville, Donald- Scott, Michael.	41
Student registration cards. Seabrook, Robert- Svento, Steve J.	42
Student registration cards. Swan, Roy- Wansten, Kenneth.	43
Student registration cards. Ward, Arthur- Zwghuizen, Hilbert.	44