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Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees records

 Record Group
Identifier: RG-01-001

Scope and Content Note

The records of the Board of Trustees span the years 1867 through 2012, although, with the exception of the bound volumes of minutes, relatively little exists for the years prior to 1925. The collection include minutes, reports, correspondence, and other materials documenting the activity of the Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees.

Dates

  • Creation: 1867 - 2012

Creator

Conditions Governing Access note

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

University records are closed for 25 years from the point of creation. These files contain personnel records, which are subject to further restrictions. These files also contain student records, which are further subject to FERPA restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use note

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

History

On August 24, 1867, Johns Hopkins incorporated the two institutions which bear his name: Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital. The original members of the Boards of Trustees for the two institutions were named in the Certificate of Incorporation, as follows: Francis T. King, Lewis N. Hopkins, Thomas M. Smith, William Hopkins, John W. Garrett, Francis White, Charles J. M. Gwinn, Galloway Cheston, George W. Dobbin, Dr. John Fonerden, Reverdy Johnson, Jr. (University Board only), George W. Brown, (University Board only), Richard M. Janney (Hospital Board only), and Dr. Alan P. Smith (Hospital Board only).

Dr. Fonerden died before the Board's first meeting in June 1870, and Dr. James C. Thomas took his place. This original Board, composed of seven businessmen, four lawyers, and one physician, was thus responsible for creating a university, beginning with the search for a president. In 1874 the Board of Trustees published a pamphlet containing the university's Certificate of Incorporation, Extracts of Mr. Hopkins's Will, and the By Laws to be followed by the Trustees. These original By Laws were rather brief, listing the duties of each officer of the Board, the responsibilities of the three committees set up, and the order of business at stated meetings. No mention was made of how to select Trustees to replace the original members, or of the duties of the President of the University. The officers of the Board consisted of a President (distinct from the President of the University), a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The President was responsible for presiding at meetings, calling special meetings, bringing matters to the attention of the Board, and overseeing in general the affairs of the university. The Secretary was to keep the minutes, conduct the correspondence, and give notice of meetings and of appointments. The Treasurer's duties were to collect, keep, and disburse all funds of the university, reporting his actions to the Board regularly. The original By Laws authorized three standing committees of the Board: an Executive Committee of five members, a Finance Committee of two members, and a Building Committee of four members. The Executive Committee was given responsibility for all matters of general interest to the institution not otherwise appropriated to the Finance and Building Committees. The first revision of the By Laws was made in 1901, when the number of Trustees on the Finance Committee was increased from two to four. First mention was also made of the election procedure for filling vacancies on the Board. Minor revisions of the By Laws were also made in 1902 and 1911.

In 1926, the number of Trustees on the Board was increased for the first time, from twelve to nineteen. The Executive Committee was expanded to eight members, and the Finance and Building Committees set at five members each. The Executive Committee was further increased to nine members in 1927, at which time the Finance Committee membership was increased to seven. The Board of Trustees was expanded again in 1937, from nineteen to twenty three members, while membership on the standing committees remained fixed. One year later two more Trustees were added to the Board, for a total of twenty five. Revisions in the language of the By Laws were made in 1941. One additional Trustee was added in 1948, when the Executive Committee and Finance Committee were increased to nine and ten members, respectively. Another major revision took place in 1959, when the number of Trustees was expanded to thirty four. Four of these new Trustees were to be nominated by Johns Hopkins alumni, each to serve a single four year term with all the powers of the other Trustees. For the first time, it was stated that a Trustee must retire and assume emeritus status in the month of June following his seventy second birthday.

With the increase in membership on the Board came the addition of three new standing committees, the first such addition since the founding of the University. A Budget Committee of five members was appointed, with a corresponding decrease in the Finance Committee membership. An Academic Program Committee and a Committee on Sponsored Research, both with five members, were set up. In addition, the name of the Building Committee was expanded to Building and Grounds Committee. Another revision made in 1959 was to change the titles of President and Vice President of the Board to Chairman and Vice Chairman. The President of the University was also given many of the administrative duties once held by the President of the Board of Trustees. Revisions in the By Laws were also made in 1961, 1971, 1974 and 1982, though of a minor nature. The number of Trustees was expanded to thirty seven in 1961, to fifty one in 1974, and to fifty nine in 1982. The Alumni Trustees were also increased in number, from four to six, and given a six year term each in 1961. In 1971, the Board amended the By Laws to include one recent graduate of Hopkins to be elected annually to a four year term. The Young Trustee, with the same powers and responsibilities as all other trustees, is chosen jointly by the undergraduate student body and by the Board itself. In 1974, six more Alumni Trustees were added, although the total number was not raised.

The following is a list of the individuals who have served as Chairmen (or Presidents) of the Board of Trustees, followed by their years in that office, through 2002: Cheston, Galloway, 1870-1881; Dobbin, George W., 1881-1891; Stewart, C. Morton, 1891-1900; McLane, James Latimer, 1900-1901; White, Francis (Acting), 1902; Keyser, R. Brent, 1903-1926; Willard, Daniel, 1926-1941; Barton, Carlyle, 1941-1958; Garland, Charles S., 1958-1968; Harvey, Robert D. H., 1968-1984; Radcliffe, George G., 1984-1990; Offit, Morris W.,1990-1996; Bloomberg, Michael R., 1996-2002; Mason, Raymond A., 2002. More information about a current list of Board of Trustees can be found on the Board of Trustees website.

Extent

83.36 Cubic Feet (23 record center cartons, 142 letter size document boxes, 2 letter half-size document boxes, 1 legal half-size document box, 1 book, 1 over-sized folder)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

On August 24, 1867, Johns Hopkins incorporated the two institutions which bear his name: Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital. The original members of the Boards of Trustees for the two institutions were named in the Certificate of Incorporation. The records of the Board of Trustees span the years 1867 through 2012, although, with the exception of the bound volumes of minutes, relatively little exists for the years prior to 1925. The records document the activities of the Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees, the chief governing body of Johns Hopkins University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Most of the records of the Board of Trustees were transferred through Mary Fetsch, Assistant Secretary of the Board of Trustees. The minutes of the Committee on Investments were transferred by the Treasurer's Office, and most of the other committee minutes were found in the attic of Homewood House. Most of the items in Series 1, 4 and 5, as well as the nineteenth century correspondence in Series 6, came from the Special Collections Department of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library. Records pertaining to the choice of a new president upon the retirement of Isaiah Bowman (series 5) and memoranda on Visiting Committees (series 7) were the gift of Francis White, via the staff of Evergreen House.

Accruals note

Accession numbers: 77.89, 77.91, 79.6, 79.72, 79.83, 79.119, 79.138, 79.139, 79.140, 80.51, 80.55, 81.36, 81.44, 82.2, 82.12, 82.39, 83.21, 83.33, 84.8, 84.22, 84.30, 84.44, 85.6, 85.12, 85.24, 86.4, 86.14, 86.17, 86.32, 87.2, 87.28, 88.2, 88.33, 89.10, 89.13, 89.29, 89.39, 90.15, 90.24, 90.35, 90.55, 91.28, 91.38, 91.45, 92.30, 93.32, 95.30, 97.21, 99.36, 2002.17, 2004.29, 2005.16, 2007.01, 2007.14, 2009.09, 2001.UA.016, 2002.UA.016, 2011.UA.004, 2011-12.UA.014, 2011-12.UA.025, 2011-12.UA.026, 2012-13.UA.002.

Bibliography

  • French, John C. A History of the University Founded by Johns Hopkins. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1946.
  • Hawkins, Hugh. Pioneer: A History of the Johns Hopkins University, 1874-1889. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1960.
  • The Johns Hopkins University. By Laws. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1901.
  • The Johns Hopkins University. By Laws of the Board of Trustees. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1902, 1911, 1926, 1937, 1941, 1948, 1959, 1961, 1974, 1982.
  • The Johns Hopkins University. Charter, Extracts of Will, Officers and By Laws. Baltimore: John Murphy and Co., 1874.

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared by Anne Johnson; James Stimpert; Jiangqian Jiang; Jennifer Allain Myrick. Finding aid updated by Jordon Steele in 2017. Please note that many of the original file titles were retained.

Title
Guide to the Board of Trustees records
Author
Anne Johnson, James Stimpert, Jiangqian Jiang, Jennifer Allain Myrick, Jordon Steele
Date
2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA