James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison Drive MSC 1704 Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807 Telephone: (540) 568-3612 library-special@jmu.edu URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/
Chris Bolgiano and Kim Johnson, Julia Merkel, Emily Rehault, Brianna Melchione, Tiffany Cole
Repository
James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Identification
UA 0010
Title
Office of the President: Board of Visitors Records 1908-2001
Quantity
6.94 cubic feet, 21 boxes
Language
English
.
Abstract
The Office of the President: Board of Visitors Records, 1908-2001, document the activities of the James Madison University
Board of Visitors and its predecessor, the Board of Trustees. Materials include meeting minutes, correspondence, financial
documents, and president's reports.
Copyright for materials authored or otherwise produced as official business of James Madison University is retained by James
Madison University. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the
copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners.
Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information, contact the Special Collections Reference
Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this
collection.
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Office of the President: Board of Visitors, 1908-2001, UA 0010, Special Collections,
Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Acquisition Information
This collection was formed from the merger of several groups of materials received from Fred Hilton in JMU Media Relations
(accessions 93-0107, 93-0210), Gail May in the President's Office (accessions 99-1122, 00-0215), and Machelle Rader in the
President's Office (2005-0519). These accessions were combined under the collection number PR 99-1122.
Processing Information
The collection was reprocessed in 2016 and contains all documents from the original accession (PR 99-1122) except for the
Faculty Minutes, 1908-1998, which were removed to form a separate collection (UA 0011). A copy of the original finding aid
is located in the collection control file. Old collection folders were reused during reprocessing and folder titles were retained
when possible. Inserts found in the Board of Trustees Minute Book were removed and foldered separately. The inserts were subsequently
photocopied and those copies are also foldered separately. The Board of Visitors meeting minutes and President's Reports were
originally bound, but were disbound in 2016 during reprocessing.
James Madison University's Board of Visitors was created in 1964 with the prime directive of overseeing the effective government
of the university, then Madison College. When the institution opened in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for
Women at Harrisonburg, the governing body was its own Board of Trustees. The school changed its name to the State Normal School
for Women at Harrisonburg in 1914 and governance was shifted to the Virginia Normal School Board, a state agency. The institution
was renamed once again in 1924 to the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg. The governance also experienced change as control
was transferred to the State Board of Education. In 1964, the final change occurred when the Virginia General Assembly established
independent boards of visitors for each of the state's former teacher colleges.
The Governor of Virginia holds the power of appointing each member of the Board of Visitors. The first Board of Visitors was
comprised of 11 members; its first rector was Burr P. Harrison. The Virginia General Assembly acted to have the board size
increased to 15 members in 1989. Of the selected members, no more than two can be non-Virginians and board members include
both JMU alumni and non-alumni. In addition to appointed members, a student representative and the speaker of the JMU Faculty
Senate serve on the board. Terms of service do apply as board members are not eligible to serve more than two consecutive
four-year terms. Officers of the board (rector, vice rector, and secretary) are elected annually by the board for one-year
terms.
The Office of the President: Board of Visitors Records, 1908-2001, document the activities of the James Madison University
Board of Visitors and its predecessor, the Board of Trustees. The collection is comprised primarily of meeting minutes and
correspondence. Minutes from the Board of Visitors' first meeting on July 16, 1964 are included. Researchers should note that
meeting minutes from the various iterations of university governing bodies between 1914 and 1963 are not included. The correspondence
is chiefly official memoranda, letters concerning business and new board members, and contractual agreements granting faculty
members temporary leaves of absence. The collection also includes annual reports and reports to the Board of Visitors, financial
materials documenting lease agreements involving James Madison University, athletic program expenditure statements, and audit
reports. Miscellaneous items include documents explaining the origins of buildings' names, a Board of Visitors manual, and
a document of Board of Visitors Resolutions.
The collection is arranged into five series. Series 5 is arranged further into subseries. All series are arranged chronologically
with the exception of subseries 5.1 which is arranged alphabetically and subseries 5.2 which is arranged topically.
"Board of Visitors" James Madison University Centennial Celebration. Accessed January 26, 2017. http://www.jmu.edu/centennialcelebration/wm_preview/rectors.shtml.
James Madison University - Board of Visitors. Accessed January 26, 2017. https://www.jmu.edu/visitors/about/index.shtml.
This series is comprised chiefly of Board of Visitors meeting minutes from 1964 to 2001 beginning with the first meeting on
July 16, 1964. During that first meeting the members decided on the official design for "The Visitors of Madison College,"
agreed upon making the meetings of the Visitors closed to the public, approved of the revised faculty salary, and approved
the continuation of degrees being offered to students. Also included is the original Board of Trustees minute book dating
from 1908 to 1914. A full transcript is also contained within this series.
This series contains correspondence between fellow board members, government officials, and members of the university administration.
Contract agreements between board members and faculty of the college are included. Topics of interest include but are not
limited to campus construction and related funding, appropriation increases, project requests, requests related to enrollment
increases, G. Tyler Miller's retirement, and faculty promotions.
This series contains documents about the naming of buildings on campus as well as information on resolutions, manuals, honorary
degrees and the Russell Weaver Society.
The reports contain data regarding enrollment, campus services, faculty salaries, and financial records. Also included are
recommendations from the president on approvals of resignations and appointments, budget increases, academic changes, campus
expansion, etc. These reports provide an overview of the administrative proceedings of the university from one year to the
next and are comprised of reports to the State Board of Education, reports to the Board of Visitors, annual reports, and special
reports.
Arranged in two subseries – Subseries 5.1: Leases/Legal Documents, 1922-1981, and Subseries 5.2: Budget Reports, 1961-1989.
Subseries 5.1 is arranged alphabetically and Subseries 5.2 is arranged topically.
5.1
Leases/Legal Documents
1922-1981English.
Scope and Content
Subseries 5.1: Leases/Legal Documents, 1922-1981, is comprised primarily of lease agreements between James Madison University,
both as the lessor and lessee, and persons or companies. Of particular interest are the fire insurance documents which include
a Schedule of Buildings at the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg (June 2, 1924) and a Fire Insurance Report (February
1932) prepared by the Philadelphia Fire & Marine Insurance Company. The Schedule of Buildings lists all campus buildings,
their architectural type, date of erection, and total cost. The Fire Insurance Report provides a detailed description of all
campus buildings including date of erection, occupancy, recommendations, and estimated insurable value. Photographs are included
with each building description.
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 1
Andrews, Arthur M.
1975
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 2
Baker House
1966
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 3
Blue Ridge Gas Co.
1966
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 4
Colonial Drive Apartments
1973
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 5
Dingledine Property
1940-1943
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 6
Lincoln House/951 S. Main Street
1940-1975
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 7
Master's Property
1980
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 8
Nicholas House
1957, 1980
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 9
Old Agrico Building
1961, 1973
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 10
Old Nurse's Home
1963-1966
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 11
Shenandoah Apartments
1922-1939
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 12
SPE House
1976-1980
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 13
Sprinkle House
1917, 1933-1934, 1942-1944, 1966
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 14
Steele Property/131 Warsaw St.
1964-1966
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 15
Virginia National Bank
1981
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 16
Walnut Lane
1973-1974
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 17
Wellington Apartments
1924, 1929, 1957, 1965-1969
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 18
Wolff, Mr. & Mrs. Frank A.
1978
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 19
Wright Estate
1963-1966, 1980
Mixed Materials [1000898467] box: 19 folder: 20
Schedule of Buildings, Fire Insurance Report
1924, 1932, undated
5.2
Budget Reports
1961-1989English.
Scope and Content
Subseries 5.2: Budget Reports, 1961-1989, contains annual reports, financial reports detailing the university's business and
financial operations, reports on audits prepared by the auditor of public accounts for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and a
limited amount of material related to athletic program expenses. Researchers should note that the 1966 expenditure statement
for athletics is not included in this collection.
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