Board of Trustees Minutes

The first entry recorded in the minutes of the meetings of the Northwestern University Board of Trustees is for the original meeting held to establish a university on May 31, 1850. The minutes are complete from that meeting to the last volume listed. Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Executive Committee and all standing and special committees are also included.

For the years 1850 to 1919, minutes exist in handwritten and/or typed volumes and are boxed. For all years, 1850 to current, mimeographed or printed bound volumes exist. For most research and reference purposes, the bound volumes should be used in order to preserve the fragile boxed volumes. In addition, the bound volumes contain indexes which make searching easier.

Boxed Volumes 1-25: Handwritten, leather-bound books of Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meetings from 1850-1919, volumes 1-25, are located in boxes 2-27. The original two first Books of Minutes (1850-1871), in Box 1, are small-format volumes; large-format, handwritten copies of these first two books are found in Box 2.

Volume numbers refer to number inscribed on the spine of each book.

Small-format Indexes to the Meeting Minutes, covering 1902-1915, are located in box 28 along with two small, unidentified Indexes.

Bound Volumes (Shelved): The bound typewritten volumes of minutes between 1850 through April 1919 were copied from handwritten minutes. From May 1919 through June 1920 the minutes were copied from typewritten and/or mimeographed minutes. Thereafter, mimeographed copies of the minutes were bound in volumes.

Beginning with Volume 40, 1931-1932, lists of all members of the board and all board committees are included at the front of each volume.

At the beginning of each volume is an index which is organized, from Volume One (1850-1871) through Volume 44 (1935-1936), in chronological order and alphabetically thereunder. Beginning with Volume 45 (1936-1937) the index is only alphabetical. A new volume is added each year.