Records of The Woman's College of Northwestern University

The Records of the Woman's College of Northwestern University span from 1872 to 1893, with the bulk of the series dating from 1874 to 1886. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, but a scrapbook, reports, minutes, bulletins and circulars are also included.

Arranged according to the administrative succession of the Woman's College, Correspondence files span from 1874 to 1886 and comprise mainly incoming correspondence relating to College students, events, and facilities. Ellen Soulé's correspondence (1874-1876) consists of incoming letters from students, parents, and Northwestern University President C. H. Fowler. Amelia Sanford's file also contains letters to Rev. and Mrs. S. G. Lathrop, who managed the College building, and appear to have taken on additional administrative responsibilities after Soulé's resignation. Dating from 1877 to 1890, Jane Bancroft's correspondence contains letters from parents, current and prospective students, and lecturers; as well as Medical School Dean N. S. Davis, University presidents Oliver Marcy and Joseph Cummings; and Dr. J. B. Chess, who awarded an annual Gold Medal for deportment to female students. Of particular interest are letters related to disciplinary matters (May 1878, January 1880) and conflict between the Woman's College Dean and the University administration involving an issue of room assignments (April-May 1880; December 1886). Overall the correspondence suggests that female students received close and individualized attention in the Woman's College.

Dating from 1873 to 1892, the reports and minutes consist of annual reports of the Woman's College Dean; some extracts concerning the Woman's College from the minutes of Northwestern University's Board of Trustees; and extracts from the minutes of Northwestern University faculty meetings.

Bulletins and circulars (1872-1893) documenting the College's mission, rules, and coursework include an 1872-1873 bulletin of the Conservatory of Music. Also included in this folder is a program from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition that lists the members of the World's Congress Auxiliary, including the Woman's Branch, and the members of the Department of Woman's Progress.

Compiled between 1881 and 1885, the history and biography album includes a historical sketch of the Evanston Ladies College and Woman's College, as well as photographs and handwritten biographical sketches of early Woman's College deans and students, including Frances Willard, Ellen Soule and Jane Bancroft.