Records of the Office of the Registrar, Northwestern University Medical School

The records of the Office of the Registrar span the years 1894 to 1927 and consist of Administrative Records and Student Records.

These records were originally filed in Shannon Cabinet binders, two-ring cardboard binders that slid into open-ended cardboard boxes. The titles and span dates of the contents were handwritten on the spines of the binders. Over the course of the years, many of the binders had lost their spines, so that exact titles were not always available. The known titles dictated the titles of the subseries; the contents of untitled binders were analyzed and placed within the chronological run of like materials. In all cases, the original order of materials within the binders (usually alphabetical) was retained. Within the broad categories of the subseries, the folders are arranged in chronological order. There are some gaps in the chronological sequences.

The bulk of the Administrative Records consists of General Correspondence and spans the years 1896 to 1927. The General Correspondence typically concerns student grades, class schedules, and matters pertaining to the Medical School, especially its admissions policies and procedures. The original order of the General Correspondence was retained; it is arranged first according to calendar or academic year(s), and thereafter by surname of the correspondent or of the student to whom the correspondence referred.

Correspondence between the Medical School and the Illinois State Board of Registration and Education dates between 1914 and 1920, and relates mainly to Medical School admission requirements and the academic background of particular students.

Faculty/Registrar Correspondence, spans the years 1921 to 1927, with a gap during the academic year 1924-1925. The correspondence, consisting of letters between members of the Medical School faculty and the registrar, deals mostly with the assignments of grades and with student records. Records are arranged by chronological period and thereafter by surname of the faculty member.

Organized in broad categories, Student Records are arranged chronologically by academic year and, within each year, alphabetically by student surname.

Standardized Information Blanks (1894-1910) contain such basic details as student name, address, and schools attended before application to the Northwestern University Medical School. Some letters of recommendation are included among these records. Earlier versions of these records include a Certificate of Good Standing as the top portion of the form, verifying the applicant's birth date and requiring the signature of two accredited doctors to attest to the potential student's good moral character. Information blanks for the year 1907 are missing; however, the Certificates of Good Standing for that year, which had been removed from the body of the information blanks, have been filed separately (Boxes 34-35).

Forming the bulk of this subseries, the Admissions Credentials files span the years 1897 to 1918 and document each medical student's career from admission to graduation. These files typically include the student's transcripts, grades, correspondence with the Registrar, recommendation letters, and occasional reports and correspondence regarding students with academic problems.

Much like the Certificates of Good Standing, Letters of Recommendation (1899-1905) endorsed candidates for admission. Addressed to the Registrar, letters—sometimes more than one per student—are arranged, within the chronological period, alphabetically by the surname of the student to whom they refer.

Test Files and Results, dating from 1897 to 1925, with many gaps, consist of tests written by professors (both handwritten and typed), and include class rosters showing grades assigned.