Northwestern University Academy (1859-1917) Faculty Minute Book

This volume records the minutes of the Northwestern University Academy faculty meetings from September 26, 1904, to June 1, 1910. The Academy, formally organized in 1859 as the Northwestern University Preparatory School, became the Northwestern University Academy in 1892. It was the first secondary school in the Chicago area, and a major source of the University's students. The minutes reflect the concerns of the Academy faculty in the daily operations of the school, and are especially important as a sample of the attitudes of these professional educators toward secondary education during this formative period.

The meetings were held every Monday at 5 p.m. Minutes for each meeting usually comprise one or two handwritten pages. The information generally recorded in the minutes includes a roll call, motions approved or rejected, and names of faculty members appointed to various committees. Topics discussed at the meetings range from operational matters, such as disciplinary actions or study hall regulations, to such policy questions as reducing the emphasis on foreign languages.