The University of Massachusetts Amherst
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University of Massachusetts Amherst. President

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University of Massachusetts Amherst. President

1814-2007
129.5 linear feet
Call no.: RG 003

On November 29, 1864, the Board of Trustees for the Massachusetts Agricultural College created the Office of the President and elected Henry Flagg French as the first president of the newly created land grant institution. In 1970, the President’s office was relocated from the Amherst campus to separate offices in Boston, and the Office of Chancellor was established as the chief executive position at each of the five UMass campuses. The responsibilities of the President and of the central administrative staff are summarized in the University’s Governance Document of 1973: the president acts as the principal academic and executive officer of the University, presents policy recommendations to the Board of Trustees, keeps current a master plan of the University, prepares the annual budget, allocates the appropriated budget, appoints members of the faculty to tenure with the concurrence of the Board of Trustees, coordinates the work of all campuses of the University and promotes the general welfare of the University as a whole.

Containing the papers of individual presidents of UMass (1864-2007) and their Presidential Reports (1948-1984), the record group also includes records of central administrative offices, including the Secretary of the University, the Treasurer’s Office (1864-2007), and the Donahue Institute for Governmental Services (1970-2007). Collections for individual Presidents are filed separately in UMarmot under the President’s name.

Access restrictions: Access is restricted on some files of recent Presidents.

Historical Note

On November 29, 1864, the Board of Trustees for the Massachusetts Agricultural College created the Office of the President and elected Henry Flagg French as the first president of the newly created land grant institution. Permanent, acting, and interim presidents served until 1969, when the Board of Trustees created a separate central administration for the University, which was reorganized into a tripartite institution.

When the President’s office was relocated from the Amherst campus to separate offices in Boston in 1970, the Office of Chancellor was established as the chief executive position at each of the five campuses. The responsibilities of the President and of the central administrative staff are summarized in the Governance Document of the University which was adopted in 1973. The president acts as the principal academic and executive officer of the University, presents policy recommendations to the Board of Trustees, keeps current a master plan of the University, prepares the annual budget, allocates the appropriated budget, appoints members of the faculty to tenure with the concurrence of the Board of Trustees, coordinates the work of all campuses of the University and promotes the general welfare of the University as a whole.

Scope and Contents

The President’s Office records consist of the papers of individual presidents (1864-2007) and their Presidential Reports (1948-1984). Other major series include: Secretary of the University, specifically the papers of Secretary Robert J. McCartney (1957-1974), whose tenure spanned over two decades; Treasurer’s Office (1864-2007), which contains the campus financial records; and records of the Donahue Institute for Governmental Services (1970-2007).

00. Publications (except as noted below) 1948-2007
1. Organizational charts issued by President’s Office 1967-2007
1. Individual Presidents 1864-2007
Individual presidents are arranged by date of inauguration.

Henry Flagg French 1864-1866
Paul Ansel Chadbourne 1866-1867
William Smith Clark 1867-1879
Levi Stockbridge (acting) 1876
Charles L. Flint 1879-1880
Levi Stockbridge 1880-1882
Paul Ansel Chadbourne 1882-1883
Henry Hill Goodell (acting) 1883
James C. Greenough 1883-1886
Henry Hill Goodell 1886-1905
William Penn Brooks (acting) 1905-1906
Kenyon L. Butterfield 1906-1924
Edward M. Lewis (acting) 1912
Edward M. Lewis (acting) 1924-1926
Edward M. Lewis 1926-1927
Roscoe W. Thatcher 1927-1932
Hugh P. Baker 1932-1946
Ralph A. Van Meter (acting) 1947-1948
Ralph A. Van Meter 1948-1954
Jean Paul Mather 1954-1960
John William Lederle 1960-1970
Robert C. Wood 1970-1977
Franklin Patterson (acting) 1978
David C. Knapp 1978-1990
Joseph D. Duffey 1990-1991
E.K. Fretwell Jr. (interim) 1991-1992
Michael. Hooker 1992-1995
Sherry Penney (interim) 1995-1996
William Bulger 1996-2003
Jack M. Wilson (interim) 2003-2004
Jack M. Wilson 2004-2007
2. Vice President for University Policy 1947
3. Secretary of the University 1932-1974 (bulk 1951-1974)
4. Treasurer’s Office 1864-1948
1. Treasurer 1885-2007
2. Controller 1950s-2007
3. Financial Reports 1924-2007
4. Associate Treasurer 1969-1972
5. Director of Business Procedures and Project Planning 1952-1978
5. Assistant to the President for Liaison Services 1972-1975
6. Vice President for Academic Affairs 1973-1977
1. Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs 1974-1979
7. Vice President for Planning 1975-1977
8. Donahue Institute for Governmental Services (IGS) 1970-2007
9. Institute for Labor Affairs 1971-1974
10. Public Affairs 1864-2007
11. Vice President for Management and Business Affairs 1975-1981
12. Presidents Cabinet 1911-1947
13. Vice President For Management and Fiscal Affairs and University Treasurer 1991-2007
14. Vice President for University Relations
No records in archives.

15. Office of Human Resources
No records in archives.

16. Vice President for Management and Fiscal Affairs 1987-2007
17. Vice President for Management
No records in archives.

1. Assistant Vice President for Labor Relations and Personnel 1979
18. Governmental Affairs
No records in archives.

19. Labor Relations
No records in archives.

20. Public Information Office
No records in archives.

100. Inter-Campus Committees (2-campus and 3-campus) 1971-1981
105. Inter-Campus Committees (5-Campus) 1991-2007

Contributors

University of Massachusetts Amherst. President