Guide to the Rhode Island School of Design. Board of Trustees records , 1877-2007


Rhode Island School of Design Archives
Fleet Library at RISD
Location: 15 Westminster Street
Mail: 2 College Street
Providence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-709-5922
Fax: 401-709-5932
email: risdarchives@risd.edu

Published in 2010

Collection Overview

Title: Rhode Island School of Design. Board of Trustees records
Date range: 1877-2007
Creator: Rhode Island School of Design. Board of Trustees
Extent: 4.5 linear feet
Abstract: The records document the activities of the Board of Directors, 1877-1901, and the Board of Trustees, 1901-2007.
Language of materials: English
Repository: Rhode Island School of Design Archives
Collection number: 01.01

Scope & content

The records document the activities of the Board of Directors, 1877-1901, and the Board of Trustees, 1901-2007. The bulk of the records are twenty-three volumes of meeting minutes, 1877-2007, and Agenda Notebooks, 1995-2007, which may include supporting records such as correspondence, committee reports, and administrative records. The bulk of such supporting material accompanies the minutes for 1984-2007. There is a small collection (.10 linear ft.) of correspondence to Board Secretaries Sarah Doyle, 1877-1889, and Howard M. Rice, 1889-1914.

Access Points

Subject Topics

Arrangement

Organized into three series:

  • I. Minutes, 1877-2006
  • II. Secretary's correspondence, 1877-1914
  • III. Agenda notebooks, 1995-2007

Historical note

Comprised of term trustees, honorary (nonvoting) trustees, the President, and the Alumni Association President and his/her immediate predecessor, the Board of Trustees directs the affairs of the Corporation. The Board elects all officers of the Board and the Executive Committee. The Board may create standing or ad hoc committees. The Board holds an annual meeting, at which the voting Trustees elect Trustees and Officers, and two additional meetings in the fall and winter.

Article III of the Rhode Island School of Design Association constitution, adopted April 30, 1877, created the Board of Directors comprised of 11 (1878: 15 and 1884: 15-20) members elected annually plus the President and Vice-President. The Board oversaw the "affairs of the Association and such other activities as usually attach to their offices"; elected other officers; and chose the Committees of Management and Finance. The Board held quarterly meetings January, April, July, and October during which the Board heard reports from the Treasurer and committees and discussed new and old business.

The 1893 By-Law revisions created a Board of 19-21 members including 9 ex-officio members: the Governor; the Mayor of Providence; the Commissioner of Public Schools; the Superintendent of Providence Schools; the Librarian of Providence Library; two members appointed by the State Board of Education; and 2 members appointed by the Brown University Trustees. The Board chose all Association officers and held its annual meeting in June not July. The Board of Directors became the Board of Trustees in 1901 when RISD appointed a Director responsible for day-to-day operations.

The 1907 By-law revisions provided that the Board "shall have the full control and direction of the property, business and affairs of the corporation." A 1959 revision added "organization and all other" affairs of the corporation. The Board rewrote the charge in 1987: "The affairs of the Corporation shall be directed by the Board... " The 1907 revisions gave the Board the authority to appoint a Director and Museum Curators and define their respective powers. The authority was transferred to the Executive Committee in 1929. The Board held meetings quarterly (1877-1947) and semiannually (1947-1987). The schedule of an annual meeting plus two seasonal meetings began in 1987.

All ex-officio members created in 1893 were abolished by 1980. Revisions in 1959 created Life, Term, Alumni, and Emeriti Trustees and 1970 revisions added 2 Faculty and 2 Student Trustees (abolished 1979). Life and Alumni Trustees were abolished in 1987 and Honorary Trustees replaced Emeriti Trustees in 1995. The size of the Board varied from 12-25 (1959) to 28-41 (1987) to the 1995 revisions (27-35). The current size of the Board is not specified.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: The Board of Trustees records are closed for fifty years.
Use of the materials: Permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from archival materials must be obtained in writing from the Archives. The researcher assumes full responsibility for use of material and for conformity to all applicable laws, including copyright.
Alternate form: The Board of Trustees minutes, 1877-2004, have been microfilmed.
Preferred citation: Rhode Island School of Design. Board of Trustees, Rhode Island School of Design Archives.
Contact information: Rhode Island School of Design Archives
Fleet Library at RISD
Location: 15 Westminster Street
Mail: 2 College Street
Providence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-709-5922
Fax: 401-709-5932
email: risdarchives@risd.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The records were transferred from the College Street Building walk-in safe and the Offices of the President and the Trustees.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Douglas Doe.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Douglas Doe 2010 June 16
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Location/Existence of copies: The Board of Trustees minutes, 1877-2004, have been microfilmed.

Inventory

Series I. Board of Trustees minutes
The minutes are the official record of the meetings of the Board of Trustees (Board of Directors, 1877-1901) and the annual meetings of the Corporation (1877-1906) and Governing Members (1907-1947). Previously to 1984, the Board met quarterly, 1878-1947, and semi-annually, 1948-1983. The Secretary of the Corporation, who is responsible for keeping the minutes, signed all minutes through 1983.

The minutes record the date, time and place of the meetings as well as the names of attendees, absentees and guests. The constitution, by-laws, and amendments are recorded though the actual wording of amendments to the by-laws may not be included. The minutes record motions and votes of the Board and discussions about motions may be included. The election of corporate officers and standing committee members, appointment of administrative officers, and appointment of special committees are recorded. The names of those elected or appointed may not be included. The minutes list the election, resignation and deaths of corporation members (1907-1962). Financial information, standing and special committee reports, administrative reports, and discussions about, may be described. Reports may be inserted into or included with the minutes: President, 1930s-1960s; administrative and committee, 1979-2006. Memorials, correspondence and notices of meetings may be included. Agendas for the meetings may not be included.

The minutes format consists of handwritten bound volumes, 1877-1932, and typed sheets compiled in minute books and notebooks, 1932-1983. Photocopies of unsigned minutes have been provided since 1984.

Since 1989, the minutes have included extensive supporting documents such as reports, other committee minutes, and administrative material. In 1995 Chair Barnet Fain reorganized the supporting material into an agenda notebook for each meeting. The notebook packet serves as the meeting record beginning September 1995, essentially duplicating the Trustees Meeting files (02.3.1). The Archives maintains notebooks holding just the minutes and agendas, 1989-2004, in order to facilitate the use of the records. The minutes with all supporting material comprise a new series, Agenda Notebooks, 1995-2007.

    Volumes

  • 1877 March 5 - 1902 June 11
  • 1902 Oct 8 - 1921 April 13
  • 1921 June 8 - 1932 June 8
  • 1932 Oct 12 - 1941 Oct 8
  • 1942 Jan 14 - 1953 Oct 14
  • 1954 April 14 - 1960 Nov 17
  • 1961 April 18 - 1965 April 19
  • 1965 Oct 19 - 1973 Nov 20
  • 1974 May 14 - 1983 Nov 15
  • 1984 May 15 - 1988 Oct 3
  • 1989 Feb 5 - 1995 Oct 5
  • 1989 Feb 6 - 1999 May 8
  • 1999 Nov 4 - 2006 Oct 6

Series II. Secretary's correspondence
The series contains six letters sent to Sarah Doyle and two letters written by Howard Rice. The Doyle correspondence includes letters from Governor John W. Davis (1887 June 11), Henry H. Fay (1880 April 17), George C. Mason (1878 Nov 20), and Marshall Woods (1877 Oct 5) regarding their elections to the Board of Directors; a letter of resignation from Board member C. A. L. Richards, Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church (1880 April); and a letter from Board of Directors member Rowland Hazard stating his opinions on the state of and the importance of education (1882 April 15).

The Rice correspondence contains his letter of resignation as Corporation Secretary (1914 Oct 21) and a subsequent letter acknowledging the Board's acceptance of his resignation and his thoughts about Helen Metcalf (1914 Oct 27).

For Sec. G. Alder Blumer, 1914-1931, see Office of the Executive Vice-President records, 1905-1965. For William H. Edwards, 1931-1968, see Office of the Executive Vice-President records, 1905-1965 and Office of the President. Trustees, 1943-1992.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Davis, Gov. John W.
 1887 June 11
Box 1, Folder 2 Fay, Henry H.
 1880 April 17
Box 1, Folder 3 Hazard, Rowland
 1882 April 15
Box 1, Folder 4 Mason, George C.
 1878 Nov 20
Box 1, Folder 5 Richard, C.A.L.
 1880 April
Box 1, Folder 6 Woods, Marshall
 1877 Oct 5
Box 1, Folder 7 Howard M. Rice resignation
 1914 Oct 21

Series III. Agenda notebooks
The Agenda Notebooks contain records collected for each Board of Trustees meeting, 1995-2007. In 1995 Chair Barnet Fain organized the meeting records into notebooks with records keyed to specific agenda items. The records may include agendas, meeting minutes, committee reports, financial reports, by-law amendments, memorandums, brochures, trustee nominations, remarks by officers, and building plans. The records may document presentations to the Board by faculty, students, staff, alumni, or consultants.

    Volumes

  • 1995 Oct 15 - 1997 Feb 8
  • 1997 April 25 - 1999 Nov 6
  • 1999-2000
  • 2000-2001
  • 2001-2002
  • 2002-2003
  • 2003-2004
  • 2004-2005
  • 2005-2006
  • 2006-2007