Rhode Island School of Design. Office of the Treasurer records (5.0)
Rhode Island School of Design Archives
2 College StreetProvidence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-709-5922
Fax: 401-709-5932
email: risdarchives@risd.edu
Inventory
Series 5.1. Records
The records document the activities of the Treasurer and other officers,
1879-1991. The bulk of the records document the acquisition of real
estate by RISD including the main block area, the auditorium, the
dormitory/refectory complex, and individual outlying properties.
Records include deeds, title abstracts, attorney/client
correspondence, property boundaries, leases, and title insurance
policies. Records are organized by area and arranged by property
location. Main block records are arranged by assessor's plat lot
number. Street numbers are in parentheses. Records for main block
properties may include deeds, abstracts, or plot plans created
1795-1890 and collected by the Treasurer's office. See Carr House,
Braxton Court and the corner of College and Benefit Streets. Lists of
records held by Stephen O. Metcalf and transferred first to the Rhode
Island Hospital Trust then Murray S. Danforth, Jr. are included.
Series 5.1.2-5.1.4 are artificial series created during processing in
order to facilitate the records use. Contracts/Agreements include
records for Royal Bailey Farnum, 1929-1946, Museum Directors Alexander
Dorner, 1938-1941, and Gordon Washburn, 1942-1949, Brown
University/RISD agreements of 1902 and 1918, and construction records
for the Radeke Garden.
Gift records document the contributions of the Metcalf family,
1893-1924, and the proposed contribution of the John Brown House by
Marsden J. Perry, 1929. Gifts to the Museum include those of Lucy T.
Aldrich, 1934-1936.
Subject files include the contents of Stephen O. Metcalf's safe, circa
1918, records regarding the Hurricane of '38 paintings by John R.
Frazier and others, insurance records, a copyright certificate, steam
plant modification documents, 1956-1957, and immigrant student
records, 1927.
The materials in this series are organized into four subseries:
- I. Real Estate, 1892-1991
- II. Contracts/Agreements, 1902-1953
- III. Gifts, 1879-1950
- IV. Subject files, 1902-1987
Within the Real Estate series are five further subseries: Main Block, 1892-1953, Auditorium, 1938-1972, New Dorm Site, 1941-1959, Outlying Properties, 1937-1991, and Properties Sold, 1911-1972.
Subseries 1. Real Estate
Subsubseries 5.1.1.1. Main Block
Subsubseries 5.1.1.2. Auditorium
Subsubseries 5.1.1.3. New Dorm Site
Subsubseries 5.1.1.4. Outlying Properties
Subsubseries 5.1.1.5. Properties Sold
Subseries 2. Contracts/Agreements
Subseries 3. Gifts
Subseries 4. Subject files
Series 2. Reports
Prepared for presentation to the Board of Directors/Trustees, the
reports were created by or for the Treasurer. The reports for
1878-1917 were prepared by the Treasurer for June and October
meetings. The reports, handwritten through 1898, documented
receipts, expenditures, gifts and contributions, and provided
detailed accountings of investment funds. The $2 million Lyra
Brown Nickerson bequest in 1917 led the Board to transfer
responsibility for the reports to the Rhode Island Hospital Trust
Co. in 1918. The RIHT provided reports in May and June,
1918-1943, and in June, 1944-1947.
In September 1936, the RISD Comptroller began making quarterly
expense and expenditure reports to the Executive Committee. As
result, the RIHT provided only detailed reports on investment
funds. The Comptroller provided detailed expense and expenditure
reports filed with the RIHT reports, 1941-1947. The Comptroller's
report replaced the RIHT report with a general summary of
investment accounts in 1948. (See Office of the Comptroller
reports, 1938-1954; 06.1.2)
In 1953 the new RISD Treasurer assumed responsibility for the
reports. Created in December, March, and June through 1975, the
reports included a narrative section. The reports became annual
in 1976. Endowment funds are listed by name showing investment
totals, income, and expenditures. Beginning in 1965, the reports
may include Investment Committee reports and Budget Presentation
reports. The Treasurer's reports were published in booklets,
1954-1978, which include the auditor's annual narrative
report.
In 1979, the Treasurer's report became part of the Annual Report
and Financial Statements and its successors. (See Office of
Institutional Advancement, Donor reports, FY 1979-[ongoing];
18.1).
These materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
Series 3. Bequest and Gift records
Collected and organized by Comptroller Arthur Frey, 1947-1953, and
maintained by the Treasurer's Office, the records consist of
files and record books documenting bequests, gifts, and funds
donated to RISD. Arranged by donor, the files contain records
from 1914 to 1958 including copies of wills, deeds and
correspondence, first and final accounts of trusts, legal
correspondence to and from RISD corporate officers, lawyers for
estates and RISD, the Business Office, and Treasurer's Office.
Particular files include the Rayon Foundation Trust, Tillinghast
Place, scholarship funds, and Metcalf family gifts.
The Bequests and Wills books (1947-1978) contain typed copies of
gift letters, wills or particular clauses of wills, and bequests.
Organized alphabetically by donor, the books are a continuation
of the Charter, Acts, Contracts, Bequests and Deeds Record Book
maintained by Registrar Lena Danforth, [19--?]-1937 (5.4). The
bulk of the records cover the period 1914-1957 including
duplication of bequests transcribed by Danforth.
The Restricted Invested Funds file, created 1949-1952, includes
forms that document the name of the fund, date, the dollar amount
as of that date, and the purpose of the fund. In addition, the
file contains typed copies of records found in the Bequests and
Wills books.
The materials in this series are organized into three subseries:
- I. Files, 1914-1958
- II. Bequests and Wills Books, 1947-1978
- III. Restricted Invested Funds, 1949-1952, bulk 1949
Subseries 1. Files
Subseries 2. Bequests and Wills Books
| Container | Description | Date | ||
| Box 1, Folder 21 | Bequests and Wills Books; A-I |
1900-1978, bulk 1900-1957 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | Bequests and Wills Books; K-W |
1900-1978, bulk 1900-1957 |
Subseries 3. Restricted Invested Funds
| Container | Description | Date | ||
| Box 2, Folder 2 | Restricted Invested Funds |
1949-1952 |
Series 4. Charter, Acts, Contracts, Bequests and Deed Record
Books
The record book contains handwritten transcripts of RISD's charter
and legislative acts regarding the school (1877-1917), state
appropriations (1882-1913), a contract with the City of
Providence for scholarships (1901), bequests (1886-1937), and
deeds (1892-1917). The handwriting appears to be that of Lena
Danforth, Registrar (1901-1939). The date of creation is not
known. The bequests are continued in series 5.3, Bequest and Gift
records, 1948-1978.
Organized by subject, then chronologically.
Filed with series 5.3, Bequest and Gift records, 1948-1978; box 2,
folder 3.
