Manuscripts - Collection of Gallaudet College Alumni Association, 1975-1990

MSS 139

Gallaudet College Alumni Association, est. 1889

Collection of Gallaudet College Alumni Association, 1975-1990

Gallaudet University Archives

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Gallaudet University Archives

Call No.: MSS 139

Creator:

Title: Collection of Gallaudet College Alumni Association, 1975-1990

Quantity: 1.5 Linear Feet (3 document boxes)

Abstract:

Note: This document last updated 2005 December 7.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information: The Gallaudet College Alumni Association Collection was given to the Gallaudet University Archives. The gift was made in the 1990s.

Processed by: Octavian Robinson. 2004 November 8.

Processing Note: Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open to the public with no restrictions. Photocopies may be made for scholarly research.

Related Material in the Archives: See ALADIN

Historical Sketch

The Gallaudet College Alumni Association was established in 1889. The association got its start with the unveiling of Daniel Chester French’s sculpture of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Alice Cogswell. This statue was a gift from the alumni and friends of the college. The day after the unveiling, the alumni who had gathered for the unveiling met to establish an alumni association. In 1893, when the Columbia Institution changed its name to Gallaudet College in honor of T.H. Gallaudet, the alumni played a large role in this. The alumni continued to make waves on Kendall Green. One example is the generous donation of $50,000 for a memorial building in honor of Edward M. Gallaudet. In 1967, to keep up with the alumni, the college opened an alumni office on campus and hired a full-time director to oversee its daily operations. Thousands of alumni return to Kendall Green to visit their alma mater every year. Homecoming serves as a great occasion for their reunions. In 1989, more than 1,000 alumni visited for the association’s centennial reunion. The Gallaudet University Alumni Association currently boasts a membership of 15,000+ alumni.

Scope and Content

The collection includes correspondence, news clippings, biographical sketches, press releases, contracts, information packets, by-laws, guidelines, committee papers, board minutes, reports, letters, agendas, chapter drafts, and resolutions. The dates range from 1975-1988. Materials are evenly distributed among this range. This gives the researcher a glimpse into the workings of the alumni association and its concerns/interests. The most interesting item in this collection is the letter from Edward C. Merrill to Chairman of the Board, Jane Basset Spilman, regarding selecting a hearing candidate for president in 1988.

Series Descriptions and Folder Lists

No Series