Wesleyan University College Body Senate records

Collection

Identifier: 1000-379

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains 3 volumes from the College Body: a volume of minutes, a cash book, and a volume with correspondence and bills. It also includes an archival box with 6 volumes of minutes of the College Body Senate. Various items were laid into these volumes and these are described in the inventory.

Dates

Creation: 1904-1957

Creator

Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.). College Body Senate (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

University records - Copyright held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the creator - In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted

Some material is in public domain - No Copyright - United States

Biographical / Historical

The College Body was a student association of all Wesleyan University undergraduates organized under a constitution adopted June 11, 1904. The College Body Senate, student governing organization within the College Body, included a president, secretary-treasurer and senators elected from each fraternity and special interest (i.e., the Argus, varsity athletic teams, etc.) on campus. The president of the College Body traditionally served as president of its Senate.

At an October 1904 meeting, it was announced that the faculty had placed entire control of the student body in the hands of the college senate. The Senate allocated student activity funds and voted on matters of campus life. Its membership qualifications changed little through 1940. In 1941 the College Body Senate constitution was extensively revised, as it was again in 1948 and 1955.

A meeting of the College Body involved the entire student body. Over the years it appears students participated less and less as the College Body. All student business came to be decided exclusively at meetings of the Senate, with few attending who were not senators. In 1963 the College Body Senate was abolished in favor of a 5-man College Body Committee, losing much of its student governing aspect. In April 1978 the CBC was abolished and replaced by a Student Assembly.

Extent

2.0 Linear Feet (1 hollinger box and 3 folio volumes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Wesleyan's College Body was a student association composed of all students. It was founded in 1904. The College Body Senate was the student governing group within the College Body. The Senate was responsible for allocating student activity funds and managing student life on campus. The constitution of the College Body Senate was revised in 1941, 1948 and 1955. The Senate was abolished in 1963 and replaced with a College Body Committee. In 1978 the College Body Committee was replaced in turn by a Student Assembly.

Arrangement

The collection consists of two series:

Series I: College Body
Series II: College Body Senate Minutes

Immediate Source of Acquisition

All the College Body records and the Senate minutes from 1920-1933 were given by the Eclectic Fraternity in 19--.

The historical note and the analysis of the records were prepared by Marjorie A. Biafore ’79, mostly during the spring semester 1977.