The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. It became the Rhode Island College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts in 1892 and the first class was graduated two years later. The name was changed in 1909 to Rhode Island State College and in 1951 the College became the University of Rhode Island. The material in the collection traces the development of the University of Rhode Island from its inception as the state's agricultural school to its attainment of university status.
Any qualified person doing scholarly research is permitted to use material housed in the Special Collections Unit.
Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
University Archives (Miscellaneous), Rec. Gr. 137, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections.
Material includes: records relating to the Morrill Land Grant Act; other federal and state laws relating to the University; financial records, including reports to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior and the R.I. Commissioner of Finance, an invoice ledger book, student fee receipts and payroll lists; service contracts; blueprints and specifications for campus buildings; a journal thought to be the official office diary of the University's first president, John H. Washburn; registers of alumni, honor students, scholarship recipients, and students involved with World War I; a scrapbook of school history; correspondence; news clippings; plaques; printing plates; seals; pennants. Of particular interest are materials relating to the acquisition of the Oliver Watson Farm, site of the school, a Pathe news film on the school's varsity basketball team coached by Frank Keaney, and material detailing the controversial dismissal of Dr. Burt L. Hartwell, head of the R.I. Agricultural Experiment Station. The collection is arranged in accession order.
The collection is arranged in accession order.
The items in the collection were acquired at various times. See descriptions of the individual items for more information.
Material includes: records relating to the Morrill Land Grant Act; other federal and state laws relating to the University; financial records, including reports to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior and the R.I. Commissioner of Finance, an invoice ledger book, student fee receipts and payroll lists; service contracts; blueprints and specifications for campus buildings; a journal thought to be the official office diary of the University's first president, John H. Washburn; registers of alumni, honor students, scholarship recipients, and students involved with World War I; a scrapbook of school history; correspondence; news clippings; plaques; printing plates; seals; pennants. Of particular interest are materials relating to the acquisition of the Oliver Watson Farm, site of the school, a Pathe news film on the school's varsity basketball team coached by Frank Keaney, and transcripts of newspaper articles detailing the controversial dismissal of Dr. Burt L. Hartwell, head of the R.I. Agricultural Experiment Station.
These notes taken from the Educational Conference were taken by Lucy Comins Tucker. There is a reference to this in Echenbacher's book "The University of Rhode Island".
Folder contains 7 pen and ink cartoons attributed to Edwin Roche and his student placement file. The student placement file was deposited in the University Archives by the URI Foundation in July 2013.
This personal memoir details the history and events leading to its establishment of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School. The memoir and other documents from Peter Merenda were given to the Special Collections Unit with the President Robert L. Carothers papers on 2011 December 27.
This memory book is representative of the achievements during Evelyn B. Morris' time working at the University of Rhode Island. The book contains photographs of Evelyn B. Morris herself, and changes that occurred at the University during her time there (1942-1967).
Evelyn B. Morris served as dean of women and associate dean of students at the University of Rhode Island for 31 years from 1942 until her retirement in 1973, when she became Dean Emerita at URI. She graduated from Mankato High School, Mankato, MN, in 1931 and from the School of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1935. She received her M.A. degree in student personnel administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, in 1941.
Following college, she worked one year as editorial assistant for the
In 1965, South County (RI) Business and Professional Women's Club named her "Woman of the Year"; in 1973, URI designated the Great Hall at Eleanor Roosevelt Hall on the URI campus in Kingston as the "Evelyn B. Morris Room"; and in 1974, the National Association of Women Deans, Administrators, and Counselors cited her for her "long years of distinguished leadership to girls and women."
In Kingston she lived for many years in her home at 15 Little Rest Road. She was born on March 24, 1913, in Delphos, Kansas, and died on March 13, 1997, in Evanston, Illinois.
The contents of Folders 254 to 272 are from the time capsule placed with the cornerstone during the construction of Davis Hall. The time capsule was placed during a ceremony on July 23, 1890 and was retrieved on April 13, 1992. Along with these materials is the original black metal box that held the items.
This folder contains a variety of agreements and leases between the University of Rhode Island and other individuals and companies. Companies and individuals include Alfred Morse, Wickford Shipyard, ROTC, Ritzinger Family, West Chemical Products, Inc., the City of Providence, Whiting's Market Basket, Inc., the Homeopathic Hospital of Rhode Island, the Pawtucket Memorial Hospital and the Church of Deliverance.
Harold W. "Hal" Kopp was appointed head of the URI Football Team in 1950. Kopp had the same rebuilding spirit as Keaney and brought many successful seasons to the University of Rhode Island football team. He had the best won-lost percentage of any football coach at Kingston during his five-year career and remained active in the football world even after his retirement. Kopp was also awarded as an Honorary Member of the University of Rhode Island's class 1980.
Contains the R.I.S.C. Placement Office files for the following students: Bertram Brown (B.S., Class of 1936), Arthur B. Cuddy (B.S., Class of 1937), Herbert S. Galkin (B.S., Class of 1946), Elinor H. Suitor (B.S., Class of 1941), Patrick J. Sullivan (B.S., Class of 1934), Helen E. Szymkowicz (B.S., Class of 1940), Mary Van Benschoten (B.S., Class of 1935).
Folder contains items deposited to the University Archives by Dr. Michael Rice in July 2013. Items included are: Alpha Zeta Fraternity Chapter Charter (1936 May 29); Chapter Signatures, Directors of the Northeastern Experiment Stations (1975 July 15) (2 copies); Charter Members List, "The National Honorary Extension Fraternity, Epsilon Sigma Phi" (1938 May 26); "Proclamation Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station Centennial Week" by Philip W. Noel Governor (1976).
The original owner is unknown. The lettering on the sweater is in "Keaney Blue."
Included is a small collection of letters written about the retirement and dinner for Dean George E. Adams from R.I.S.C. in 1938. Notable letters were written by Everett P. Christopher and President Raymond G. Bressler.
Box contains items deposited to the University Archives by Elizabeth J. McNab in May 2014 from the collection of Mrs. Clarice S. Metz (wife of Dr. William Metz).
Box contains a baseball used during a Rhode Island State College donated to the Special Collections by Corey Graff. The baseball once belonged to Miss Helen Barbara Leon (Class of 1941) and was used during a men's baseball game against the University of New Hampshire on May 27, 1939. On the baseball there are numerous markings and writings including the final scored of the game saying "RI 2, NH 1" and the owners name "Miss Helen Leon, Delta Zeta, Kingston, R.I."
This box contains four figures (including three bobbleheads). The three bobble heads are of Ben Eaves (2006-2007, 2008-2011), Delroy James (2007-2011), and Marquis Jones (2007-2011). And the large figure is of Coach Jim Baron. Baron was coach of the men's basketball team from 2001-2012.
In this box there are 4 plates for each year between 1987-1990. On the reverse there are numbers for each plate in the year they were produced (1987 = #40, 1988 = #53, 1989 = #1, 1990 = #142) and a full description of the group: "Howard Edwards, third president of The University of Rhode Island and professor of English and modern languages, was an early and strong advocate of land grant education. He saw it as a means of shaping a new American society. The strength of today's public universities and the key role they play testify to his vision and perseverance. The Edwards roundtable was established in his memory to recognize donors who have contributed $5,000 or more in a given year."
The "College Banners" are large hanging banners representing each of the colleges at the University of Rhode Island. Numbered from 1 to 11 are (in this order) the College of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Business Administration, College of Human Science and Services, College of Nursing, University College, College of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Oceanography, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Continuing Education, and the Graduate School.
These two letters between Igor Sikorsky to Prof. Francis W. Hoye in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rhode Island discuss an invitation (and acceptance) for Sikorsky to visit the University and give a lecture to the student engineering societies.
This folder contains three record books for URI's Eclectic Musical and Literary Society, dating to the University's earliest years. The records include meeting notes, finances, and the group's constitution.
This notebook belonged to a student named R. Lightfoot, who took the Aeronautics course in the fall of 1934 for his Mechanical Engineering degree. The course was taught by Prof. Igor Sikorsky and Prof. Nicholas Alexander.
The Freshmen Packet includes material given to incoming freshmen during the 1924 and 1928 school year. It includes information about registration, rooms, transportation, dining halls, and payments.
This box contains notecards of the names and dates of all men at RISC who served in World War I from 1917-1918. The cards also include class year and the branches/units of the military they served in. They are organized in original order, by date of service.
This box contains 15 folders regarding URI's internal study of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project by Amtrak in the late 1970's. The documents include maps, notes, budgets, and environmental studies that URI Vice President for Business and Finance, Dr. A. Petrocelli, used in his study to determine the impact of the project on the campus and its surrounding neighborhood.
Lorenzo Kinney Jr. was the University's first publicity director in the early 1930's. These documents pertain to his involvement in a country-wide program known as the American College Publicity Association that promoted the importance of publicity at colleges and universities. The New England District Conference was held at Rhode Island State College in April of 1937.
This folder contains news clippings and documents pertaining to the URI faculty strike in 1979.