American College for Girls records, 1880s-1979

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Series II: Records of the President


Subseries II.1: Annual Reports

The Annual Reports provide a valuable summary of the growth and evolution of ACG. After 1889-90 they generally appear in printed form. The format varies but many contain such information as a list of faculty, a summary of the academic year, reports from the departments, names and residences of the students, and a list of gifts to the college including names of donors.

For some years there is a separate printed "calendar" or catalog which includes admissions requirements, course listings, and information about the career and location of graduates.

The quality and breadth of the reports improve with the years; the later ones contain fuller information as well as appended lists and addenda. Some make mention of local or national affairs. The reports of 1894-95 and 1896-97 provide information about political unrest; the report of 1910-11 stresses the threat of a cholera epidemic. During the years of the Balkan Wars (1912-14) and World War I, President Patrick discusses the mood and conditions in Istanbul as well as the difficulties faced by the college. During the 1920s, the reports chronicle a period of growth for the college.

From 1932 on, there was one president for both Robert College and ACG and thus one report was prepared covering both institutions. Generally, each includes a dean's report that speaks more specifically about ACG's faculty and curriculum. There is also information about the activities of the students. In the absence of extensive faculty records, appended committee and departmental reports are particularly useful.



Box 19 Folder 1-12 Annual Report of the President, 1889-1812



Box 20 Folder 13-18 Annual Reports of the President, 1912-1921 (refer to 1918-1919 Annual Report for events from 1917), 1912-1921, 1918-1919



Box 21 Folder 18-27a Annual Report of the President, 1921-1934


Box 21 Folder 23 Report of the Dean, 1927-1928



Box 22 Folder 28-36 Annual Reports of the President, 1935-1947


Box 22 Folder 37-37a Joint Reports submitted to the Trustees, 1947-1949


Box 22 Folder 38 Condensed Annual Report, 1949-1950


Box 22 Folder 39 Annual Report of Dr. Elizabeth B. Stanton, American vice president and dean of the faculty,, 1950-1951


Box 22 Folder 40-42 Annual Report of the President, 1951-1955


Box 22 Folder 43 Summary Report for ACG (Duncan Ballantine), 1956


Box 22 Folder 44 Report, "A Comparison of ACG with American and Turkish Schools," (Ballantine), 1958 (For annual reports from 1959 to 1963 see Robert College Series 3, Box 28), 1958, 1959, 1963


Subseries II.2: Correspondence

Mary Mills Patrick's files contain only a small proportion of her voluminous correspondence. There are only a few copies of her own letters in this series. Fortunately, however, many originals may be found in the trustees series, and the administrative files of the New York Office. The presidential files consist largely of incoming letters from many colleagues and friends. These concern college affairs primarily, but other events as well. Some were sent to Dr. Patrick on her trips to Europe and the United States, and contain news about Turkey. For example, Roxana Vivian, acting president writes about her visit to parliament during the civil unrest in April 1909 (Box 23, Folder 7). There are letters (frequently copies) from Henry Morgenthau, Oscar S. Straus, Talcott Williams, and Albert Bushnell Hart. There are also a few letters from former students, and a folder of correspondence (copies) with the writers unidentified.

Dr. Patrick's concerted efforts to establish a medical school are well documented in these files. Finally, there is an address by Dr. Elsa P. Kimball at the memorial service for Dr. Patrick held in Canterbury, New Hampshire, June 30,1940.

Note: There is an additional box of Mary Patrick's correspondence located at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. Materials deal with the period of World War I.



Box 23 Folder 1 General correspondence to Patrick, 1895, 1898, 1895, 1898


Box 23 Folder 2 Correspondence Patrick/Robert Thomson re religious status of college (See reports to trustees/Stanwood, Box 1, for additional correspondence on this issue),, 1904


Box 23 Folder 2a Paper read by Patrick at memorial service for Clara Hamlin Lee,, 1902


Box 23 Folder 3 General correspondence to trustees from Patrick, 1903-1924


Box 23 Folder 4 Correspondence to Patrick from Peet, 1917, 1922, 1917, 1922


Box 23 Folder 5 Correspondence to Patrick from the field secretary, 1919


Box 23 Folder 6 Correspondence to Patrick from Borden, 1915


Box 23 Folder 7-9 General correspondence to Patrick, 1904-1929


Box 23 Folder 10 Correspondence to Patrick (unidentified), 1905-1923


Box 23 Folder 11 Patrick address: "The Significance of the Conference of the World's Student Christian Federation",, 1911


Box 23 Folder 12 Correspondence to Patrick re shipment of possessions at time of her retirement,, 1924


Box 23 Folder 13-17 Correspondence Patrick/Staub, 1922-1935


Box 23 Folder 18 Correspondence to the Medical Education Committee from Patrick,, 1919-1924


Box 23 Folder 19 Address given at Memorial Service for Patrick, 1940


Box 23 Folder 20 Correspondence to Adams, 1924-1932