President's Office records

The records of the President’s Office document a wide range of Barnard's history and affairs, as well as the principal activities of the President and her staff. Contents of the collection vary markedly over time. Records produced by Presidents Millicent McIntosh, Rosemary Park, and Martha Peterson (1952-1975) mainly consist of correspondence, with limited additional materials such as meeting minutes and speeches. Records created by Jacqueline Mattfeld and subsequent presidents (1976-present) include multiple formats of materials created and received by the President’s Office: correspondence, speeches, addresses, publications, reports, meetings minutes, journals, calendars, statistics, investment portfolios, photographs, surveys, capital campaign documentation, and Barnard College-Columbia University relations and intercorporate agreements. Starting with President Judith Shapiro (1994-present), records include born-digital as well as paper and analog materials.

The changes in the records of the President over the years reflect changes in the responsibilities and structure of the office. During presidential tenures prior to Judith Shapiro, the office was heavily involved in day-to-day decision-making on campus, with all policy and practical changes requiring substantial input and approval from the President. The records of Presidents from Shapiro onwards document some internal processes, such as accreditation reviews; however, the majority of the records produced by the office reflect a shift towards external priorities such as donor relations and fundraising.

Of note are materials that document the formation and functioning of key academic and administrative departments and offices across the College; correspondence with Barnard College’s Board of Trustees; student and staff disciplinary measures and grievances; administrative responses to student activism; student and staff strikes; presidential task forces and supernumerary committees such as the President’s Council and the Task Force on Divestment; and aggregated statistics on the demographics of students, faculty, and staff, with breakdowns by race and ethnicity.

Correspondents with the President’s Office include both internal and external recipients: academic and administrative departments, alums, faculty, the Office of the General Counsel, parents, students, trustees, corporate and governmental representatives, Columbia University administrators, donors, and various committees.

This collection provides unique insight into how the role of the President at the College has developed historically. Additionally, it tells a story from the “top”: researchers interested in surfacing histories of resistance, protest, activism and their suppression on campus should explore the President’s Office records for brief glimpses into these crucial moments.

For a more detailed description of collection contents, please see individual series.