Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Records of the St. Cloud State Alumni Association
Date(s)
- 1874-2006 (Creation)
Extent
5.46 linear feet
Name of creator
Administrative history
The St. Cloud State Alumni Association was established on April 28, 1881. That year there were two hundred and six graduates of St. Cloud College who were eligible to join the association. The Alumni Association has dedicated itself to keeping graduates of the school connected with their alma mater and also on raising funds for resources and items such as scholarships and memorials.
The alumni association was established on April 28, 1881, where Professor Thomas Gray was elected president. Others elected at that time include:
Vice President : Flora M. Truman
Corresponding Secretary: Mary L. Upham
Recording Secretary: W.H. Alden
Records are sparse from the early period of the Association’s history but continue to grow in size as the years progress.
On March 26, 1932, the Alumni Association was incorporated in the state of Minnesota. The bylaws called for the association to be run and managed by a Board of Directors. Board members were to be elected for terms of office.
In 1965, an alumni executive director was hired to help plan and expedite events and services offered through the Alumni Association. Though its not clear how this position related to the director of alumni relations position, its likely it was the same person doing two different but related jobs.
In the 1966 Handbook for Chapter Coordinators, it states that the general purposes of the Alumni Association are:
• To promote the objectives of St. Cloud State College through the establishment and maintenance of contact between the college, its graduates and its students.
• To promote effective interest in and loyalty to St. Cloud State College on the part of its alumni and the public in general.
• To foster and encourage good scholarship and to offer awards and appropriate means of recognition for excellence in all forms of educational endeavors of various kinds contributing to the welfare of St. Cloud State College.
The specific purposes of the Alumni Chapters and Coordinators are:
• To be a communication link between the Alumni Association and the graduates.
• To sponsor annual alumni reunions.
• To assist the Alumni Office in the updating of alumni records.
• To serve in the advisory capacity to the Alumni Board of Directors.
• To identify potential leadership among Alumni Association members.
• To assist in the growth of the Alumni Association program.
In 1963, the association began presenting the Distinguished Alumni Awards to former outstanding students. The awards were (and still are) made during the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner on Homecoming weekend.
Also taking place during Homecoming is the annual meeting of the Alumni Association. The membership is given the financial statement of the Association and program reports are given by both the Alumni Director and Alumni President. Every two years, Association officers are elected at the annual meeting.
St. Cloud State University procured the house that is now known as the Alumni House on November 17, 1972. The house was designed by a local architect named Louis Pinault and built in 1924 by Hubert Hansen. The house was built for Dr. Claude Lewis, who was a prominent surgeon and was also the brother of famous author Sinclair Lewis. After the death of Dr. Lewis, his second wife sold the house to L. Ferne Atwood in 1964. The state then purchased the Lewis-Atwood home due to the accelerating growth of the university grounds.
A notable event that was presented by the Alumni Association was the 125th Anniversary of St. Cloud State University. The official kick-off took place on September 10, 1994 at the Capitol grounds in St. Paul. The festivities included a relay-style event called “Journey to St. Cloud” which featured various modes of transportation from the steps of the Capitol to the campus in St. Cloud. According to Bob Dinndorf, SCSU Alumni Association Executive Director, “We want the transportation in the journey to mark progression from historical to modern. The journey will take place along Highway 10. We would like to feature special events in the communities along Highway 10.” (Letter, dated April 19, 1994)
Name of creator
Administrative history
St. Cloud State University was established by the state of Minnesota in 1869 as the Third State Normal School.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
There are thirteen boxes in this collection which contain records from (and also about) the St. Cloud State Alumni Association. The records date from 1874 to 2006.
The records in this collection are arranged chronologically into seven series. The seven series are:
Series 1: Correspondence, 1914-1974
This series contains correspondence between members of the Alumni Association and also to graduates whilst attempting to create a directory of former students. There is much more correspondence (such as personal letters, greeting cards, and obituaries) that can be found in the Alumni Affairs records.
Series 2: Events, 1881-2006
This series is divided into the many events that the Alumni Association has sponsored throughout the years, such as banquets, reunions, homecoming celebrations, etc. The series contains invitations, reel-to-reel tapes, audio cassettes, and questionnaire forms. The Riverview Reunion folder contains items such as questionnaires/forms, invitations, and correspondence with the former students of the Riverview laboratory school on the campus of St. Cloud State University. The school was used by college students at St. Cloud State to learn how to teach children.
Series 3: Finances, 1932-1995
Included in this series are treasurer reports, ledgers, proposed budgets, statements of assets, expense reports, and share savings account books. The series also contains the paperwork related to the estates of two former St. Cloud State community members, Bessie Campbell and Isabel Lawrence.
Bessie Campbell was a student who bequeathed her home to the Alumni Association. Under the terms of the will, one-fourth of the proceeds were to be set aside for a memorial to honor her sister, Gertrude Campbell. The rest of the money was to be used for freshmen loans. The folder includes such items as property sale bids, correspondence, and resolutions.
There is also a folder for a former faculty member of the school, Miss Isabel Lawrence. Miss Lawrence was a teacher at St. Cloud State Teachers College for forty-two years. She had an unfortunate accident which fractured her hip and landed her in the hospital. The Alumni Association began a fund to reach $2300.00 in cash in order for Miss Lawrence to receive the teacher’s pension for 1931 and also a yearly income of $1054.34. Included in the papers are correspondence related to the estate, a copy of Miss Lawrence’s will, and receipts.
Series 4: History, 1874-1997
The History series contains information not only on the history of the Alumni Association, but also of the Student Alumni Advisory Board, newspaper clippings, a questionnaire regarding the College Chronicle, membership information, brochures, blank award certificates, etc. There is also an informative report included here titled, History of the St. Cloud State University Alumni Association April 28, 1881-April 28, 1981. This was a student project completed by John Urke.
Also included in the history section is an actual Distinguished Alumni Award that was presented to Helen Hill in 1967 by the Alumni Association at St. Cloud State College.
Series 5: Minutes, 1881-1996
This series contains the agendas and minutes from the meetings of various committees involved with the Alumni Association. These include the Alumni Association Committee, the Board of Directors Committee, the Finance Committee and the Budget Subcommittee, the Friedrich Fund Committee, the Membership Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Student Alumni Advisory Board Committee, and the Young Alumni Committee.
Series 6: Publications, 1908-1998
Included in this series are periodicals that the Alumni Association published throughout the years, as well as items relating to alumni associations in general.
Series 7: Miscellaneous
This series contains a scrapbook of past 50th year anniversary reunions of St. Cloud State classes. The scrapbook includes images of alums at the reunion events as well as a small amount of images of alums while they were students at St. Cloud State.
System of arrangement
Records are located at 22F.5f-7f.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
There are no access restrictions.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Permission to publish, quote, and reproduce must be secured from the copyright holder.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
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Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
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Sources used
Archivist's note
Processed by Alissa LaChapelle in September 2008.