University of Maine System. Board of Trustee Records

Record Group

Identifier: UA RG 0002-002

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records mainly contain textual information particularly meeting agendas, minutes, reports, notes, and supporting material from University of Maine Board of Trustee and various committees (both standing and ad-hoc committees), biographical information related to individual University of Maine trustees, chairs, sectaries, and clerks, and various files on subjects under consideration by the Board.

Dates

Creation: 1862-2000
Creation: Majority of material found within 1950-1980

Restrictions on Access

Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval. Personal identifiable and legally protected information will be redacted before release.

The University of Maine System Office should be contacted regarding material stored there. Confidential information will also be redacted from files stored at University of Maine System Office.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Information on literary rights available in the repository.

Conditions Governing Use

Information on literary rights available in the Raymond H. Fogler Library Special Collections Department.

Biographical / Historical

The University of Maine was founded in 1865 as the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts; in 1897 it became the University of Maine. The University of Maine System was created in 1968 by the Maine State Legislature "to develop, maintain and support a cohesive structure of public higher education in the State of Maine...unifying the University of Maine, Gorham State College, Farmington State College, Aroostook State College, Washington State College and Fort Kent State College.".

The board of trustees for the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts met for the first time in Augusta on April 25, 1865. The board contained 16 members representing the counties of the state. The first clerk of the board was S.L. Goodale. The first elected president of the board was Hannibal Hamlin (who served as vice U.S. president to Abraham Lincoln) and the first treasurer was Phinehas T. Barnes. The first executive committee of the board was also formed in 1865. At a board meeting in January 23, 1866 Phinehas T. Barnes replaced Hannibal Hamlin as the president of the board. In the early years of the board there was significant turnover in board members. The number of members required was also changed in 1867 from 16 to 7.

At a special meeting in 1897, the Board of Trustees approved the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts changing its name to the University of Maine. The first president of the University of Maine board of trustees was Henry Lord.

The formation of the University of Maine System in 1968 meant the the Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Chancellor were now responsible for governing and planning body of the whole System. The Board of Trustees oversees the System in areas such as academic programs, faculty tenure, tuition rates and operating budgets.

The Board currently consists of 16 members, 15 of which are appointed by the Governor and approved by the Maine Legislature. The trustees are all volunteers. The Maine Commissioner of Education serves as a member ex officio. Members are appointed for a five-year term and may be reappointed once. A student member of the Board is appointed for a single two-year term. The Board meets at the different University of Maine campuses across the state.

Each of the seven universities has a Board of Visitors. Each Board of Visitors consist of up to 20 members recommended by the campus presidents and confirmed by the Board of Trustees.

Extent

19 boxes

6 boxes (Half size boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The Board of Trustees are arranged intellectually by the series 1. Committee Records, 2. Biographical Files, 3. Subject Files, and 4. Corporate Records.

When possible the physical original order of the material was maintained. Some file names were changed to make them more meaningful and to correct errors. Items in Box 13 were incorrectly labelled as “finished business”. Most of this material was merged into the relevant existing folders. New folders were created for those subjects where there was not an existing folder. There appeared to be an unsuccessful attempt in Box 12 to arrange the folders in alphabetical order by last name. For preservation purposes the meeting minute volumes in boxes 18b-24 were moved into boxes having previously been stacked loosely on the shelves.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Box 4 contains a wooden shelving bookend which was shelved with the original folios and includes details of a previous storage location. Box 17 F11 contains tape recordings of University of Maine President Howard R. Neville's speech at the January 1974 University of Maine convocation.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

University of Maine's own records. Likely contains a mixture of curated records transferred from the clerks of the board of trustees and secretary of trustees and material curated from University of Maine administrator's records. A document from 1973 shows that discussions were had between University of Maine Fogler Library staff and Mrs. Margaret Dexter, Clerk of the Board of Trustees, Miss Vivian Massey, Exec. Secretary, and Mrs. Mary Call regarding the transfer of "non-confidential" material to Special Collections. The document also refers to the fact that minutes of the public board meetings are regularly sent to Special Collections.

The contents of Box 18a were transferred to the Library Annex from the University of Maine System Office on 03/04/2016.

Box 17, Folder 12 was transferred to Special Collections as accession #2017-0519.

Box 17, Folder 13 was transferred to the Library Annex from the office of the former head of special collections Richard Hollinger.

Box 18a Volumes 1b-4 and Folder 2 were transferred to the Library Annex from the office of Richard Hollinger in 2021.

Box 25 was transferred to the Library Annex from Special Collections in May 2022.

Accruals

Accruals for Board of Trustee records are anticipated as material is identified and transferred from the University of Maine System Office to Fogler Library for storage. Since 1997 some Board of Trustee records have been posted to the University of Maine System webpages, including meeting minutes and agendas and policies and procedures (http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/board-of-trustees/).

Related Materials

University Of Maine. Academic Affairs, UA RG 0006 includes records on the Board of Trustees.

University Of Maine. Office Of the President records, UA RG 0004 includes records on the Board of Trustees.

Microfilm copies of meeting minutes can also be found in Special Collections.

Photographs of Board of Trustees can also be found in the University of Maine Photo Collection in folder titled "University of Maine System".

Board of Trustee records are also stored at the University of Maine System Office. Including: binders containing meeting minutes and attached reports (June 1908 - October 1975, binders of Board of Trustees meeting materials (board books) (December 1975 - January 2015), and Committee meeting material (board books) with meeting minutes (January 2003 - January 2015). There are also binders containing intermingled copies of the Board of Trustees and Committee meeting minutes (only) from 1960 to present. Information contained in these records can be requested, but confidential information will be redacted.

From January 2015 onwards the System Office transitioned to electronic Board and committee meeting materials. These materials are posted on the Board of Trustees website (http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/board-of-trustees/).

For reference purposes both current and superseded Board of Trustee policy and procedures are stored at the University of Maine System Office. Current policy and procedures are avaliable online (http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/board-of-trustees/).

For reference purposes the University of Maine System Office also has records on both current and former trustees.

Bibliography

"Board of Trustees", University of Maine System, http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/board-of-trustees/ (accessed February 2016)

David C. Smith, "The First Century A History of the University of Maine 1865-1965" (University Maine at Orono Press, 1979)

General

The records former identification number was SpC MS 586.

Processing Information

Boxes 1-24 were processed by Matthew Revitt, January-February 2016 and Box 25 in May 2022, Raymond H. Fogler Library Special Collections Department. Processing involved a collection survey and intellectual arrangement into series, rehousing in appropriate archival folders and boxes (where needed), folder numbering and titling (where needed), and the creation of this finding aid.