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Inventory of the John Franklin Crowell Records and Papers, 1883 - 1932 and undated

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Descriptive Summary

Title
John Franklin Crowell Records and Papers, 1883 - 1932 and undated.
Creator
Crowell, J. Franklin (John Franklin), 1857-1931.
Extent
9.5 Linear Feet,
9500 Items
Repository
University Archives, Duke University
Abstract
John Franklin Crowell was an educator, economist, and journalist. He served as President of Trinity College (Randolph County, and Durham, N.C.) from 1887-1894. The John Franklin Crowell Records and Papers primarily consist of materials concerning Crowell's research interests and publications; his presidency of Trinity College; and his activities after leaving Trinity. The collection includes correspondence, reprints, manuscripts, memoranda, scrapbooks, photographs, printed matter, account books, cash books, and grade books. Materials range in date from 1883 to 1932.
Language
English.
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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Use Restrictions
Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], John Franklin Crowell Records and Papers, University Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
The John Franklin Crowell Records and Papers was received by the University Archives as a gift in 1938 (A38-1733) and ca. 1941.
Processing Information
Processed by Linda Daniel
Completed November 2003
Encoded by Linda Daniel, November 2003
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note

John Franklin Crowell was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1857, and received his A.B. from Yale University in 1883. After serving as principal of Schuylkill Seminary in Pennsylvania, Crowell returned to Yale to study for one year in the Divinity School and for one year in the Graduate School.

At the age of 29, Crowell became President of Trinity College. He served as President, in Randolph County and in Durham, from 1887-1894. Crowell was instrumental in moving Trinity College to Durham and gaining the support of the Duke family. His vision was for Trinity to become a great university and he traveled across the state to publicize its programs. Crowell gradually upgraded the faculty and improved the educational facilities of the college. He was responsible for modernizing Trinity's curriculum, turning it away from recitation and towards research. Crowell was also interested in athletics and introduced intercollegiate football to the South.

After leaving Trinity, Crowell became head of the Department of Economics and Sociology at Smith College. Crowell received his Ph.D. in economics and sociology from Columbia in 1897. Two areas of interest to him were the plight of the poor in N.Y. tenement houses and the development of the cotton markets. Crowell was an economist and statistician for several years in New York and Washington. From 1906 to 1915, he was an associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, and later became director of the World Market Institute in New York. Crowell retired in 1925, and died in East Orange, New Jersey in 1931.

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Collection Overview

The collection includes correspondence, reprints, manuscripts, memoranda, scrapbooks, photographs, printed matter, account books, cash books, and grade books. The correspondence includes letters about the relocation of Trinity from Randolph County to Durham and Crowell's vision for Trinity College. Research and writings include research notes, reprints, manuscripts, photographs, and memorandum books. The memorandum books include notes on a variety of subjects including NY tenements, economic and financial subjects, and personal notes. Scrapbooks include printed matter concerning Trinity College, newspaper clippings on commodity markets, and shipping reports. The printed matter consists of clippings, flyers, newspapers, announcements, and other material pertaining to Crowell's interests. The account books, cash books, and grade books are part of the Trinity College Records, and give details about college life. Major subjects of the collection include Crowell's presidency of Trinity College (Randolph County, and Durham, N. C.); his research interests and publications; and activities after leaving Trinity.
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Subject Headings

These and related materials may be accessed under the following subject headings in the Duke University Libraries online catalog.
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Related Material

Herbert Baxter Adams Papers, 1891-1913 (bulk 1891-1902).
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.

Board of Trustees Records.
University Archives, Duke University.

[Forms part of:] Duke University President Records.
University Archives, Duke University.

Trinity College (Randolph County, N.C.) Collection, 1836-1990.
University Archives, Duke University.

List of Series in Collection
Correspondence, 1883-1923 and undated
Writings and Research, 1887-1923 and undated
Trinity College Records, 1886-1923 and undated
Oversize Materials
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Detailed Description of the Collection

Correspondence, 1883-1923 and undated

The correspondence includes letters about the relocation of Trinity from Randolph County to Durham, the building program, means for publicizing the College, increasing the endowment, and related subjects.
Box 1
   Folder 1
1883-1887
   Folder 2
Jan.-May, 1888
   Folder 3
June-Aug., 1888
   Folder 4
Sept.-Nov., 1888
   Folder 5
Dec. 1888-Jan.1889
   Folder 6
Feb.-March, 1889
Box 2
   Folder 7
April-May, 1889
   Folder 8
June-July, 1889
   Folder 9
Aug.-Oct., 1889
   Folder 10
Nov. 1889-Jan. 1890
   Folder 11
Feb.-March, 1890
   Folder 12
April 1890
Box 3
   Folder 13
May 1890
   Folder 14
June 1890
   Folder 15
July 1890
   Folder 16
Aug. 1890
   Folder 17
Sept. 1890
   Folder 18
Oct. 1890
   Folder 19
Nov.-Dec., 1890 1890
   Folder 20
Jan.-Dec., 1891
Box 4
   Folder 21
Jan.-June, 1892
   Folder 22
July-Dec., 1892
   Folder 23
Jan.-May, 1893
   Folder 24
June-Dec., 1893
   Folder 25
1894
   Folder 26
1894   Letter press book.
This book is extremely fragile. Please consult staff before using.
Box 5
   Folder 27
1895-1921
   Folder 28
1922-1923 and undated

Writings and Research, 1887-1923 and undated

Crowell's writings and research materials include manuscripts of "Personal Recollections of Trinity College " (1929), "Stray Notes of a Traveller " (1898), and "The Process of Social Development: Theoretical Foundations of Educational Policy from the Standpoint of Sociology" (1898). Scrapbooks, 1887-1910, include printed matter concerning Trinity College, when it was located in Randolph County and in Durham; newspaper clippings on commodity markets; shipping reports; and other matter. Memorandum books, 1890-1926 and undated, include an enumeration book and clippings from an 1894 tenement house inquiry made by the New York State Tenement Committee, of which Crowell was a member; notebooks on economic and financial subjects; plus small miscellaneous personal notebooks. The printed matter consists of clippings, flyers, newspapers, announcements, and other material pertaining to Crowell's interests, along with some personal records, including certificates of membership and honoraries.

Writings, 1888-1921 and undated
   Folder 29
Reprints of Addresses and Outlines of Lectures, 1888-1899 and undated
   Folder 30
Manuscript, "Stray Notes of a Traveller," 1898.
Pages 19-28 are missing from Section II.
   Folder 31
Manuscript, "The Process of Social Development: A Theoretical Foundation of Educational Policy from the Standpoint of Sociology, " 1898
   Folder 32
Manuscript, "Cotton in the World's Market," 1912
   Folder 33
Lecture Notes, 1912-1921 and undated
Includes poem by Crowell, "The Little Mountain Rose," 1920
Box 6
   Folder 34-37
Manuscript, "Personal Recollections of Trinity College, North Carolina, 1887-1894," 1929
Box 7
   Folder 38-40
Lectures, Manuscripts, and Notes, undated
Includes notes and copies of lectures, divided into three folders, on a wide variety of topics. Titles include "The Scientic Problem," "The Instruments and Documents of Commerce," "Slavery, " "The Economic Solution to the Social Question," and others.
   Folder 41
Photographs, 1919-1920 and undated
Eleven black and white photographs showing several U.S. ports, wharves, and terminals, as well as cargoes of coffee, lumber, and hemp.

Memorandum Books, 1890-1926 and undated
Includes an enumeration book and clippings from an 1894 tenement house inquiry made by the New York State Tenement Committee, of which Crowell was a member, small miscellaneous personal accounts, and notebooks on econocmic and financial subjects.
   Folder 42
1890-1891
   Folder 43
[1892]
Box 8
   Folder 44
Notes and Clippings on N.Y. Tenements, 1894
   Folder 45
2 Books, Economic Subjects, 1898
   Folder 46
1910-1926
   Folder 47
1914-1917
   Folder 48
1915-1917
   Folder 49
1916
   Folder 50
1920
   Folder 51
Financial Subjects, undated

Scrapbooks, 1887-1910
The scrapbooks contain materials collected by Crowell on a wide variety of topics. The scrapbooks from 1887-1894, 1890, and 1891-1910 deal with Trinity College, when it was located in Randolph County and in Durham. These scrapbooks contain printed matter produced by or for the college, such as application forms, commencement programs, letterhead, sample forms, notices, and advertising, along with clippings, newspaper articles by Crowell, and other material. The two scrapbooks from 1906-1908 deal, almost exclusively, with the development of agricultural markets within the United States.
These scrapbooks are fragile. Please consult staff before using.
   Folder 52
1887-1894
Scrapbook removed to Oversize Box 15.
   Folder 53
1890
Scrapbook removed to Oversize Box 16.
   Folder 54
1891-1910
Scrapbook removed to Oversize Box 16.
Box 9
   Folder 55
1906-1907
Box 10
   Folder 56
1907-1908

Printed Materials, 1888-1932 and undated
Includes printed materials collected by Crowell to aid his writings and research, and for personal use.
   Folder 57
Clippings, bulletins, and souvenirs, 1888-1932
   Folder 58
Clippings, 1889-1923 and undated
   Folder 59
Clippings, 1893-1894
   Folder 60
Charts, 1894 and undated
   Folder 61
Biographical Information, 1901-1905 and undated
Includes biographical sketch and certificates of membership.

Trinity College Records, 1886-1923 and undated


Administrative Records, [1888]-1894
Includes petitions from students for holidays and breaks, departmental reports, notes on operating expenses, rules for awarding scholarships, the duty of monitors, room rates, student conduct, and groundskeeping activities, library reports, and athletic reports.
   Folder 62
Petitions, [1888]-[1890?]
   Folder 63
Proposals, [1889]-[1891]
Includes proposals for the creation of a preparatory school (Trinity Park School?), plans for Trinity Law School and a plan for the inauguration of a hospital and medical college at Trinity.
Box 11
   Folder 64
Copy of The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,edited by W. P. Harrison, 1890
Inscribed with the notation, "Presented by T.J. Gattis & Son for insertion in the cornerstone of Trinity College, N.C., Nov. 11, 1890."
   Folder 65
Library Reports, 1890-1894
   Folder 66
Athletics, [1890?]-1892
   Folder 67
History of Trinity College, [1890?]-[1893]
Includes manuscript by W.M. Robbins, "Trinity College: Its Antecedents, Its Early Day, Its Founders."
   Folder 68
Committee Reports, [1890?]-1894
Includes reports from the buildings committee, groundskeeping, a discipline committee appointed by the faculty, and others.
   Folder 69
Departmental Reports, 1891-1893
Includes reports from mechanical, school of technology, biology, history, and mathematics.
   Folder 70
Correspondence, 1891-1894

Financial Records, 1887-1923
Trinity College financial records consist of volumes and papers. They include bills and receipts, many for the Trinity College Book Room, and five account books, 1886-1890, one of which includes memoranda and minutes of faculty meetings, 1889-1890; the remaining volumes are bookstore cash and day books, 1889-1892.
   Folder 71
1887-1888
   Folder 72
1888-1889
   Folder 73
1889
Box 12
   Folder 74
1890
   Folder 75
1890-1891
   Folder 76
1891
   Folder 77
1891-1892
Box 13
   Folder 78
1892-1923

Account Books, 1886-1890
Includes list of receipts and expenditures.
   Folder 79
1886
   Folder 80
1887
   Folder 81
1888
   Folder 82
1889-1890
   Folder 83
1889-1890
Includes receipts for fees and tuition; expenditures for salaries, repair, equipment, and operating expenses; and minutes of faculty meetings.

Cash Books for Trinity Bookstore, 1888-1891 and undated
Includes four cash books with receipts for purchases made at the bookstore.
   Folder 84
Sept. 1888-June 1889
Nov. 1889-June 1890
Sept. 1891-July 1892
undated

Academic Records, 1887-1894
The academic records include a volume of prepared examinations for various courses offered between 1889 and 1894; a record of courses (1893); scholarships offered and awarded (1893-1894); roll books for 1891-1894 with lists of matriculants, class and course records; grade books and grade book stubs from 1887-1893; and what may be Trinity College's oldest thesis, "Compulsory Education: Why and How?" by Gustavus T. Adams (1889). .
Box 14
   Folder 85
Degree Applications, 1889
   Folder 86
Thesis by Gustavus O. Adams, "Compulsory Education: Why and How, " 1889
   Folder 87
Examination Papers Scrapbook, 1889-1894
Includes questions from a wide variety of disciplines, such as physical geography, english history, and algebra.
Examination papers scrapbook removed to Oversize Box 17.
   Folder 88
Roll Book, 1892
   Folder 89
Absence Record, 1892
   Folder 90
Matriculates, Record of Courses, and Scholarships Sept. 1893-June 1894

Student Grades, 1887-1893
Grade Books 1887-1891
Each book is made up of the stubs from the grade books.
   Folder 91
Freshman Class, 1887
Fall, 1889
[Spring], 1890
Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior Classes, Fall, 1890
Freshman Class, Spring, 1891
Sophomore Class, Spring, 1891
Junior and Senior Classes, Spring, 1891
   Folder 92
Grades, 1888-1891
Includes weekly and semester grades.
   Folder 93
Grade Book, [B.B. Nicholson], 1893

Oversize Materials

Oversize  15
Scrapbook that was removed from Box 8, Folder 52.
Oversize  16
Scrapbook that was removed from Box 8, Folder 53.
Scrapbook that was removed from Box 8, Folder 54.
Oversize  17
Examination Papers Scrapbook that was removed from Box 14, Folder 87.