Inventory of the John Franklin Crowell Records and Papers, 1883 - 1932 and undated
[top]Descriptive Summary
TitleJohn
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
9500 Items
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.
[top]
Administrative Information
Access RestrictionsPatrons 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.
[top]
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.
[top]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.
[top]
Subject Headings
These and related materials may be accessed under
the following subject headings in the Duke University
Libraries online catalog.
- Crowell, J. Franklin (John Franklin), 1857-1931.
- Duke University--History.
- Duke University. President.
- Trinity College (Durham, N.C.)--History.
- Trinity College (Randolph County, N.C.)--History.
- Cotton--Marketing.
- Cotton trade--United States.
- Tenement houses--New York (State)--New York.
- Universities and colleges--Administration.
- Account books.
- Photographs.
- Scrapbooks.
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 | ||||||
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
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.
