Records of the Business Manager
Scope and Contents
Records of the Business Manager; during the administration of Charles Hodges; dating from 1928 to 1938. These records had been in storage. They consist of contracts, blueprints, correspondence, bids, statistics, lists, balance sheets, photographs, writs, policies, forms, and leases. They came to the Archives in three series of correspondence and subject files, each in alphabetical order, which covered parts of the period from 1928-1938. The correspondence files were arranged alphabetically according to the vendor, corporation, or individual addressed. They were combined into one series and rearranged into an alphabetical subject system to facilitate access to the material. Broad subject categories were given more precise titles, but no new subject categories were created except for several in the Lake Waban Laundry series. Material concerning aspects of the power house appraisal which was in these files was removed and incorporated in the power house appraisal series.
These records were concerned with the maintenance, development, and protection of the college physical plant; insurance; equipment and other needs of academic departments; advice and assistance to faculty and staff on personal financial matters; and the safety and housing of faculty and students. There was extensive correspondence with Louis t. Klauder, consulting engineer, whose responsibilities included implementing architects' plans for new structures and modifications of existing ones, concerning the construction of Stone Davis Hall. Only that part of the Klauder correspondence which falls into the period 1928-38 was retained in this series. The rest was placed in the series containing the files of the Business Manager from 1923-1928. There is other material of special interest concerning building watertight brick structures and water proofing existing ones, the concert reproducer, Lake Waban Laundry, and campus landscaping.
Dates
- Creation: 1928-1938
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research, but contains some material which has been restricted as per the Wellesley College Archives Access Policy: https://www.wellesley.edu/lts/policies/archivesaccess. To make an appointment to view unrestricted materials, please contact the Archives staff by email at archives@wellesley.edu or by phone at (781) 283-3745.
Conditions Governing Use
The Wellesley College Archives welcomes researchers to use materials in the public domain, to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law, and to request permission to use works whose copyright is held by Wellesley College. All materials from the Archives, regardless of copyright status, should be attributed to the Wellesley College Archives, Library and Technology Services when cited, quoted, or reproduced.
Biographical / Historical
Wellesley College’s first Business Manager assumed the role on April 1, 1923 April 1. His name was Wendell Howard Kayser, B.S. The 1921-1924 Report of the President describes why the position was created, and Kayser’s role at the college: “At the request of the President the Trustees have repeatedly discussed the advisability of strengthening the business organization of the College. As the College has grown, various additions have been made to the staff but there has been no thorough-going consideration of the problem… The terms of [Kayser’s] appointment make him responsible to the President for the business side of the College in the same fashion that the Dean of the College is charged with the supervision of the academic work… already the good results of the centralization are apparent.”(Page 10) Kayser resigned as Business Manager effective July 1, 1928. The 1928-1929 Report of the President outlines his achievements while in office: "...the service building was erected and important renovations were made in the central heating plant. He [supervised] construction in the case of Alumnae Hall, Severance Hall, and Stone-Davis Halls. A plan for the group insurance of the employees of the college was also established during his term of service." (Page 11)
The following Business Manager was Charles Bowen Hodges, M.E., who assumed the role circa July 1928 until circa 1938 September, when he was replaced by Donald Watson Height. Height also took on the role of Assistant Treasurer the following spring of 1939. The 1938-1939 Report of the President explains: “…The business offices are undergoing a gradual reorganization in the direction of simplification and coordination.” (Page 7)
A survey of the College's business operations was done in 1951 by the firm of Cresap, McCormick, and Paget; the following year Height left the role of Business Manager but stayed on at the College as Assistant Treasurer and Controller, “so centering fiscal controls.” (1954 Report of the President, page 25.) The role of Business Manager was filled by Irwin Kenneth French from 1952 to 1956. The 1954 Report of the President describes his role: “Responsibility was centered in his office for care of buildings and grounds, food service, budget, fiscal, and purchasing controls, and non-faculty personnel policies…” (Page 26)
From 1956 to 1969, the Business Manager was Robert J. Schneider, MBA. His position title changed to Vice President and Business Manager from 1969-1970. As of 1970, the ‘Office of Vice President for Business Affairs’ (then held by Joseph Klebala, Jr.) replaced the ‘Business Manager’ position (although an Assistant Business Manager, Robert Todd Pratt, remained).
Extent
4.2 Linear Feet (8 file boxes, 2 legal file boxes, 1 half file box)
Language of Materials
English
- Title
- Wellesley College. Business Manager. Records of the Business Manager, 1928-1938: a guide.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Wellesley College Archives Repository