Office of Alumni Relations Records

Collection

Call Number: UA011

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Scope and Contents

This collection contains scrapbooks, VHS tapes, U-matic tapes, audio reels and cassette tapes, slides, correspondence, office files, subject files, meeting minutes, event brochures, and memorabilia such as Frisbees and commemorative pens pertaining to alumni activities and relations. This collection also contains photographs of Tufts graduating classes and alumni events, student and alumni directories, and presentations.

Dates

1850 -- 2019

Creator

Alumni Relations

Language of Materials

English

Access

This collection contains some restricted material. Restrictions related to specific material are listed in the detailed contents list. This collection may require review before it is available for use. Please contact DCA for further details.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Please see “Reproductions and Use” on the Digital Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permission to publish. Copyright to all materials created by Tufts University employees in the course of their work is held by the Trustees of Tufts University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred by the Office of Alumni Relations, 2005 -- 2020.

Arrangement

This collection is organized in fifteen series: Tufts Univesrity Office of Alumni Relations, event files; Tufts University Alumni Assocation and Jackson College Alumni Association; Oral Histories; Photographs and auido-visual materials; Photo Albums; Tufts Univesrity Office of Alumni Relations, Tufts Clubs; Tufts Univesrity Office of Alumni Relations, subject files; Tufts Univesrity Office of Alumni Relationsgive-aways; Secretary of Alumni Assocation, Fred Nickless; Secretary of Alumni Assocoation, Joseph W. Morton; 2017 accessions; 2018 accessions; 2019 accessions; Unprocessed Accessions; and 2020 accessions.

Extent

43.83 Linear Feet (38 boxes, 4 oversized folders)

27 Audiovisual Object(s) (22 VHS and 5 U-matic videocassettes)

15 Digital Object(s) (15 digital objects containing 368 files)

11 Reels

5 Photographic Prints

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

The Office of Alumni Relations (1924-present) was established in 1924 by the Tufts University Alumni Association and was administered by Tufts as the Office of the Alumni Secretary. The first Alumni Secretary was Joseph W. Morton A’11, who served from 1924-56. The Secretary handled alumni outreach, conducted fundraising for the Alumni Fund, created alumni directories, edited university publications, assisted with alumni career placement, and coordinated with the Alumni Council and the Tufts University Alumni Association. The Secretary was based in Cousens Gym and, after 1965, in Alumni House. The Office has been located at 80 George St. since 2007.

The office was greatly expanded by President Jean Mayer in 1978 as the Office of Alumni Relations under the direction of Richard A. Kelley A37 G38. The new Office played a crucial role in the "Campaign for Tufts," at the time the largest fundraising initiative in Tufts' history by far. In 1985, the Office's second director, Ronald Brinn A58, created Tuftonia's Day to encourage closer bonds between alumni and the university. The holiday is celebrated in mid-April every year to commemorate the signing of the Tufts charter and has become a global celebration of all things Tufts-related.

The office is administered by the University Advancement Division and overseen by the Senior Vice President for University Advancement as of 2018.

Processing Information

Processing notes for Secretary of Alumni Assocation, Fred Nickless Series: The original order of committee and chronological correspondence files was maintained; the overall series consisting of Alumni Symposium pamphlets, committee files, correspondence (including staff communication, Sheetz correspondence, and Tredennick correspondence), death reports, and handbooks was arranged alphabetically. Correspondence files were foldered. Committee files were refoldered and possibly relabeled by an unknown staff member. Titles in brackets were assigned by an archivist. The series was processed by Christopher Carr in fall of 2008; supervisor: Susanne Belovari. 2017, 2018, and 2019 accessions were processed by Leah Edelman and Melissa Cepeda in 2017-2019. Materials were placed in archival boxes and loose materials were placed in folders where needed. Received order was maintained. A file and item-level inventory and series-level description were created and the finding aid was updated at the time of processing.