Office of the President (James B. Angell) Records
Scope and Content Note
Angell's papers contain a small amount of correspondence relating to his presidency at UVM, including his acceptance and resignation and his inaugural address, August 1, 1866. Angell also corresponded with George Grenville Benedict, son of faculty member George Wyllis Benedict, as a member of the board of trustees in 1866; with personal correspondence resuming in 1881-1904; and several volumes of lecture notes presented while at UVM, ca. 1871.
There is also correspondence between his wife and Katy Benedict from Peking in 1881; some of his published writings; a memorial to his wife Sarah Swoope Casell Angell; and his obituary.
Dates
- 1866-1916
Creator
- Angell, James Burrill (Person)
- University of Vermont. Office of the President (Organization)
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from this collection must be submitted in writing to the University Archivist.
Biographical Note
Angell, James B. (1829-1916) 1866-1871. Like his predecessors, James B. Angell faced a financial crisis following the Civil War, which decimated the size of the student body. The university was fortunate to have had Angell at the helm at this time: his inaugural promise to raise $100,000 for the university's needs was realized by the support of Burlingtonians, who gave $33,000; and by alumni, who were reassured by Angell's excellent management skills into adding another $25,000. Angell also promoted good will throughout Vermont by visiting all parts of the state to publicize the university. By 1870, increased enrollments and fundraising success had allowed increased salaries and the addition of new faculty, including George Henry Perkins and H.A.P. Torrey, whose long tenure as teachers and mentors had a strong influence on generations of students.
Angell's strong advocacy for the admission of women to UVM was influential in persuading the Board of Trustees to commit the university to that course in 1871, as he was leaving the university. An offer from the University of Michigan to serve as president led to Angell's resignation from UVM in 1871. His presidency at that college was also marked by distinction. The long tenure of Angell's successor would see a new era in the university's history: a major expansion of the university's campus and curriculum.
Sources consulted in the preparation of this note and others in Record Group 2 include:
Daniels, Robert V. editor. The University of Vermont : The First Two Hundred Years Hanover, NH : University of Vermont : Distributed by University Press of New England, 1991.
Lindsay, Julian Ira. Tradition Looks Forward; the University of Vermont: a history, 1791-1904. Burlington [University of Vermont and State Agricultural College] 1954.
Marshall, Jeffrey. Universitas Viridis Montis, 1791-1991: An Exhibition of documents and artifacts telling the story of the University of Vermont. Burlington, Vt.: University of Vermont, 1991.
Smallwood, Frank. The University of Vermont Presidents: Two Centuries of Leadership. Burlington, Vt.: University of Vermont, 1997.
Extent
0.417 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
James B. Angell served as president of the University of Vermont from 1866-1871. Angell's papers contain a small amount of correspondence relating to his presidency at UVM, including his acceptance and resignation and his inaugural address, August 1, 1866. The collection also includes personal correspondence, lecture notes, published writings, a memorial to his wife Sarah Swoope Casell Angell, and his obituary.
Location
Library Research Annex; contact uvmsc@uvm.edu for access.
- Angell, James Burrill
- University of Vermont -- History
- University of Vermont -- Administration
- Title
- Guide to the Office of the President (James B. Angell) Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sylvia Bugbee
- Date
- 2013-01-04
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the University of Vermont Archives Repository
Silver Special Collections Library
48 University Place, Room B201
Burlington Vermont 05405 U.S.A. US
802-656-2138
802-656-4038 (Fax)
uvmsc@uvm.edu
