Meeting notices, 1836

Two meeting announcements instructing members of the Society for Religious Improvement to convene at University Hall at 8 o'clock, signed by George S. Parker (Harvard Class of 1836), president, and William Allen (Harvard Class of 1837), secretary.

Draft of report from Committee appointed by the Corporation to revise the Laws relating to Commons at the meeting of April 6, 1778, April 17, 1778

This report contains changes to the regulations proposed by a Committee of the Corporation at the April 6, 1778 meeting of the Corporation (these regulations can be found in the College commons records, Box 1). The proposed changes were to the articles concerning the reporting of damages to utensils by the waiters, and the requirement for the Steward to present a quarterly inventory of the utensils.

Meeting minutes maintained by the Secretary, May 7, 1776; June 4, 1776; and July 2, 1776

Because the Secretary was absent from the May 7, 1776 meeting, John Winthrop was chosen as Secretary pro hac vice (for that occasion only). Samuel Cooke, Secretary pro tempore, recorded the minutes for the June 4, 1776 meeting, and the minutes from the July 2, 1776 meeting are in an unknown hand.

Meeting minutes maintained by the Secretary, Nov. 12, 1777

These minutes concern General William Heath's request for permission to house the soldiers of John Burgoyne – British prisoners of war – at Harvard. The Overseers voted to recommend that the Corporation allow the soldiers to occupy one or more College buildings, in spite of various hesitations. It has not been decisively determined whether or not the British troops were ultimately housed at Harvard. Some sources assert that no buildings were occupied, while others claim that Burgoyne and his soldiers lived in Apthorp House for a time.

Meeting minutes maintained by the Secretary, April 17, 1792 and May 7, 1793

These minutes, recorded on the recto and verso of a single page, are incomplete excerpts.

Meeting minutes maintained by the Secretary, Oct. 6, 1801

The verso of these minutes contains a list of various gifts and bequests to Harvard, including what was presumably their current value.

Meeting minutes maintained by the Secretary, April 21, 1812; May 4, 1812; and June 3, 1812

These minutes pertain to discussions of the General Court's "act to repeal an act" (also called "the Act to alter and amend the Constitution of the Board of Overseers of Harvard College, and to regulate certain meetings of said Board") in February 1812, which repealed changes made in 1810 to the Constitution of the Board of Overseers. The Overseers present at these meetings doubted the act's legality and discussed ignoring and/or attempting to overturn the act.

A Coppe of the Plan of Cambridge New Meeting House which was excepted by the people, 1752

The floor plan details the proposed interior of the New Meeting House of the First Parish in Cambridge to be built near the College, in the present area of Lehman Hall. This land became Harvard property in 1833. The drawing includes space allotted for the pulpit, pews, and center aisle. The document is fragile.

Extracts made from the records of the Humane Society, 1800

Contains notes from Humane Society meeting discussions relating to the construction of a bath on the Charles River to prevent bathing accidents. In November 1800, four hundred dollars from the Society was allotted to Harvard College Steward Caleb Gannett toward this project.

At a meeting of the Professor & Tutors, 1781 June 23

Handwritten document requesting the Corporation to investigate the Bradish's Tavern incident in order to "take such steps as they shall think proper in order to secure the honour of the College." The document mirrors the Faculty Minutes (UAIII 5.5) for June 23, 1781. The ink is faded.

Letter from Samuel Checkley to Nathan Prince, Dec. 14, 1741 with copy of Board of Overseers' meeting minutes from Nov. 27, 1741 on verso

The minutes contain votes of the Overseers relative to Prince's case. Checkley appears to have served as the Overseers' Clerk pro hac vice on several occasions.

Copy of Board of Overseers meeting minutes, Dec. 24, 1741

The minutes contain votes of the Overseers relative to Prince's case.