Columbia University Archives: University Presidents

Personal Papers

The following are collections of personal papers or family papers of the Columbia College/Columbia University Presidents. The collections are listed in order of the president's term in office.

• Samuel Johnson papers (1st president)
• William Samuel Johnson papers (3rd president)
• William Harris correspondence (6th president)
• Duer family papers, and, at Barnard Archives, Duer family papers (7th president)
• Nathaniel Fish Moore photographs and Nathaniel Fish Moore travel diary, 1851 (8th president)
• Frederick A.P. Barnard papers and the Barnard family papers (10th president)
• Seth Low papers  and the Seth Low speeches (11th president)  - See also "Seth Low" in the main Notable Columbians section.
• Nicholas Murray Butler papers and the Nicholas Murray Butler speeches (12th president)
• Grayson Kirk papers (14th president)
• Andrew Cordier papers and the Andrew Cordier papers at the University Archives (15th president)
• William McGill papers and the William McGill speeches (16th president) 
• Michael Sovern papers (17th president)
• George Rupp papers (18th president) 

Archival collections are non-circulating and can only be viewed in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library's reading room (RBML). In order to use the collections at the RBML, you will be required to register your own Special Collections Research Account before your visit and to validate the account in person with government-issued photo identification or Columbia ID card. Once you have created your Special Collections Research Account, you will be able to request materials directly from the finding aid: click the check box located on the right for the box(es) you need, and then scroll back to the top of the container list document and click “Submit Request” in the red-rimmed box at top. This should lead you directly to your Special Collections Research Account to complete the request form.

Manuscript Collections

The following archival collections include correspondence and other materials related to the University Presidents. These collections cover a wide range of individuals and dates as well.

• Historical Biographical Files 
  This collection was compiled by Columbiana curators and University Archives staff over many years. These files contain general information about individual alumni, faculty, officers and other notable Columbians. A typical file might contain newspaper clippings, press releases, obituaries, and other published documents that provide short descriptions of the individual's accomplishments and activity. Occasionally, files also contain primary documents such as correspondence.
   
• Columbia College Papers
  This collection contains the surviving files of official correspondence, reports, documents, and printed materials of King's College from 1750 to 1784 and Columbia College from 1785 to 1890, as well as Columbia University up to 1964. The King's College era materials include correspondence, grants, deeds, indentures, lists of governors, leases, accounts, etc. The Columbia College era papers commences with documentation regarding the attempts to revive the college at the end of the American Revolution. In the later period these papers primarily supplement and document the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees. Much material was destroyed and scattered in the late 19th century leaving this collection quite incomplete.
   
• Columbiana Manuscripts 
  This collection is comprised of correspondence, diaries, lecture notes, essays, administrative documents, minutes, and other documents related to Columbia University. The majority of this collection is comprised of primary documents written by or for students, alumni, faculty, administrators, staff, trustees, and honorary degree recipients. Many documents were donated by alumni and their families, student associations and clubs, and Columbia administrative offices. 
   
• Columbia University Manuscripts 
  This collection contains original correspondence or autograph letters related to Columbia and New York City, which were donated and collected by the Library staff over the years. It includes the notes of acceptance or regret for a dinner hosted by President William Harris in 1829, but also letters from anxious parents in regard to the misbehavior of their sons. Items are cataloged at the item level noting only the correspondents, dates and locations.
   
• Presidential Search Records
  This collection contains the records of the Trustee and other committees in charge of finding a new University President. The records include the search for the replacements for Presidents Nicholas Murray Butler (1945), Grayson Kirk (1968), William J. McGill (1979), Michael I. Sovern (1992) and George Rupp (2001).
   
• Photographs
  To find photographs, portraits and other images of the University's Presidents, please consult the research guide on Photographs of Individuals. You can also consult the following collections:
  • The Historical Photograph Collection To start your search, look for the name of the individual in Series X: Portraits. This series includes studio and informal photographs.
  • The Office of Public Affairs Photograph Collection is another very large image collection and contains prints and negatives covering the 20th century and recent image files from the early 21st century in print, negative, and digital formats.

  • The Office of Alumni and Development Photograph Collection 1978-2006 consists of photographs, contact sheets, slides as well as some reproduced illustrations used in campus brochures and the alumni magazine. ​​​​

• Related Collections
  These collections include significant correspondence with King's College and Columbia presidents, including some from former Trustee Chairs who oversaw presidential searches.

  • Edward J. Bermingham collection, 1948-1957
    Correspondence of Dwight D. Eisenhower and his friend Bermingham who first met when Eisenhower became President of Columbia. During his tenure as Columbia's President and later, as commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Eisenhower exchanged long letters with Bermingham, outlining in detail his views of world affairs. When Eisenhower became President of the United States, the correspondence continued, and the two men met at least twice at the White House. 

  • Frederick Coykendall papers, 1923-1956
    Coykendall entered Columbia College in 1891, received a BA in 1895, and a CE and MA in 1897. After serving as Alumni Trustee from 1917 to 1922, he was elected as a Life Trustee in 1922 and became Chair in 1933. As Chair, he was instrumental in two presidential appointments: finding a successor to Nicholas Murray Butler and to Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

  • Hamilton Fish letters, 1827-1893
    This group of approximately 1,000 letters from the papers of Hamilton Fish, Sr. relates to the business, functioning, and activities of Columbia College in the 19th century. The earliest material bears on Fish's activities and interests at about the time he graduated from Columbia, but the majority of the letters fall into the latter part of his life, many being written by and to Fish as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Columbia College. The collection includes correspondence with presidents F.A.P. Barnard, Cyrus King, and Seth Low of Columbia College.

  • Clarence H. Vance papers, 1913-1960
    Correspondence, manuscripts, transcripts, documents, photographs, and printed materials assembled by Vance for his dissertation, a biography of Myles Cooper (1737-1785), clergyman, Loyalist, and second president of King's College (now, Columbia University) from 1763 until 1775. There are transcripts of very many letters and manuscripts by and about Myles Cooper and King's College along with pertinent photographs and printed materials which Vance collected from American, English, and Scottish sources. 

Archival collections are non-circulating and can only be viewed in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library's reading room (RBML). In order to use the collections at the RBML, you will be required to register your own Special Collections Research Account before your visit and to validate the account in person with government-issued photo identification or Columbia ID card. Once you have created your Special Collections Research Account, you will be able to request materials directly from the finding aid: click the check box located on the right for the box(es) you need, and then scroll back to the top of the container list document and click “Submit Request” in the red-rimmed box at top. This should lead you directly to your Special Collections Research Account to complete the request form.

Online Sources

In addition to the online publications listed below, please check out the Timelines & Histories section of the University Archives website, which includes published timelines, how to access oral histories and a bibliography of university histories. 

• Columbia Spectator Digital Archive
  Using this online resource, you can search issues of the student newspapers published from 1877 to 2015. Whenever possible pages were scanned from original paper copies and these scans provides full-page, searchable reproductions of articles, photographs, and advertisements. For example, see the article "Past Presidents Built University" from October 12, 1948.
   
• Columbia University Record Digital Archive
  Beginning as the University Record (September 1973-May 1975) and continuing to this day as the Columbia University Record (July 1975-present), this important university-wide publication, now scanned and fully searchable, is an incredibly rich resource of past Columbia activities, events, scientific research, trustee and faculty appointments, awards and honors, libraries news, departmental achievements, budget and financial reporting, faculty and staff updates, as well as containing informative profiles of campus personalities from 1973 to June 2016.
   
• Columbia College Today Digital Archive
  Thanks to a gift from the board of the Columbia University Club Foundation, CCT and the Columbia University Libraries recently digitized back issues of the Columbia College alumni magazine rom 1954 through and including Summer 2016 and made them available on the Internet Archive.  The issues have been indexed so you can easily search for articles, names and topics or just browse through individual issues.
  • “William McGill: the Finding of the President.” CCT Fall 1970, 26-35.
  • Alex Sachare. "The Making of the President: An Interview with George Rupp." CCT Spring/Summer 1993, 12-17.
  • Alex Sachare. “The Life of the Mind. An Interview with President Lee C. Bollinger.” CCT September/October 2002, 18-22.
  • Alex Sachare.  “A Conversation with President Lee C. Bollinger,” Columbia Global Centers. CCT Winter 2013-2014, 28-31.
     
• Columbia Alumni News
  Published by the Alumni Federation of Columbia University, this alumni magazine was published from 1909 to 1957. CAN included class notes, obituaries, features on alumni (including short Who's Who bios), information about class reunions and the latest news about life on campus, from sports to academics. Issues from 1910 to 1948 are available online.
   
• Columbia University Quarterly
  The Columbia University Quarterly was published by the Alumni Federation of Columbia University from 1898 to 1941. Publication was suspended from 1920 to 1929 and resumed from 1930 to 1941. The Quarterly's predecessor, the Columbia University Bulletin (1890-1898) is also available online.
  • Vance, Clarence Hayden. "Myles Cooper, M.A., D.C.L., LL.D., second President of King's College, now Columbia University, New York City." Columbia University Quarterly, Volume 22, September 1930, 261-286.
  • Sloane, W. M. "Seth Low," Columbia University Quarterly, Vol. IV, December 1901, 1-12.
  • Russell, James E. "Seth Low, Leader of Men," Columbia University Quarterly, Vol. XIX, December 1916, 1-6.

Biographies

The following are collections of biographies, autobiographies and oral histories of the Columbia College/Columbia University Presidents. It includes both online and in-person or in print sources. The collections are listed in order of the president's term in office.

Samuel Johnson

• Pine, John B. "Samuel Johnson, D.D., First President of King's College." Columbia University Quarterly, Vol. I, 1-12, 122-133.
• The life of Samuel Johnson, D. D., the first president of King's College, in New York : Containing many interesting anecdotes; a general view of the state of religion and learning in Connecticut during the former part of the last century; and an account of the institution and rise of Yale College, Connecticut; and of King's (now Columbia) College, New York. (New York : Printed by T. & J. Swords; London, Re-printed for C. and J. Rivington, 1824.) Online and in print.
• Life and correspondence of Samuel Johnson D.D. : missionary of the Church of England in Connecticut, and first president of King's College, New York. (New York : Hurd & Houghton, 1874.) Online and in print.

• Samuel Johnson, president of King's college; his career and writings, four volumes, edited by Carol Schneider and Herbert W. Schneider. (New York : Columbia University Press, 1929.) Online and in print.

Myles Cooper

• "Myles Cooper, M.A., D.C.L., LL.D., second President of King's College, now Columbia University, New York City." Columbia University Quarterly, Volume 22, September 1930. In print, the CUQ journal and bound copy reprint.

William Samuel Johnson

• From Loyalist to Founding Father : the political odyssey of William Samuel Johnson. New York : Columbia University Press, 1980.
• Greene, Evarts Boutell. William Samuel Johnson and the American Revolution. Columbia University Quarterly, Volume XXII, June 1930, 157-178.
• Groce, George Cuthbert. William Samuel Johnson : a maker of the Constitution. Columbia University thesis, 1938.
• Ross, Betsy McCaughey. (Elizabeth Peterken McCaughey) William Samuel Johnson : loyalist and founding father. Columbia University thesis, 1976.

Charles Henry Wharton

• Pine, John Buckley. Charles Henry Wharton, S.T.D., Second President of Columbia College. Columbia University Quarterly, June 1900, Vol. II., 257-258.

Benjamin Moore

• Mampoteng, Charles. Benjamin Moore, Bishop of New York and President of Columbia College. Columbia University Quarterly, September 1926, Vol. XXVIII, 165-189.
• Pine, John Buckley. Benjamin Moore, S.T.D., Third President of Columbia College. Columbia University Quarterly, June 1900, Vol. II, 258-266.

William Harris

• McVickar, John. Memoir of the late William Harris, D.D. An address delivered at the interment of the late Rev. Dr. Harris by the Rev. John McVickar. 
• Pine, John Buckley. William Harris, S.T.D., Fourth President of Columbia College. Columbia University Quarterly, June 1901, Vol. III, 221-229.

William Alexander Duer

• Duer family papers, 1784-1937, contains the diaries of Hannah Maria Denning (Mrs. William Alexander Duer) containing the period January 1, 1838 to June 12, 1862. The first four years of this diary were written while Duer was president of Columbia College and the family was residing in the old building at Park Place. Duer was president of the College from 1829 to 1842.

• Duer, William A. (CC 1869). William Alexander Duer, LL.D., Fifth President of Columbia College. Columbia University Quarterly, March 1902, Vol. IV, 147-158.

• Duer, William Alexander. The duties and responsibilities of the rising generation : an address delivered before the literary societies of Columbia College, at their anniversary meeting, July 24, 1848. (Before the Peithologian and Philolexian Societies.)

• Duer, William Alexander. Reminiscences of an old Yorker. New York : Printed for W.L. Andrews, 1867. (Reprinted from the American mail, 1847.)

• Duer, William Alexander. New-York as it was, during the latter part of the last century. An anniversary address delivered before the St. Nicholas society, of the city of New-York, December 1st, 1848. New-York, Stanford and Swords, 1849.

Charles King

• Addresses at the inauguration of Mr. Charles King as president of Columbia College. New-York, Snowden, printer, 1849.
• King, Charles. Columbia at the Outbreak of the Civil War. Columbia University Quarterly, March 1908, Vol. X, 154-160.
• Van Amringe, John Howard. Charles King, LL.D. President of Columbia College, 1849-1864. Columbia University Quarterly, March 1904, Vol. VI, 121-137.

Frederick A.P. Barnard

• Barnard, Margaret (McMurray). Memoirs of Frederick A. P. Barnard, tenth president of Columbia college in the city of New York.  New York and London, Macmillan and co., 1896.
• Butler, Nicholas Murray. Frederick A.P. Barnard, S.T.D., LL.D. Columbia University Quarterly, March 1910, Vol. XII, 137-150. 
• Butler, Nicholas Murray. President Barnard. Columbia University Quarterly, February 1940, Vol. XXXII, 12-16.
• Chute, William J. The life of Frederick A.P. Barnard to his election as president of Columbia college in 1864. Columbia University thesis, 1951.
• Fulton, John. Memoirs of Frederick A.P. Barnard : tenth president of Columbia College in the city of New York. New York : Published for the Columbia University Press by Macmillan and Co., 1896. Online and in print. 
• Hooper, William Berrian. Columbia Half a Century Ago. Columbia Alumni News, 23 April 1915, Vol. VI, 556-559.
• Lazerson, Marvin F. F.A.P. Barnard and Columbia College: 1864-1888. Masters essay. Columbia University. History. 

• Proceedings at the inauguration of Frederick A.P. Barnard, S.T.D., LL.D., as president of Columbia College, on Monday, October 3, 1864. Published by order of the Board of Trustees. New York : Hurd and Houghton, 1865. 

Seth Low

• Coviello, Joseph. Seth Low as Mayor of New York City. Columbia University Master's essay, 1938.
• Gruber, Emily A.  "'Knowledge, for what?' Seth Low and the Governance of Brooklyn, Columbia University, and New York City (1881-1903)."  Columbia College undergraduate thesis, 2019.
• Low, Seth. "Columbia at Forty-Ninth Street," Columbia University Bulletin, Vol. XVII, June 1897, 137-141.
• Russell, James E. "Seth Low, Leader of Men," Columbia University Quarterly, Vol. XIX, December 1916, 1-6.
• Sloane, W. M. "Seth Low," Columbia University Quarterly, Vol. IV, December 1901, 1-12.

Nicholas Murray Butler

• Butler, Nicholas Murray. Across the busy years ; recollections and reflections ... 2 volumes. New York : C. Scribner's Sons; London : C. Scribner's Sons, 1939-1940. 
• Nicholas Murray Butler project : oral history, 1951-1971. 
  This series of interviews provides a general view of Columbia University during the Butler administration, 1902-45, and specific recollections of Nicholas Murray Butler as President. Participants and pagination: Virginia Gildersleeve, 8; Philip M. Hayden, 11; Carlton J.H. Hayes, 23; Isadore Mudge, 50; E. Berthol Sayre, 16; Eugene Sheffer, 55; James T. Shotwell, 23.
• Rosenthal, Michael. Nicholas Miraculous : the amazing career of the redoubtable Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler. New York : Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2006. Online and in print.
• Whittemore, Richard. Nicholas Murray Butler and public education, 1862-1911. Columbia University thesis, 1962.
• Nicholas Murray Butler, his quarter centenary; a tribute. Dinner by the trustees, on March 3rd, 1927, to mark Butler's 25th year as University President. 
• A Dinner to Nicholas Murray Butler, 1932. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of his presidency, 50th anniversary of his graduation and 70th anniversary of his birth. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower

• Clark, Douglas E. Eisenhower in command at Columbia. Lanham : Lexington Books, [2013].
• Jacobs, Travis Beal. Eisenhower at Columbia. New Brunswick, N.J. : Transaction Publishers, [2001], ©2001. Online and in print.

• Installation of Dwight David Eisenhower as thirteenth President, October 12, 1948.

Grayson L. Kirk

• Reminiscences of Grayson Louis Kirk : lecture, 1965
• Reminiscences of Grayson Louis Kirk : oral history, 1968. Online and in print.
• Reminiscences of Grayson L. Kirk : oral history, 1975
• Oral history interview with Grayson L. Kirk, 1985-1991

Andrew W. Cordier

• Reminiscences of Andrew Wellington Cordier : oral history, 1962
• Reminiscences of Andrew Wellington Cordier : oral history and lectures, 1963-1964

William J. McGill

• “William McGill: the Finding of the President.” Columbia College Today, Fall 1970, 26-35.
• Reminiscences of William James McGill : oral history, 1980
• Oral history interview with William McGill, 1997. Online and in print.

Michael I. Sovern

• Reminiscences of Michael I. Sovern : oral history, 2006
• Sovern, Michael I. An improbable life : my sixty years at Columbia and other adventures. [New York] : Columbia University Press, [2014]. Online and in print.
• Vinciguerra, Thomas. "Highs in Low." Columbia Magazine, Spring 2014. Online and in print. 
• Obituaries: "Michael I. Sovern ’53, Law '55, University President Emeritus." Columbia College Today (CCT), Spring 2020.

George Rupp

• Sachare, Alex. “The Making of the President: An Interview with George Rupp.” Columbia College Today, Spring/Summer 1993, 12-17.

Lee C. Bollinger

• Sachare, Alex. “The Life of the Mind. An Interview with President Lee C. Bollinger.” Columbia College Today, September/October 2002, 18-22.
• John W. Kluge Oral History Project. Oral history interview with Lee C. Bollinger, 2006
• Sachare, Alex. “A Conversation with President Lee C. Bollinger,” Columbia Global Centers. Columbia College Today, Winter 2013-2014, 28-31.
• Lee, Sally. "On Campus: Bold Ideas, Real Impact," Columbia Magazine, Summer 2017, 38-42.
• "Celebrating Two Decades of Transformative Leadership," Columbia Magazine, Fall 2022, 50-52.
• Craig, David J. and Jerry Kisslinger, "Reflections on an Era: Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger Looks Back on Two Remarkable Decades," Columbia Magazine, Spring/Summer 2023, 38-40.