Monroe College Archives: Introduction

Extent: 35 linear ft (33 boxes, 17 albums)

Restrictions on access

Appointment only.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Information on copyright (literary rights) available from repository. All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], Monroe College Archives, Thomas P. Schnitzler Library, Monroe College.

Processing

Processed by Kristine Paulus, Jeanette Madera, Chante Hope and Jessica Spears, 2013.

Historical Note

At the height of the Great Depression, American women traditionally had limited opportunities in employment and education.  Defying stereotypes in 1933, pioneering educator and Bronx native Mildred Allison King founded the Monroe School of Business, now Monroe College.  The first classes were held in four small classrooms at 1930 Boston Post Road in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx and enrolled seven women.  Here students who often possessed college degrees in the liberal arts could learn valuable business skills necessary to enter the workforce.  Courses included stenography and typing.   From the beginning, Monroe’s mission was the same as it remains today: to provide excellent educational training needed to get ahead in the world of business and stand out in a competitive job market. 

Soon after opening its doors, both men and women enrolled in classes as Monroe expanded its curriculum.  The campus expanded too, particularly following the Second World War, welcoming returning soldiers seeking education and training. The College has had a longstanding tradition providing educational opportunities catered to the needs of veterans, immigrant populations, international students, and people with disabilities, attracting local students from the Bronx as well as from around the world.  Outgrowing its initial space, a second school opened in 1967 at 29 East Fordham Road and in 1970 the Computer School opened at 115 East Fordham Road.  From that small beginning, Monroe has grown to where it operates seven buildings in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, playing a vibrant role in the community. The college established a branch campus in New Rochelle in 1983 and since 2007 has had a campus in the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia.  Today, over 7,000 students are enrolled at Monroe College.

In 1964 Monroe School of Business changed its name to Monroe Business Institute and in 1972 became an accredited junior college.  In 1990, upon being granted accreditation status by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Monroe became Monroe College.  In 1996 Monroe began offering bachelor’s degrees in and master’s degrees in 2006.

Monroe College has libraries at all three of its campuses, with the Thomas P. Schnitzler Library at the Bronx campus serving as the main branch and repository for the College’s institutional archives.   The Library houses approximately 40,000 volumes in print and numerous electronic resources.  In addition to operating as an important academic reference and circulating library to support the curricula, the Library houses archival materials related to the history of Monroe College. 

Scope and Content Note

Documents in the archives include  Monroe College publications such as newsletters (including School Talk, Campus Talk, Monroe College Monthly Observer), Creative Campus (a literary magazine featuring writing and artwork by students), yearbooks (beginning with the first yearbook in 1983), commencement programs, and course catalogues.  Also included is correspondence, memoranda, and reports; Visual materials including photographs (featuring college buildings, daily life, classroom activity, athletics, special events and portraits of students, staff, faculty, and trustees).  Marketing & publicity documents are also included (press releases, news clippings, advertisements).

Arrangement Note

Organized into XX series: (1) X, (2) X, and (3) X.

Description of Series