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Centenary College of Louisiana Student records

 Collection
Identifier: CCL-Student

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of student records of Centenary College of Louisiana (Jackson, Louisiana). It includes manuscript volumes about enrollment, attendance, grades, and demerits. The records document students in Centenary’s college and preparatory departments.

Information about Centenary’s preparatory department appears in the manuscript volume titled “Monthly Record of Recitations and Attendance” (1845-1860). On pages 1-2, an introduction describes the early history of the department and its origins as the Feliciana High School, which was opened in November 1844 by William H. Potter and John Caldwell Doremus; this school merged with Centenary College in August 1845. This book is arranged chronologically. For each grading period, students’ names are listed alphabetically and include grades by class subjects. In addition, the book identifies some of the preparatory department principals and instructors.

Enrollment information appears in the “Record and Matriculation Book” (1852-1906). This book is arranged chronologically and contains two gaps (April 1862 - October 1865, April 1868 - October 1871). For each student enrolled, it includes their name, age, class (senior, junior, sophomore, freshman, preparatory), birthplace, present residence, parent/guardian, and post office. Starting with entries in 1902, students’ religious dominations are listed. For some students, additional notes appear, for example: state student, preacher’s son, too poor to pay, and professor’s child. The first women to enroll at Centenary appear in the records dated September 1898. The book’s final pages contain the Samuel Skolfield Bogan family library book inventory (1916); Bogan attended Centenary in 1894 and became a pastor in the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

Additional volumes contain grades for college students (1852-1906) and preparatory students (1874-1906). Each volume is arranged chronologically, often divided by course, lists student names alphabetically, and contains grades by subject.

Student grades appear in the volume titled “Minutes of Trustee’s Meetings College of Louisiana and Centenary College 1825-1846 and Grades 1852-1890," though the book contains a gap between March 1861-1871.

The volume titled “Report of College Classes” (1890-1906) is a continuation of the previous volume, and it includes grades for Centenary’s first female students in 1899. On pages 350-360, the book contains examination grades from both college classes and the preparatory department (1894-1899). The entries reflect the preparatory department’s name change to the fitting school (circa 1901).

Roll books (1875-1885) document attendance and demerits for college and preparatory department students.

Two folders of loose items contain details about student grades (circa 1859-1906).

Dates

  • 1845 - 1906

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Physical rights are retained by the Centenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Biographical / Historical

The faculty of Centenary College of Louisiana and their responsibilities are described in the college’s faculty handbook (online edition accessed 2019 January 15). “The faculty consists of those persons serving full time as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, and lecturers (including those in such ranks, but not engaged in teaching); the President of the College; and Provost and Dean of the College” (Faculty Handbook, Section 17.1). “The faculty, with the President and the Board of Trustees, has the power and responsibility to govern and conduct the affairs of the College, to supervise the academic program of the College, and to approve candidates for degrees in accordance with the charter and bylaws of the College” (Faculty Handbook, Section 17.3).

The Statutes of Centenary College of Louisiana published in 1856 provide insight into the faculty and their responsibilities during that time period. The faculty consisted of the president, professors, and tutors; this included those teaching in Centenary’s college as well as the preparatory department (Statutes, Chapter 1, 1st). The faculty arranged students into classes, taught classes, and gave student examinations (Statutes, Chapters 2 and 3). In addition, the faculty were responsible for handling cases of student discipline (Statutes, Chapter 7). The faculty met on a weekly basis during the academic year, which lasted from approximately September to July.

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged by document type, then chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Likely transferred circa 1930 with additional records documenting Centenary College of Louisiana (Jackson, La.) by Centenary's president, George Sexton. See caption published in Yoncopin (Shreveport, LA: Centenary College of Louisiana, 1938), page 9. Monthly Record of Recitations and Attendance book (1845-1860) donated by W. Magruder Drake on 1990 March 21.

Processing Information

Prior to 2021, the roll books (1875-1885) were cataloged separately as Centenary College of Louisiana student records, Cent. Misc. Mss. 65.

Title
Finding Aid to the Centenary College of Louisiana Student records
Author
Chris Brown
Date
2021
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Centenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
2911 Centenary Blvd.
Shreveport LA 71104 US
(318) 869-5462