Victoria University (Toronto, Ont.). President's Office fonds

Scope and Content

Series consists of correspondence, reports, notes, minutes and other records, 1897-1970, relating to subjects that include the following: the University of Toronto, the United Church of Canada, installations, convocations, honorary degrees, centennial/sesquicentennial celebrations, faculty, financial matters, the Fudger Group, funds, enrollment, scholarships and bursaries, endowments, bequests, fund raising, student activities, residences, University government and legislation, Deans of Men and Women and the Library.

The bulk of the material dates from the 1920s and 1930s and consists of correspondence, minutes, reports, accounts, orders of service, invocations, subscription lists, addresses, and notes. The records deal with a wide variety of subjects: social functions at Victoria, alumni activities, baccalaureate services, memorial services for staff such as Margaret Addison, C.E. Auger, A. J. Bell, A. Gandier, A. L. Langford, A. H. Reynar, F. H. Wallace and noted churchmen like S.D. Chown, regulations and rules governing various aspects of university life, the operation of residences, Victoria's relationship with outside academic bodies such as the Universities of the British Empire and the Association of American Colleges, fund-raising, bursaries, scholarships, bequests, endowments, Victoria's relationship with the United Church of Canada, the founding of Emmanuel College, Victoria's involvement with Union Theological College and Columbian College.

General Subject Files, 1901-1956 (153 cm)

This is one of the largest and most comprehensive series in the collection. Most of the material dates from the 1930s and 1940s, and the records include correspondence, minutes, reports, memoranda, addresses, sermons, orders of service, forms, notes, subscription lists, schedules, statistics, and briefs. From this series one gains a fairly comprehensive picture of the range of activities at Victoria during the first half of the twentieth century and the involvement of the President in university and church affairs. The files provide insight into the changing administrative structure of Victoria and the developments in its relationship with both the University of Toronto and the United Church of Canada during this period. The files of the Board of Christian Education (later the Board of Colleges and Secondary Schools) are especially valuable in defining the shape of university-church relations. There is material relating to various public lecture series, convocations, installations, and the granting of honorary degrees. The planning, publicity, and execution of the academic and social aspects of Victoria's centennial celebrations are outlined. There are personnel files on professors and the departmental files in this series contain correspondence relating primarily to new faculty appointments (e.g. letters of recommendation). There is a significant amount of statistical material on university finances, examination results, and enrolment. The spiritual life of the faculty and students emerges in connection with the chapel services, retreats and the May Mission. Victoria's involvement in spiritual outreach to the community is displayed in the records of the Fudger group, a group of faculty, ministers and business and professional men who met monthly between 1924 and 1955 to discuss "the practical application of Christian principles in the world." Financial concerns are a dominant theme in many of the records: scholarships, bursaries, endowments, bequests, aid to church students, and, of course, fund-raising through regular appeals to the alumni, field days in local congregations and national campaigns. The finances, administration, and physical plant of the library and residences are discussed in some detail. There are some files which contain records detailing aspects of Victoria's history, and others, such as that dealing with the question of Japanese and German students at the university during the Second World War, that provide some interesting insight into the determination of Victoria's President and faculty to retain a unique identity and mission within the University of Toronto.

General Subject Files, 1905-1967 (36 cm)

The bulk of the material was generated in the 1930s and 1940s, and the records consist of correspondence, reports, minutes, addresses, and lists. Again, financial matters emerge as a major concern of the President's office: bequests, scholarships, bursaries, awards, salaries, and endowments are frequently discussed. There are a significant number of personnel files for Victoria faculty and staff. Student activities are particularly well-covered in this series in files relating to the Bob, Acta Victoriana, the Athletic Association, and numerous clubs and societies.

General Subject Files, 1897-1970 (11 cm)
The records consist of correspondence, reports, minutes, addresses, and notes and are drawn largely from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The subjects covered include the Rockefeller Brothers Theological Fellowship Program, missions, temperance, bequests, and the controversies created by the political activities of Victoria University staff.