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A. Cameron MacKenzie Presidential Collection, 1856-1915 (2:10)
Creator: Elmira College
Extent: .42 linear ft. (1 manuscript box)
Inclusive Dates: 1856-1915
Access: Unrestricted
Language: English
Physical Location: Elmira College Archives
Repository: Elmira College Archives, Gannett-Tripp Library, Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y.
Preferred Citation:
A Cameron MacKenzie Presidential Papers (2:10); Container and Folder; Elmira College Archives, Gannett-Tripp Library, Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y.
ABSTRACT:
This small collection contains items from the presidency of Elmira College’s second president, A. Cameron MacKenzie.
CONTROLLED ACCESS HEADINGS:
Elmira College
Women’s colleges—New York (State)—Elmira
College presidents—United States
SCOPE AND CONTENT:
The collection is an artificial collection comprised of materials from various donations and campus departments and does not provide a complete record of MacKenzie’s presidency. The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence, including a book of sermons penned by the President.
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY:
President Alexander Cameron MacKenzie was the second son of the Reverend Dr. Donald MacKenzie who led a company of dissenters from Scotland to Canada in 1844. He was born in Embro, Ontario, Canada, in 1850, and gave the first part of his life to a business career. To comply with the wishes of his father, at thirty-four he gave up a successful business life to study for the Christian ministry. Graduating from Auburn Theological Seminary, at thirty-eight years of age he entered upon his first and only pastorate – that of the First Presbyterian Church of Owego. During eight years of leadership there he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was called from Owego in 1897 to become President of Elmira College.
MacKenzie assumed the presidency at a time of weak enrollment and financial hardship at the College. He cleared the institution of $90,000 in debt. He increased the unencumbered property from $250,000 to $454,000. He raised the annual income from the four classes from $17,400 to $64,500. He increased the number of students from 60 to about 300. He raised the standard of admission and greatly increased the efficiency of instruction. He increased the number of faculty holding college degrees from 6 to 19. He built a science hall and added a gymnasium with ample grounds.
Adapted from a meeting of The Presbystery of Chemung [RG15:1 Student and Alumnae Scrapbooks, Box 8]
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:
Accruals: Accretions are not expected
Acquisition Information: n/a
Processing History: Update to the Inventory and creation of Finding Aid by Nathaniel Ball, August 23, 2018.
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE:
No prior finding aid existed for this collection. This record group was primarily created from the former inventory: Records of President MacKenzie (PR:10).
RELATED MATERIALS:
See RG 15 Scrapbooks, Box 23 and 24 for scrapbooks containing letters, clippings and college related ephemera created by President MacKenzie’s daughter, Christine.
ORGANIZATIONAL NOTE:
The collection is organized in chronological order.
CONTAINER LIST:
|
Description |
Container |
Folder |
|
Mackenzie Manuscript and Sermon Book (Book) [1891] |
1 |
1 |
|
Elmira's Education field -- blueprints of surrounding county graduates and population [1903] |
1 |
2 |
|
Correspondence -- Includes Prayer at Elmira Free Academy [1897-1913, undated] |
1 |
3 |
|
New York State Education Department (Board of Regents) -- Annual Reports, includes reports from Charles Van Norden and Rufus Green presidencies [1889-1914] |
1 |
4 |
|
General Education Board -- Correspondence [1905] |
1 |
5 |
|
Carnegie Foundation -- Correspondence [1906-1915] |
1 |
6 |
|
Kennedy Estate -- Will and correspondence [1909-1910] |
1 |
7 |
|
Faculty Correspondence -- Appointments at College for 1910-1911 academic year [1910] |
1 |
8 |
|
Elmira vs. Vassar -- A letter signed by Augustus Cowles and Cameron MacKenzie concerning the relationship and status regarding the two institutions [1911] |
|
9 |
|
Rockefeller -- Financial statements [1913, undated] |
1 |
10 |
|
College Board of the Presbyterian Church -- Correspondence [1914-1915] |
1 |
11 |
|
Presidential Receptions / Miscellaneous -- Invitations, pages from ledger [1915, undated] |
1 |
12 |
|
Alford : Greek Testament Volume 1 (Book) [1856] |
1 |
13 |