Guide to the William Allen Administrative Records, 1820-1839
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William Allen: Administrative Records, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine
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The Reverend William Allen (1784-1868), an evangelical Congregationalist, served as Bowdoin's third president from 1820 until 1839. He was largely responsible for establishing the Medical School of Maine at Bowdoin College in 1820. In the 1820's, he played a role in determining the College's political and legal status within the new state of Maine.
In 1831, the Maine Legislature passed an act prohibiting any president of a college in Maine to hold his position beyond commencement of that year, unless he was re-elected. Unable to attain a majority, Allen was dismissed in September 1831, only to be reinstated following the decision in the case of Allen vs. McKeen. In that case, Judge Joseph Story ruled that Bowdoin College was a private institution, and as such was not under the legislative control of Maine. This however, did not solve the personality and ideological conflicts that consistently alienated Allen from the Governing Boards, faculty and students. He resigned in 1839.
Correspondence and records concerning College affairs during William Allen's administration including Allen's inauguration, College laws, student petitions and degrees, professorships, the Allen vs. McKeen court case (1832-1833), Maine Hall fire (1822), Phi Beta Kappa, and the conferral of an honorary degree on Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. Additional primary source material concerning the early administration of the College is found in the records of the Board of Trustees or in the Records of the Faculty which includes the records of the Executive Government. For additional William Allen material, see the William Allen Papers.
1820, Presidential inauguration - William Allen
1820, May 31, John Quincy Adams to the President of Bowdoin College: transmitting one copy of the Journal of the Federal Convention
1821 May 20, Edward Everett to William Allen requesting a review of President Appleton's addresses
1821 Sep, Samuel Melcher's estimates and dimension of new College building
1822 Feb 21, William Allen's suggestion to W. King to build an observatory in Brunswick
1822 Mar 5, Copy of letter from William Allen to editor of Boston Centinel re: fire
1822 Nov 6, John Quincy Adams to Rev. William Allen: signed document, forwarding copy of additional census of Alabama
1823 Aug 26. William E. Channing to President Allen recommending Richard Dana for a new professorship of General Literature at Bowdoin
[1823?] Aug 30 - 1825 Aug 4, re: Phi Beta Kappa of Bowdoin College
1823 Sep 2, Thaddeus Harris letter to William Allen re: memorial of heir of Dr. Dix
1823 Oct 3, Benjamin Vaughan to William Allen, Hallowell - re: subscription to rebuild Maine Hall
1823 Oct 6, John McKeen letter to Rufus Anderson re: collections and students at Bowdoin and Medical School of Maine
1824, Order of Procession for the reception of Major General Lafayette, Brunswick
1824 Aug 25, James [Winthrop] Bowdoin to Gen. Lafayette inviting him to visit Bowdoin College
1824 Aug 27, William Allen to William King re: hiring of Thomas C. Upham (typescript copy)
1824 Aug 27, Gen. Lafayette to William Allen (via James [Winthrop] Bowdoin) saying he is not able to attend Commencement
1824 Aug 27, James [Winthrop] Bowdoin to Rev. William Allen describing a visit with Lafayette and his attempts to persuade him to visit Bowdoin during Commencement
1824, Rough draft of amendments proposed to College laws
1824 Oct 6, Thomas Upham acceptance as Professor of Metaphysics and Moral Philosophy
1825 Jun 16, John D. Wells to Rev. President Allen concerning the invitation to Gen. Lafayette to attend Bowdoin's Commencement
1825 Jun, Gen. Lafayette's answer to the president of Bowdoin College [probably in Allen's hand] expressing thanks for the honorary degree and regret that he cannot visit the College
[1825], Account of 1825 commencement by the great-great-grandfather of Mr. Ellis Spear, class of 1898, Mr. Prince of Thomaston
1825 Aug, James [Winthrop] Bowdoin to Rev. Dr. Allen, references enclosure of a note from Lafayette (see 1824 Aug 27)
1825 Sep, Draft of College laws
1825 Sep, Petition of Rev. Thomas Upham re: salary
1825 Oct 22, William Smyth's acceptance as Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy
1826 Jun 22 - Sep 11, Phi Beta Kappa correspondence
1826 Aug 8, William Allen's list of seniors recommended for first degree
1826 Aug 29, John Quincy Adams to Rev. William Allen declining invitation to Commencement
1826 Sep 4, Nathaniel Fletcher letter re: poor pronunciation by students
1826 Sep 5, Committee of First Parish in Brunswick re: salary of Asa Mead
1827 Apr 12 - 28, Letters re: theft of Chapel bell
1827 Aug 7 - Sept 4, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1827 Aug 31 - Sept 6, Phi Beta Kappa correspondence
1827 Aug 31, Letter including proposal to require that students give testimony
1827 Sep 3, Letter of recommendation for E.D. Learned
1827 Sep 5, Term bill of Dudley P. Bailey (Class of 1829) signed by President Allen
1828, Student petition re: access to library; response of governing boards
1828 Jul 8 - Aug 16, Phi Beta Kappa correspondence
1828 Aug 5 - Sep 3, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1828 Sep 2, Student petition to establish the wearing of uniforms
1829 Aug 27, List of students recommended for Bachelor of Arts degree
1829 Sep 1, Letter from Joseph McKeen re: Commons Hall
1829 Dec 14 - 1830 Jan 7, Phi Beta Kappa correspondence
[ca. 1830's-1850's], Requirements and course of study at Bowdoin
[183_ ?] Drafts of Phi Beta Kappa [addresses ?]
1830 Jan 13, Josiah Quincy to Rev. William Allen: invitation to deliver the Dudleian Lecture at Harvard University, May 1830
1830 July 7, Edward Everett to William Allen including thanks to Allen for his favorable opinion of Everett's speech on the "Indian question"
1830 Aug 30, Charles Packard letter re: repairs of meeting house
1830 Aug 23, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1831 Aug 2, Lists and certificates re: graduating senior class
1831 Aug 25, Printed form letter [to Charles S. Daveis] re: Phi Beta Kappa
1831 Sep 1, Newspaper article discussing the separation of the College from Maine
[post-1831], Draft of letter from Stephen Longfellow, et al: request for copy of Phi Beta Kappa address
1832 Jul 21, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1832 Jul 24-25, Daniel Webster to Rev. William Allen re court case Allen vs. McKeen
1832 Aug 3, Daniel Webster to William Allen re court case Allen vs. McKeen
1832 Aug 28, Simon Greenleaf to Ebenezer Everett re: Allen v. McKeen
[ca. 1833], Synopses of Judge Story's opinion in Allen v. McKeen
1833, William Allen suit: Judge Story's opinion
[ca. 1833], Stephen Longfellow's argument for the defense in Allen v. McKeen, and letter from Ebenezer Everett to Reuel Williams concerning the case
1833, Description of act concerning President Allen's terms as President (fragment)
1833 Jul 30, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1833 Jul 31, Henry Longfellow to Rev. President Allen expressing regrets that he was unable to meet Allen's family and the senior class, and also for his father's position "in the late College case"
1833 Sep 3, Letter from Stephen Longfellow and report of Judge Story's opinion in Allen v. McKeen
1834, Letter from Charles Bowen to Charles S. Daveis; catalogue; re: Phi Beta Kappa
[c. 1834 Feb 7], Printed copy of journal re: Allen v. McKeen
1834 Jul 28, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1835 Jan 19, Copy of letter from Judge Johnson to A.S. Packard
1835 Jan 19, [Elijah Kellogg] to "Dear Sir" [?] Portland- describes the founding and early history of the College
[post- 1835 Jan 19], Nehemiah Cleaveland re: Judge [Alfred] Johnson's letter concerning early history of Bowdoin College
1835 Feb 3, A[lden] Bradford to "Dr Sir" Boston- with report of the founding of the College, excerpted in part from the Massachusetts Legislative Journals
1835 Jul 28, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1835 Jul 3 - 27, Phi Beta Kappa correspondence
1835 Sep 5, Daniel R. Goodwin's letter of acceptance of Professorship of Modern Languages
1836 Aug 2, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1836 Aug 15, John Chowels letter of recommendation for Rev. Thomas Price
1837 Apr, Letters re: military duty for Bowdoin students
1837 Aug 2, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1837 Sep 7, Phi Beta Kappa correspondence, 1837-1839
1838 Jul 31, Lists and certificates re: the graduating senior class
1839 Jan 23, Robert Dunlap (Maine governor) to William Allen, on behalf of the Brunswick community encouraging Allen to stay in town post retirement