HomeCC-2 Centre College Presidents

CC-2 Centre College Presidents

Collection Outline

Collection Description

The Centre College Presidents Papers were initially compiled from a mass of documents found in various campus locations in the early 1980s. Since there was no comprehensive order, and since no complete runs of papers existed for any one President, the main body of the presidential papers were not delineated by sub-groups. Instead, all the material was simply divided by type of document, assigned a series designation, and arranged chronologically.

Sometime later two complete sets of presidential files were located in the basement of Old Centre. The first was a series of files on various subjects maintained by Centre presidents approximately from the 1920s to the 1940s, although a few documents from earlier and later years had been interfiled. This collection was designated CC-2.1 President's Office - Subject Files. The second set comprised the office files of President Walter A. Groves, and was designated CC-2.3 Walter A. Groves Papers.

The files of the nineteenth and early twentieth century presidents are disappointing small. The largest percentage of the early presidential papers center on three presidents: John C. Young (1830-1857), Ormond Beatty (1868-1888), and Frederick W. Hinitt (1904-1915). Much of President Young's correspondence concerns his efforts at fund raising, scholarships, the hiring of faculty, and discussions of slavery. Several of the letters are typed transcripts or photocopies of documents held in other repositories, and collected by Dr. Frank H. Heck, Centre College history professor. Dr. Beatty's correspondence concerns fund raising, the building and dedication of Old Main, faculty relations, land and investing, relations between the northern and southern synods of the Presbyterian Church, and the conferring of honorary degrees. Dr. Hinitt's correspondence concerns the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, intercollegiate athletics, campus buildings, the General Education Board (Rockefeller Fund), and public schools. There is a small run of correspondence during William Ganfield's term concerning the student Army Training Corps and World War I, reports of the state of Centre, endowments, and the General Education Board. There is a significant amount of correspondence during Hewlett's term as acting president (1942-1944), almost all of which concerns Centre and the Army Air Corps' 20th College Training Detachment.

CC-2.1 consists of the previously mentioned President's Office Subject Files. The subjects are largely self-explanatory, but it should be pointed out that the college's annual reports to the Board of Trustees from 1922-1947 are contained in the subject file "Board of Trustees, Reports to". Earlier annual reports may be found in CC-13 Early Centre Financial Papers.

CC-2.2 contains the Robert L. McLeod, Jr., Papers. A recent donation of additional McLeod papers led to the establishment of a separate sub-group, consisting largely of correspondence concerning McLeod's acceptance of Centre's presidency, his inauguration, the Civilian Pilot Training program at Centre during World War LL, and his military service record as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy.

CC-2.3 contains the Walter A. Groves Papers, covering his presidency from 1947 to 1957. The order of the collection indicates his files survived fairly intact. The majority of the collection consists of college and general correspondence and special subject files.

CC-2.4 contains the Thomas A. Spragens Papers, a large and significant collection of material from an important period in the history of Centre College and of American higher education. The bulk of the collection is essentially President Spragens' office files, and maintains the original order of the files. Another group of records concerns Centre's relations with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.) and (U.S.A.). Smaller collections deal with other aspects of the Spragens' presidency.

CC-2.5 contains the Richard L. Morrill Papers. Consisting almost entirely of office files, the group maintains the original order and folder designation of the records.

CC-2.6 contains the Michael F. Adams Papers, Centre president from 1988 to 1997. Although few items have been processed, there exists in the archives a large amount of unprocessed material, including correspondence, installation material, subject files, and Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) papers.

CC-2.7 contains the John A. Roush Papers, Centre president from 1998 to 2020. 

Collection Inventory

James McChord Papers

On March 4, 1820, the Board of Trustees of the newly chartered Centre College elected James McChord as its first president, but he suddenly died on May 29, 1820.

Folder 1 Correspondence, dated December 5, 1808
Folder 2 Biographical data and miscellaneous materials concerning James McChord
Volume 1 McChord, James. A Plea "For the Hope of Israel." Philadelphia: Port Folio Office, 1817

Jeremiah Chamberlain Papers

Jeremiah Chamberlain served as president of Centre College from 1822 until 1826.

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1823-1826
Folder 2 Correspondence, 1830-1845
Folder 3 Correspondence, 1846-1851
Folder 4 Announcement for the opening of Louisiana College (under President Jeremiah Chamberlain) January 1, 1827; pencil sketches of the designs of monuments to Jeremiah and James Chamberlain at Oakland College, 1852
Folder 5 Newspaper clippings on the murder of Chamberlain; consists of one copy of The Daily Picayne (New Orleans) September 13, 1851, "The tragedy at Oakland College" and "The late tragedy in Mississippi"

Gideon Blackburn Papers

Gideon Blackburn served as president of Centre College from 1827 to 1830

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1829-1831
Folder 2 Biographical data and miscellaneous materials concerning Gideon Blackburn

John C. Young Papers

John C. Young served as president of Centre College from 1830 to 1857

John C. Young Papers -- Box 1

Folder 1 Correspondence, undated, and dated 1832-1836
Folder 2 Correspondence, 1837-1851
Folder 3 Correspondence, 1853-1857
Folder 4 Reports to Board of Trustees, dated 1840, 1844, and 1845; "Students at different periods at Centre College" (transcript, original Breckinridge Family Papers, Library of Congress)
Folder 5 Miscellaneous biographical material on John C. Young and the Young family; wills of John C. Young and Zillah Y. Jacobs; agreement between the Centre College Trustees and Eugenia Young, Sarah L. Young, and Zillah Y. Jacobs establishing the John C. and William C.Young Foundation.

John C. Young Papers--Box 2

Volume 1 Young, John C. Address of Rev. John C. Young Delivered at His Inauguration as President of Centre College, Danville, Nov. 18, 1830. Lexington, Ky.: T.T. Skillman, 1830
Volume 2 Young, John C. Address to the Senior Class, Delivered at the Commencement in Centre College, September 22d, 1831. Danville, Ky.: J.J. Polk, 1831.
Volume 3 Young, John C. Redemption by the Blood of Christ. A Sermon Preached in the Presbyterian Church, in Harrodsburg, Ky., on Sunday, March 13, 1831. Lexington, Ky.: Thomas T. Skillman, 1831.
Volume 4 Young, John C. Address on Temperance: Delivered at the Court House in Lexington, Ky. Lexington, Ky.: T.T. Skillman, 1834.
Volume 5 Young, John C. "Conversion of Sinners" Presbyterian Preacher, vol. 4, no. 11. Pittsburgh, 1836.
Volume 6 Young family record book
Volume 7 Journal of manuscript lectures, dated August 5-October 25, 1788, owned by Rev. John Young, the father of John C. Young

Lewis W. Green Papers

Lewis W. Green served as president of Centre College from 1857 to 1863.

Folder 1 Correspondence, undated, and dated 1858-1863
Volume 1 Addresses Delivered at the Inauguration of Rev. Lewis W. Green, D.D., as President of Transylvania University and State Normal School, November 18, 1856. Frankfort, 1856.
Volume 2 Inaugural Address Delivered Before the Synod of Kentucky, at Lebanon, October 14, 1848. Frankfort, 1858.

William L. Breckinridge Papers

William L. Breckinridge served as president of Centre College from 1863 to 1868.
Folder 1 Correspondence, 1863-1864 (photocopies)
Folder 2 Miscellaneous biographical information
Folder 3 A Christian College: Its Instruction and Its Government. The Inaugural Address by Rev. Dr. William H. Breckinridge, President of Centre College. Cincinnati, 1864.

Ormond Beatty Papers

Ormond Beatty served as president of Centre College from 1868 to 1888. See also CC-72 Beatty Family Papers for non-presidential material relating to Beatty.

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1869-1872
Folder 2 Correspondence, 1873-1875
Folder 3 Correspondence, 1876-1878
Folder 4 Correspondence, 1879-1891
Folder 5 Correspondence, 1882-1883
Folder 6 Correspondence, 1884-1888
Folder 7 Biographical data and miscellaneous materials
Folder 8 Speeches, addresses, and miscellaneous essays
Beatty, Ormond. "State Education." Delivered Before the Committee of the House of Representatives on the A. and M. College of Kentucky (University of Kentucky), on the 16th and 23rd of January 1882. Danville: Kentucky Advocate, 1882
Beatty, Ormond. Baccalaureate address, 1886
Volume 1 Manuscript of address to the graduating class of 1886.

William C. Young Papers

William C. Young served as president of Centre College from 1888 to 1896.

Folder 1 Correspondence, undated and dated 1890-1893 Folder 2 Biographical data and miscellaneous materials
Folder 3 Inaugural program (October 9, 1889)

William C. Roberts Papers

William C. Roberts served as president of Centre College from 1898 to 1903.

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1898-1901.
Folder 2 Correspondence, 1903.
Folder 3 Biographical data and miscellaneous materials
Folder 4 Inaugural Address (October 13, 1898).
Volume 1 Book of published sermons and miscellaneous materials by William C. Roberts.

Frederick W. Hinitt Papers

Frederick W. Hinitt served as president of Centre College from 1904 to 1915.

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1901-1905
Folder 2 Correspondence, 1906
Folder 3 Correspondence, January-October 1907
Folder 4 Correspondence, November-December 1907
Folder 5 Correspondence, January-June 1908
Folder 6 Correspondence, July 1905-June 1909
Folder 7 Correspondence, July 1909-October 1910
Folder 8 Correspondence, March 1911-June 1913
Folder 9 Correspondence, July 1-5, 1913
Folder 10 Correspondence, July 8-September 25, 1913
Folder 11 Correspondence, October 1913-January 1915
Folder 12 Biographical and inaugural materials
Folder 13 Speeches, addresses, miscellaneous essays
Hinitt, Frederick W. "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." New York: The College Board of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
Hinitt, Frederick W. "Religion and education, or, What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Danville, Ky.: Central University, 1914

William A. Ganfield Papers

William A. Ganfield served as president of Centre College from 1915 to 1921.

Folder 1 Correspondence, May 1915
Folder 2 Correspondence, August-July, 1918
Folder 3 Correspondence, August-September, 1918
Folder 4 Correspondence, October-November, 1918
Folder 5 Correspondence, December 1918-July 1919
Folder 6 Correspondence, June 1920-December 1921
Folder 7 Speeches, addresses, miscellaneous essays
Ganfield, William A. "Our Changing Social Order." Address by Ganfield before the Kentucky State Bar Association at Louisville, Ky., July 6, 1916. Louisville: Westerfield Bonte Co., Inc., 1916 R.

Ames Montgomery Papers

Ames Montgomery served as president of Centre College from 1922 to 1926.

Folder 1 Correspondence, undated, and dated February 1922-February 1925
Folder 2 Inaugural materials
Folder 3 Speeches, addresses, miscellaneous essays
Montgomery, R. Ames. "History of Centre College Goes Back to Pioneer Days."
Montgomery, R. Ames. "The Function of the Christian College." Inaugural address by Montgomery, Danville, Ky., June 11, 1923.
Includes other addresses Montgomery, R. Ames. "The Winning Team." Collection of talks delivered in the college chapel Monday mornings following football games. 1923

Charles J. Turck Papers

Charles J. Turck served as president of Centre College from 1927 to 1936.

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1927-1929; July 1932; July 25, 1934
Folder 2 Biographical data and miscellaneous materials
Folder 3 Inaugural program (October 21, 1927)
Folder 4 Speeches, addresses, miscellaneous essays
Turck, Charles J. "In memory of Mr. J. A. Cheek" May 30, 1934
Turck, Charles J. "Centre College, 1846-1840.": July 24, 1930
Turck, Charles J. "Centre College of Kentucky." 1929-30
Turck, Charles J. "Education and Presbyterianism in Kentucky." Delivered at the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Presbyterianism in Kentucky, Harrodsburg, Ky. October 20, 1933
Turck, Charles J. "The Legal History of Centre College"
Turck, Charles J. "The Story of Centre College" Fall, 1958
Turck, Charles J. Untitled brief biography of President John C. Young submitted to the Dictionary of American Biography. December, 1934

James H. Hewlett Papers

James H. Hewlett served as president pro tem of Centre College from 1942 to 1944 and 1946.

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1937-1938
Folder 2 Correspondence, December 1942
Folder 3 Correspondence, January 1943
Folder 4 Correspondence, February 1943
Folder 5 Correspondence, March 1943
Folder 6 Correspondence, April 2-April 19, 1943
Folder 7 Correspondence, April 20-May 19, 1943
Folder 8 Correspondence, May 21-31, 1943
Folder 9 Correspondence, June 1943
Folder 10 Correspondence, August 1943
Folder 11 Correspondence, September 1943
Folder 12 Correspondence, October 1943
Folder 13 Correspondence, November-December 1943
Folder 14 Correspondence, January-February 1944
Folder 14 Correspondence, March 1944
Folder 14 Correspondence, April 1944
Folder 14 Correspondence, May-July 1944
Folder 15 Speeches, addresses, miscellaneous essays
Hewlett, James H. "Centre College." 1936
Hewlett, James H. "Tribute to a College." Delivered as part of a radio program, January 21, 1944 by WHAS, Louisville on the 125th anniversary of the christening of Centre College
Hewlett, James H. Untitled address probably delivered as part of a program honoring Centre's 125th anniversary. May 20, 1944

Robert J. McMullen Papers

Robert J. McMullen served as president of Centre College from 1944 to 1946.

Folder 1 Correspondence, September, 1945; May 8, 1946
Folder 2 Inaugural program (May 26, 1945)