Papers of the Valdosta State University Alumni Association, 1917-2001 | Valdosta State University Archives

By Deborah Davis, Elizabeth Barwick

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Collection Overview

Title: Papers of the Valdosta State University Alumni Association, 1917-2001

Predominant Dates:1924-1932, 1960's -1970's

ID: UA/24/

Extent: 20.0 Boxes

Arrangement:

Boxes 1-5 contain Correspondence and Minutes dating back to 1918. Both "official" correspondence from the Association officers, and chatty "catch-up with friends" letters from Alumni are included. Edith Patterson, the first long term President of the Alumni Association, served from 1924 to 1932. Her correspondence from 1922 to 1932 (she died in 1933), found in Boxes 3 and 4, include especially vivid letters from the early Alumnae. Included here are speeches, and a History paper by Joseph Kelly on Edith Patterson and the early Alumni Association. See also the Archives Web Page for "Past Pictures: The Edith Patterson Years, 1924-1932." The minutes are found in Box 2 and Box 5.

Boxes 6-10 contain organizational information, outlining the history, concerns, membership and financial records of the Association. Here are found items from plays, membership lists, ledgers, the constitution, special topics and articles. Of particular note are the poems, speeches and essays by Alumni found in this section.

Boxes 11-16 contain the Printed or Published Material from the Alumni Association. The early newsletters varied so much in format and title, that they are listed by year as Printed Material.

Boxes 17 and 18 contain photographic plates and woodcuts used in early Alumni Association publications as well as Alumni Memoirs. The memoirs include publications, pictures, letters, slides, and a box of pictures of Alumni's children.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The SGSNC Alumnae Association began in May of 1918, although some publications put it in 1917. It has continued on to the present day, as the VSU Alumni Association. The VSU Alumni Association collection contains materials from 1918 to the present. The purpose of the association is to keep the school's Alumni involved personally and financially with the college. Thus, the bulk of the collection is correspondence and published newsletters. The early Alumni performed other functions, such as recruiting for the school and funding scholarships.

The correspondence, the bulk of which is from 1924-1932, with years up to 1960 well represented, documents a personal attachment between the alumni and the school and between the alumni and their friends who serve as officers. Many of the presidents of the Alumni Association, such as Edith Patterson, and Mildred Price, were also employees of the college, so they regularly passed on appeals and messages from the President in their letters. Later, an Alumni Council, composed of VSC Faculty served as this link in the 1960's and 1970's. Fluker Stewart was the first Alumni Director and served out of the office of College Relations. The Office of Alumni Relations was formed to assist the Alumni Association in the early 1980's, and many of the current publications of the Alumni Association are now assisted or handled by this Office.

The Publications include early Alumni newsletters, which changed format quite often, and so are listed Alumni Publication, by year. The most frequent title was Alumni News. Later publications are listed by title: Valdosta State College Alumni News 1961-1962; Valdosta State College Newsletter: 1965-1966; Alumni Newsletter Valdosta State College 1966-1974; Alumni Association Newsletter and Alumni Football Newsletter--1981; Valdosta State College Bulletin, 1975-present.

The Association raised and dispersed money for scholarships and alumni entertainment and the records of these transactions, especially in the 1950's and 1960's are included in the Collection. Membership and record keeping were other important functions of the Association, and many folders exist of Membership Lists. In fact, in the 1930's a WPA project traced all graduates of the college to generate a complete alumni list. The WPA project papers are included.

Alumni Memoirs donated to the Archives over the years make up one box, and include slides, publications and photographs; a whole box of photographs capture the children of alumni. The many personal letters in the Correspondence also tell biographical information about the alumni. Two boxes of the collection contain letters to Edith Patterson, from 1922 to 1932, and give rich details of the lives of early alumni.

Official letterhead, invitations and programs, along with the woodcuts and photographic plates used in early printing of alumni publications are included in the Collection.

Box and Folder Listing

Box 24: VSU Ambassadors Pictures

Folder 1: Alumni Board: 1996: Pictures of the Alumni Board Members for the 1996-1997 school year.
Folder 2: Alumni Board: 1997: Pictures of the Alumni Board Members for the 1997-1998 school year.
Folder 3: VSU Foundation: 1999: Pictures of the VSU Foundation members for 1999 both singly and as a group.
Folder 4: Alumni Board: 2000: Pictures and negatives of the Alumni Board and the meeting for fall 2000.
Folder 5: Alumni Board: 2001: Pictures and negatives of the Alumni Board for the 2001-2002 school year.
Folder 6: Convention: President for a Day: St Simon's Island: 1991: Pictures taken at the President for a Day Convention held at St Simon's Island in 1991.
Folder 7: Convention: SAA: Louisville, KY: 1991: Pictures and negatives from the Student Alumni Association Convention in Louisville, KY 1991.
Folder 8: Convention: SAA: Utah: 1994: Pictures and negatives from the Student Alumni Association Convention in Utah, 1994.
Folder 9: Convention: SAA: Conway, SC: 1999: Pictures, letter and VHS tape from the Student Alumni Association Convention in Conway, SC, 1999.
Folder 10: Convention: SAA: Chicago, IL: 2000: Pictures and negatives from the Student Alumni Association in Chicago, 2000.
Folder 11: Mardi Gras: 1991: Pictures of the VSU Ambassadors during Mardi Gras 1991.
Folder 12: Scholarship Luncheon: 1992: Pictures from the scholarship luncheon 1992.
Folder 13: Cram Gram: 1994: Pictures of the VSU Ambassadors Association getting ready for Cram Grams A box of goodies that could be sent out for finals.
Folder 14: Graduating Class '97: Social Work: Pictures showing the graduation party for the College of Social Work in 1997.
Folder 15: Alumni Reception: Atlanta: 2001: Pictures and negatives of the alumni reception held in Atlanta in 2001.
Folder 16: Alumni Reception: Atlanta: 2002: Pictures and negatives of the Atlanta Area Alumni Reception in 20002.
Folder 17: Alumni Reception: Atlanta: 2003: Pictures and negatives of the Atlanta area Alumni Reception in 2003.
Folder 18: Alumni Reception: Jacksonville: No Date: Pictures and negatives of the Jacksonville area Alumni Reception.
Folder 19: Alumni Reception: Macon: 2002: Pictures and negatives of the alumni reception in Macon, 2002.
Folder 20: Alumni Reception: Shrenko: 2001: Pictures and negatives of the Schrenko area Alumni Reception in 2001.
Folder 21: Alumni Reception: Tallahassee: 2002: Pictures and negatives of the Tallahassee area Reception for Alumni in 2002.
Folder 22: Alumni Receptions: Thomasvlle: 2002: Pictures and negatives of teh Thomasville area Alumni Reception in 2002.
Folder 23: Alumni Luncheon: 1997: Valdosta Homecoming: Pictures and negatives taken during the 1997 Alumni Luncheon, week of homecoming.
Folder 24: Alumni Reception: Valdosta: 1999: Pictures and negatives taken during the Valdosta, Ga Alumni Reception in 1999.
Folder 25: Alumni Reception: Valdosta: St. Patrick's Day 2002: Pictures taken in Valdosta at an Alumni reception during St. Patty's Day of 2002.
Folder 26: Reunion Photos: No Date: Reunion photos(?) of an unidentified group and unspecified time. Appears to be before and after photos.
Folder 27: Reunion Photos: College of Nursing: Class of 1980 (1990?): Before and after pictures of the College of Nursing graduates of 1980. Reuinion possibly in 1990.
Folder 28: Reunion: Class of 1981: 1991: Reunion photos from 1991. Focus on the graduating class of 1981.
Folder 29: Reunion: Classes of 1943 and 1983: 1993: Reunion pictures that focus on the 50th year reunion for the Class of 1943 and the 10th year reunion of the class of 1983.
Folder 30: Reunion: Class of 1947: 1997: Pictures taken at Valdosta of the 50th year reunion of the Class of 1947.
Folder 31: Reunion: Class of 1949: 1999: Pictures and negatives of the 50th reunion for the class of 1949.
Folder 32: Reunion: Class of 1952: 2002: Pictures and negatives of the graduating class of 1952's 50 year reunion in 2002, Valdosta.
Folder 33: Homecoming: 1997: Pictures from the week of Valdosta State's Homecoming in 1997, including the big game and the crowning of the Homecoming Queen.
Folder 34: Homecoming: 2002: Pictures taken during Valdosta State's homecoming in 2002, including the big game.
Folder 35: Basketball: 1999: Pictures taken during a Lady Blazers' basketball game in 1999.
Folder 36: Roswell Golf Reception: 1999, May 17: Pictures, and negatives, from the Roswell Golf Reception (in Valdosta).
Folder 37: VSU Alumni Golf "Shamrock Classic" Tournament: 2000: VSU Ambassador's sponsored Shamrock Golf Tournament held St Patty's 2000 at Valdosta Country Club.
Folder 38: VSU Alumni Golf "Shamrock Classic" Tournament: 2002: Pictures and negatives from the VSU Ambassador sponsored Shamrock Classic Golf Tournament held around St. Patty's Day at Valdosta Country Club.
Folder 39: Oozeball: No Date: Pictures of an Oozeball game(s) that are undated. Oozeball is like volleyball played in the mud.
Folder 40: Oozeball: 1992: Pictures and negatives taken at an Oozeball game(s) during 1999. Oozeball is like volleyball.
Folder 41: Volleyball: 1999: Grassy Pond: Pictures taken during a Volleyball match that was held in October 1999 at Grassy Pond (a military run park).