Charles Sumner Murkland, 1893-1903
Papers
Presidents
(UA 2/1/1)
Size: 3 boxes (1 cu. ft.)
Biography:
Charles Sumner Murkland was the first to be elected President of the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts following the college's move to Durham from Hanover, NH. Murkland was elected to the presidency by the Board of Trustees on May 18, 1893, and was inaugurated on August 30 of the same year. Although as a scholar and executive he was certainly qualified for the position, his lack of any agricultural experience or background made him a surprising choice for office.
Murkland was born on May 30, 1856 in Lowell, MA. In 1881 he graduated from Middlebury College as valedictorian of his class, and then went on to Harvard Divinity School, receiving a Bachelor of Divinity. He then finished his Master of Arts from Middlebury in 1884. In the meantime he completed one year of post-graduate study at Andover Theological Seminary. After a few years serving as pastor in Chicopee, MA and Manchester, NH, he was elected president of UNH. During his presidency, he received a Doctor of Divinity from Middlebury in 1900, and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth in 1903.
Murkland was an advocate of adding preparatory courses, and a two-year degree to the college. It is believed that his strong liberal arts and theological background contributed to the conflict between himself and those who felt the college should emphasize only agricultural sciences. Murkland argued for a broad interpretation of the Morrill Act, thereby requiring that the college try to meet the needs of all groups of New Hampshire's population.
Collection UA 2/4/1 contains the published inaugural address of President Murkland along with correspondence with the New Hampshire State Board of Agriculture. Murkland championed a broader liberal arts background for all students. The Board took issue with Murkland's statement concerning the possible addition of classical languages to the college's curriculum.
Murkland's influence greatly contributed to the growth and expansion of the college. The student body, faculty and staff doubled during his administration. By the end of his administration, Murkland felt he had completed much of what he had set out to do. He also stated that he felt constrained by the duties of teaching classes in addition to his responsibilities as an administrator. Murkland therefore presented his resignation to the Board, to take effect on May 1, 1903.
Scope and Content:
This series spans the years 1893-1903. It includes letters of acceptance and resignation, and correspondence about the new agricultural building, Morrill Hall.
| F. 1 | June 1893-Feb 1903 | Letters of Acceptance and Resignation |
| F. 2 | June 4, 1895 | Report of the President |
| F. 3 | Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations (AAACES)- Correspondence A | |
| F. 4 | AAACES - Correspondence B | |
| F. 5 | AAACES - Correspondence C | |
| F. 6 | AAACES - Duties of Officers | |
| F. 7 | Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education | |
| F. 8 | AAACES - Correspondence from Henry Goddell | |
| F. 9 | AAACES - Correspondence H | |
| F. 10 | AAACES - Memoranda of Proceedings of Convention, 1897-1902 | |
| F. 11 | AAACES - Correspondence M | |
| F. 12 | AAACES - "Report of Special Committee on Codification" | |
| F. 13 | AAACES - Correspondence T | |
| F. 14 | AAACES - Correspondence from Edward Voorhees | |
| F. 15 | AAACES - Correspondence W | |
| F. 16 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence A | |
| F. 17 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence B | |
| F. 18 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Bids | |
| F. 19 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence C | |
| F. 20 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence D | |
| F. 21 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence E | |
| F. 22 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence F | |
| F. 23 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence G | |
| F. 24 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence H | |
| F. 25 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence I | |
| F. 26 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence J | |
| F. 27 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence K | |
| F. 28 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence L | |
| F. 29 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence M | |
| F. 30 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence N | |
| F. 31 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence O | |
| F. 32 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence P | |
| F. 33 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence R | |
| F. 34 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence S | |
| F. 35 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence T | |
| F. 36 | New Agricultural Building 1902 - Correspondence W |
| F. 1 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence A |
| F. 2 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence B |
| F. 3 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence C |
| F. 4 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence D |
| F. 5 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence E |
| F. 6 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence F |
| F. 7 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence G |
| F. 8 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence H |
| F. 9 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence I |
| F. 10 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence J |
| F. 11 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence K |
| F. 12 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence L |
| F. 13 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence M |
| F. 14 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence N |
| F. 15 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence O |
| F. 16 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence P |
| F. 17 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence R |
| F. 18 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence S |
| F. 19 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence T |
| F. 20 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence U |
| F. 21 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence V |
| F. 22 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence W |
| F. 23 | Jan 1902 - July 1902 | Correspondence Y-Z |
| F. 1 | 1897 | Correspondence Regarding the Establishment of the Valentine Smith Scholarship |
| F. 2 | Typescript of Act to Establish Engineering Experiment Stations in Connection with Colleges | |
| F. 3 | 1898 | Address of President Murkland |
| F. 4 | 1902 | Specifications for the New Agricultural Building |
| F. 5 | 1902 | New Agricultural Building "L" |
| F. 6 | Bond for New Agricultural Building |