controller_sc.html

OFFICE OF CONTROLLER
Records, 1835-1994
SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Controller's Office files are arranged in three records series: I. Annual Gift Reports, II. Annual Financial Reports, and III. Bursar/Treasurer's Files. Almost exclusively financial in nature, these records include reports, contracts, tax forms, grant papers, remittance information forms, memoranda, promissory notes, trust fund account statements, agreements, correspondence, invoices, land deeds and titles, and leases. They date from 1835 to 1994.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I. Annual Gift Reports, 1958-1973, 0.5 l.f.

The Annual Gift Reports dating from Arthur L. Cotton's years as controller are arranged chronologically. The Controller's Office printed these reports as part of its fiduciary responsibilities as well as to encourage donations. As a public relations document, the annual gift reports were distributed to alumni, foundations, and Oberlin's academic community. While the format varies somewhat between 1958 and 1973, all reports contain the same basic information: grant categories (including but not limited to Endowment Funds, Plant Funds, and Current Funds), individual donors, and gift amounts. Sometime between 1973 and the present day, the Development Office assumed responsibility for these gift reports. A one-page summary of gift reports appears in the Annual Financial Report.

Series II. Annual Financial Reports, 1949-present, (1.5 l.f.)

The Annual Financial Reports of Oberlin College are arranged chronologically. Presented to the Board of Trustees at their annual meeting, these documents record the year's financial operations at Oberlin College. As a formally-published report, it contains summary and detailed information about funds, investments, income and expense, and trusts. The College Archives also holds these reports on microfilm and in hard-copy in Record Group 0 "College General."

Series III. Bursar/Treasurer's Files, 1835-1994, (14 l.f.)

The records from the Controller's Office, which include files inherited from both the Bursar's Office and the Treasurer's Office, date from 1835 to 1994, with bulk dates from 1930 to 1985. Records are arranged in five subseries: 1. Subject Files, 2. Remittance Information Forms, 3. Capital Venture Properties, 4. Retained Income and Prospective Gifts, and 5. Properties. This arrangement reflects the subseries' original order when accessioned by the Oberlin College Archives.

Subseries 1. Subject Files, 1835-1994 (7 l.f.)

The Subject Files, which were created and maintained by the Treasurer's Office, are arranged alphabetically by folder title. Folder titles denote the names of individuals, companies, properties, or a subject. These records include informational and evidential documents in regard to funds (trust, reunion, memorial, tuition, scholarship, building, etc.), contracts, gifts, bequests, annuities, properties and buildings, endowments, scholarships, estates, bonds, tax forms, promissory notes, grants, pooled income, and leases.

The name or subject of some of these files appears in later series. For example, this series contains a folder on Esther Dobbins, but a folder with her name on it appears in Subseries 4 "Retained Income and Prospective Gifts."

Subseries 2. Remittance Information Forms, 1987-1988, (1.5 l.f.)

The files containing remittance information forms used by the Bursar's Office are arranged alphabetically by students' last names. Using these forms, students and/or their families could elect to remit payment in one or more of three areas. First, they could inform the college of Non-Oberlin scholarships and loans by providing the names and addresses of the person or organization providing funds, and the amount. The second option was to select a deferred payment plan, and third was the choice to waive Oberlin College's supplementary insurance plan by filling in existing health insurance coverage.

Subseries 3. Capital Venture Properties, 1986-1990, (0.5 l.f.)

The 25 folders in this subseries --once held by the bursar-- are arranged alphabetically by the donor's last name. This subseries is comprised almost entirely of inter-office memoranda from the Controller's Office asking the bursar to maintain promissory notes for purchase of residential properties in a vault for safekeeping. Although most original promissory notes do not appear in these files, some are attached to the memoranda.

Subseries 4. Retained Income and Prospective Gifts, 1944-1976, (1 l.f.)

The "Retained Income and Prospective Gifts" files were removed from drawers labeled, "Retained Income File: Cleveland Trust Co." and "Prospective Gifts, Philad. Bank, NDE - Student Loan Fund, TRSF - FISC College Loan." This subseries contains the agreements signed by donors to "sell, assign, transfer and deliver to [Oberlin College] and/or deposit with [Oberlin College] the property hereinafter described, to be held, managed, and controlled . . ." At different times, these records were handled independently by the investment executive or by the treasurer of Oberlin College, or by the investment executive under the treasurer's oversight. Included are signed agreements, deposit slips, transfer papers, letters and memoranda, and revocation documents.

Subseries 5. Properties, 1880-1985, (1.5 l.f.)

The property files, which were created and maintained by the Treasurer's Office, are arranged alphabetically by the property owner's name. This order reflects perceived user needs for accessing records; it is not the original order. When accessioned, folders at the front of the subseries were arranged in alphabetical order, and subsequently ordered by 7000 (property) numbers. All data from the original folders has been copied onto the acid-free folders currently housing the records. These records include purchase invoices, correspondence and memoranda, land deeds and titles, and leases. Oberlin College acquired properties largely located in the city's core streets: Cedar, College Park Lots, College, College Place, Elm, Elmwood, Forest, Lorain, Main, Morgan, Pleasant, Professor, Willard Court, and Woodland.