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Faculty Meeting Minutes - February 25, 1859

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 11/13/2025, 10:52:52 PM

Added description

Description

Faculty Meeting Minutes – February 25, 1859

Overview

This item is a set of faculty meeting minutes from a private college in 1859, preserved as a text record and as a series of photographic reproductions (JPEG and TIFF). The minutes were authored by Dean Edwin Russell and are dated 25 February 1859. They document the faculty’s deliberations on degree candidates, the authorization of the Master of Pharmacy (M.P.) degree, and the planning of a public commencement ceremony. The accompanying images provide a visual transcription of the original handwritten minutes.

Background

The minutes were produced by the college’s faculty, under the auspices of the institution now known as Drexel‑Production. The meeting took place in an unspecified faculty location, likely the college’s main hall. Dean Russell, who also served as the college’s dean, led the session. The college was engaged in the early professional education of pharmacists and had recently established a formal degree program. The meeting also referenced the New York Woman’s Infirmary, reflecting the college’s interest in public health and professional training.

Contents

The minutes record the following key actions:
  • Voting on degree candidates: Six candidates—Sutnamine S. Underwood, Mary Malin Bailey, St. Winona Stratton, Harriet Adams, Maria W. Porter, and Lizzie S. Mellen—received votes. The table shows white and black vote totals, with all candidates surpassing 50 white votes.
  • Authorization of the M.P. degree: Dean Russell was authorized to recommend conferring the M.P. degree upon the elected candidates at a public commencement.
  • Commencement planning: The minutes resolved that a public commencement be held at a later date and place, and that the faculty recommend graduates spend time at the New York Woman’s Infirmary.
  • Committee appointments: Committees for commencement, banqueting, and publication were formed, with faculty members such as Dr. Temple, Dr. Fessell, and Prof. Cleveland appointed to key roles.

The photographic reproductions (JPEG/TIFF) capture the original hand‑written text, including the table of votes and the formal language of the minutes.

Scope

The item covers the faculty meeting of 25 February 1859, focusing on degree elections, commencement arrangements, and related institutional recommendations. It includes the minutes themselves and their photographic reproductions. The document does not contain subsequent events such as the actual commencement (5 March 1859) or the annual anniversary meeting (2 April 1859), which are preserved separately in the collection.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

**File‑to‑document links**

@file_pinax -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_minutes_feb_25_1859:document {date: @date_1859_02_25, creator: @edwin_russell, description: "Minutes of a faculty meeting held on February 25 1859, detailing the voting for degree candidates, the authorization to confer the M.P. degree, and planning of a public commencement."}
@file_a092_001_121_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_minutes_feb_25_1859:document
@file_a092_001_122_jpg -> documents -> @public_commencement_march_5_1859:event
@file_a092_001_123_jpg -> documents -> @annual_anniversary_meeting_april_2_1859:event


**Events & places**

@faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {when: @date_1859_02_25, where: @faculty_meeting_location}
@faculty_meeting_location:place {description: "Location of the faculty meeting (unspecified in the record)"}

@public_commencement_march_5_1859:event {when: @date_1859_03_05, where: @concert_hall}
@concert_hall:place {description: "Concert Hall where the eighth annual commencement was held"}

@reunion_farewell_evening:event {when: @date_1859_03_05, where: @preston_house}
@preston_house:place {owner: @prof_preston, description: "Residence of Prof. Preston, site of the evening reunion and farewell"}

@annual_anniversary_meeting_april_2_1859:event {when: @date_1859_04_02, where: @faculty_meeting_location, participants: [@prof_cleveland, @prof_birdsell, @rockey, @thorell]}


**People (persons)**

@edwin_russell:person {full_name: "Edwin Russell", role: "Dean"}
@prof_birdsell:person {full_name: "Edwin Birdsell", role: "Professor and President of the College"}
@dr_gorminger:person {full_name: "Dr. Gorminger", role: "Faculty member"}
@prof_cleveland:person {full_name: "Prof. Cleveland", role: "Professor"}
@dr_russell:person {full_name: "Dr. Russell", role: "Dean (same as Edwin Russell)"}
@dr_temple:person {full_name: "Dr. Temple", role: "Committee member"}
@prof_preston:person {full_name: "Prof. Preston", role: "Faculty member"}
@dr_fessell:person {full_name: "Dr. Fessell", role: "Committee member"}
@rockey:person {full_name: "Rockey", role: "Faculty member"}
@thorell:person {full_name: "Thorell", role: "Faculty member"}

@sutnamine_underwood:person {full_name: "Sutnamine S. Underwood"}
@mary_malin_bailey:person {full_name: "Mary Malin Bailey"}
@st_winona_stratton:person {full_name: "St. Winona Stratton"}
@harriet_adams:person {full_name: "Harriet Adams"}
@maria_w_porter:person {full_name: "Maria W. Porter"}
@lizzie_s_mellen:person {full_name: "Lizzie S. Mellen"}


**Concepts & documents**

@mp_degree:concept {name: "M.P.", description: "Master of Pharmacy degree"}
@valedictory_address:document {title: "Valedictory Address", delivered_by: @prof_birdsell, event: @public_commencement_march_5_1859:event}
@commencement_committee:organization {purpose: "Obtain a hall and arrange all needful details for the public commencement"}
@banqueting_committee:organization {purpose: "Plan banqueting for the ensuing year"}
@publication_committee:organization {purpose: "Publish the essay of the 10th Annual Anniversary"}


**Voting results (relationships with properties)**  

@sutnamine_underwood -> received votes -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {white: 66, black: 4, elected: true}
@mary_malin_bailey -> received votes -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {white: 60, black: 10, elected: true}
@st_winona_stratton -> received votes -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {white: 58, black: 12, elected: true}
@harriet_adams -> received votes -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {white: 56, black: 14, elected: true}
@maria_w_porter -> received votes -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {white: 55, black: 15, elected: true}
@lizzie_s_mellen -> received votes -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {white: 53, black: 17, elected: false}


**Degree conferral & authorization**

@edwin_russell -> authorized -> @mp_degree {recipients: [@sutnamine_underwood, @mary_malin_bailey, @st_winona_stratton, @harriet_adams, @maria_w_porter], at: @public_commencement_march_5_1859:event}
@prof_cleveland -> conferred -> @mp_degree {to: [@sutnamine_underwood, @mary_malin_bailey, @st_winona_stratton, @harriet_adams, @maria_w_porter], at: @public_commencement_march_5_1859:event}
@prof_birdsell -> delivered -> @valedictory_address


**Committee appointments**

@dr_russell -> appointed -> @commencement_committee
@dr_temple -> appointed -> @commencement_committee
@dr_fessell -> appointed -> @banqueting_committee
@rockey -> appointed -> @banqueting_committee
@prof_cleveland -> appointed -> @banqueting_committee

@dr_temple -> appointed to deliver -> @introductory_address:document {event: @public_commencement_march_5_1859:event, note: "next general introductory"}
@prof_cleveland -> appointed to deliver -> @next_valedictory_address:document {event: @public_commencement_march_5_1859:event, note: "next valedictory address"}


**Other resolutions & recommendations**

@edwin_russell -> recommended -> @ny_woman_infirmary:place {purpose: "Spending some time in the N.Y. Woman's Infirmary for graduates"}
@faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event -> resolved -> @ny_woman_infirmary:place {action: "recommendation to graduates"}

@faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event -> changed voting rule -> @faculty_meeting_feb_25_1859:event {new_rule: "Require 55 white votes out of 70 and at least 5 white votes in every tribe; voting to be by open ballot"}


**Publication of anniversary essay**

@annual_anniversary_meeting_april_2_1859:event -> produced -> @publication_committee
@publication_committee -> prepared -> @essay_of_10th_anniversary:document {type: "Essay", status: "Agreed for joint publication with corporation"}

Metadata

Files (6)

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OCR Text

Feb 25th, 1859 Present—all the members of the Faculty On motion of Prof Birdsell Dr Gorminger was invited to vote on the various candidates for degree as tho a member of the Faculty. The voting for candidates was then proceeded with, and resulted as follows: <table> <tr> <th></th> <th>White votes</th> <th>Black votes</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Sutnamine S. Underwood</td> <td>66</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Mary Malin Bailey</td> <td>60</td> <td>10</td> </tr> <tr> <td>St. Winona Stratton</td> <td>58</td> <td>12</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Harriet Adams</td> <td>56</td> <td>14</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Maria W. Porter</td> <td>55</td> <td>15</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lizzie S. Mellen</td> <td>53</td> <td>17</td> </tr> </table> All having received over fifty white votes were therefore declared duly elected, and the Dean was authorized to recommend that the degree of M.P. be conferred upon them at a public commencement to be held at such time & place as may be agreed upon. Resolved that the respective candidates be informed of the vote in her own case and that the Faculty recommend to the graduates the propriety of spending some time in the N.York Woman's Infirmary.

a092_001_122.jpgJPEG
357.94 KB
OCR Text

to some other place where they may obtain a fuller practical knowledge of pharmacy and disease. Moreover, that Dr. Russell & Temple be a committee to act with a similar one appointed by the corporators, to obtain a hall and make all other needful arrangements for holding the public commencement. Adjourned Edwin Russell Dean The Eight Annual Commencement was held in Concert Hall on the fifth of March 1859. Prof Cleveland conferred the degree and Prof Birdsell delivered the valedictory. The hall was crowded by an attentive audience. On the evening of the same day a pleasant meeting of reunion and farewell was held at the house of Prof Preston and attended by the students, faculty, corporators, & friends of the College.

a092_001_123.jpgJPEG
365.01 KB
OCR Text

April 2nd, 1859 Present: Cleveland, Birdsell, Rockey and Thorell. An essay of the 10th Annual Anniversary was presented and agreed to and the committee continued as part of a joint committee with the corporation for its publication. Voted that Dr. Fessell, Rockey and Cleveland be the committee on banqueting for the ensuing year. On motion Dr Temple was appointed to deliver the next general introductory and Dr Cleveland the next valedictory address. It was voted unanimously to change the rules of voting for candidates so as to require fifty-five white votes out of seventy, and not less than five white votes in every tribe to elect and that in order to know this, that the voting be by open ballot. Adjourned Edwin Birdsell pres.

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 11/13/2025, 10:52:52 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 11/13/2025, 10:40:49 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 11/13/2025, 10:36:10 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 11/13/2025, 10:34:05 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Faculty_Meetings_1859"

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