Collection Title: Records, 1901-1912, 1943
Record Group Number: 2-1.10
Volume: 2 boxes
Restrictions None
Biographical Note: Henry Louis Smith, 1859-1951, was a native of Greensboro, NC. He was graduated from Davidson College in 1881 and the University of Virginia in 1891. He returned to Davidson as a professor of physics in 1887 and was elected president of the College in 1901. Smith served as president until 1912. During his tenure he established an electric light plant; oversaw the construction of the Carnegie Library, the YMCA Hall, Martin Chemical Laboratory and three dormitories; and saw student enrollment grow from 137 to 340 students. He encouraged the organization of a student government and the development of an athletic field. As a scientist Smith was involved in early work with X-rays. He left Davidson in 1912 to assume the presidency of Washington and Lee University.
Scope Note: The collection consists primarily of correspondence from the years 1911 and 1912, with only a few items from the 1907 to 1910 period. Some of the correspondence from the president's office is signed by Miss Cornelia Shaw, who acted as the president's assistant. Topics covered in these records include advertising for the college, athletics, fraternities, the code of honor system, hazing, apple orchards, the Davidson Cemetery, honorary degrees, faculty housing, the College's 75 anniversary the Southern Educational Association, and Rhodes Scholarship Committee. The files also include considerable correspondence with parents of students and letters of recommendation for students. Faculty members represented in the collection include Walter L. Lingle and John Wilson MacConnell. There are also two reports written by Smith on Davidson College and his work as president.
Subjects:
1. Students - Social Life and Customs
2. Davidson (N.C.) - Cemetery
3. Celebrations
4. Public Relations
5. Lingle, Walter L., 1868-1956 (1892)
6. MacConnell, John Wilson
Folders:
1. Reports 1912, 1943
2. A
3. B
4. Correspondence - Board of Trustees
5. Ca-Cl
6. Charter of Davidson College
7. Co-Cu
8. Craig, C.B.
9. D
10. Davidson College
11. Davidson College - Museum
12. E
13. Fa
14. Fe-Fl
15. Fo-Fu
16. Fulton, M.G.
17. G
18. Ha
19. Hazing
20. He
21. Hi
22. Ho
23. Honor System
24. Honorary Degrees
25. Houses
26. Hu
27. Inaugural Address, 1901
28. Invitations, 1911
29. Invitations, 1912
30. J
31. K
32. L
33. Lewis, Lee
34. Lingle, W.L.
35. Littlejohn, A.N.
36. Loan Funds
Box 2
37. McA - McW
38. Mal - Max
39. Martin Chemical Hall, 1901
40. Martin, D.S.
41. Me - Mu
42. N
43. O
44. P
45. Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity
46. Presidency of Davidson College
47. Q
48. Ra - Re
49. Rh - Rx
50. Roddey, W.J.
51. Sa - Sh
52. Si - Sm
53. Smith, Pres. H.L. Letters
54. So - Sy
55. Sprunt, W.H.
56. Sweets, H.H.
57. T
58. Teachers, Requests for
59. Trustees, Board of
60. U
61. V
62. W
63. Wilson, Woodrow
64. X
65. Y