Inventory of the Office of Events Management Records, 1922-2006

History of YSU Events Management

Youngstown State University has celebrated countless special events since its founding as a YMCA law school in 1908. Commencements, baccalaureates, groundbreakings, lectures, sporting events, and social occasions enrich the campus community. Youngstown State University also reaches out to the Mahoning Valley community through events such as Summer Festival of the Arts, local fairs, and Forte on the 50. Attendees often do not realize the time and planning such events require.

The Office of Events Management is responsible for the planning and presentation of many events throughout the year. The staff handles all of the details required for the events to go smoothly, including invitations, facility reservations, accommodations, and guest speakers. Events range from large commencement ceremonies to small gatherings at the university president's home.

Although these responsibilities have shifted from office to office and department to department, the goal has remained the same: to add a vital dimension to the college experience. Before the inception of the Office of Events Management as a separate entity, its duties fell under Athletics, News Service, Marketing and Communications, and University Development. Currently, the unit operates under the University Advancement division. The Events Management staff handles all non-academic events held outside of the Kilcawley Student Center.

Scope and Content

The Office of Events Management Records came to the University Archives in three transfers. The first (UA 2004.10) was commencement programs. The second (UA 2006.1) was accessioned during February 2006 and included nine boxes. An additional three boxes (UA 2006.11) of photographs were transferred during August of 2006. Original order was maintained during processing whenever possible. Item appraisal was based upon archival principles, and documents were removed in accordance with Records Retention for Public Colleges and Universities in Ohio: A Manual.

Commencement ceremonies are a large task for the Office of Events Management. The first five series in the collection relate to commencement; all files are arranged chronologically. Series I includes commencement programs from the Youngstown Institute of Technology through Youngstown State University, covering the years 1922 to 2004. The series is not complete. Series II contains commencement invitations from the Youngstown Institute of Technology through Youngstown State University, covering the years 1923 to 1989. Commencement materials continue in Series III, which includes press releases, speeches, and planning documents from 1976 to 2005. These files were kept in original order during processing. Series IV includes the baccalaureate programs from 1935 to 1969, although not every year is represented. Programs from the honors convocations, usually held before the commencement ceremony, make up Series V.

The next two series include dedications and groundbreakings, which the Office of Events Management planned and implemented. These files were retained in original order. Series VI is arranged alphabetically by the name of the dedication event. Series VII is also arranged alphabetically based on the groundbreaking event. The files contain brochures, press releases, correspondence, and photographs.

A significant amount of the collection contains documents relating to five lecture series. These lecture series are run by committees and are responsible for bringing educational speakers to campus. The lectures are free and open to the public. Materials in Series VIII and Series IX are restricted due to sensitive information. The five lectures are: Wean - YSU Lectureship Program, Paul J. and Marguerite K. Thomas Colloquium on Free Enterprise (Thomas Colloquium), Schermer Scholar-in-Residence Program (Schermer Lecture), and Special Lecture Series, which includes the Skeggs Lectures. The folders in both series are arranged first by lecture series, then chronologically from 1980 to 2006. Series VIII includes material relating to the committees involved with each lecture series. Materials include meeting minutes, correspondence, financial information, and departmental requests. Series IX maintains original order, and each speaker is assigned to a folder. The series contains brochures, correspondence, press releases, contracts, and photographs.

Series X is comprised of subject files arranged alphabetically. These files were kept in original order during processing. Each file is an event in which the Office of Events Management was involved. Series X relates to the next, Series XI: Photographs. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by event name. Some of the subject files are also documented in the photographs series. During processing, some photographs were identified by archives staff through consultation with Youngstown State University employees. The bulk of these two series is from the 1990s to 2005. Additional visual materials can be found in the remaining three series: negatives, compact discs containing digital photographs, and slides.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions on Series VIII: Lecture Committees & Series IX: Lecture Series due to personal content

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

Office of Events Management Records, 1922-2006, RG41, Archives & Special Collections, William F. Maag, Jr. Library, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio.

Detailed Description of The Collection

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