Archives and Special Collections
92 Snell Library
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2351
Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

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Collection Overview
Title: College of Business Administration records
Dates:1927-1997
Location:28/3
Call Number:A25
Volume:4.30 cubic ft. (5 boxes)
Scope and Content Abstract:The collection documents the growth of the faculty and program offerings of Northeastern University's (NU) College of Business Administration from the late 1930s to the late 1990s. The bulk of the material dates from 1960 to 1990. The history, expansion, and future plans of the college are documented throughout the annual reports, responses to accreditation questionnaires, and admissions publications. Accreditation records provide information concerning the history of the college, program offerings, faculty, and directions in which the college was headed. The admissions publications document the schools and concentrations offered, as well as the growth of the college into a market-conscious competitor, vying for potential students and relationships in the business community. Newsletters, clippings, and publications describe how the college has interacted with the business world. The student guides, handbooks, and manuals from the late 1960s through the early 1980s contain information about student regulations, tuition and fees, honor societies, and curricula. The fiftieth anniversary celebration of the college in 1958 is also well documented with correspondence, planning materials, tickets, programs, photographs (photocopied), speeches, and audio tapes.
Historical Abstract:Northeastern University's (NU) College of Business Administration was established in 1922 as a conventional four-year program leading to the Baccalaureate Degree in Science. It was the second day college at NU. In 1924, the college adapted its programs of instruction to the five-year Cooperative Education Plan. In 1960, NU's evening School of Business merged with the day College of Business Administration. The evening program began in 1907 as the School of Commerce and Finance of the Greater Boston YMCA. In 1928, the School of Commerce and Finance was renamed the School of Business. The 1960s marked a period of unprecedented growth for the college and its programs, particularly in the areas of graduate and executive education. In 1963, the newly created graduate school introduced its first day program, the full-time M.B.A. The Graduate School of Professional Accounting was established in 1965 as a 15-month program offering an M.S./M.B.A. degree and an M.S. in Taxation. Graduate-level certificate programs in executive development were also introduced in the 1960s.
Arrangement:Organized into 2 series: 1. Administrative Records; and 2. Publications.
Subjects and Contributors:
  • Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). College of Business Administration.
  • Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Commerce and Finance.
Restrictions:Records are closed for 25 years from the date of their creation, unless researchers have written permission from the creating office.
Processor:Finding aid prepared by Ken Risley, June 1998

Scope and Content Note

The collection documents the growth of the faculty and program offerings of the College of Business Administration (CBA) from the late 1930s to the late 1990s.  The bulk of the material dates from 1960 to 1990.  This collection is divided into two series: Administrative Records and Publications.  The history, expansion, and future plans of the CBA are documented throughout the various Annual Reports (Box 1, Folders 2-23), Masters and Undergraduate Accreditation Questionnaire Responses (Boxes 1-2, Folders 37-47, 63-68), and Admissions Publications (Box 3).  The accreditation material provides information concerning the history of the college, program offerings, faculty background, and the administrative direction in which the college was headed.  The histories describe the growth of the college but do not highlight the work of faculty and administrators.

The admissions publications document the growth of the college into a market-conscious competitor, vying for potential students and relationships in the business community.  The earlier publications, from the 1960s, deal mainly with accounting, business management, and taxation.  The evolution of the college, according to the expanding needs of the business world, is reflected in the creation of programs like the Executive M.B.A. (Box 3, Folders 76-77), High Technology M.B.A. (Box 3, Folder 88), and the undergraduate concentration in International Business (Box 3, Folder 91).  The Admissions Publications document the schools and concentrations offered.

While the admissions publications demonstrate the way the CBA has responded to the changing needs of the business community, the various newsletters and publications describe the way the CBA has interacted with the business world (Box 4, Folders 116-125, 129, 147-148). Of special interest is a collection of press clippings, "CBA in the News"(1990-1991), either about the CBA or featuring faculty members (Box 4, Folders 126-128).  The student guides, handbooks, and manuals from the late 1960s through the early 1980s contain information about student regulations, tuition and fees, honor societies, and curriculum.

The fiftieth anniversary celebration of the CBA of 1958, is well documented.  There is a collection of memoranda and correspondence that details planning the event.  There are also tickets, programs, photographs (xeroxed), and speech texts included (Box 1, Folder 32).  Audio records were kept of the fiftieth anniversary convocation ceremonies, 1960 (Box 5).  Researchers may also wish to consult Northeastern Nights, a student newspaper of the Evening School of Business, located in the Northeastern University Publications Collection.

Historical Note

Responding to the needs of the Boston business community in 1898, the Greater Boston Y.M.C.A. began offering business courses focused on training clerks; typing and bookkeeping were the principal course offerings.  By the turn of the century, with business practice becoming increasingly complex, the need to educate businessmen in more modern techniques of administration and contemporary business ethics became apparent.

In 1907 the Evening Institute at the Greater Boston Y.M.C.A. formed a part-time School of Commerce and Finance, initially offering courses in finance, administration, business law and languages, and later, more specialized courses, including banking, finance and bond salesmanship, and accounting.  The School of Commerce and Finance operated until 1960 when its programs were merged with other evening/part-time curricula into University College.

The College of Business Administration (CBA) was established in 1922 as a conventional four-year program leading to the Baccalaureate Degree in Science.  It was the second day college in the Northeastern University complex.  In 1924 the CBA adapted its programs of instruction to the five-year Cooperative Education Plan.  The college became part of Northeastern's Day Division, along with the College of Engineering.

In 1951 a part-time M.B.A. program was started in the Graduate Division of the University, which operated independently of the CBA.  The 1960s marked a period of unprecedented growth for the college and its programs, particularly in the areas of graduate and executive education.  In 1963 the newly created Graduate School introduced its first day program, the full-time M.B.A.  The Graduate School of Professional Accounting was established in 1965 as a 15-month program offering an M.S./M.B.A. degree and an M.S. in Taxation.  Graduate-level certificate programs in executive development were also introduced in the 1960s.  Offered through the Center for Management Development, the programs utilized College faculty as well as faculty from other institutions.  Certificate programs offer advanced study in business administration, management development, and, since 1996, information resources management.

Both the graduate and undergraduate programs are fully accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.  In 1990 the Graduate School was one of 57 business schools selected from among 700 nationally for inclusion in Prentice-Halls' Top Business Schools: The Ultimate Guide. Northeastern was one of five New England business schools selected.  The Graduate School of Business offers full and part-time  M.B.A. programs, and the following graduate degrees: Management Intern M.B.A., Executive M.B.A., High Technology M.B.A., M.S. in Accounting, M.S. in Finance, and the M.D./M.B.A. program in Health Management, which was first offered in 1995 in conjunction with Tufts School of Medicine and Brandeis University's Florence Heller School to allow medical students to study the business and policy aspects of health care while earning a joint degree in four years.

In the Fall of 1994, the CBA introduced its innovative Bachelor of Science in International Business, the first degree program of its kind in the country.  Since 1996 the cooperative education, five-year, undergraduate-program has offered concentrations in: Accounting, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, Finance and Insurance, Human Resources Management, International Business, Logistics and Transportation, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing.
Bibliography

"The Business Report," 1997. (Box 4, Folder 118). 

"Masters Program Accreditation Questionnaire," 1968. (Box 1, Folder 40).

"Masters Program Accreditation Questionnaire and Undergraduate Self-Study Report," 1973. (Box 2, Folders 46-47).

"M.B.A. Student Guide," 1984-85. (Box 4, Folder 149).
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Series:
1. Administrative Records, n.d., 1927-1997
Volume:1.75 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

This series documents the administrative activities of the CBA, including its history, expansion, and future plans. Included are Annual Reports (Box 1, Folders 2-23), Masters and Undergraduate Accreditation Questionnaire Responses (Boxes 1-2, Folders 37-47, 63-68), and Admissions Publications (Box 3).  The accreditation material provides information concerning the history of the college, program offerings, faculty background, and the administrative direction in which the college was headed.  The histories describe the growth of the college but do not highlight the work of facultyand administrators.
BoxTitleDate
1Advertising1927
1Associates Program and Board of Visitorsn.d., 1988
1Beta Gamma Sigma1963
2CBA Strategy Task Force, Report of1979
1Center For Management Development Library Collection (3 folders)1972-1978
1Correspondence1942-1961
2Curriculum Revision1975
2Evening School of Business Student Council (2 folders)1939-1941
1Executive Management Seminar Prospectus1967
Fiftieth Anniversary
1Celebration1958
5Convocation (audio)1960
1Finance and Investment Clubn.d.
1Five-Year Accreditation Resurvey1978
1Graduate Assistance1981-1986
1Graduation1966-1980
2Long-Range Planning Committee, Report of1968
1-2Masters Accreditation (11 folders)1966-1973
2M.B.A. Alumni Association1981
2McDonald Professorshipn.d.
2Memoranda (2 folders)1941-1991
2Reorganization of CBA, Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on1977
2Revisitation Report (2 folders)1983
2Sabbatical Leave Reportsn.d., 1975
2Strategic Issues and Direction: A Planning Document1985
2Survey of Upperclass1992
Undergraduate Accreditation
2Data (4 folders)1957-1961
2Progress Report1983
2University Lecture1997
2Wellington Burnham Lecture1965-1968
2Women of Northeastern1981
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Series:
2. Publications, n.d., 1961-1994
Volume:2.55 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

The publications document the way the CBA responded to changing needs and its interaction with the business world. Included are student handbooks, guidelines, and admissions publications. Also included are newsletters and a collection of newspaper clippings about the CBA and its faculty.
BoxTitleDate
Admissions Publications
3Associates Programn.d.
3"A Business Perspective"1991
3Certificate Programsn.d., 1986
3Cooperative Education MBA1986-1988
3Dodge Hall1993-1994
3Executive M.B.A. (2 folders)1978-1992
3Financen.d.
3Financial Management Seminar1979
3Full-Time M.B.A.1984-1986
3Full and Part-Time M.B.A.1987
3Graduate Economic Policy and Planning1979-1980
3Graduate School of Professional Accounting (4 folders)n.d., 1965-1983
3Graduate Summer Courses1986
3High Technology M.B.A.1982-1992
3Human Resources Management1976
3Institute of Taxation1964
3International Business1993
3International M.B.A. Students1986
3Management Development Program (2 folders)1966-1986
3Management Intern M.B.A.1967-1982
3Management Workshop1963-1986
3Marketingn.d.
3M.B.A. (5 folders)n.d., 1961-1990
3Minority M.B.A. Students1986
3Open House1985
3Part-Time M.B.A.1984-1986
3Small Business Workshop1961-1986
3Summer Workshop1976
3Technological Forecasting Workshop1981
3Transportation and Physical Distribution Managementn.d.
3Undergraduate (5 folders)n.d., 1973-1994
3University College1965
1Annual Reports (22 folders)1962-1990
4"Bulletin"1979-1981
4"The Business Report" (2 folders)1981-1997
4"Business Topics" (7 folders)1963-1969
4"CBA in the News" (3 folders)1990-1991
4"CBA Newsletter"1989-1996
4Center for Family Business1992
4Center for Management Development (4 folders)1960-1965
4Course Descriptionsn.d.
4Employer's Guide1981
4Fact Book1992
4Faculty Publications (2 folders)1969-1980
4Faculty and Staff Profiles1981
4"Family Business Quarterly"1992
1Graduate School of Professional Accounting, Annual Report1972
4Guide for Graduate Assistants1983
4Handbook for New Faculty1989
4M.B.A. Application and Financial Aid Information1981
4"M.B.A. Association Newsletter"1977
4"The Quarterly Report" (2 folders)1977-1980
4Student Guide (2 folders)1984-1986
4Student Handbook (5 folders)1969-1980
4Student Manual (2 folders)1982-1985
4Teacher/Course Evaluation (2 folders)1973-1981
4"What's New"1982
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