University of Pennsylvania. Office of the Secretary

From the creation of the Board of Trustees in 1749 there has always been a person who was responsible for the task of maintaining the minutes, coordinating meetings, and preparing, and beginning in 1828, signing diplomas. The office of the Secretary to the Board was created in 1764; it was created in its modern form in 1882 when the Secretary acted as a wholly independent officer of the Board of the University. In 1919, with the appointment of Edward W. Mumford as Secretary, the office was further professionalized. Responsibilities of the Secretary's Office include keeping the regular minutes of the Board, acting as Secretary to all committees of the Board, giving notice of all meetings, and in general performing the duties of a Secretary under the direction of the President pro tempore, or of any committee of the Board of Trustees. The Secretary has the custody of the corporate seal and affixes it to such instruments as the Board directs.