University of the State of New York. Board of Regents

The Regents' Inquiry into the Character and Cost of Public Education conducted studies in seven major areas. The study of the State Education Department produced separate reports for each division or bureau in the Department which include the unit's history and legal status, functions, major activities, personnel and costs, publications, relations with other departmental units, as well as recommendations by the Study 7 staff.

From the description of Correspondence and working files from Study 7 of the Regents' Inquiry into the Character and Cost of Public Education, 1935-1941, bulk 1936-1937. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 82062058

From 1784-1903, the minutes were taken by the Secretary of the Board of Regents. Beginning in 1853, the minutes were published and copies made available in the New York State Library. After the reorganization of the Regents in 1904, the task of recording the minutes was passed to the Secretary of the Commissioner of Education and the State Education Department assumed responsibility for their publication.

From the guide to the Minutes of Meetings of the Board of Regents, 1784-1979, 1784-1859, 1904-1979, (New York State Archives)

The Board of Regents were appointed trustees of the New York State Library in 1844 and established a committee on the library the same year.

From the description of Minutes and accounts of Standing Committee on the State Library, 1848-1851, 1883-1890. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 82993671

The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York was established by the Legislature in 1784 to serve as the governing board of Columbia College (formerly Kings College) in New York City. The Regents were designated as the governor, lieutenant governor, president of the Senate, speaker of the Assembly, mayors of New York City and Albany, attorney general, secretary of state and 24 others appointed by the Council of Appointment. The Board of Regents was empowered to found and endow colleges, and to invest schools with the power to grant the bachelor of arts degree. In 1787 the Board of Regents was reorganized. Membership was restricted to 21, including the governor, lieutenant governor, and 19 others appointed by the legislature. The Board was authorized to do the following: incorporate colleges and academies; required to visit and inspect colleges and academies; make ordinances and by-laws; grant honorary degrees; hold an annual meeting; and establish a separate board of trustees to govern Columbia College. These functions are all reflected in the Regents minutes.

From the description of Minutes of meetings of the Board of Regents, 1784-1979 (bulk 1784-1859, 1904-1979). (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 78170593

The LeRoy Academic Institute was chartered by the Board of Regents in 1864 and continued as a private school until 1891/92 when it apparently became the LeRoy Union School.

From the description of Registers of pupils in the LeRoy Academic Institute, 1874-1891. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 82124885

The LeRoy Academic Institute was chartered by the Board of Regents in 1864 and continued as an academy until 1891/92 when it apparently became the LeRoy Union School.

From the description of Record of Regents academic examinations given at LeRoy Academic Institute, 1866-1891. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80655374

The Regents Inquiry into the Character and Cost of Public Education was organized in 1935 under the direction of a Special Committee of the Board of Regents to examine the educational system of New York State. Under a grant from the General Education Board, the inquiry conducted studies in seven major areas: cost and financing of the school system, school district organization, and school building construction, cost and maintenance; elementary education; secondary education; higher education, adult education, libraries, and museums; teacher training; federal aid to education; and the State Education Department.

These studies produced many reports, most published, in 1936 and 1937; the inquiry's final report, "Education for American Life; a New Program for the State of New York," was published in 1938.

From the description of Reports of the Regents Inquiry into the Character and Cost of Public Education, 1936-1948 (bulk 1936-1937, 1948). (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 83575060

These reports were made by volunteer observers after an 1825 resolution of the State Board of Regents directed that all academies under their supervision should keep records of the daily fluctuations in temperature, wind, precipitation and general weather conditions. Not all academies participated.

Summaries of the reported observations were published annually in the Report of the Board of Regents until 1850. Beginning in 1850 the Regents program of weather observations was intergrated into a nationwide network of observation stations under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1849 the Legislature also began subsidizing the program to a small extent. Monthly abstracts of the reports submitted by academies were compiled by Franklin B. Hough and published by the University of the State of New York for the periods 1826-1850 and 1850-1863 under the title, "Results of a Series of Meteorological Observations Made...at Sundry Stations in the State of New York."

From the description of Reports of meteorological observations made at academies, 1826-1859. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 82655594