University of Pennsylvania. Office of the Recorder.

The Office of the Recorder of the University of Pennsylvania was created in 1912 for George E. Nitzsche, the University's publicity agent. Because Nitzsche was the only person to hold this position, the history of the Office is intertwined with his professional career.

George E. Nitzsche was born in 1874 and attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1895 until 1898. In the summer of 1896, he worked as an administrative assistant to the Dean of the Law School. After graduation, Nitzsche became Bursar and Registrar of the Law School for six years. It was during this time that he worked closely with the Dean, William Draper Lewis, to promote the Law School's new building (now Silverman Hall). In 1901 he compiled and published the Proceedings of the dedication of the new Law School. This volume brought him to the attention of Provost Harrison and the Trustees. He became manager of the Bureau of Publicity in 1904.

An ad hoc committee of the Trustees in 1912 decided to increase Nitzsche's salary and change his title from Publicity Agent to Recorder. The Recorder's Office was a source of general information and advice for students and the public, both academic and personal. The office published a weekly calendar of University events and promoted exhibits, musicals, conventions, etc. As Recorder, he created an extensive archive of material concerning the history of the University and its alumni, continued to publish University guide books, managed lecture and concert series, and made lists of the student body according to geographic location. Nitzsche kept records of boarding and apartment houses and straitened out disputes between students and landlords. He made many suggestions for the improvement of the University, such as creating schools of music and journalism, establishing a University press, making recordings of faculty members, and resuming the publication of a University Directory. He established the Memorial Library in 1907 which housed work by University alumni. He also created University display booths for various world expositions.

From the description of Records, 1902-1960. (University of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 122491064