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Office of the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Records
Notifications
Held at: Princeton University Library: University Archives [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: University Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Office of the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer is the administrative office at Princeton University responsible for overseeing the university's budget, procurement services, tax compliance, risk management, and other general, non-investment related fiduciary responsibilities. The Office, formally established with its present name in 2005 and reporting directly to the University President, has changed names and responsibilities throughout the university's history and combines functions once held by the following previously distinct cabinet offices: the Office of the Treasurer (1746-2005), the Office of the Vice President for Finance (1972-1988), and the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration (1988-2001).
From 1972-2001, financial and administrative functions of Princeton University were managed by a succession of related and functionally overlapping offices. From 1972-1976, Paul Firstenberg served as financial vice president, while Carl W. Schafer served as treasurer, and Anthony Maruca served as vice president for administrative affairs. From 1976-1987, Carl Schafer performed the functions of financial vice president as well as his existing treasurer functions in the restructured office of the financial vice president and treasurer, while Anthony Maruca continued as vice president for administrative affairs.
In 1988, a separate treasurer was again named, and the functions of the former vice president for administrative affairs were added to the functions of the financial vice president to create the office of the vice president for finance and administration. The vice president for finance and administration had responsibility for coordinating and developing policies and plans for the financial, administrative, and corporate operations of the University, and with charge, under the committee on Finance, of the funds, stocks, securities, and other investments of the Corporation, including off-campus real estate. The vice president for finance and administration also served as an ex officio member of the Council of the Princeton University Community and of its Committees on Priorities and on Resources. Richard R. Spies served in this position from its creation in 1988 until 2001, when the administrative and financial functions were once again divided between two separate offices: the office of the vice president for administration (now the Office of the Executive Vice President) and the office of the treasurer.
In 2001, Christopher McCrudden was selected as the University's Treasurer and four years later he became the first-ever Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, a position he held until 2007. Carolyn Ainslie followed him in the position, beginning her tenure October 1, 2008, after a decade of leadership at Cornell University.
The collection documents the activities of three consecutive administrators who held the position of vice presidents for finance, either solely or in combination with the roles of treasurer and vice president for administration: Paul B. Firstenberg (1972-1976), Carl W. Schafer (1976-1987), and Richard R. Spies (1988-2001). Also included are the records of Laurel B. Harvey, who served as assistant vice president for finance and administration under Schafer and Spies. The records consist of subject files, correspondence, and departmental budget reports. Also in the collection are the meeting minutes and notes of the many committees upon which the vice president sat, including the Priorities Committee, the Resources Committee, the Personnel Oversight Committee, and the Community Affairs Committee.
Full text searching of this collection's archived website is available through the Archive-It interface.
Container lists for this collection were created by Suchi Mandavilli '14 and Eleanor Wright '14 in October 2011. Finding aid updated by Christie Peterson in October 2011.
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- University Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Christie Peterson
- Finding Aid Date
- 2007
- Access Restrictions
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Due to the presence of faculty and staff personnel information this collection must be reviewed for potentially restricted records before access is given. Please contact the University Archives at least 48 hours prior to your visit. Materials older than 30 years that do not pertain to student academic performance, or faculty personnel matters are open.
Series 5: Public Website is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. For quotations that are fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. If copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers will not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with non-commercial use of materials from the Mudd Library. For materials where the copyright is not held by the University, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold the copyright and obtaining approval from them. If you have a question about who owns the copyright for an item, you may request clarification by contacting us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
No arrangement has been performed on the files in Series 1: Paul Firstenberg Files, 1970-1976. They remain in the original order in which they were received in the archives.
Series 1: Paul Firstenberg Files, 1970-1976 document the work of the Office of the Vice President for Finance during Firstenberg's tenure in that position (1972-1976). The files reflect the vice president's duties as they related to various financial aspects of the school, such as its investments and student aid, as well as his service on advisory committees to groups such as the trustees and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
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No arrangement has been performed on the files in Series 2: Carl W. Schafer Files, 1930-1982 (bulk 1972-1982). They remain in the original order in which they were received in the archives.
An additional 57.5 linear feet (46 boxes) of records documenting Schafer's term as treasurer (1972-1976) as well as his time as financial vice president and treasurer (1976-1987) can be found in Series 5 of AC128 Office of the Treasurer Records.
The files in Series 2: Carl W. Schafer Files, 1930-1982 (bulk 1972-1982) touch on a broad range of topics related to the financial operations of Princeton University, including investments, income and budget. The files document his service on the Resources Committee and the Priorities Committee of the Council of the Princeton University Community, which addressed issues including the divestiture of Princeton University from investments in South Africa. The files also include information on a proposed merger between the University and the Institute for Advanced Studies, as well as the development of Palmer Square.
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Series 3: Richard R. Spies Files, 1969-1996 (bulk 1988-1996) documents Spies' work as vice president for finance and administration. They include information about the financial aspects of a broad range of activities and projects on campus, such as scientific computing and a supercomputer, the Princeton Investment Company, the work of the Priorities Committee of the Council of the Princeton University Community, and the development of Princeton Forrestal Center. Note that this series does not contain any records from the final five years of Spies' service as vice president for finance and administration (1997-2001).
Series 3: Richard R. Spies Files, 1969-1996 (bulk 1988-1996) has been arranged in two subseries, which were received as two separate accessions of material: Subseries 3A contains Spies' files on a broad range of subjects, while Subseries 3B contains Spies' files specifically related to the development of Princeton Forrestal Center.
Physical Description48 boxes
No arrangement has been performed on the files in Subseries 3A: Richard R. Spies General Files, 1969-1996 (bulk 1988-1996). They remain in the original order in which they were received in the archives.
The files in Subseries 3A: Richard R. Spies General Files, 1969-1996 (bulk 1988-1996)include information about the financial aspects of a broad range of activities and projects on campus, such as scientific computing and a supercomputer, the Princeton Investment Company and the work of the Priorities Committee of the Council of the Princeton University Community. They also document the search for a new vice president of human resources, and Spies' work with and for the Princeton University board of trustees.
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Subseries 3B: Richard R. Spies Files on Princeton Forrestal Center, 1974-1994 (bulk 1986-1994) document planning and development of Princeton Forrestal Center, a mixed-use development project owned by Princeton University.
No arrangement has been performed on the files in Subseries 3A: Richard R. Spies Files on Princeton Forrestal Center, 1974-1994 (bulk 1986-1994). They remain in the original order in which they were received in the archives.
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The files in Series 4: Laurel B. Harvey Files, 1976-1997 primarily contain information about Princeton University's financial investments, including investments in South Africa, the work of the Resources Committee, and the gift of an Italian villa. The series also contains a few files related to the recruitment and selection of a vice president for human resources.
No arrangement has been performed on the files in Series 4: Laurel B. Harvey Files, 1976-1997. They remain in the original order in which they were received in the archives.
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