UA97 Ogden College Records

Description: Records created by and regarding Ogden College. The collection consists mainly of publications, commencement programs and diplomas and is arranged in eight series:

Series 1. Regent/Trustees/Ogden Foundation
Series 2. President
Series 3. Registrar
Series 4. Faculty
Series 5. Departmental
Series 6. Classes/Student Organizations
Series 7. Publications
Series 8. Memorabilia

Originally, this was an artificial collection made up of records created by Ogden College, WKU and private individuals. A reworking of the collection has taken place to approximate the original provenance.

See also Ogden College Sources and search KenCat for images and artifacts.

Dates: 1877-present

Extent: 5 cu. ft.

Biographical/Historical Note: Robert Wenn Ogden, born 1796 in Loudon County, Virginia moved to Warren County, Kentucky in 1815 and built his farm, Walnut Grove. Having no children, Ogden made provisions to establish a school in his name after his death. He set up a regent and a board of no more than five trustees to use $50,000 to create, endow and run Ogden College. Tuition scholarships were to be provided for white Warren County and Kentucky students. Ogden died November 10, 1873 and his executor Hector Loving became the first regent of the school.

Under the provisions of Ogden's will the regent named trustees and his own successor. The first trustees appointed in 1874 were Robert Rodes, president, D.W. Wright, secretary/treasurer, Hezekiah Thomas, William Hobson and H.T. Clark. Hector Loving remained regent until 1913 when he was succeeded by D.W. Wright. D.W. Wright in turn served until his death in 1922 having appointed his nephew R.C.P. Thomas to succeed him.

Ogden College opened September 3, 1877 with President James Wightman presiding. A charter was obtained from the state legislature on March 8, 1878. The school was located on Thomas Calvert's farm in a building originally used by Warren College. In 1923 Perry Snell pledge $20,000 for the construction of Snell Hall which had an estimated cost of $50,000.

The original curriculum consisted of a two-year preparatory course and a four-year college course. This varied over time. Accreditation was an ongoing issue. The largest enrollment was 162 students in 1918. The school was served by ten presidents the last several acting as faculty chairs.

In November 1927 Regent R.C.P. Thomas leased Ogden College campus, which consisted of three buildings on seven acres and a 140 acre farm, to Western Kentucky State Normal School & Teachers College for a period of 20 years to begin January 1, 1928. Ogden College was to be named Ogden Department of Science with proceeds from the endowment to support the department. Student records were transferred to the custody of Western. This was effectively the end of Ogden College.

Series 1: Regent/Trustees/Ogden Foundation
Records created by and about the Regent/Trustees of Ogden College and the Ogden Foundation. This series includes information regarding Robert Ogden's estate, a list of regents, Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes and information regarding the lease of Ogden College to Western.

The position of regent was created according to the provisions in Robert Ogden's will. There were three regents during the school's existence: Hector Loving 1873-1913; D.W. Wright 1913-1922 and R.C.P. Thomas 1922-1927. The regent worked with a board of trustees to oversee Ogden College.

Box 1
Folder 1 1870 Ogden Will
Folder 2 1874-1955 Regents
Folder 3 1922-1945 Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
Folder 4 1923 Ogden Campaign
Folder 5 1893 Admissions
Folder 6 1960 WKU Lease
Folder 7 nd Letterhead
Folder 8-9 1941; 1983-1985 Auditor’s Reports

Series 2: President’s Office
Records created by and about the President of Ogden College. Records survive from Charles Whittle's administration.

The office of President was created just prior to the opening of Ogden College. Nine men served as president:

James Wightman 1877-1881
William Obenchain 1881-1906
Alvin Lewis 1906-1912 & 1927
R.W. Binkley acting 1910-1912
William Pearce 1912-1920
J. Howard Edgerton 1920-1922
Charles E. Whittle Sr. 1922-1925
Robert Burton 1925-1927
Carl Martin acting Oct.-Dec. 1927

Box 1
Folder 1 1922 Howard Edgerton Administration
Folder 2-5 1923-1973 Charles Whittle Administration
Folder 6 1926/27 Robert Burton Administration

Series 3: Registrar
Records created by and regarding the Registrar's Office of Ogden College. Series is comprised of class lists, grade books and commencement programs. The majority of the grade books are open to the public. The 1925-1927 grade book will be opened to the public in 2027.

The Registrar's Office was created just prior to the opening of Ogden College. The Registrar oversaw student records from matriculation to graduation. The office was also responsible for producing the course catalogs and commencement programs.

See also 1889 Entrance Examination.

Box 1
Folder 1 1877/78 Class Register
Name, days present

Folder 2 1877-1883 Student Register/Fees – Photocopies
Name, parent/guardian, residence, date, age, tuition fee, exonerated, expelled, withdrawn, accepted, rejected, standing
Also includes semi-annual examination scores.
Use these first when making photocopies.

Folder 3 1877-1883 Student Register/Fees
See folder 2 for description

Folder 4 1879/80 William Obenchain’s Record Book – Preparatory Mathematics
Name, daily grade

Folder 5 ca 1880 Arithmetic/Algebra Grades
Name, arithmetic grade, algebra grade

Folder 6 1881-1922 Graduate/Attendance/Library Register
Graduate lists: Year, name, university attended, degree obtained, occupation, residence
Attendance lists for chapel 1921-22
Library book check out

Folder 7 1883-1894 Admissions Register – Photocopies
Use this instead of original in Folder 8

Folder 8 1883-1894 Admissions Register

Box 2
Folder 1 1894-1911 Admissions/Student Rolls Register – Photocopy
Name, parent/guardian, residence, boarding place, entrance examination scores, remarks, some entries have class, room, schedule instead of entrance exam scores
Enrollment Statistics
Honor roll by month
Oratory & Declamation scores
Reports to Commission of Education
Photocopy incomplete, use as an index to the original register.

Folder 2 1894-1911 Admissions/Student Register
See folder 1 for description

Folder 3 1902 Ethics Class List

Folder 4 1911-1913 Attendance Register
Name, date attended

Folder 5 1924-1927 Attendance/Class List Register

Folder 6 1927 Class List

Folder 7 1892-1927 Commencement
Commencement programs
Hagerman, Virgil. "Pioneers of Kentucky, The Speech That Won the Founder's Medal at the Ogden Commencement, Potter's Opera House, June 13th," publications unknown, nd.
See also UA94.2.1 Rodes Myers Scrapbook

Folder 8 1922 Commencement
Address by G.E. Snell

Folder 9 1922; 1925 Baccalaureate

Folder 10 ca 1925 High School Graduates
List of Clay and Bardstown High School students

Box 3 1920-1925 Grade Registers
Closed until 2025, inquiries can be made in University Archives

OS Box 1
Folder 1-2 1883-1907 Monthly Grade Registers

OS Box 2 1925-1927 Grade Registers
Closed until 2025, inquiries can be made in University Archives.

Series 4: Faculty
Records created by and regarding the faculty of Ogden College. Series consists of two volumes of faculty meeting minutes.

Beyond educating the student body of Ogden College, the faculty were responsible for maintaining discipline and correcting students. The records of the faculty reflect these additional duties.

See also Ogden Faculty List and Jesse Johnson Personal Papers.

Box 1
Folder 1-2 1879-1921 Faculty Meeting Minutes

Series 5: Departmental
Records created by and regarding the departments of Ogden College. Series contains brief records from the Athletic, English and Science Departments. Housed with Series 4.

Box 1
Folder 3-9 1893-1924 Athletics & Athletics Association
Folder 10-11 1917-1918; nd Science

Box 2 1919-1922 Textbooks
Epochs of American History
Everyday English
Les Miserables
Problems of Conduct

Series 6: Student Organizations
Records created by and regarding classes and student organizations of Ogden College. Series includes records created by the Alumni Association, Class of 1925, Hi-Y Club, Last Man Club, Phi Beta Chi among others.

Box 1
Ogden Alumni Association
Folder 1 1896 Constitution & Bylaws
Folder 2-3 1887-1895 Meeting Minutes
Folder 4 1893-1900 Alumni Day Programs
Folder 5 1925 Alumni Banquet Program

Class of 1925
Folder 6 1924 Junior Class Meeting

Folder 7 nd Kentucky Kardinals

Hi-Y Club
Folder 8 1923/24 Membership

Last Man Club
Folder 9 1925 Scrapbook
Class of 1925

Literary Society
Folder 10 1897; 1915 Banquet Programs
Folder 11-13 1916-1925 Programs
Oratorical Contest
Robinson Declamation Contest

Ogden Student Body
Folder 14 1892-1926 Dances/Receptions

Pi Beta Club
Folder 15 1925-1927 Invitations

Dramatic Club
Folder 16-17 1915-1927 Productions

Series 7: Publications
Publications created by and about Ogden College. Series includes a full run of the Course Catalogs/Bulletins, Cardinal Newspaper and Yearbook as well as several histories of Ogden College.

The Catalogue was published by the Registrar's Office from 1883-1913. The publication continued under the title Bulletin from 1913 through 1927 when the college closed. Information contained in these publications include the academic calendar, lists of trustees, faculty, brief history of Ogden College, admissions, course of study, course descriptions, student organizations and a register of students and alumni.

The Cardinal Yearbook was produced in 1913, 1914 and 1917 by the respective senior classes. It includes photos and biographical sketches of faculty and seniors. There are photos of student groups along with membership lists.

The Cardinal Newspaper was published by the students from 1922 to 1927. It contains articles regarding college events, faculty, staff and students. A partial index [1922-1925] is available online.

Box 1 is housed with Series 6
Folder 18 1915-1927 Bulletin

Folder 19 1924 Promotional Booklet

Folder 20 1925 History of Ogden College

Box 2
Folder 1-23 1883-1893; 1896-1903; 1905-1913 Catalogue
Unbound copies

Folder 24-25 1913-1915 Bulletin

Box 3
Folder 1-12 1915-1927 Bulletin

Folder 13-15 1913-1914; 1917 Cardinal Yearbook

Box 4 1878-1927 Catalogue/Bulletin
Bound volumes 1-5

Box 5 1922-1927 Cardinal Newspaper
Use microfilm D77N3 located in Harrison-Baird Reading Room, partial index online.

Series 8: Memorabilia
Memorabilia has been donated by and collected from various sources. Many of the earliest artifacts have come into the University Archives with no surviving documentation.

Most of the items in the collection are for exhibit purposes only. Images may be requested from the University Archivist. Items may be pulled for researchers by prior appointment.

If you have items that may be of interest to the University Archives, please contact us at the address above or email us at: WKU Archives. Large three-dimensional objects may be accessioned through the Kentucky Museum. See allied and related materials for a list of these items.

#300 - Walking stick, owned by Robert Ogden, 36"

#565 Pennant - Ogden College, nd, 34" x 14" red with green lettering, felt on felt

#566 Banner - YMCA City Wide Track Meet Men's Division Won by Ogden 1924, 22 1/2" x 32 1/2" red with green lettering felt on felt

#568 Beanie - red and black - on exhibit

#569 Banner - Rotary City Wide Track Meet Juniors Won by Ogden 1924, 22 1/2" x 32 1/2"green with red lettering felt on felt

#1258 Drawing of C. Perry Snell by Haskell Coffie, nd

#3600 Trophy - Ogden College Field Day May 30, 1895 One Mile Run, silver, 5" tall, 3" diameter, two handles

1984.22.3 Ogden College pin, 1909 - on exhibit

1991.34.1 Max B. Nahm Science Medal awarded to Henry Johnson, 1927 - on exhibit

1998.41.1 .1 painting, oil on canvas painting of the Home Management House, ca. 1924; 16" x 12"; structure was a cottage located on the Ogden campus.

2000.55.1 White cap and apron worn in play "Brother Elks," March 30, 1926

2006.46.4 V-neck pullover sweater, burgundy with green stripe on sleeve and green "O" on chest, made by Bradley Knitwear, size 42, belonged to Ras P. Jones, 1926 Ogden College graduate

UA#205 Ogden College belt buckle, 3" x 1 1/4"

Banner - Rotary City Wide Track Meet Intermediates Won by Ogden 1924, 22 1/2" x 32 1/2" green with red lettering, felt on felt

Subject Analytics:

Advertisements
Bands
Banners
Banquets
Board of Education Reports
Burton, Robert
Cardinal Newspaper
Cardinal Yearbook
Chapel
Cherry, Henry Hardin, 1864-1937
Clark, Henry
Commencement
Commission of Education
Construction
Correspondence
Dramatic Club
Edgerton, J. Howard, 1908-
Enrollment
Football
Fund raising
George, Sally Henderson
Hagerman, Virgil
Hardman, Carl
Henderson, John
Hi-Y Club
Hutchinson, Mary Henderson
Kentucky Kardinals
Last Man Club
Letterheads
Loving, Hector
Loving, William
McGinley, William
Medals
Memorabilia
Morris, Anne
Nahm, Max
Obenchain, William
Ogden College (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Ogden College Alumni Association
Ogden College Class of 1925
Ogden, Benjamin
Ogden, Hesekiah
Ogden, Robert
Oratorical Contests
Paintings
Peete, Weldon
Pennants
Pi Beta Club
Playbills
Political campaigns
Programs
Registers
Robinson Declamation Contest
Rochester, William
Scholastic Standing
Slaves
Smith, Cooper
Smith, Cooper Jr.
Smith, Herbert
Snell Hall (WKU)
Snell, G.E.
Speeches
Stephens, John
Stephens, U.R.B.
Teachers
Thomas, R.C.P.
Tide Water Associated Oil Company
Track & Field
Trophies
Tucos, Bonne
Warren College
Whittle, Charles E., 1900-1973
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Wright, Daniel Webster
Young Men’s Christian associations

Accession Information: These records were transferred to the University Archives upon its creation. Other donors include: William Coke, Jesse Johnson, Ward Sumpter and Al Temple.

Access Restrictions: Grade Registers 1920-1925 and 1925-1927 are closed until 2025.
Patrons are asked to use microfilm of the Cardinal Newspaper instead of the originals.

Preferred Citation: UA97 Ogden College Records, WKU Archives, Kentucky Library & Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA.

Processing Information: Finding aid created by Suellyn Lathrop, 2009.