The Lincoln University Archives has a collection of seven ledger books containing handwritten records of Lincoln University and its predecessor, Ashmun Institute, the earliest recorded entry noted as November 14, 1853 and the latest recorded entry noted as June 3, 1913. These are labeled on their covers as L.U. Books 1 – 7 and contain minutes of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, and the Business Committee of the Executive Committee. An additional 4 sets of typewritten minutes exist for the period between 1913 and 1953, typewritten, three in binder covers and one unbound.
Two grants from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission have funded the preservation microfilming and digitization of these historic records. Service copies of the microfilms are available for viewing in the Pennsylvania Archives, Harrisburg, PA. Images of the covers and individual pages of the record books, scanned from microfilm, are hosted on The HBCU Library Alliance's Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University, as part of Lincoln University’s collection on that website.
Click here to access that collection, which is organized chronologically, oldest to newest.
Links to the Ashmun Institute and Lincoln University Trustee Record Books follow:
Book 1: 1853-1875 Ashmun Institute and Lincoln University Records
Book 2: 1875-1891 Minutes of the Lincoln University Board of Trustees
Book 3: 1891-1913 Minutes of the Lincoln University Board of Trustees
Book 4: 1865-1877 Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Ashmun Institute and Lincoln University
Book 5: 1853-1892 1853-1892 Summary of Operations and Minutes of the Executive Committee and Financial Committee of the Board of Trustees of Ashmun Institute and Lincoln University
Book 6: [A] 1909-1912 Minutes of the Lincoln University Board of Trustees Executive Committee
Book 6: [B] 1925-1927 Minutes of the Business Committee of the Executive Committee of the Lincoln University Board of Trustees
Book 7: 1890-1896 Annual Reports of the President of Lincoln University to the Board of Trustees
1913-1926 Lincoln University Trustees Minutes
1926-1945 Lincoln University Trustees Minutes
1914-1953 Lincoln University Executive Committee Minutes
1945-1959 Lincoln University Trustees Minutes and Executive Committee Minutes (1954-59)
