The Vice President and Secretary of the University records group (36.5 linear feet) dates from 1935-2007, with the majority of records dating from 1987-2007, and starts with Secretary Richard L. Kennedy. The majority of the records are from secretaries Kennedy and Lisa Tedesco. The collection includes records related to the performance of the various functions of the Secretary and consists of four major series: Functions and Roles of the Secretary, Board of Regents, Secretaries of the University, and Topical Files.
In the "Act for the establishment of an University," [April 20, 1821] section 4 charged the corporation, or trustees, of the university to "appoint by ballot a Treasurer and a Secretary to continue in office during the pleasure of the corporation; ...that the secretary shall keep a fair journal of the meetings and proceedings of the Corporation, in which the yeas and nays on all questions shall be entered, if required, by two of the trustees present; ..." (University of Michigan Records, 1817-1837, p. 12). The role of Secretary of the University and the Regents has remained part of the University's organization since. The Office of Secretary has, however, undergone numerous changes in its scope and organization.
The first organizational change to the office was in 1864, when the position of Steward of the University, which was created in 1855, was combined with the office of the Secretary. The following years saw added responsibilities for the secretary, including purchasing, account books, keeping a register of students entering the university and of graduates, supervising the care of buildings and grounds, and listing appropriations from the Board (Proceedings of the Board of Regents, 1876-1981, p. 605).
By 1923, the Secretary of the University's duties had altered dramatically. The 1923 revisions to the bylaws defined the duties of the Secretary as being primarily financial. The secretary was essentially the business officer of the board, and kept the account books, supervised purchasing, provided financial information to the board, served as the custodian of deeds, the register of trust funds, and was tasked with keeping an inventory of university items. In 1927, the title of the secretary was changed to "Secretary and Business Manager." These remained the primary functions of the Secretary until the bylaws were amended in 1946 and the duties of the position reverted to acting as custodian of the minutes and supporting documents, as well as serving as custodian of the University Seal. At the time, the Secretary also served as Assistant Vice President, and was responsible to fulfill those duties as outlined in the bylaws, as well.
Under Shirley W. Smith, Secretary of the University from 1908-1944, the office took on an even more pronounced business and financial function. His goal was to centralize control of the University's finances in the Secretary's office. This goal was furthered by the major reorganization of the University that took place under President Alexander Ruthven, which included reorganizing the secretary's office into four divisions: accounting, purchasing, cashier, and investments ("History," Secretary (University of Michigan) records, 1845-1953).
After Smith's retirement in 1944, the office was again reorganized, and the secretarial duties became separate from those of the vice president, and Herbert G. Watkins became Secretary. In 1956, Watkins became ill, and Erich Walter, Assistant to the President, took over the duties of the secretary. In 1959, the Regents combined the offices of Secretary and Assistant to the President, and Walter continued in this position until 1966 when he was replaced by Herbert W. Hildebrandt ("History," Secretary (University of Michigan) records, 1845-1953).
In 1970, Richard Kennedy, Director of State and Community Relations, was appointed Secretary of the University and Assistant to the President, replacing Hildebrandt. In 1984, the Office of State and Community Relations was changed to the Office of Government Relations and the duties of Secretary were aligned with the new office. Following Kennedy's retirement in 1994, the office of Secretary was once again reorganized, its functions again becoming a separate office. Upon Kennedy's retirement, Harold R. Johnson served as interim Secretary until his retirement, upon which Ejner Jensen acted as interim Secretary. Roberta Palmer was appointed to serve as the Secretary of the University in April 1995.
The start of Palmer's tenure was challenging. Taking the reins after Kennedy's departure, the university had been through two interim secretaries, an election year that resulted in two new Regents to orientate, and three months into her service, the resignation of President James Duderstadt. Palmer started out her service by setting specific goals to accomplish during her appointment, including a review of the operation of the Office of the Secretary.
In 1998, President Lee Bollinger, in an effort to streamline the university's administrative structure, again reorganized the office of the Secretary. Walter Harrison, then Vice President for University Relations, took on the duties of the secretary, and his title was changed to Vice President for University Relations and Secretary of the University, reversing the previous administrative change that was made upon Kennedy's retirement. Palmer stayed on as a special adviser to President Bollinger.
That same year, Harrison left the University of Michigan to take an appointment at another university. President Bollinger was faced with reorganizing. The position of Secretary of the University was again separated from all other offices, becoming an independent position in the Office of the President. The title of Vice President was also added to reflect the fact that the Secretary holds executive officer rank. In September of that year, Lisa Tedesco was appointed Vice President and Secretary of the University. In 2005, Tedesco stepped down, and the post was filled by Sally Churchill, the current Vice President and Secretary of the University.
While the office has undergone numerous reorganizations, there have also been changes in responsibilities, although some of the responsibilities are still very similar to those outlined in the 1821 organization of the university. The secretary currently acts as a liaison between the Board of Regents and the officers of the university, is the custodian of the minutes and supporting documents of the Board of Regents, and is the custodian of the University Seal. The duties of the Vice President and Secretary of the University can be found in the Regents' Bylaws 2.11.
University Secretaries
| Date |
Event |
| 1821 | Lemuel Shattuck, Secretary |
| 1821-1835 | Charles C. Trowbridge, Secretary |
| 1836-1837 | G. Mott Williams, Secretary |
| 1837-1839 | Charles W. Whipple, Secretary |
| 1839-1845 | Anthony Ten Eyck, Secretary |
| 1846-1852 | James Valentine Campbell, Secretary |
| 1852 | Charles Henry Palmer, Secretary |
| 1852-1853 | Oliver Warner Moore, Secretary |
| 1853-1854 | Edward Raymond Chase, Secretary |
| 1854-1856 | Alexander Winchell, Secretary |
| 1856-1858 | John Livingston Tappan, Secretary |
| 1858-1864 | Daniel Leonard Wood, Secretary |
| 1864-1869 | John Hiram Burleson, Secretary and Steward |
| 1869-1883 | Henry DeWitt Bennett, Secretary and Steward |
| 1883-1908 | James Henry Wade, Secretary and Steward |
| 1908-1944 | Shirley Wheeler Smith, Vice President and Secretary of the University |
| 1944-1958 | Herbert G. Watkins, Secretary of the University and Assistant Vice President |
| 1958-1965 | Erich Walter, Secretary of the University, Assistant to the President |
| 1965-1970 | Herbert W. Hildebrandt, Secretary of the University and Assistant to the President |
| 1970-1994 | Richard L. Kennedy, Vice President for Government Relations and Secretary of the University |
| 1994-1995 | Harold R. Johnson, Interim Secretary of the University |
| 1995 | Ejner Jensen, Interim Secretary of the University |
| 1995-1998 | Roberta Palmer, Secretary of the University |
| 1998 | Walter L. Harrison, Vice President for University Relations and Secretary of the University |
| 1998-2005 | Lisa A. Tedesco, Vice President and Secretary of the University |
| 2005- | Sally Churchill, Vice President and Secretary of the University |
