Office of Events & Summer Programs records

Record Group

Identifier: A06.05

Staff Only
Please use the Collection Organization section below to place requests.

Scope and Content

The Office of Events and Summer programs records date from 1875 to the present. The majority of records begin in the 1960s and document the planning and organization of special events during the academic year and summer. Housing information, performer's contracts, publicity information, and billing records are included in most files. Organizational memos to various departments are also included, e.g. to the dining service regarding menus; to physical plant regarding the setup of meeting areas, performance space, and housing situations; and security regarding access, parking, and general security issues. Major academic year events include Common Hour (documented through audio-visual recordings of each event) in addition to Parents Weekend and Commencement. Significant special programs are: Upward Bound program; the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival; the Infrared Spectroscopy course; Lectures such as the Tallman, Spindel and Santagata Lecture; the Summer Hockey Clinic and other sports camps. The files were largely the working files of the office and do not reflect a holistic history of the Office of Events or their programming. A large collection of posters is included in the records that document a significant portion of the department's events on campus.

Dates

Creation: 1876 - 2024

Creator

Bowdoin College. Office of Events and Summer Programs (Organization)

Access Restrictions

Some restrictions may apply, contact Special Collections & Archives staff for information. Majority of records are closed for 20 years after creation.

Biographical/Historical Note

The Office of Events & Summer Programs is responsible for a number of campus events during the academic year, as well as summer programs, and the coordination of campus space by outside groups. Among the major campus functions handled by the Events office are Common Hour, Parents Weekend, and Commencement, as well as Honors Day, and the retiree recognition reception. Summer programs which the Events office facilitates include Upward Bound, the day camp, the Clinic (hockey camp), and conferences such as Infrared Spectroscopy. The Events office also oversees the use of campus space by outside groups such as the Maine Humanities Council and Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine. The Events Office was created in 1978 as the Office of Special Programs. It was renamed the Office of Special and Summer Programs, and, in 1994, the Events Office. The office administers conferences, special functions, and other programs not directly connected with Bowdoin's curriculum. The Office of Special Programs originally ran only its own programs, and now performs facility scheduling for the entire college, both during the academic year and the summer months. The programs hosted by Bowdoin enable a wide variety of people to enjoy the campus facilities, as well as to take advantage of the expertise of Bowdoin's faculty and staff. These programs consist of educational seminars, professional conferences, entertainment, lectures, academic institutes, public service functions, meetings of sporting groups, philanthropic groups, scholarly societies and private functions such as weddings. The office coordinates dining, overnight accommodations, meeting space, audiovisual services and other necessary amenities.