William Goodell Frost Papers | Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog

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Collection Overview

Title: William Goodell Frost Papers

Predominant Dates:1860-1894

ID: RG 03/3.03

Primary Creator: Frost, William G. -- (William Goodell) -- 1854-1938

Other Creators: Hutchins Library

Extent: 21.4 Linear Feet

Arrangement: Arrangement of the collection is in series: Personal; Correspondence; Sermons, Addresses, and Lectures;Writings; Day Law; Reports; Eleanor Marsh Frost; Miscellaneous; and Photographs.

Subjects: African Americans -- Appalachian Region., Appalachian Region, Southern -- History., Appalachian Region, Southern -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- History -- 20th century., Appalachian Region -- Economic Conditions., Appalachian Region -- History, Appalachian Region., Berea, (Ky.), Berea College, Education, higher -- Administration., Education, Higher -- Appalachian Region -- History., Frost, Eleanor Marsh., Frost, Maria Goodell., Frost, William G. -- (William Goodell) -- 1854-1938, Kentucky Day Law., Minorities -- Education -- United States., Oberlin College.

Languages: English

Abstract

Frost, a native of LeRoy, New York, was an 1876 graduate of Oberlin College and taught Greek at him alma materfrom 1876 through 1892. Having refused the presidency of Berea College in 1889, Frost reconsidered theappointment after the resignation of William B. Stewart. Frost was inaugurated in 1892 and served as presidentuntil 1920. Frost is credited with being chiefly responsible for the significant growth of Berea College during thisperiod. His term saw enrollment rise from 350 in 1912 to 2400 in 1920, and the College’s endowment increasefrom $1,000,000 to $3,500,000 over the same period. He was also responsible for re-directing the school'smission from that of coeducation of blacks and whites to one which focused on educating "AppalachianAmericans", a term he is credited with popularizing. This shift took place contemporaneously with passage ofthe Kentucky Day Law (1904) which forbade integration of blacks and whites within single institutions. Thisresulted in removal of black students from the college and the establishment by Berea of the Lincoln Institute inLouisville, a separate school solely for blacks.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consists of official and personal papers of, William Goodell Frost, who served as BereaCollege's third president from 1892 to 1920. The Frost papers include personal and official correspondence; sermons, addresses, and lectures; manuscript writings; diaries; reports; photographs; and papers of Frost's wife, Eleanor Marsh Frost. The papers provide important documentation of Frost's life, racial issues in Kentucky, and on the history of Berea College.

Collection Historical Note

Third president of Berea College

Subject/Index Terms

African Americans -- Appalachian Region.
Appalachian Region, Southern -- History.
Appalachian Region, Southern -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- History -- 20th century.
Appalachian Region -- Economic Conditions.
Appalachian Region -- History
Appalachian Region.
Berea, (Ky.)
Berea College
Education, higher -- Administration.
Education, Higher -- Appalachian Region -- History.
Frost, Eleanor Marsh.
Frost, Maria Goodell.
Frost, William G. -- (William Goodell) -- 1854-1938
Kentucky Day Law.
Minorities -- Education -- United States.
Oberlin College.

Administrative Information

Repository: Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog

Access Restrictions: Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College.

Use Restrictions: There are no restrictions on the collection other than federal copyright regulations. Cite all references to the material in this collection.

Preferred Citation: [Item description], W. G. Frost Papers, Berea College Archives, BCA RG 03/3.03, Berea College Special Collections & Archives, Berea, KY.

Finding Aid Revision History: The finding aid was updated from previous versions in June 2014 by Lori Myers-Steele, Project Archivist. The box list was created by Katie L. Grindstaff, Student Associate Archivist.

Other Note: The online version of content from this collection is available on-campus to Berea College students, staff, and faculty through the Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice, 1490-2007 database by Adam Matthew.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal],
[Series 2: Correspondence],
[Series 3: Sermons, Addresses, and Lectures],
[Series 4: Writings],
[Series 5: Day Law],
[Series 6: Reports],
[Series 7: Eleanor Marsh Frost],
[Series 8: Miscellaneous],
[Series 9: Photographs],
[All]

Series 2: Correspondence

Materials consist principally of letters received by Frost as president of Berea College and reflect Frost’s administration and detailing the circumstances of his hiring; the financial status of the College during the Frost presidency; the Day Law controversy and Berea's response, the response of trustees and donors, etc.; general fundraising efforts; growth of the College into an Appalachian institution; and physical plant growth and improvement.

Correspondents include northern integrationists, religious leaders, Berea Board of Trustees and faculty members, philanthropists, donors, and friends and associates of Frost. Correspondence is arranged chronologically by year, alphabetically thereunder.

A list of correspondents/correspondence is attached as a digital file.

Box 4

Folder 1: Form letters, 1894-1920

Folder 2: no date (A-F)

Folder 3: no date (G-Z)

Folder 4: Correspondence, 1877-1879

Folder 5: Correspondence, 1880-1889

Folder 6: Correspondence, 1890-1891

Folder 7: Correspondence, 1892

Link to digital image:

Letter to Brethren at Berea from President Frost; 16 July 1892: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7Caa796852-1e0b-4a19-9db3-e9c363975fbc/

Folder 8: Correspondence, 1893

Folder 9: Correspondence, 1894

Folder 10: Correspondence (A-C), 1895

Link to digital image:

Letter to President Frost from Cassius Marcellus Clay; 12 August 1895: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C2157ca07-5cb6-4e58-ab56-e8bc6d767219/

Folder 11: Correspondence (D-G), 1895

Folder 12: Correspondence (H-M), 1895

Box 5

Folder 1: Correspondence (P-W), 1895
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1896
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1897
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1898
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1899
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1900

Box 6

Folder 1: Correspondence (A-K), 1901
Folder 2: Correspondence (L-Z), 1901
Folder 3: Correspondence (A-L), 1902
Folder 4: Correspondence (M-Z), 1902

Box 7

Folder 1: Correspondence (A-K), 1903
Folder 2: Correspondence (L-Z), 1903
Folder 3: Letters of WGF regarding Day Bill, January 1907: Introduced in Legislature in January 1904 (Day Law)
Folder 4: Correspondence ( A - Bel), 1904
Folder 5: Correspondence (Bem - C), 1904
Folder 6: Correspondence (C-J), 1904
Folder 7: Correspondence (K-Mat), 1904
Folder 8: Correspondence (Mau-P), 1904

Box 8

Folder 1: Correspondence (Q-R), 1904
Folder 2: Correspondence (S-Z), 1904
Folder 3: Correspondence (A-L), 1905
Folder 4: Correspondence (M-Z), 1905
Folder 5: Correspondence (A-L), 1906
Folder 6: Correspondence (M-Z), 1906

Box 9

Folder 1: Correspondence (A-C), 1907

Folder 2: Correspondence (D-N), 1907

Folder 3: Correspondence (O-Z), 1907

Folder 4: Correspondence (A-C), 1908

Link to digital images:

Letter to President Frost from Henry W. Bond; 26 Jan. 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C5e7e3de6-23d4-4ff5-87c0-4d515e422f06/

Letter to President Frost from James Bond; 17 June 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C06d14098-e81b-451c-a156-902cb87a1ae4/

Letter to President Frost from Carter G. Woodson; 17 June 1908 : https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C7f10f8c5-3206-43c8-afee-8fd30661d32b/

Letter to President William Goodell Frost from Katharine S. Bowersox; 18 June 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C9564417b-907a-4dd0-aebc-a52170d3ac24/

Letter to President Frost from John J. Barret; 9 Dec. 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C9fb7f924-2bf7-4337-8982-3154b7c6133f/

Letter to President Frost from James Bond; 26 Dec. 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C4a2ebd9e-c505-4e30-9150-b9ba8834a264/

Clipping: Louisville May Get Berea originally from The Freeman (Indianapolis): https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C75c49dee-0675-413f-818b-b96ed293e746/

Clipping: Begins with words President Frost of Berea College . . . (regarding Day Lay): https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C746a6f25-b579-4aa0-836f-e62d98f03c51/

Folder 5: Correspondence (D-L), 1908

Link to digital image:

Letter to President Frost from J.A. Lubner, 2 Mar. 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7Cb6822d9f-9da2-4edb-a3bb-c02e6f73b756/

Folder 6: Correspondence (M-Z), 1908

Link to digital image:

Letter to President Frost from Carter G. Woodson; 19 June 1908: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7Cc53f3f9b-90eb-472a-89ec-8663292ec192/

Box 10

Folder 1: Correspondence (A-G), 1909
Folder 2: Correspondence (H-Z), 1909
Folder 3: Correspondence (A-I), 1910
Folder 4: Correspondence (J-Z), 1910
Folder 5: Correspondence (A-K), 1911
Folder 6: Correspondence (L-Z), 1911
Folder 7: Correspondence (A-C), 1912

Box 11

Folder 1: Correspondence (D-M), 1912

Folder 2: Correspondence (M-Z), 1912

Folder 3: Correspondence (A-G), 1913

Folder 4: Correspondence (H-Z), 1913

Folder 5: Correspondence (A-C), 1914

Link to digital image:

Letter to President William Goodell Frost from Katharine S. Bowersox; 04 July 1914: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7C4d5fd7fd-4b32-4973-827f-4f1d6d15f024/

Folder 6: Correspondence (D-P), 1914

Box 12

Folder 1: Correspondence (Q-Z), 1914
Folder 2: Correspondence (A-C), 1915
Folder 3: Correspondence (D-Z), 1915
Folder 4: Correspondence (A-H), 1916
Folder 5: Correspondence (I-Z), 1916
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1917

Box 13

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1918
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1919
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1920
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1921-1924
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1925-1937: Link to digital image: Letter to Mary E. Welch from Delia Blanton Creech (regarding daughters attending and working at Berea); 03 October 1926: https://berea.access.preservica.com/file/sdb%3AdigitalFile%7Cf01edb90-5d27-49ab-baa6-6319d92d3057/