Scope and Content Note:
Because of the President’s position as a medium of communication between the Board and the rest of the University, the records in this group provide material on almost every aspect of University life. This collection includes reports from the various academic and non-academic departments, correspondence with faculty, staff and students, and various publications. The records also reflect the impact of local, state, and national events and movements on the University community, such as World War I, the Roaring Twenties and prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War.

The first President of the University was elected in 1804, but few records survive from the administrations prior to 1909. Of the surviving 19th century records, most are in collections of personal papers housed at the South Caroliniana Library, though some documents are contained in other records series at the Archives.