Bovard Family papers
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of the papers, scrapbooks, sermons, bibles, and diaries of members of the Bovard Family. Family members’ materials present belong to brothers and former USC presidents George Finley Bovard (1856-1932) and Marion McKinley Bovard (1847-1891), and their mother, Sarah Young Bovard (1828-1888). The collection consists of four series:
George Finley Bovard papers
S.S. Marion McKinley Bovard scrapbook
Sarah Bovard diaries
Bovard Family bibles
The George Finley Bovard papers contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, family history, sermons, and Bovard’s testimony in Edward L. Doheny’s bribery trial. The S.S. Marion McKinley Bovard scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, and photographs of the production and 1942 dedication of the cargo ship named in honor of USC’s first president, Marion McKinley Bovard. His two daughters, identified as Mrs. William D. Armstrong and Mrs. Marion Shibley, are depicted in the photographs of the ceremony. The Sarah Bovard diaries contain photocopies of the original diary pages, transcriptions of pages whose entries date from 1859 to 1871. The Bovard Family bibles contain two bibles belonging to George F. Bovard and George L. Drake (John Kenneth Bovard). Both were ordained Methodist ministers.
Dates
- Creation: 1859 - 1871
- Creation: 1904
- Creation: 1915 - 1931
- Creation: 1950
- Creation: 1996
Creator
- Bovard, George Finley (Person)
- Bovard, Marion McKinley (Person)
- Bovard, Sarah, 1826-1888 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Collections at specol@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Biographical / Historical
Marion McKinley Bovard (1847-1891) served as USC’s first president from the school’s founding in 1880 to his death in 1891. Marion oversaw the establishment of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, School of Music, College of Medicine and what would become the School of Fine Arts.
George Finley Bovard (1856-1932), Marion’s younger brother, was part of USC’s first graduating class and served as the 4th president of USC from 1903 to 1921. George’s presidency was defined by World War I: enrollment dropped, and USC became an official training school for army officers through the establishment of the Reserve Officers Training Corps and the introduction of military training in physical education classes. Following the end of the war enrollment steadily increased, and Bovard retired and was awarded the title of President Emeritus.
Sarah Young Bovard (1828-1888) was an Indiana woman who was married to Methodist minister James W. Bovard and the two had 12 children, six of whom became Methodist ministers and two became USC presidents.
Extent
1.29 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers, scrapbooks, sermons, bibles, and diaries of members of the Bovard Family. Family members’ materials present belong to brothers and former USC presidents George Finley Bovard (1856-1932) and Marion McKinley Bovard (1847-1891), and their mother, Sarah Young Bovard (1828-1888).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. Lowell Martin, 1986 and 1990.
Processing Information
Collection is partially processed.
Subject
- Bovard, George Finley -- Archives (Person)
- Bovard, Marion McKinley -- Archives (Person)
- Bovard, Sarah, 1826-1888 -- Archives (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Bovard Family papers
- Status
- Minimally Processed
- Author
- Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated
- Date
- 2022 March
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States
specol@usc.edu