wasmhi1991_25.xml Guide to the Metropolitan Business College Records 1910-1981 Metropolitan Business College Records Finding aid prepared by Jody Hendrickson Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Museum of History & Industry © 2006
5933 6th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Phone: 206-324-1126 URL: http://www.mohai.org
Finding aid encoded by ArchProteus2006 Finding aid is in English Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard) Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library
5933 6th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Phone: 206-324-1126 URL: http://www.mohai.org
1991.25 Metropolitan Business College (Seattle, Wash.) Metropolitan Business College Records 1910-1981 8 boxes 5 linear feet 2 oversize scrapbooks Photographs, papers and scrapbooks related to the Metropolitan Business College in Seattle and the College's Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Iota Sorority for businesswomen. 14a.1.5-8 (boxes) VII.b.4 (panorama photo) Collection materials are in English. Historical Note:

The Metropolitan Business College began in 1889 as a small private business school called the Seattle Business College. The school was started by Josephine Hall and her husband in Seattle's Boston building, where it remained until 1891. Initially, the Seattle Business College taught only shorthand and typing, expanding its curriculum to include Bookkeeping, Accounting, Business Law, English and Mathematics after it was bought out by Acme Business College in 1894. Mrs. Hall sold her shares in the college to W.W. DeLong, who became the college president. The newly combined school was known as Seattle and Puget Sound College.

In 1915, the College became the property of the Metropolitan Building Company, moved into the White-Henry-Stuart building, and changed its name to the Metropolitan Business College. Florence G. Douglas, a sister of one of the company owners, served as president of the College until 1942. The College expanded under her tenure, adding fraternities and sororities, dormitories and a basketball team.

In 1941, the Metropolitan Building Company divested itself of the business college, which was then purchased by Herbert Phillips, who became president of the school. At that time, the school moved into the second floor of a new building at 414 Union Street at the corner of Fifth Avenue. During Phillips' tenure, the school expanded its curriculum to ten regular diploma courses. Phillips was President of the school for 34 years, till 1976 when the school was turned over to his stepson.

In late 1978, the Metropolitan Business College acquired the facilities of Auerswald Business University and moved all its classes to Auerswald's 1524 Fifth Ave. location. In 1986, Jana L. Cloward purchased the College and set out to modernize its equipment, curriculum and staff. The program expanded to comprise five diploma programs, in Accounting, Computer Application, Data Entry, Secretarial and Word Processing. The school's curriculum was designed to accommodate and provide training for its "Ability to Benefit" students--the approximately 80% of its student body who did not have a high school diploma. After operating for over a century at nine different locations under eight owners, the College closed in about 1990.

The Alpha Iota Sorority is an international honorary businesswomen's society. The Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Iota Sorority was installed at Metropolitan Business College on July 26, 1930.

The collection includes Metropolitan Business College catalogs, brochures and newsletters; administrative, legal and financial papers; and advertisements and other promotional materials such as albums. A few narratives provide a historical background of the College.

The photographs, dated circa 1910-1980, include images of students, faculty and staff at the School, usually in offices or classroom. Students are depicted in classes such as typing, stenotype and business machine class. Members of the Phi Theta Pi Fraternity and Alpha Iota Sorority are depicted at installations, banquets and conclaves.

The Alpha Iota Sorority Historian's Books and Scrapbooks document the activities of the club and its members over an academic year and include photographs, meeting minutes, announcements, clippings and ephemera.

The collection has been arranged into four series: photographs, subdivided by photographer; textual materials; albums and other materials; and the records of the Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Iota Sorority

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Metropolitan Business College Records, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

The collection was donated by Ludwig-Gray International (liquidators) in 1991.

 Auerswald Business University Dudley, Roger Miller, Walter P. Peak, Roy M. Alpha Iota (Sorority). Upsilon Chapter (Metropolitan Business College) Seattle (Wash.) Photographic prints Fraternities & sororities--Washington (State)--Seattle Universities & colleges--Washington (State)--Seattle Business schools--Washington (State)--Seattle Colleges and Universities Seattle Photographs Scrapbooks Women Photographs circa 1910-1980

All photographs dated circa 1910-1980 unless a more specific date is given

 Photographs Roger Dudley , Seattle 1 1-3 Students in typing class 1 4 College President Herbert Phillips talking to student 1 5 Three students talking in hallway 1 6-7 Man and woman seated at office desk 1 8 Students typing with two women seated in private office 1 9 Students and teacher seated in classroom 1 10-11 Students in typing class 1 12 Students and teacher in Classroom 10, Room 208 circa 1935 1 13 Students in Accounting Department classroom 1 14 Students in typing class 1 15 Three women working behind Information desk in General Business Office 1 16 Fourth Avenue looking south from Union Street, showing White Building, 1338 Fourth Avenue 1930s 1 17 Three women in school office 1 18 Herbert Phillips, President MBC circa 1948 1 19 Man seated at desk 1 20 Students and teacher in stenotype class 1 22 Students seated at tables writing, classroom in background 1 24 Five people in "Principal and Registrar" office 1 25-26 Students writing in classroom, instructor in front 1 27 College President Herbert Phillips talking to student Photographs Walter P. Miller, Seattle 1 28 Students typing near two private offices 1 29 Students working in room near private offices 1 30 Students and teacher in stenotype class 1 31 Students typing near two private offices 1 32 Private office 1 33 Typing classroom 1 34 Classroom 1 35 Private office 1 36 Students and teacher in typing class circa 1930 1 37 Students reading in class 1 38 Four women behind Information desk in General Business Office 1 39 Students taking dictation from Mrs. Snyder 1927 1 40 Students in Accounting Department classroom 1 41 Students in typing class 1 42 Fourth Avenue between Union and University, showing White Building, 1338 Fourth Avenue 1920s 1 43 Banquet for Alpha Iota Sorority initiation of pledges and Phi Theta Pi Fraternity installation. 1 44 Women at banquet Map drawer 45 Large group outdoors (panorama) Photographs Roy M. Peak, Seattle 1 46 Business machine class circa 1935 1 47 Men at banquet 1 48 Phi Theta Pi fraternity 4 49 Banquet at 8th annual convention of Alpha Iota Sorority 1938 July 1 50 Mother-daughter banquet of Upsilon Chapter Alpha Iota Sorority Other photographers 1 51 Four portraits of instructors Edwin Hages, Ida Ann Rees and Frances J. Hastings 1 53a, 53b Four women using "Metromatic" machine 1 54 Jeanne Hanover, winner of essay contest, includes clipping 1 56 Louis Beck, Bookkeeping and Accounting instructor 1 57 Northeast from Westlake Avenue and Olive Way, Metropolitan Business College in foreground 1910 1 58 Business machine class 1 59a-d Individual studio portraits of four instructors 4 60 8th annual convention, Alpha Iota Sorority in front of Seattle Art Museum 1938 July 1 61 Casual group seated outdoors 1 62 Clarence Stone, C.P.A., instructor 1 63 Eighteen studio portraits, probably instructors 1 64 Snapshots, probably students and their families circa 1970s 1 65 Two women and calculator 1 66 Three students at College entrance 1 67 Students working at business machines 1 68 Instructor and students in classroom 1 70 Instructor and three students with globe 1 71 Letterhead (film) 1 72 Miscellaneous films for printing (Letterheads, captions, images) 1 73 Associated Photographic Service, Tacoma, WA Eight instructors and student around table with Knapp College brochure. 1 74 Bruno Heman Hunt (?), Arden Farms Company 1 75 George J. Carkonen Four people at luncheon or dinner 1 76 Leonid Fink Edith L Gaspard 1 77 Leonid Fink Mrs. Edna P. Kent, National Vice President, Alpha Iota Sorority 1938 1 79 Forde Photographers Students in typing clas 1 80 Grady Group of men (possibly students and faculty). 1 81 Frank Jacobs Two men and women with typewriter in front of Christmas tree 1 82 Chas. Laidlaw Aerial view of Seattle business district with White-Henry Stuart building circled 1 83 Linkletter Studio Group of women, First Northwest Conclave of Alpha Iota Sorority, YWCA Camp, Bainbridge Island 1933 July

see Scrapbook 1932-36 for identifications

 4 84 Linkletter Studio Group of women, Second Northwest Conclave of Alpha Iota Sorority, YWCA Camp, Bainbridge Island 1934 May

see also Scrapbook 1932-36

 1 85 Linkletter Studio Group of women, Third Northwest Conclave of Alpha Iota Sorority, YWCA Camp, Bainbridge Island 1935 1 86 Nordlunds (?) Foto. Co. Horrace Parrish 1 87 Ralston Studio Doris Doolittle, of Ryan, Askren and Ryan 1 129 Woman and student at office desk 1 130 Two women holding stuffed animals 1 131, 136 Four women using "Metromatic" (see also #53) 1 132 Students in typing class 1 133, 134, 138 Man seated at desk 1 135 Three people in hallway 1 137 Two students with typewriter Textual Materials 1 88 Catalogs and brochures 1927-1987 undated 1 89 Metropolitan Business College newsletters 1927-1938 1983-1986 1 89b Metropolitan-Auerswald Business University newsletters 1979-1980 1 89c Metropolitan Bulletin, bulletin of the Metropolitan Building Company 1927-1929 1 90 Registration agreements 1 91 Class schedule 1985 1 92 Certificates, mostly professional association memberships 1942-1981 1 93 Form letters 1942-1979 1 94 undated Letterheads, envelopes and typefaces 1 95 Newspaper advertisements for Metropolitan Business College and other business colleges 1918-1982 1 96 Telephone directory ads for Metropolitan Business College 1979-1981 1 97 Financial information 1926-1978 1 98 Historical information, including historical narratives about the College, Boards of Directors listings, and clippings about President Herbert Phillips and his wife, Alma. 1942-1988 1 99 Leases and related correspondence 1952-1977 1 100 Equipment-bills and correspondence 1942-1979 1 101 Loans 1976-1981 1 102 Agreements on use of college premises for non-college courses 1975 1979 1 104 Miscellaneous faculty related papers, including letter of resignation, contracts, and staff list 1963-1980 1 105 Stockholders [stock subscriptions, sales, meeting records] 1975 1 106 Permits 1972-1978 1 107 Floor plans undated 1 108 Correspondence with and evaluations of other business schools 1939-1968 1 109 Manuals on practical skills 1932 1947 1 110 Booklets on running a private commercial school 1935 December 1948 Albums and Other Materials 2 115 Box of driving training course materials (includes filmstrips, slides and cassette tapes) undated 2 115b Pocket dictionary with embossed MBC cover circa 1926 5 119 Album of clippings, brochures, promotional material, photographs circa 1930 4 124 Poster for Metropolitan Business College circa 1930 5 125 Album of color photographs of people, possibly students and staff 2 139 Miscellaneous papers including attendance records and an exam 1932-1986 2 140 Scrapbook circa 1925

Largely advertisement clippings, brochures and form letters

 2 141 Promotional album circa 1930

Brochures, clippings and photographs

Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Iota Sorority

The Upsilon Chapter's Historian's Books are yearbooks documenting the activities of the club and its members over an academic year. They include formal and informal photographs of sorority members, meeting minutes, engagement and wedding announcements, and photographs, clippings and ephemera from regional and national trips and events.

Sorority scrapbooks tend to be more informal, including member's lists, newsletters, cards, clippings, snapshots and ephemera from various sorority events.

 7 1991.25.142 Historian's Book 1947-1948 8 1991.25.143 Historian's Book 1948-1949 3 1991.25.118 Historian's Book 1949-1950 6 1991.25.145 Historian's Book 1950-1951 1991.25.144a Historian's Book 1951-1952 oversize 1991.25.144b Historian's Book 1954-1955 oversize 2 1991.25.111 History of Alpha Iota Sorority, Supplement II 1942 July -1946 May 2 1991.25.112 Receipt books 1947-1954 2 1991.25.113 Rosters and yearbooks 1947-1964 5 1991.25.120 Scrapbook 1930-1933 6 1991.25.127 Scrapbook 1932-1936 6 Loose photographs removed from 1932-1936 Scrapbook 1932-1936 6 1991.25.126 Scrapbook 1936-1938 5 1991.25.121 Scrapbook 1947 2 1991.25.114 Secretary's file, including membership records, financial statements and IRS tax returns 1947-1954 3 1991.25.117 Plaque of past presidents, Sigma Xi Chapter of Chi Rho International undated 3 1991.25.116 Wood-bound volume of The Upsilon Echo, monthly newsletter of Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Iota, Volume 1, Nos. 1-10. 1947 May-1948 March