SC014 Shimer College Records

The Shimer Record, previously called the Frances Shimer Quarterly or the Frances Shimer Record, served a multitude of functions throughout its publication. Editions from the early 1900s contained curriculum information, student directories, and information about campus life along with student-written prose and poetry. Many editions also included photographs of the campus, then located in Mt. Carroll, Illinois. This version of the Record was published by the Board of Trustees with the goal of advertising Shimer to potential students.

Copies from 1930-1940 had an even stronger literary focus than the Record editions that came before them. In fact, some editions of the Record from that time consisted exclusively of student-written literature, and were published by a student staff under faculty advisors. Although many of the literary pieces in the Record focused on the boarding school experience, as Shimer was a girls’ finishing school at the time, other pieces varied more in topic.

In 1938 some editions of the Record exclusively became yearbooks, a trend that would continue through 1959. Published by a student yearbook staff, these included individual headshots of each student with names, achievements, and club memberships listed beside each person. They also included group pictures from each campus organization, and various pictures from events throughout the year, such as the May Fete and school dances. Many of the yearbooks also included a literary section of student-written prose and poetry.

Another version of the Record was an alumni newsletter, originally printed on sleek, white paper, but later printed on larger, matte paper. Beginning in October 1943 and continuing through the late 1960s, these were published alongside other versions of the Record, and were sent to alumni of the college. They contained news both about alumni and about what was happening on the Shimer campus at the time. These were published by various staff members, either from the Alumni Association or the Board of Trustees.

Scattered throughout the Record collection are some publications that are more similar to catalogues, some copies of which also appear in the catalogue collection. These editions include details on the Shimer curriculum, campus, student life, and usually include a brief history of Shimer.

Notably, the publication of the Record did not continue after Shimer’s spring 1979 move to Waukegan, Illinois, with the last item in the Record collection being a 1974-1975 catalogue. Shimer had fewer publications overall after this time, as publication costs were too expensive for the financially struggling college.