Items

• State Letter of Approval for additional community college (# seven)

  This NY State letter of approval for additional community college (# seven) is signed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and directed to James Allen, his Commissioner of the State Education Department. He notes that it has yet to be confirmed that no duplication exists between this "Skills Center" and any other "State University's Urban Centers in New York City."
• Governor's Conversion of Community College #7 to Senior College

  This letter from Department of Education Commissioner Ewald Nyquist acknowledges the Regents' approval of the conversion of New York City Community College Seven to a senior (four-year) college offering both associate and BA degrees. While explicitly not diminishing the value of community colleges, it also mentions greater service to the community and ease of transfer from AA to BA programs.
• Medgar Evers College, historical buildings

  Image compilation of the various buildings that made up Medgar Evers College in its early years.
• MEC for MEC, Albany, 1976

  Demonstration in Albany when budget cuts threatened Medgar Evers College. Sign reads: "DON'T LET THEM ASSASSINATE MEDGAR EVERS AGAIN! KEEP ALIVE THE ONLY FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE IN OUR COMMUNITY!!"
• Letter from Chancellor Bowker to Members of Community College 7 Planning and Presidential Search Committee

  This letter from Chancellor Bowker to members of Community College 7 Planning and Presidential Search Committee came in response to a series of requests made by the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition in prior weeks. Those requests, expressed in a June 18, 1968 telegram from Al Vann, called for the furnishing of funds and space for use by the community's representatives on the Presidential Selection Committee. In this letter, Bowker suggests cooperating with the Coalition in fulfilling their demands in effort to reduce "the feeling of mistrust that now exists" between the community and CUNY. Bowker, however, is hesitant to proceed without the input of others and ultimately announces that he will defer to the consensus opinion of the Board of Higher Education. Funding for the neighborhood's representatives had been the source of much contention in the preceding weeks, and was an issue that would not be settled for another month. Over the course of Medgar Evers College's creation, CUNY officials and Bedford-Stuyvesant community members often clashed, and this particular dispute is just one example of the several that arose from the community's efforts to exert influence over their college's development.
• Minutes of the Board of Higher Education - November 25, 1968

  These minutes of proceedings from the November 25, 1968 meeting of the Board of Higher Education record the establishment of new admissions criteria for CUNY four-year institutions as well as university-wide budget requests for the following year. The document details CUNY's resolve to expand the availability of their educational resources to graduating high school students in the city. To this end, the university agreed to initiate a study of five disadvantaged public high schools in effort to determine how CUNY could better serve their students. Moreover, all graduates from these schools with at least 70% averages would be admitted to a CUNY school. Additional decisions are made to guarantee admittance to all NYC students graduating in the top 100 of their high school classes. These efforts for increased educational access serve as precursors to CUNY's Open Admissions policy that would be introduced in subsequent years.
• Community's Criteria for the President of Community College No. 7

  Created by the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, this paper outlines their criteria for the president of Community College No. 7 (later named Medgar Evers College). Including experience, physical appearance, philosophy and personal background, among the factors to be considered are an individual who "accepts community control of the school." The Bedford-Stuyvesant community's participation in the presidential selection process was a hard-won victory for neighborhood leaders following months of struggle with CUNY administration over their role in the college's development.
• Handwritten Notes from a September 12, 1968 Meeting

  These handwritten notes are from a September 12, 1968 meeting of CUNY officials concerning the creation of Medgar Evers College. The notes suggest that the criteria for presidential candidates be established and that a selection be made by January 1, 1969. Also included is a number of potential academic departments for the new school, as well as a list of topics to cover in the next meeting with the Board of Higher Education.
• Letter from CUNY Chancellor Albert Bowker to all Board Members: Funding for the Coalition's Representatives

  In this letter sent to all Board of Higher Education members, CUNY Chancellor Albert Bowker announces that funds for the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition's representatives on the Presidential Search Committee had been obtained from the Ford Foundation. Funding for the neighborhood's representatives had been the source of much contention in the preceding months with community leader Al Vann threatening "action" in a June 18th telegram should the university not supply its promised funding and space. The community's presence on the committee was an achievement in itself and followed months of efforts from neighborhood organizations and individuals. Over the course of Medgar Evers College's creation, CUNY officials and Bedford-Stuyvesant community members often clashed, and this particular dispute is just one example of the several that arose from the community's efforts to exert influence over their college's development.
• Handwritten Inter-office Memo from Porter R. Chandler to Chancellor Albert Bowker

  This handwritten memo from Porter R. Chandler, Chairman of the Board of Higher Education, "most emphatically" suggests that Albert Bowker, Chancellor of CUNY, accede to the requests of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition leaders. Those requests, expressed in a June 18th telegram from Al Vann, called for the furnishing of funds and space for use by the community's representatives on the Presidential Selection Committee. Over the course of Medgar Evers College's creation, CUNY officials and Bedford-Stuyvesant community members repeatedly clashed, and this particular dispute is just one such example of the several that arose from the community's efforts to exert influence over their college's development.
• Proposal to Plan and Implement Departmental Programs for Community College No. 7

  This document describes previous authorizations regarding the creation of Community College No. 7 (Medgar Evers College) and three additional community colleges. It goes on to detail one of the more unique features of the college: a community advisory committee located within the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. It also describes a proposed new admission policy that would introduce "wholly new admission standards [that] do not penalize students for poor choices or performance in high school."
• Telegram from Al Vann: Promising Action if Services and Personnel are Withdrawn

  This telegram was sent from Al Vann to CUNY Chancellor Albert Bowker. Vann, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition. Vann writes the message on behalf of the Coalition's member organizations in an effort to challenge the university to deliver on its promise of space and financial support for the community's representatives on the Presidential Search Committee. Failing this, Vann warns of organized community "action." The community's presence on the committee was an achievement in itself and followed months of efforts from neighborhood organizations and individuals. Over the course of Medgar Evers College's creation, CUNY officials and Bedford-Stuyvesant community members often clashed, and this particular dispute is just one example of the several that arose from the community's efforts to exert influence over their college's development.
• Memo from William Ballard: Space

  This is an interdepartmental memo from William Ballard, Consulting Architect, to Seymour Hyman, Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning & Development, concerning the size and location of a site for the new college (Medgar Evers College) in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
• Letter from Seymour Hyman: Campus Planning

  Letter from Seymour Hyman, Vice Chancellor of Campus Planning & Development, to Ira Duncan, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Real Estate, requesting temporary space in the Bedford Stuyvesant Community for the members to confer and develop plans for the new college (Medgar Evers College) and to meet with the community-at-large.
• Letter from Chancellor Albert Bowker to Al Vann: Space and Personnel

  Letter from Chancellor Albert Bowker to Al Vann, Chairman of Bedford-Stuyvesant Steering Committee, outlining the ways in which the University can meet the request of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition for space and personnel.
• Telegram from Al Vann to CUNY Officials

  In this telegram from Al Vann, chairman of the Steering Committee of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition, to Porter R. Chandler, Frederick Burkhardt, and Chancellor Albert Bowker, Vann lists the community's five selected representatives that will sit alongside five members from the Board of Higher Education on a presidential search committee. The responsibility of the committee had recently expanded to include not just the selection of a college president, but all matters related to the development and opening of the school. The community's placement on the committee was a hard-won victory for Bedford-Stuyvesant leaders following a protracted struggle with CUNY officials over the role of the neighborhood in the college's creation.
• Memo from Al Vann: On Educational Needs and Services –The Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition

  This unaddressed memo is from Al Vann, Chairman of Steering Committee, and appears to be directed towards Frederick Burkhardt, Chairman of the Committee to Seek a President for Community College Seven (Medgar Evers College). Vann requests funds to support the work of the Steering Committee and its work on the Presidential Search Committee. The group of five community-appointed representatives plan to set up space in Bedford-Stuyvesant to carry out their work that includes "firming up the community's mandate: Community Control and a four year institution." It was only because of the community's insistence that the college would open as a four-year institution instead of a two-year school as initially proposed.
• Memorandum of Understanding from Al Vann

  In this memorandum of understanding between the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition and a committee from the Board of Higher Education (likely the Presidential Search Committee), Al Vann, the chairman of the Coalition's steering committee, acknowledges two major promises made to his group. These include: "the community's final approval rights" in selecting a college president, and the community's majority representation on the Presidential Search Committee. The memo also includes other requests from Vann's organization.
• Letter from Al Vann to Mr. Chandler: New College Must be Four Year College

  In this letter from Al Vann, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition, Vann forcefully reasserts his organization's demand that the new college be both a 4-year institution and community controlled. Addressed to Porter R. Chandler, Chairman of the Board of Higher Education, Vann accuses the Board of not taking seriously his community's demands. The letter was sent just 11 days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., a fact referred to by Vann towards the letter's end.
• Letter from Frederick H. Burkhardt to Al Vann

  This is a letter from Frederick H. Burkhardt, chairman of the Committee to Seek Presidents for Community Colleges Seven and Eight, to Al Vann, chairman of the Steering Committee of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition. In it, Burkhardt informs Vann that the functions of his search committee will be expanded to include decisions relating to the planning and activation of the college. As its name suggests, the "Committee to Seek Presidents..." was initially tasked only with the responsibility of selecting a president for the college. With its increased responsibility, the committee was expanded to include five members from the Bedford-Stuyvesant community in addition to the five existing representatives from the Board of Higher Education. The community's placement on the committee was a hard-won success for Bedford-Stuyvesant leaders in what was a protracted struggle with CUNY administration over the role of the community in the college's creation.
• Minutes of Proceedings, Board of Higher Education Meeting - March 25, 1968

  As seen in these minutes of the March 25, 1968 meeting, the Board of Higher Education to expanded the responsibility of their presidential search committee for Community College No. Seven to include all matters related to the development and activation of the college. To further help these efforts, the Board declares that five members of the Bedford-Stuyvesant community will serve alongside five members of the Board during the planning and decision making process.
• Appendix A: Meeting between The Board Committee to Seek Presidents and the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition

  Appendix A consists of a list of all those present at a March 14, 1968 meeting between the Board Committee to Seek Presidents for Community Colleges Seven and Eight and the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition Steering Committee. It also outlines the "two basic ideas" brought forward by community representatives. These are: the belief that the proposed school should be a four year college and that it should be controlled by the community. A definition of what is meant by "community control" is provided.
• List of Members of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition

  A list of organizations that comprised the "Bedford Stuyvesant Coalition on Education Needs and Services."
• Memo from Porter R. Chandler: Refrain from Individual Meetings with the Bedford Stuyvesant Coalition

  This message from Porter R. Chandler to members of the Board of Higher Education states that although each member of the Board has received requests from the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition for individual meetings, the members should disregard the invitations in favor of a unified response from Chandler, the Board chairman.
• Letter from Frederick Burkhardt: Seeking President for Community College Seven and Eight

  In this letter from Frederick Burkhardt, Chairman of the Committee to Seek Presidents for Community Colleges Seven and Eight, to Walter Pinkston, executive chairman of Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action, Burkhardt suggests a meeting on March 14th between his group and the steering committee of the Bedford Stuyvesant Coalition, which Pinkston represents. The community leader had previously demanded a formal meeting with the university. Though not evident in this letter, tensions between CUNY officials and the Bedford-Stuyvesant community would remain high throughout the development of Medgar Evers College.