Collection KAD - DEAN'S OFFICE: King's College London records

Key Information

Reference code

KAD

Title

DEAN'S OFFICE: King's College London records

Date(s)

  • 1907-1987 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent

12 boxes

Scope and content

The records of the Dean's Office at King's College London comprise minutes, correspondence, papers and reports, 1907-1987. These include minutes of the Conference of Principals of Theological Colleges, of which the Dean was a member, 1907-1932; minutes of meetings of Associates of King's College to elect Council members, 1911-1972; general correspondence covering a wide variety of College business including College finances, the University of London Board of Studies in Theology, the organisation of the AKC programme, the training of ordinands, external examiners, scholarships and prizes, staff applications and proposed appointments, public lectures and sermons, the publication of books by staff, Church music and art including the maintenance of the Chapel, the Student Christian Movement, the University of London Chaplaincy, King's Theological Society, and the theological College at Warminster, 1916-1987; reports considering the direction and future of Warminster College, 1945-1968; papers on the King's College Hostel, Vincent Square, including plans, newspaper cuttings and a pamphlet, 1918-1951; the Annual Giving Campaign reports and minutes of meetings, 1962-1965; reports dealing with arrangements for the 150th anniversary of the College, 1978-1979.

System of arrangement

Arranged mainly in chronological order.

General Information

Name of creator

(1903)

Biographical history

The Dean has exercised a central pastoral function within King's College since the reorganisation that took place following the King's College London (Transfer) Act of 1908. This incorporated King's into the University of London and legally separated the Theological Department from the secular component of King's. The position of Dean was created as the head of the theological King's College London, although he also exercised pastoral responsibility in the secular University of London, King's College. The office was temporarily combined with that of Principal under Arthur Headlam until 1913, when they were separated. The Dean has always been an ordained minister elected by the Council and responsible for the spiritual welfare of students and staff. For most of this period he also undertook the supervision of potential ordinands for the Church of England, but this ceased shortly before the reunification of the two halves of King's, which was completed in 1980. The Dean's office continues to undertake pastoral duties, to run the Chaplaincy and College Choir, and to administer the Associateship of King's College (AKC) programme.

Custodial history

King's College London Dean's Office.

Conditions governing access

Administrative records are generally closed for 20 years except for published material and some committee and other minutes.

Where open, access is subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.

Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archives.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Finding aids

A brief list of the contents of the collection are available in hard copy in the College Archives reading room.

Existence and location of originals

Off-campus collection

Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›

Related materials

Correspondence and other records compiled by successive Deans can be found in the Secretarial series (KAS/AC, KA/IC). The records of individual Deans include Walter Robert Matthews (1918-1932) (Ref: KCLCA K/PP2) and Eric Symes Abbott (1945-1955) (Ref: KCLCA K/PP 44). Lists of students and AKC students were also compiled by the Dean's Office (Ref: KAD/RG, KA/DL, 1993 KAD/LI, 2000 KAD).

Related descriptions

Alternative identifier(s)

Place access points

Genre access points

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.

Script(s)

Archivist's note

Entry compiled by Geoff Browell.

Accession area