University Archives digitizes catalogues back nearly 90 years

Homer L. Nearpass was director and dean. Three members of the Wick family served on the Board of Trustees. Tuition was $75 a semester, plus $5 for each semester hour over 15. The campus was made up of one building and encompassed five acres. And there were three classifications of students - regular, special and irregular.

That was Youngstown College in 1930, according to the college catalogue recently digitized by University Archives at Youngstown State University.

University Archives, located in Maag Library on the YSU campus, recently scanned and uploaded all YSU course catalogs into Digital.Maag, starting with the 1930-31 academic year and continuing until 2016. Starting in 1968, the graduate course catalogs have been scanned as well.

The catalogs are available under the University Archives.

The catalogs contain information about the university, faculty members and academic degree programs. Cassie Nespor of University Archives said the bulletins might be helpful for students looking up old course descriptions when they start graduate school, apply for jobs, etc. They also document the changes in degree programs and courses at the university.

In 1930, the bulletin was 27 pages long. By 1968, the school’s name had changed to Youngstown State University, the academic calendar had switched from semesters to quarters, the campus included 19 major buildings and an eight-year, $35 million campus development plan was underway to expand the campus to 84 acres. And the undergraduate bulletin was 235 pages.