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.
Repository:
Museum of History &
Industry Sophie Frye Bass
Library
Funding for encoding this finding
aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
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.
Content Description
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.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
Restrictions on Use :
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.
Preferred Citation :
Metropolitan Business College Records, Museum of History &
Industry, Seattle
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
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
Acquisition Information :
The collection was donated by Ludwig-Gray International (liquidators)
in 1991.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Photographs , circa 1910-1980
All photographs dated circa 1910-1980 unless a more specific date
is given
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Photographs
Roger Dudley,
Seattle (photographer)
Box
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
Box
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
1
45: Large group outdoors
Photographs
Roy M. Peak,
Seattle (photographer)
Box
1
46: Business machine class
circa 1935
1
47: Men at banquet
1
48: Phi Theta Pi fraternity
box:oversize
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
Box
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
box:oversize
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: Eight instructors and student
around table with Knapp College brochure.
Associated Photographic Service,
Tacoma, WA (photographer)
1
74: Heman Hunt (?), Arden Farms
Company
Bruno (photographer)
1
75: Four people at luncheon or
dinner
George J.
Carkonen (photographer)
1
76: Edith L Gaspard
Leonid
Fink (photographer)
1
77: Mrs. Edna P. Kent, National
Vice President, Alpha Iota Sorority
Leonid
Fink (photographer)
1938
1
79: Students in typing
clas
Forde
Photographers (photographer)
1
80: Group of men (possibly students
and faculty).
Grady (photographer)
1
81: Two men and women with
typewriter in front of Christmas tree
Frank
Jacobs (photographer)
1
82: Aerial view of Seattle business
district with White-Henry Stuart building circled
Chas.
Laidlaw (photographer)
1
83: Group of women, First Northwest
Conclave of Alpha Iota Sorority, YWCA Camp, Bainbridge Island
Linkletter
Studio (photographer)
see Scrapbook 1932-36 for identifications
1933 July
box:oversize
4
84: Group of women, Second
Northwest Conclave of Alpha Iota Sorority, YWCA Camp, Bainbridge Island
Linkletter
Studio (photographer)
see also Scrapbook 1932-36
1934 May
1
85: Group of women, Third Northwest
Conclave of Alpha Iota Sorority, YWCA Camp, Bainbridge Island
Linkletter
Studio (photographer)
1935
1
86: Horrace Parrish
Nordlunds (?) Foto.
Co. (photographer)
1
87: Doris Doolittle, of Ryan,
Askren and Ryan
Ralston
Studio (photographer)
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)
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: Letterheads, envelopes and
typefaces
undated
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
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.
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
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
oversize
1951-1952
1991.25.144b: Historian's Book
oversize
1954-1955
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.
