Collection number: UA 20/1/9 [Offsite Storage]
Size: 1 box
(.33 cu.ft.)
About the University of New Hampshire, Merrimack Valley Branch
The Merrimack Valley Branch of the University of New Hampshire was established in Manchester in September 1967. The branch started as an extension center. There were thirty-one credit courses, taught almost entirely by regular faculty members from the main campus, and enrolling 590 students. There also were seven short-term certificate courses enrolling 231. The first branch director, Frederick J. Robinson '49, had a small office in the Manchester Memorial High School and the classes met evenings in the high school. A year later, a house in the neighborhood was rented as an office and library building, while the growing number of classes continued to meet in Memorial High School and in nearby Southside Junior High. The unit got its first recognition as a separate entity when the 1969 legislature voted an appropriation of $60,000 for planning a campus. During the next few years, with the assistance of interested citizens, members of the Board of Trustees, and legislators, several sites in the region were investigated to determine their suitability for a commuter campus. A site within the City limits of Manchester was finally selected after a Feasibility Study of the site proved that it was satisfactory. The first building, named French Hall in honor of J. Fred French, a trustee for the University System for 11 years, opened on Hackett Hill Road in 1975. In 1977, the Legislature passed the House Bill 1006 establishing the MVB as a college in its own right with all the necessary powers and duties. Renamed the Merrimack Valley College, it became the fourth institution within the University System.
About the Merrimack Valley Branch Facilities Files
This collection contains a Facilities history and plan, Reports on Energy Studies, and a report on the buildings of Merrimack Valley Branch. It also includes reports from the Property and Planning and Development Committees, and the Physical Plant Development meeting notes.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open. Please note, the MVB files are housed in the Library Storage Building and require 24 hour notice for retrieval.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the University of New Hampshire.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item],[Box number], Merrimack Valley Branch Facilities Files, 1966-1977, UA 20/1/9, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
These records were transferred from the University of New Hampshire-Manchester Library in March 2002.
Collection Contents
| Box 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 2, Folder 1 | 1966-1977 | History of Facilities |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | 1970-1976 | Physical Plant Development Meeting Notes |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | 1970-1977 | Property Committee Reports |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | 1971-1977 | Property and Planning and Development Committees Joint Reports |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | Oct. 1972-April 1973 | Planning and Development Committee Reports |
| Box 2, Folder 6 | 1973-1974 | M.V.B. Facilities Master Plan |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | Aug. 1973-April 1974 | Energy Studies for M.V.B. |
| Box 2, Folder 8 | Dec. 19, 1975 | M.V.B. Building Readiness Report |
