Guide to the University of California, Santa Barbara, Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Crown and Scepter Chapter Records

Special Collections staff; latest revision A. Demeter
Department of Special Collections
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone: (805) 893-3062
Fax: (805) 893-5749
Email: special@library.ucsb.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections/
© 2009-2013
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Guide to the University of California, Santa Barbara, Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Crown and Scepter Chapter Records, 1938-2004

Collection number: UArch 106

Department of Special Collections

Davidson Library

University of California, Santa Barbara
Processed by:
Special Collections staff; latest revision A. Demeter
Date completed:
Aug. 5, 2010
Encoded by:
A. Demeter
© 2009 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: University of California, Santa Barbara, Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Crown and Scepter Chapter Records
Dates: 1938-2004
Collection number: UArch 106
Creator: Mortar Board (Society). Crown and Scepter Chapter (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Collection Size: 2.0 linear feet (3 document boxes, 1 half-sized document box, and 2 oversize flat boxes).
Repository: University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Dept. of Special Collections
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Abstract: The Crown and Scepter Chapter records contain membership lists, correspondence with the national organization, reports, scrapbooks, and other related material.
Physical location: Del Sur, University Archives.
Languages: English

Access Restrictions

None.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

Preferred Citation

University of California, Santa Barbara, Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Crown and Scepter Chapter records. UArch 106. Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Acquisition Information

Transfer from Office of Student Life.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society was formed as a women's honorary society in 1918. In 1937, it became the first women's honorary society admitted to the Association of College Honorary Societies (ACHS). In the same year at UCSB, the Crown and Scepter Women's Honorary Society was formed. Crown and Scepter became the UCSB chapter name when they qualified as a Mortar Board chapter in 1965. In 1975, sex discrimination legislation (Title IX) was enacted and Mortar Board was consequently opened to men. The society changed its constitution to affirm Mortar Board's continuing purpose "to emphasize the advancement of women" while promoting "equal opportunities among all people." UCSB began admitting male students to the Crown and Scepter chapter in 1976. The society has promoted a national literacy project since 2002.
For more information, see the national society's website: http://www.mortarboard.org/ 
The collection contains membership lists, correspondence with the national organization, reports, scrapbooks, and other related material. It is arranged as received from the Office of Student Life, generally chronologically.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Mortar Board (Society). Crown and Scepter Chapter (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Mortar Board (Society).

Related Material

Student Organizations collection, UArch 101 – Contains files on similar honorary societies, as well as some flyers and oversize broadsides and posters for events sponsored by the UCSB Crown and Scepter chapter.
Phi Beta Kappa, Lambda of California records, UArch 108 – Records of similar honorary society.
Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society website: http://www.mortarboard.org/ 
UCSB Mortar Board chapter website (outdated): http://orgs.sa.ucsb.edu/mb/ 

 

Administrative / organization files

Box 1: 1-11

1938-1970

Box 2: 1-13

1970-1984

Box 2: 14-15

1986-1988

Box 2: 16

Members' signature books, 1965-1986

Box 2: 17

Advisor's handbook, 1983

Box 3: 1

Alumni information, c. 1994

 

Chronological files

Box 3: 2-11

1990-1999

Box 3: 12-14

2001-2004

Box 3: 15

Members, 1987-1988

Box 4: 1

Philanthropy report, 1988-1989

Box 4: 2

Miscellaneous, c. 1951-2004

Box 5: 1

Certificate, Chapter of Excellence, 1997-1998

Box 5: 2

Mortar Board charms and pins

Box 5: 3

Scrapbook, 1958-1964

Box 6: 1

Scrapbook, 1965-1971