FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

John L. DeMilly Papers

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY
HISTORICAL NOTE
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
INDEX TERMS
COLLECTION CONTENTS
	Financial Records (1877-1879)

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

ID Number :	MSS2004009
Date(s):	1877-1879 (inclusive)
Extent:	9 Folders
Language(s):	English

ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY

Portions of collection available online? : No
Provenance:	The collection was created by John L. DeMilly.
Acquisition Information:	The collection was given by Angel Fain Brooks, who graduated from Florida State College for Women (FSCW) in 1946. Brooks is the daughter of Louise Clark Fain, who graduated from FSCW in 1914, and the niece of John L. DeMilly.
Access Conditions:	Collection is open to research
Use Conditions:	Copyright holder for this collection: Florida State University All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of University Libraries. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Processing History:	Processed by Burt Altman in January 2006.
Preferred Citation:	John L. DeMilly Papers, Special Collections, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida

HISTORICAL NOTE

On February 7, 1857, the first meeting of the Board of Education of the State Seminary West of the Suwannee River (one of Florida State University's precedessor institutions) was held. That year, the institution began offering postsecondary instruction to male students. The school became co-educational the following year (1858) when it absorbed the Tallahassee Female Academy, established in 1843.

According to William G. Dodd's West Florida Seminary, the 1873 appointments of James D. Wade and Susan S. Williams, Principals of the Seminary's Male and Female Departments, respectively, brought a measure of stability by retaining for seven years the same staff of teachers. At the same time, the Seminary was a financially troubled institution. At no time was its income sufficient for the School's needs, and there was uncertainty from year to year about the amount of funding the Seminary's Board would receive. After 1875, the interest on the Seminary's fund was its only resource, however its payment by the State of Florida was not always dependable. Salaries paid to teachers decreased from year to year.

From 1875 to 1880, the Seminary operated primarily through the support of the Leon County (Fla.) Board of Public Instruction. During the 1875-1876 school year, for example, that Board paid the salaries of W. W. Woodward, an assistant teacher in the Male Department of the Seminary, and Elizabeth Bythewood, Principal of the " Female Department, who conducted what was called Public School No. 1 in the Seminary buildings. In 1877-1878, the Seminary Board abolished the system of employing two principals, and made Wade the executive officer of both the male and female departments. To help manage its financial problems during this difficult period, John L. DeMilly, the Treasurer of Leon County, was appointed Treasurer, Ex-Officio of the West Florida Seminary Funds.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The John L. DeMilly Papers is particularly significant to researchers because it documents the financial activities of Florida State University's predecessor institution, the Seminary West of the Suwanee River, during a difficult period when DeMilly served as Treasurer, Ex-Officio of the West Florida Seminary Funds. This small collection includes West Florida Seminary pay vouchers, pay receipts, and account sheets. Pay vouchers are for such services as repairing a lightning rod, locks, and the school clock. In addition, there are salary payments made by DeMilly to teachers and administrative staff, such as the Principals James D. Wade, Susan S. Williams, and Elizabeth Bythewood. The account sheets, also called "Treasurer's Reports," records payments for such services as cutting or loading wood, repairing clocks, or installing glass.

The collection is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Related Material: In addition to the John L. DeMilly Papers, the Minute Book of the Seminary West of the Suwanee River documents the educational and financial history of this institution. It is available to researchers in the Florida State University Special Collections Department.

INDEX TERMS

Corporate Names:	West Florida Seminary.
Personal Names:	DeMilly, John L, 1813-1891
Subject Terms:	Florida State University--History.
Genre/Form Terms:	financial records

COLLECTION CONTENTS

> Financial Records (1877-1879)

RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

>> Accounting sheets (1877-1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 1; Extent: 5 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Pay vouchers and receipts (1878-1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 2; Extent: 10 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Pay voucher and receipts-Pittman, George (1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 3; Extent: 4 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Receipts-Bythewood, E.L. (1878-1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 4; Extent: 5 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Receipts-DeMilly, John L. (1878-1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 5; Extent: 2 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Receipts-Wade, James D. (1878-1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 6; Extent: 2 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Receipts-Williams, Susan S. (1878): Container: Box 1809 Folder 7; Extent: 3 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Receipts-Woodward, William W. (1878): Container: Box 1809 Folder 8; Extent: 4 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
>> Receipts (Others) (1878-1879): Container: Box 1809 Folder 9; Extent: 2 items; RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

This collection guide is published by Special Collections, FSU Libraries
©January 2006
Florida State University. All rights reserved.
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2047
Phone: 850-644-3271
Email: spc@reserves.lib.fsu.edu
URL: http://www.fsu.edu/~speccoll/