The John R. Herrick Collection is composed of two series: Correspondence and Printed Materials. Unfortunately, the records for the Herrick administration, particularly for correspondence, are extremely limited in scope due to the 1893 fire of University Hall (Old Main) which destroyed many of the records.
The Correspondence series contains letters written by individuals requesting a catalog of courses or seeking admission into the university. There is also correspondence from companies conducting business with the university. A majority of the correspondence relates to the incorporation of the “University of Dakota” by the Board of Regents. General correspondence is contained in one folder entitled, “A-Z.” Incoming and outgoing correspondence for a person or organization with more than 2 letters are contained in one folder; these are listed directly after “General” files.
The Printed Materials series includes a photocopy of an article regarding Dr. Herrick’s term as president of the university and information pertaining to his career after leaving Vermillion.