There has always been a governing board known as the Council for the University of Buffalo since its inception in 1846, but the first Chancellors were not appointed from the university community. They were citizens of Buffalo, lawyers and politicians, whose official functions were just to represent the University before the public. The deans of the individual schools were separately responsible for department educational and financial affairs.

In 1920, Chairman of the Council Walter P. Cooke organized a city-wide financial campaign that enabled the University to be able to hire a Chancellor that would bring the University into a new era. In 1922 Samuel P. Capen, former director of the American Council on Education, was hired by the Council to become the first full time Chancellor at the University of Buffalo. It was during Capen's tenure from 1922-1956 that the University became academically and financially unified.

With the 1962-1963 academic year, the University of Buffalo merged with the State University of New York, and the Chancellor of the University becomes the President. Clifford D. Furnas served as the last Chancellor of the private University of Buffalo and the first President of the State University of New York at Buffalo.

This collection contains printed reports, beginning in 1922/23, of the Chancellor of the University of Buffalo, and, after the merger of the University of Buffalo with the State University of New York in 1962, the President of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Reports for 1922/23-1930/31 included reports of the Treasurer and the Deans of the several schools; in 1926/27 and continuing to 1953/54, the reports of the Chancellor and Treasurer were published together; from 1954/55 to 1960/61, the annual report of the Treasurer, later the Vice President for Business Affairs, was published separately. The annual printed report of the Vice President for Business affairs was discontinued after 1961. After 1962, the annual report of the President has varied in content and format, and has not been published every year.

The following notes were likely assembled by Archives staff, circa 1980s. These are not comprehensive and are merely provided for consideration by researchers.

1935-1936

Student help paid by the National Youth Administration enabled the Bureau of Business and Social Research to produce the volume of material they were able to turn out. The Committee on Graduate Study and Degrees is now an organ of the College of Arts and Sciences.

1936-1937

The Chancellor’s Report centers on community relations and cooperation between different schools of UB and the community, giving technical advice, skill, personnel, in developing programs. The usual practice of appointment by the Council of a “head” for a department is described, because a departure from the procedure has been considered necessary. Up to this time, becoming “head” of the department was an honor conferred upon a distinguished member, usually with considerable seniority. Now some departments have grown in size to the point where coordination of departmental affairs is no longer an informal series of arrangements. For the Department of General Medicine, in the Medical School, a chair has been appointed primarily for exercising administrative ability, with the aid of an executive committee chosen from among members of the Department.

1937-1938

A work-study plan was inaugurated. The School of Social Work has two new departments, one in Public Administration and a Department of City Planning Association, and financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. The Planning Research Station is directed by Dr. Walter C. Behrendt, who is also a consultant to the City Planning Association. Chancellor Capen states that in effect, the University as a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Carnegie Corporation has granted enough money to begin the purchase of poets’ worksheets for the library. The initial grant was made in May of 1937, and by March 1939, another $17,000 was received. The war years represent a different phenomenon from what had occurred previously in the development of the University; there is a great concentration of resources and money (from the Federal Government), on manpower training to aid the war effort, and later, on absorbing veterans into the student body.

1949-1950

The report of the Commission on the Need for a State University receives considerable attention from those who are thinking about the future of the UB and how it might be affected by the establishment of a State University. Furthermore, a push from State Government for the establishment of a State-sponsored medical school results in a plea by Chancellor Capen that UB’s school be chosen. This effort failed, since the State wished to have total control (this was a lengthy controversy with different schools and groups in different parts of the state involved).

1950-1951

The Chancellor’s Report mentions the development of contract research, and a concern for moral standards on campus. The Curriculum Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences began a review of its educational purposes and the means of their attainment, as the faculty resolved to periodically review, when a major report by this Committee had been adopted in 1946. A Committee on University Development was appointed by the Council. Dr. G. Lester Anderson became Dean of Administration.

1951-1952

A liaison office with business and industry was established in December 1951, and the development campaign began. There was a reorganization of the Accounting office, and committee appointed, under the chairmanship of Professor Riegel, to review university insurance policies.

1952-1953

The Department of Music began. College of Arts and Sciences established joint programs with the Albright Art School, Museum of Science, and Roswell Park. The Department of Biology accepted candidates for the PhD degree. Millard Fillmore College established a work-study program for skilled workers from foreign countries, which was terminated the following year.

1953-1954

Office of Institutional Research established.