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Identity statement

Reference code(s)

GB0100 KCLCA KU

Title

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON: Union of Students

Date(s)

1874-1994

Level of description

Sub-fonds of King's College London Archives

Extent and medium of the unit of description (quantity, bulk, or size)

122 boxes, 5 volumes

Context

Name of creator(s)

King's College London, Union Society, King's College London, Union of Students

Administrative / Biographical history

Nineteenth-century student societies at King's College London included an Athletic Club, formed in 1884. In 1905 the College's Union Society was reformed to obtain common rooms, form a college debating society and gymnastic and other clubs, and provide entertainments. In 1908 it was reorganised, taking over the Athletic Club and all social activities of the College, and from 1919 it developed rapidly in size and organization. The modern Union represents the student body, supports sports clubs and other societies, and offers facilities including bars, entertainments, and welfare advice.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Transferred by the creators to King's College London Archives in several accessions.

Content & structure

Scope and content

Records, 1874-1994, of King's College London Union Society, Students' Union, and other student societies, including minutes of Union Society general meetings, 1895-1981 (Ref: KU/M1), Union Society Executive, 1919-1983 (Ref: KU/M2), Union Society Finance Committee, 1918-1975 (Ref: KU/M3), United Common Room general meetings and committee, 1908-1949 (Ref: KU/UCR/M), and Women's Common Room and consultative meetings, 1920-1947 (Ref: KU/WCR/M); records of various sports clubs and charitable and cultural societies, 1874-1982 (Ref: KU/SO); ledgers, 1923-1939 (Ref: KU/L); cashbooks, 1895-1965 (Ref: KU/CB); handbooks of the Union Society, 1914-1975, and Students Union, 1975-1992 (Ref: KU/HAN); invitations, replies to invitations, and other messages, including material relating to the Royal Family, 1946-1970 (Ref: KU/FS); various printed ephemera, 1982-1994, including material on clubs and societies, Student Union finance, committees, and elections (Ref: KU/EPH); boat club photographs, 1921-1947 (Ref: KU/PH). Papers and correspondence, 1963-1994 but dating mainly from the late 1970s onwards, include officers' reports, Students' Union administration and finance, accounting, committees, elections, campaigns, the shop, bars, and other facilities, welfare, societies, events and other services, the National Union of Students, University of London General Union Committee, and organisation and affairs of King's College London and the University of London.

System of arrangement

Earlier accessions are arranged by creator or form of the record, but later accessions remain discrete.

Conditions of access & use

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services, King's College London.

Language/scripts of material

English

Finding aids

Earlier accessions (Ref: KU/M, KU/EXC/M, KU/F/M, KU/UCR/M, KU/WCR/M, KU/SO, KU/L, KU/CB, KU/HAN, KU/FS, KU/EPH, KU/PH), comprising 32 boxes and 2 volumes, are catalogued. Later accessions (Ref: 1990/KU, 1992/KU, 1993/KU, 1995/KU, 1996/KU, 1997/KU, 1999/KU), totalling 90 boxes and 3 volumes, are largely box listed.

Draft catalogues available online and in hard copy in the Archives reading room. 

Allied materials

Existence and location of originals

King's College London College Archives

Related units of description

King's College London Archives holds the King's College Secretary's general administration files, which include papers relating to the Union of Students, notably grants, student discipline, clubs, welfare and day nursery, 1898-1922, 1948-1983 (Ref: KAS/AD7); various student magazines (Ref: K/SER).

Description control

Archivist's Note

Compiled by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Sources: list at King's College London Archives; F J C Hearnshaw, The Centenary History of King's College London 1828-1928 (George G Harrap and Co Ltd, London, 1929), pp 333, 395, 530-4; King's College London Students Union website; AIM25 description for King's College London Archives, KAS/AD7.

Rules or conventions

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

This catalogue is made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License. This catalogue may be updated from time to time in order to reflect additional material and/or new understandings of the material.

Date(s) of descriptions

Mar 2001, updated 2016