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Board of Trustees (Directors until 1944), 1928-1989

The Board of Directors/Trustees served as Interlochen's official governing body from its beginning. Rather than being incorporated by the state legislature, Maddy, Giddings, and Pennington formed an association with themselves as members. The members and board were synonymous, but to satisfy legal requirements, the former met annually in advance of the board to add or delete from their number and hear reports. The board session which followed made the policy decisions. Members serving in their capacity on the Board were called Directors until 1944, when the Camp formally altered its name and bylaws, making them Trustees.

As long as Maddy was president, the Board remained relatively small, and much business, particularly in the early years, was conducted on an informal basis. In 1930, Tremaine replaced Pennington on the three person Board, and a year later, Howard Hanson was added. During the late 1930's and early 1940's, it expanded to seven members with the inclusion of Franklin Dunham (1938), Judith Waller (1941), and J. Joseph Herbert (1942), the latter representing the University of Michigan. In 1943, W. W. Charters replaced Hanson. When first Giddings and then Tremaine became less active, Maddy was able to shape the board more to his liking. Although newcomers were added, it remained less than a dozen members until Maddy's death.

Following Maddy's passing, the Board underwent a rapid expansion. At Haas' resignation in 1970, it had twenty-two members, and at Jacobi's retirement in 1989, forty-one. As the board grew, much of its work was done by committees. The first, an executive committee, was formed, apparently in the late 1940's, to act in the Board's behalf between meetings. Under Maddy's successors, the number of committees handling specific subjects proliferated.

The Trustee/Director records are by far the most extensive and complete of the three Interlochen Boards. They are divided into two sections:(1) correspondence and papers, 1928-1988, and (2) minutes and reports, 1930-89. The former includes some supporting documents, and the latter many reports used in decision making.

In: Interlochen Center for The Arts records, 1927-2005 (majority within 1935-1994)Boards, 1928-89
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Correspondence and papers

The "correspondence and papers" (1), 1928-1988, is divided chronologically into files for (a) Maddy, 1928-1966, (b) the Administrative Committee, 1966-1967, Haas, 1967-1970, (d) acting president Wilson, 1970-71, and (e) Jacobi, 1971-88. The correspondence consists of exchanges between the Trustees and Interlochen officers, especially the president, president's secretary, treasurer, and board secretary. Everything directly relates to board business. Correspondence of a private nature or about Interlochen in general usually can be found elsewhere.

The Maddy segment (a), 1928-1966, is organized chronologically except for a concluding alphabetical file for significant Trustees, 1959-1966. The latter includes Roscoe Bonisteel, who became chairman of the board after Maddy's death, and Clement Stone, the philanthropist who endowed the Academy. Other than an occasional letter from Maddy's secretary (Stace) or the Camp treasurer (largely Tremaine), Maddy handled almost all the surviving early Trustee correspondence. Additional communications from Trustees can be found under Giddings and Tremaine in the Chronological Camp files, 1935-1966, and especially under Dunham and Waller in Special Correspondence. With the appointment of Board secretaries Roger Jacobi, 1956-1959, and John Merrill, 1959-1969, correspondence with trustees increased markedly. Merrill was especially active in maintaining contact with them.

The Administrative Committee portion, 1966-1967, (b) provides much of the surviving documentation on the operation of Interlochen immediately after Maddy's death, including the selection of his successor. It also helps illuminate the fund-raising efforts of the era. Merrill, as committee secretary, and Stace, as a committee member and Maddy's long-time aide, dominate the Trustee correspondence.

Haas' files, 1967-1970, largely reflect his personal dealings with the board but also include letters from Merrill and Stace. During the Haas presidency, six new trustees were appointed, and the President of the Interlochen Alumni Association (David E. Klein until 1970) became an ex officio member. Two of the seven new trustees, Klein and Eugene Power, previously served with Haas on the Advisory Board.

Files for the Wilson acting presidency (d), 1970-1971, contain some of the best information available on the administration of Interlochen between Haas' resignation and Jacobi's appointment. They include materials on the reaction to the resignation, particularly at the Academy, and the presidential selection process.

The Jacobi files (e), 1971-1988, are alphabetically organized, reflecting the expansion of the board under his presidency. Correspondence from his first few months in office is lacking, and the files of many important board members end currently in 1984, including with Clement Stone. The latter became chairman upon Roscoe Bonisteel's death in 1972 and played an important role throughout the Jacobi presidency. Jacobi handled almost all the correspondence himself. In a letter to Stone of September 22, 1980, he elaborates on his achievements as president.

In: Interlochen Center for The Arts records, 1927-2005 (majority within 1935-1994)Boards, 1928-89Board of Trustees (Directors until 1944), 1928-1989
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