Collection KU - STUDENTS' UNION: King's College London records

Key Information

Reference code

KU

Title

STUDENTS' UNION: King's College London records

Date(s)

  • 1874-1994 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent

122 boxes, 5 volumes

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.

General Information

Name of creator

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.

Custodial history

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

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 supplied from open material for research purposes only.

Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archives.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Finding aids

Later accessions (Ref: 1990/KU, 1992/KU, 1993/KU, 1995/KU, 1996/KU, 1997/KU, 1999/KU), totalling 90 boxes and 3 volumes, are not included in the attached finding aid. Please contact the Archives for more information.

Uploaded finding aid

Existence and location of originals

Off-campus collection

Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›

Related materials

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).

Related descriptions

Alternative identifier(s)

Place access points

Genre access points

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.

Script(s)

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.

Accession area