Student government at Longwood University came into existence in 1916, early in the tenure of Dr. Joseph L. Jarman. To ensure a stellar reputation for then-State Normal School for Women, according to Longwood historian Richard Couture, Dr. Jarman placed the governance of the school firmly in the hands of the students and ingrained in them the ideal that the best discipline was self-discipline. In 1932, the House Council was formed. Representatives of each dormitory hall were elected and given the responsibility of enforcing rules and regulations on their respective halls. Additionally, in the early 1960s, a Judicial Council was formed and given the task of passing judgement on those students who broke the rules. The duties and responsibilities of the Student Government Association have evolved over the years, but the system which began over 100 years ago is still in existence today.
The volumes in this collection originated with the Student Government Council, House Council, and Judicial Council. It is unknown when this collection was transferred to the Greenwood Library Archives.
This collection of ledgers, which dates from 1932 to 1965, contains the meeting minutes of the Student Government Council, the House Council, and the Judicial Council.