University of Minnesota. Comptroller

The Board of Regents appointed Dean William M. Liggett purchasing agent for the department of agriculture and Judge Stephen Mahoney, then secretary of the Board of Regents, as purchasing agent for the rest of the University in 1903. These two positions were responsible for directing the finances of the University. In 1905, Judge Mahoney resigned and Calvin D. Decker was appointed as purchasing agent and secretary of the Board of Regents. He served until 1911, when all administrative financial decisions were consolidated with the establishment of the Office of the Comptroller by the State Legislature.

The position of comptroller and secretary to the Board of Regents was first held by George H. Hayes (1911-1921). He was followed by Albert J. Lobb (1921-1925), William T. Middlebrook (1925-1943, who was promoted to Vice President of Business Administration in 1943) and Laurence R. Lunden (1943-1951). In 1951, the position title was changed to Comptroller and Treasurer, with Laurence R. Lunden continuing his appointment until 1959, when he was promoted to Vice President of Business Administration after the retirement of William Middlebrook. He was briefly replaced by Edwin C. Jackson and then by Clinton T. Johnson. In 1960, the title was again changed to Assistant Vice President of Business Administration, while the title of the assistant comptroller was changed to comptroller.

The comptroller was responsible for delivering the appropriation request of the University to the State Legislature, distributing grant money awarded to the University, setting tuition rates for students and handling the overall finances of the University.

From the guide to the Comptroller records, 1877-1970, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])