Charitable society for the education of indigent pious young men for the ministry of the Gospel records

The Charitable Society for the Education of Indigent Pious Young Men for the Ministry of the Gospel, otherwise denominated "The Connecticut Education Society," was organized in 1814 "to furnish pecuniary assistance to indigent young men of Piety and promising talents, intended for the Ministry of the Gospel, in obtaining an education at Yale College." Members of the society paid an annual sum of at least one dollar, and payments were used to create a permanent fund whose interest was employed for the support of said "objects of charity." "The Treasurer of Yale College shall, ex officio, be Treasurer of this Society." A meeting of the society was held annually to elect officers and discuss the constitution. The last annual meeting was held in 1872, and the last recorded meeting of the committee of appropriations was held in 1877. After that the Bureau of Self Help in Yale's Academical Department assumed responsibility for awarding grants from the society's income to worthy candidates. In 1908 a permanent fund was established in the Academical Department, which was to conform to the original wishes of the society as given in its papers.

The records included here contain the minutes, financial accounts, and correspondence of the society. The records were removed from the Yale Treasurer's Records YRG5-B. Since the Yale Treasurer served as the treasurer of the society and kept the records of all appropriations made, presumably when the society ceased to function the records were left in the keeping of the treasurer.

Some additional records of the society, particularly those of early subscription drives and of scholarships awarded will be found in the Treasurer's Records YRG5-B (Series IV and II), merged with records of several other contemporary funds.