The Dominican College Development Program, initiated in 1957 to raise money for the new campus, was the first concerted effort at fundraising by the college. The fund drive required an expanded program of publicity and public relations, but no administrative position for such functions existed. By 1960, the college had established a public relations department under the direction of Reinhardt J. Feucht. The office of director of development and college relations, established in 1964, took responsibility for a variety of activities, including alumni relations, publicity, recruiting new students, and sponsoring special events. The position was held by William J. Sheehy, 1964-1966; Blair K. Farrell, 1966-May, 1968; and Lawrence J. Zeeb from September, 1968. On July 1, 1966, the College Development Program began as a coordinated effort at long term fundraising through gifts and pledges. The Development Program continued until the college closed.

With the administrative reorganization of the college in 1970, the position of director of development and college relations was changed to vice president for development and public relations. Lawrence Zeeb assumed the new office, which he held until the college closed. His duties included three types of activities: presenting a favorable public image of the college, obtaining funds to sustain the college program, and maintaining relations with alumni. His assistants were the alumni director, the director of fund raising, and the director of public relations. Press releases, publicity for special events, and many college publications originated in the development office.

The Dominican College Alumni Association was founded on April 29, 1954, but early activities consisted mainly of social gatherings. Activities expanded gradually and, in 1956, a Board of Directors was appointed to carry out most business of the association, with annual full membership meetings. The association began its newsletter in 1956 and continued to produce various publications until 1974. Expanding membership and increasing involvement by alumni in college affairs, especially fundraising and recruitment, marked the later years.

The Subject File contains records of the various committees concerned with college development, a small amount of planning materials, reports to the president from the development office, a variety of surveys, and materials on a few miscellaneous topics. The surveys, conducted mainly by faculty members between 1946 and 1961, provide information on the quality of the faculty and instruction, the academic and social life of students, the curriculum, and the college's financial status. Although many of the surveys offer general impressions rather than numerical data, they are note-worthy because of the lack of other documentation for this period. The comprehensive survey, 1973, provides information on college history, academic programs, financial conditions, the student body, and the occupations of alumni.

Records of Contributors include account books and some statements from the Dominican College Building Fund, 1953-1960, listing contributions from businesses and industry, alumni, friends, faculty, students, civic organizations, and memorials; weekly and monthly reports from the College Development Fund; and pledge cards. The College Development Fund Reports provide detailed information on the sources and amounts of contributions, and purposes for which they were intended. The summaries of pledges, 1966-1973, document the progress of the Development Program and success in collecting pledges. The pledge cards are a record of contributors arranged in two alphabetical files, by the donor's name. One file covers 1958 to 1965, the other 1966 to 1974. The pledge cards have been microfilmed and the originals were not retained.

Publicity Materials make up the bulk of this series and provide comprehensive documentation of public relations efforts from 1952 to 1974. The materials include press releases, arranged in chronological order, which document special events, social and cultural activities, sports, honors and awards earned by students and faculty members, changes in personnel, and other newsworthy events. Undated press releases remain in the order in which they were filed, presumably chronological. The scrapbooks and the press clippings document subjects similar to those covered in the press releases, as well as social events involving alumni, friends and staff of the college, and the college advertising campaigns. Most of the clippings are from Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee newspapers. They were mounted and arranged roughly in chronological order. Sports clippings for 1970 to 1974 are filed separately after the other clippings. The scrapbooks and clippings have been microfilmed and the originals were not retained.

Records of the Alumni Association include several constitutions; a small amount of correspondence, 1961-1969; minutes of the Board of Directors and annual membership meetings, 1954-1973; a few financial records, 1954-1959; and publications. The publications are arranged by title and include the newsletter, 1956-1969; three issues of Currents, 1966-1968; Today, a newspaper containing reprints of clippings, 1970-1973; and Alumnews, 1971-1974. The alumni publications have been microfilmed and the originals were not retained.

Distribution of Grades, 1946-1958; Effectiveness of Classroom Teaching, 1958; Freshman English, 1960-1961; How Informed is the Student Body?, 1959; Retention of Students, circa 1958; Student Activities, 1954-1962

Student Clientele, circa 1961; Student Employment, 1958, 1960; Student Personnel Services, 1957-1958, 1961; Student Progress, circa 1960; Use of the Library, 1956-1958, 1961

Comparative Study of Library Book Withdrawal, 1948-1950; Comparison of Department Objectives With College Objectives, undated; Curriculum Studies, 1958-1960

Examinations in Light of College Objectives, 1961; Financial Status, 1956-1960; Information Program for Dominican Sisters, 1959; Public Relations Studies, 1958