The University Act of 1919 introduced the newly created position of general secretary for the university, who was to manage general administration, the Kuratel’s office, and, if possible, cashier duties.

A few weeks after the act’s approval, the Department of Education proposed advertising the position. Requirements included Swiss citizenship with a solid general education. During the negotiations for the new law, both the university oversight board, the Kuratel, and the Board of Education had envisioned that this critical new role would be filled by an “man with a university degree, preferably a lawyer or philologist,” who could also represent the institutions and its bodies externally.

Resistance to the new position
But the university evidently had different ideas. First, Rector Jakob Wackernagel informed the Board of Education that “there was no rush” to advertise the position, and then the Senate committee decided that “an advertisement could not be issued at the present moment.” The university needed time to agree on the regulations for the new secretary’s role, it was claimed, and also for consultation with the Craft Bank, with which it was contractually bound regarding budget matters.

It quickly became apparent that the Senate and rectorate were particularly troubled by linking the new position with the role of secretary to the Kuratel. The reluctance appeared to be motivated by a desire to preserve the rectorate’s own influence, as a secretary attached to the rectorate but responsible to the Kuratel would have had access, via their position, to all matters concerning the university. Understandably, there was concern that he would gain knowledge of his superiors’ evaluations by the Kuratel, damaging mutual trust. But the real reason for the negative view can be seen in the Senate’s statement to the Board of Education on 29 December 1919. The Senate noted, first, that it was unacceptable for the secretary to be “better informed about measures concerning our institution than the rector to whom he reports,” adding that separating the functions had the advantage that the officeholder “did not necessarily need an academic background.” Clearly, there was no wish for an academic employee, as they stressed: “We do not need a man who might draft opinions or regulations – we can do that ourselves – but someone who understands the ongoing clerical and cashier duties.” A good school education and commercial knowledge would therefore be sufficient. The Senate argued that a lawyer as secretary could not be kept busy enough and would – the central argument – “easily gain an unwelcome advantage over the rectors, who rotate each year.”

Despite this “downgrading,” the university wanted to advertise the new position at the legally prescribed salary level, a plan that met with rejection from the Kuratel and the Board of Education. Although they agreed with the university’s reassessment of the position, they demanded a corresponding consequence, namely, a significantly lower classification. Councilor Fritz Hauser pointedly reminded the Board of Education of the university’s change of heart, noting that during the discussions for the University Act, the Senate had explicitly informed the Grand Council that the new position required a man “with education in both in secondary school and banking matters.” He saw the only solution as temporarily filling the position, perhaps hoping that the university would later revise its assessment.

The first general secretary for the university: Jakob Bollli
In March 1920, the Senate selected the twenty-seven-year-old Jakob Bolli, who had been working for the district postal administration since 1910. Born on 3 April 1893 in Beringen (in the canton of Schaffhausen), Bolli grew up in Riehen, attended secondary school in Basel, and spent a year at the Higher Commercial School in Neuchâtel. His excellent language skills were the key reason for his selection. He fulfilled the university’s requirement for a commercially skilled junior administrative officer. The emphasis on his fluency in French hints that an academic appointment might have been more appropriate. Additional factors important to the five professors on the hiring committee included questions about his private life and military status. It is notable that the rector of 1920 was his former battalion commander.

Bolli took up the provisional position on 12 April 1920, even though the final decision by the Kuratel came only in June. A year later, he was permanently employed, but at the request of the relevant financial oversight authorities, his salary class was downgraded from the provisional approval in 1920. The university’s argument that “the employment of a subordinate official as secretary” had been successful was used as an opportunity to classify him similarly to the rector’s other administrative assistants. This resulted in years of negotiations between the university and the Department of Education regarding Bolli’s salary, as he had left his previous job under the promise of a commensurate salary class. Repeated special arrangements were necessary to raise his salary, as the Education Department, for tactical reasons, did not want to amend the wording in the university law (which stipulated an “academic employee”). A proper classification for Bolli was only secured in 1926. With the 1928 revision of the University Act, he was then classified as nearly on par with an academic employee.

A “guiding force” and a “steady hand”
This underscores the importance that the position of the general secretary for the university acquired over time. Bolli quickly mastered his new responsibilities and became an indispensable assistant to the rector. And since the rector changed every year, he increasingly represented the staff and administrative continuity of the university administration. As a guiding force, he generally operated behind the scenes but could wield considerable influence in crucial moments with his long-standing expertise in university affairs. In 1943, the curatorship described him as a “steady hand” amid the changing rectors. He alone was “informed about everything, even those that are not documented or recorded anywhere; among other things, he is a living archive and a living record. This meant “that he constantly needs to be consulted, that his advice and counsel are in constant demand.”

In addition to his role as general secretary for the university, Bolli also served as the university archivist beginning in 1920, although he could only fulfill this duty to a limited extent because of his primary responsibilities. He also took minutes for various university committees. More importantly, he had a secondary role as the secretary of the adult education courses at the Volkshochschule beginning in 1921. Here, he found a genuine vocation in assisting course participants and organizing and accompanying excursions. After the Second World War, Bolli was particularly dedicated to supporting international students who began or continued their studies in Basel, including many from Baden and Alsace. For them, Bolli organized holiday camps in Engelberg and frequently provided advice. He was also open to other student issues. From 1926 to 1956, he was a member of the Student Union’s board, where he managed the finances.

Constant overload
Jakob Bolli – a dedicated employee of the old school, loyally committed to the university – worked innumerable overtime hours and often forwent portions of his vacation to fulfill his duties. At times, this was compensated by four-week annual vacations granted based on his overtime. The pay for his role as the secretary at the Volkshochschule was also modest. Administrative tasks were consistently expected to be completed with minimal staff, resulting in the university's administrative apparatus being chronically understaffed during Bolli’s tenure. His personnel file (StABS, ED-REG 1a 1 147) serves as a vivid testament to his decades-long struggle for adequate compensation for all his duties, necessitating constant negotiations with authorities, and to the health issues precipitated by this unrelenting workload.

In the 1930s, Bolli was deeply involved in the preliminary work for the new Kollegienhaus building at St. Peter’s Square, as well as the move from the old premises on Rheinsprung Street in 1939. The handover celebrations marked one of the highlights of his career. Another pinnacle came after his 1958 retirement when, despite his declining health, he assumed the role of secretary general for the 500th anniversary of the University of Basel in 1960. This position allowed him to utilize his extensive experience and personal connections. In the final months preceding the June 1960 anniversary celebrations, his workload approached that of a full-time position. The event’s wrap-up occupied him until the fall of 1960. Only then did Jakob Bolli conclude his long career at the University of Basel. A peaceful retirement eluded him; he passed away on 14 November 1962, just months before his seventieth birthday.