Collection ID: C8
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Indiana University. College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract:
Frank T. Gucker was the Dean of Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences from 1951-1965. During his tenure as Dean the College of Arts and Sciences tripled in size. He also launched the College's study of foreign areas in 1956 and helped to establish the department of History and Philosophy of Science in 1958. The collection consists of records created and collected by Gucker during his tenure as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Extent:
13.4 cubic feet (14 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Item], Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences Dean's records, Collection C8, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

The College of Arts and Sciences, originally called the College of Liberal Arts, began in 1828 with the chartering of Indiana College. Until the Law School was established in 1889, the college of the Liberal Arts was the only permanent division of the University. The statutes governing the University which date from this period deal chiefly with what is now the College of Arts and Sciences. At first Greek and Latin were the only two subjects being taught at the College of Liberal Arts. Gradually the natural and abstract sciences, history, and literature courses were added. The departmental organization of the College was formed in 1887 and consisted of 15 departments. During the period covered by this collection the College of Arts and Sciences had more than 40 degree-granting departments in addition to Optometry and Social Service schools which operated under its auspices. The name was changed from College of Liberal Arts to the College of Arts and Sciences in 1921.

Born in Philadelphia, Frank Thomson Gucker, Jr. (1900-1973) studied at Haverford College and Harvard. After completing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at Harvard in 1925, Gucker spent two years at the California Institute of Technology as a research fellow and worked for E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company before joining the faculty at Northwestern University in 1929. He came to Indiana University in 1947 as professor and chairman of the Department of Chemistry. He became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1951, a position he held for fourteen years. During his tenure the College of Arts and Sciences tripled in size, and many of his assistants went on to become administrators at Indiana University and other colleges and Universities. They included George Waggoner, Sam Braden, L.L. Merritt, Joseph Sutton and John W. Snyder.

Gucker launched the College's study of foreign areas in 1956, which led to the establishment of the Russian and East European Institute. He was actively involved in the establishment of the Wrubel Computing Center and the Radiochemistry building, and the appointment of a School Coordinator to form a liaison between the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the high schools of Indiana. He was instrumental in developing the High School Junior Summer Language Institute, the High School Summer Science Institute, and the Indiana Language Program. In 1958 he helped establish the department of History and Philosophy of Science.

Scope and Content:

The first series, Administrative files (1947-1966), consist of subject files arranged alphabetically. The bulk of the material is from the years 1960-1964 and contains extensive interdepartmental and peer correspondence concerning faculty appointments and assignments for various departments and programs. Some materials from Gucker's successor may be included in this series. Select items and folders have been restricted and moved to the end of this series, in Box 6.

The Financial records (1949-1960) series contains binders and folders of yearly budgets, proposed budgets and estimates.

The final series, Faculty records (1938-1967), is further organized into two subseries: Individual faculty files, 1938-1967, arranged alphabetically by surname and Tenure and promotion files, 1949-1963, arranged chronologically. The individual faculty files consist of inactive files for professors who died, retired, resigned or were visiting professors during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Tenure and promotion files cover tenure, promotions and reappointments for faculty. The bulk of the material is for the years 1955-1963. This entire series is restricted but may include records that do not contain restricted data that may be made available to researchers. Please contact the IU Archives well before your visit so that archivists may review the material.

Acquisition information:
Accession 0698, 0176, 0376, 0468, 0515, 0721, 0928-0930
Appraisal information:

The collection was reappraised and personal student and staff information was removed and shredded. Information regarding the initial appraisal decisions of the collection is not known.

Processing information:

Processed by Anna Rimel, Nolan Eller.

Completed in 2013.

Arrangement:

Collection is organized into three series: Administrative files, Financial records, and Faculty records

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Several files have been restricted because of a few sensitive documents in each folder; however, there are other materials in the folders that are not restricted and are of research value. These files can still be requested for use and the restricted materials will be removed at that time. In some cases, easily separated restricted items have been removed from select files.

Restricted files from the Administrative files series are listed where they would fall in the intellectual organization of the collection but are physically located at the end of the series in Boxes 6 and 7. The entirety of the Faculty records series is restricted.

Advance notice required for access.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

Copyrights for records originating with Indiana University administrative units, departments, and other offices are held by the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.

The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.

Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences Dean's records, Collection C8, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Herman B Wells Library E460
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-1127
archives@indiana.edu