Search

The William T. Patten Foundation was founded at Indiana University in May 1931 by Indiana University alumnus William T. Patten. The Foundation hosts scholars from various institutions and disciplines to give lectures in his/her area of expertise. This collection contains files on each scholar who has assumed the role of Patten Lecturer since 1968. The files include recommendations from IU faculty to the Patten Committee, programs, and correspondence, as well as some audio and video recordings of the lectures.

Camilla Williams was an internationally acclaimed soprano opera vocalist who broke racial bias barriers in society as well as professionally. Miss Williams came to Indiana University in 1977 as a professor of voice at the Jacobs School of Music. The collection contains performance posters, correspondence, clippings about her career and former student's accomplishments, photographs, awards, plaques, and scrapbooks.

Mary Jo Weaver served as a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University from 1975 until her retirement in 2006. Her teaching career, scholarly activities, professional service, and publications are represented in the contents of this collection.

Betty van der Smissen was an alumna of the University of Kansas and Indiana University and an educator, writer, and consultant in the field of outdoor recreation and risk management. Contents of this collection date from 1954 through 2008 and consist mainly of teaching material such as course syllabi, correspondence, readings, and exams; research and drafts of publications; handbooks and self-assesment material for park and recreation agency accreditations; and material related to van der Smissen's participation in professional organizations and conferences.

The University Women's Club was established at Indiana University on April 24, 1913, under the name of the Faculty Women's Club. The goal of the club was to hold social gatherings for members. In 1959 the group changed its name to the University Women's Club to avoid further confusion with the Women's Faculty Club. The collection consists of meeting minutes and reports, subject files and scrapbooks.

The University Club was established at Indiana University in 1959 by combining four older Indiana University clubs: the Men's Faculty Club (established in 1912), the University Women's Club (originally titled the Faculty Women's Club when established in 1913, renamed in 1959), the Women's Faculty Club (established in 1923), and the Newcomer's Club (originally part of the University Women's Club). From 1959 until 1988, the University Club acted as an umbrella organization for the four separate clubs it contained. In this structure each individual club pursued its own programs and also participated in University Club programs. Starting in 1989, however, all programs developed by the four separate clubs have been listed under the rubric of the University Club and have been open to all members of the University Club. The goals of the University Club are to organize and implement social and cultural events.

Maida Tilchen is an Indiana University alumna and activist who focused on LGBTQ+ and women's rights. This collection comprises .8 cubic feet and primarily consists of Tilchen's papers and collected materials documenting her life in Bloomington, Indiana and the local social justice initiatives of the 1970s.

Esther Thelen (1941-2004) was a professor of psychology at Indiana University Bloomington and a well-known researcher in the field of developmental psychology. She is known for applying the dynamic systems theory to the study of infant motor development; this has since become the dominant theoretical viewpoint in the field. Much of Thelen's research was done at Indiana University Bloomington's Infant Motor Development Laboratory, which she established and directed. This collection contains personal files and correspondence; documents related to public speaking appearances, publications, and roles in professional organizations and committees; educational materials from psychology courses taught by Thelen; and materials related to Thelen's research, including handwritten notes, drafts of studies, and videotapes of research subjects.

The textile and papermaking artist Joan Sterrenburg joined the faculty of the School of Fine Arts at Indiana University in 1970 and remained until her retirement in 2004. This collection consists of teaching and research material, exhibition and professional service information, materials related to student work, and correspondence.

A distinguished scholar of Shakerism in America, Stephen J. Stein is a Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Indiana University. The collection contains Stein's published articles, research, professional activities and correspondence.

Nicolas Spulber was a Distinguished Professor of Economics at Indiana University. Born in Romania in 1915, he immigrated to the United States in 1948 and began teaching at IU in 1954. His research interests focused primarily on the Soviet and post-Soviet economy and the functions of states in economic frameworks including centrally planned, developing, and market economies. Spulber continued researching and writing until his death in 2004. The collection consists of his research materials, reports, conference presentations, correspondence, and manuscripts and reviews of his published works.

Denis Sinor was a faculty member of Indiana University in the Uralic and Altaic Program (now the Department of Central Eurasian Studies) from 1962 to 2011. Sinor founded the Department of Uralic and Altaic Studies in 1965 and the Asian Studies Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies (now the Sinor Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies [RIFIAS]), both of which he served as director for until his retirement from IU in 1986. He was active in many organizations during his tenure at Indiana University, most significantly the Journal of Asian History (JAH), Permanent International Altaistic Conference (PIAC), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and National Defense Education Act (NDEA). This collection consists of Sinor's correspondence with various organizations, IU, and personal contacts.

Roy Sieber was a historian of African art who taught at Indiana University Bloomington from 1962 through 1983. Having been the first person to receive a degree in African art in the United States, Sieber was the creator of the study of African art history in the United States. This collection contains prints of his black and white photographs of African art in use and on display, slides of African art in museums, and annotated bibliographies written by his students exploring specific aspects of art in Africa.

Myrtle Scott was a professor of educational psychology at Indiana University from 1970 until her retirement in 2002. Her primary teaching responsibilities were in the Human Development program with a focus on child development, while her research interests centered on developmental and ecological psychology. Scott's papers include biographical files, teaching files, publications, and research notes with some correspondence, with the bulk of the collection consisting of Scott's publications and research notes from 1965-2003.

Karl F. Schuessler graduated at Indiana University in 1947 with a Ph.D. in sociology. Soon after his graduation, he joined the faculty at Indiana University, where he remained until his retirement in 1985. This collection contains Schuessler's published articles, manuscripts, correspondence, and subject files.

Scott Russell Sanders taught in the Indiana University English Department from 1971-2009. He specialized in writing fiction, and also was heavily involved with the Wells Scholars program, serving as its director from 1997 to 2003. This collection consists of the teaching and faculty files of Dr. Sanders.

John Ryan was Indiana University's 14th president and served the institution for 30 years. Ryan was instrumental in the creation and inaugurals of eight I.U. charter campuses. This collection consists of Dr. Ryan's president emeritus records, including documents concerning his activities in international affairs and speeches he gave between 1987-2011.

John W. Ryan served as the fourteenth president of Indiana University from 1971-1987. During this time, he was awarded many honors, including honorary degrees, and was active in many organizations. These organizations include the Air Force's Air University, American Society for Public Administration, Indiana Bell Telephone Company, College of St. Thomas, and State Life Insurance Company. These papers include records regarding his membership in various organizations outside and apart from IU, teaching files, speeches as well as correspondence and other personal files.

Claire Robertson is an Emeritus Professor of Women's Studies and History at Ohio State University and has been a visiting scholar, lecturer, and adjunct professor at Indiana University, Bloomington at various times since 1978. This collection consists of a portion of Robertson's teaching materials, research, and writings on the history and culture of women in Africa, as well as records related to her career and professional activities at Indiana University.

The Robert. A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program was established on the Bloomington campus in 1972 with the aid of a Lilly Endowment. It is now one of the largest and oldest programs supporting the interdisciplinary study of the Jewish people and civilization. The collection consists of the program's administrative and subject files documenting the creation and growth of the program and includes correspondence, reports, newsletters, videos, and photographic material.