TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Collection

History

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Series I: Solomon Mead, 1882

Series II: Benjamin F. Koons, 1885-1898

Series III: George W. Flint, 1900

Series IV: Rufus W. Stimson, undated, 1899-1908

Series V: Edwin O. Smith, 1956-1958

Series VI: Charles L. Beach, undated, 1906-1929

Series VII: Charles B. Gentry, undated, 1928-1969

Series VIII: George A. Works, undated, 1926-1930

Series IX: Charles C. McCracken, undated, 1926-1935

Series X: Albert Nels Jorgensen, 1935-1962

Series XI: Homer D. Babbidge, Jr., undated, 1962-1972

Series XIII: Glenn W. Ferguson, undated, 1973-1983

Series XIV: John A. DiBiaggio, undated, 1952-1986

Series XVI: Harry J. Hartley, undated, 1990-2000

Series XVII: John T. Casteen, III, undated, 1981-1990

University of Connecticut

President's Office Records

History

In April 1881, the Connecticut General Assembly established the Storrs Agricultural School after accepting a gift of 170 acres of land, several frame buildings, and money from Charles and Augustus Storrs. The School opened on 28 September 1881, with twelve students in the first class. Before the turn of the century there were two name changes (Storrs Agricultural College 1893, Connecticut Agricultural College 1899). In 1933, two years after the institution celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, it became Connecticut State College, a name more in keeping with its steady advances and broadened mission. Six years later, in 1939, the General Assembly designated the institution the University of Connecticut, an acknowledgment of the institution's developing importance to the State in graduate and professional education, research and public service.

The University of Connecticut is recognized as the state's flagship institution of higher learning. Since its establishment, the University has grown to include 13 Schools and Colleges at its main campus in Storrs, separate Schools of Law and Social Work in Hartford, five regional campuses throughout the state and Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.

UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant College and a Space Grant Consortium institution. The University spans 4,104 acres at its main campus and five regional campuses, and an additional 162 acres at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.

Designated a Carnegie Foundation Research University-Extensive, UConn has more than 70 focused research centers where faculty, graduate students and undergraduates explore everything from improving human health to enhancing public education and protecting the country’s natural resources.

The office of the President was established in 1893 when the state of Connecticut established Storrs Agricultural College as Connecticut's land-grant institution of higher education. At that time the title of its chief administrative officer, Benjamin F. Koons, was changed from Principal of the former Storrs Agricultural School to President of the new college.

In the early days of Storrs and, from 1899, Connecticut Agricultural College, the President, aided by a few faculty committees, attended to virtually every detail of the administration of the college. At the succession of President Charles Lewis Beach in 1908, the Laws and By-laws of the College specified that the President, subject to the direction of the trustees, had “the immediate direction of all departments, and direction of all matters pertaining to the welfare of the college,” including the appointment and dismissal of staff members and the designation of their duties. They also provided for his participation in all meetings of the Board of Trustees. As the College expanded its enrollment and its programs, an increasing amount of the President's responsibilities were delegated to other administrative officers. The 1921 catalog states that, under the supervision of the President, “the three branches of the administration are managed by the Faculty, the Director of the Experiment Station and the Director of the Extension Service.” During President Beach's administration in 1921-1922, the College was divided into five academic divisions, each headed by a dean. The establishment of the office of the Dean of Women in 1928, Dean of Men in 1929, and Director of the Division of Resident Instruction, which later became Dean of the University, in 1931, were other important steps in the evolution of the Office of the President, as each more clearly defined the duties of the college's chief administrator. By the time Charles C. McCracken assumed the office in 1930, the President was concerned mainly with long-range policy-making, major campus issues, high-level appointments, and relations with the state and federal governments. The latter became more important during President Albert N. Jorgensen's tenure, when the various programs of the New Deal made many new kinds of federal funding available to land-grant colleges and universities.

When Connecticut State College became the University of Connecticut in 1939, the new laws and By-laws stated that, “the President of the University is the executive and administrative officer of the Board [of Trustees]. In this capacity he is responsible for the operations of the University and is given authority requisite to that end.” This is the mandate under which President Jorgensen worked throughout his long service as President of the University. The President was also designated as “chairman of the University Senate and of the several schools and colleges.” ”The administrative reorganization authorized by President Jorgensen for the University in 1939 placed direct responsibility for the schools and colleges. President Jorgensen was thus able to devote all his energies chiefly to the fulfillment of his plans for the overall development of the University.

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Scope and Content

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Arrangement

Series I: Solomon Mead (1881-1882) contains a copy of the course of study for 1882.

Series I: Solomon Mead

Series II: Benjamin Franklin Koons (1885-1898) contains photocopies of newspaper clippings, correspondence, articles concerning the school and a copy of a report.

Series II: Benjamin F. Koons

Series III: George Washington Flint (1900) contains newspaper clippings highlighting the controversies of Flint's tenure (1898-1901).

Series III: George W. Flint

Series IV: Rufus Whitaker Stimson (undated, 1899-1908) includes correspondence, publications, programs, an article written by Stimson and newspaper clippings.

Series IV: Rufus W. Stimson

Series V: Edwin Oscar Smith (1956-1958) served as acting President from April - September of 1908. The series includes one folder of correspondence between Smith and Mrs. Katharine Lusk regarding the dual job amendment.

Series VI: Charles Lewis Beach (undated, 1906-1929) contains correspondence, reports, studies and administrative records documenting the influence of Mr. Beach (1908-1928) while President of Connecticut Agricultural College.

Series VI: Charles L. Beach

Series VII: Charles Burt Gentry (undated, 1928-1969) consist of the general correspondence of the President of the College. It is the only extant collection of the papers of the president for this period. The correspondence is concerned with internal administrative matters, major policy issues at the college, with the college's relations with state and federal governments, and with other educational agencies and institutions. Also included is a collection of correspondence presented to Mr. Gentry on the event of his retirement from the University and a small folder of correspondence with the Gentry family pertaining to the naming of the Gentry Building.

Series VII: Charles B. Gentry

Series VIII: George Alan Works (undated, 1926-1930) The records consist of the general correspondence of the President of the College. The correspondence is concerned with internal administrative matters, major policy issues at the college, with the college's relations with state and federal governments, and with other educational agencies and institutions.

Series VIII: George A. Works

Series IX: Charles Chester McCracken (undated, 1926-1935) contains incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence documenting the activities of the administration and interests of the President of the institution. Materials pre-dating McCracken's tenure can be found in multiple folders, particularly in the 1930-1931 section, and have been noted in brackets in the folder listing.

Series IX: Charles C. McCracken

Series X: Albert Nels Jorgensen (1935-1962) includes general correspondence from 1935 to 1962. The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by topic within each academic year in one series. Because some of the Jorgensen papers were apparently inadvertently destroyed before thy reached the University Archvies, there is correspondence missing for the years 1942-1943, 1943-1944, 1945-1946, 1946-1947, and 1951-1952.

Series X: Albert N. Jorgensen

Series XI: Homer Daniels Babbidge, Jr. (1962-1972) documents his tenure as President of the University of Connecticut from 1962 through 1972. Included in the collection is correspondence, reports, minutes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, reports and publications, as well as materials documenting campus unrest and the files of his assistant, Wallace Moreland.

Series XI: Homer D. Babbidge, Jr.

Series XII: Edward Victor Gant ()

Series XIII: Glenn Walker Ferguson (1973-1983) documents his tenure as President of the University of Connecticut from 1973 through 1983. Included in the collection is correspondence, reports, minutes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, reports and publications, as well as materials documenting campus and state fiscal issues and the files of his assistant, Paul Capra and subsequent interim President Edward V. Gant.

Series XIII: Glenn W. Ferguson

Series XIV: John A. DiBiaggio (undated, 1952-1986) documents his tenure as President of the University of Connecticut from 1979 through 1985. Included in the collection is correspondence, reports, minutes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, reports and publications.

Series XIV: John A. DiBiaggio

Series XV: Anthony DiBenedetto ()

Series XVI: Harry J. Hartley (undated, 1990-2000) collection contains the transcript of an interview between Dr. Hartley and Dr. Bruce Stave of the Center for Oral History and published materials documenting Dr. Hartley's activities while serving as the President of the University of Connecticut.

Harry J. Hartley

Series XVII: John T. Casteen (undated, 1981-1990) The records in this collection are the files of the President's office during John T. Casteen's administration from 1985-1990. The documents include correspondence, reports, financial and administrative records, as well as materials pertaining to his inauguration and plaques and mementos accumulated during his tenure as president.

Series XVII: John T. Casteen, III

Series XVIII: Philip E. Austin ()

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

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Related Material

Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of records pertaining to the University, its history, administration, faculty, staff and students. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Organizations:

Family Names:

Places:

Subjects:

Document Types:

Occupations:

Functions:

Titles:

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Item description, #:#], University of Connecticut, President's Office Records [President's Name]. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries.

Acquisition Information

The records are transferred to Archives & Special Collections by the University President's Office for permanent retention.

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Detailed Description