Documents Featuring Professor John Caldwell's Retirement and Obituary
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Caldwell, John Contents: Documents featuring Professor John Caldwell’s retirement and Obituary. Location: Vertical Files at B.S. Ricks Memorial Library of the Yazoo Library Association | 310 N. Main Street, Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194 VERTICAL FSLE - Ce^ idwell John C^zoo) Dr. Jot as chai Dr. John Tyler Caldwell, a Yazooan who, as chancellor led 15 years of dramatic growth at North Carolina State University, will retire June 30, 1975. Dr. Caldwell, who was born in Yazoo City, is 63 and would normally retire in 1977. He announced his retirement to .the University's Board of Trustees Friday, Nov. 1, at a regular meeting of the trustees of the campus. So rapid has been the University's growth since Dr. Caldwell became chancellor in 1959 that he has conferred nearly two-thirds of the 47,000 degrees awarded by the University in its 85-year histroy. In a statement issued by the Chancellor on his impending retirement, he said: "My reasons for stepping down are uncomplicated, resting essentially on two considerations. One is personal. Mrs. Caldwell and I are ready for a change. "The other is professional. This academic year will con clude my 16th as Chancellor of N.C. State. It is simply time for the leadership to be taken over by a new personality. I am confident the move will be good for all elements of the University family. In my view, no institution in America has or deserves a brighter future. "It should go without saying that I have not made this decision lightly. And I make it with a heart full of gratitude for marvelously exciting, fulfilling, and happy years. DR. JOHN CALDWELL "As for future plans, I have none. I will let this unfold in the forthcoming months," he concluded. President Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Doubtless Dr. John Tyler Caldwell has William C. Friday, president of the University of North risen higher in academic circles than any other native Carolina, issued a statement Saturday praising Dr. Caldwell. Yazooan. He has served as the head of three institutions of He said: higher learning and next June will retire as chancellor of "John Caldwell has served the University and the State North Carolina State University at Ra leigh. with great distinction and uncommon devotion. His splendid Chancellor Caldwell has kept up with the activities in his leadership has made N.C. State a great center of learning hometown and has often telephoned or written to this editor and service to the people of North Carolina. He has brought the University to national and international eminence. In all to ask questions of the goings-on here. things, he has been a fair and forceful leader." In January, 1970, when the people of Yazoo City were given "We are grateful to Mrs. Caldwell and to the Chancellor for much favorable national publicity because they had dealt sharing themselves so abundantly with the entire University realistically, fairly and exemplarly with court-ordered community. We shall miss his warm and gracious presence desegregation of our public schools, Dr. Caldwell called to but we are glad that he and Mrs. Caldwell will continue to live declare, "I'm so proud of my hometown!" and work among us." The eighth chief executive of North Carolina's Land-Grant Today, Yazooans can join with similar words of praise to state university, Chancellor Caldwell has presided over the an educator who retiring after an outstanding record of University during a decade and a half of enormous growth accomplishment as the head of one of the larger universities and qualitative development. in the land. Total enrollment was 6,100 when he was installed by the YAZOO UaR/VRVASSN. late Gov. Luther Hodges, then chairman of the trustees. This " -i RiCKS MEMORiAX uaRARY sTiON. MAIN STREET ■ ^ TX-CITY. MS 39194-4253 A-5, Yazoo City Herald, Yazoo City, Miss., Nov. 24, 1974' ( n Coldwell retiring icellor NC State U II TsiCSU's enrollment reached 15,750. John Caldwell entered Mississippi State University and ^^Graduate enrollment has grown from 700 to 2,600. received his bachelor of science degree in 1932.' Physical Growth Princeton Ph.D. hysical growth of North Carolina State .since 1959 He subsequently attended Duke University, Columbia ! bv many times the size of the college when Dr. University, and Princeton University, earning master of arts degrees at both Duke and Columbia and his Ph. D. degree gdweil became ehanoeUor." from Princeton in 1939. He was a Julius Rosewald Fellow Two Schools while at Princeton from 1937 to 1939. f State's eight schools were established in the early Earlier, he taught at Holmes Junior College in Goodman, 1^° the Caldwell administration, the School of Physical from 1932 to 1936; served as junior economist for the United years o ^^^^.cai sciences and the School of Liberal Arts, States Resettlement Administration at State College and and igj-gest division of the University. Little Rock, Ark., in 1936-37; and during the summer of 1939 poW the „Qjed that the addition of the bachelor of worked as assistant economist in land-use planning for the gg jjj the early 1960's had made a great im- Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the United States aj-ts degr^ beauty of the campus, observing that the pi-oveni^h increased the enrollment of women students Department of Agriculture in Vicksburg. p^.degre In the fall of 1939, he joined the faculty of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., as an instructor on political sharply- fewer than 200 coeds at State in 1959, the female science. By 1942, when he entered the United States Navy, he jTrom th jnuitiplied 20 times under Dr. Caldwell to had risen to the rank of assistant professor. enroll^®" 4,000. ■While in the Navy, he advanced in rank from ensign to jnore educational opportunity and quality at State lieutenant commander, winning the Bronze Star Medal prior rybe leve dramatically in terms of degree to his discharge from naval service in 1946. j^ve 1^®®" interdisciplinary fields, departments, and Dr. Caldwell returned to Vanderbilt in 1946 with the rank of progrh^^^^ scholarly programs established during Dr. associate professor on the political science department and tenure in 1947 was elected to the presidency of Alabama College in ersity was classified by a Carnegie Commission Montevallo, Ala. *- ^"l973as^"i*973 as a Research University, Class I, ranking it as While serving as president of Alabama College, he was j.eport ih 1 niajor public universities in the nation in the named the official member for Alabama on the Southern one ot f its federally-funded research and Ph.D. Regional Education Board, with headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. He served in this capacity from 1947 through 1952. Early Predictions Arkansas Resident In 1952, he was named president of the University of Arkansas, the Land-Grant state university of Arkansas. During his tenure at Arkansas, Dr. Caldwell returned to Hesig^^^^^TTy University status was designated in 1965. Yazoo City to address the annual membership and banquet il vvas installed as Chancellor on March 7,1960, meeting of the Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce. pj. Caldwe^^^^^^y university's founding. The new In 1954, while on a three-month leave of absence, he was 73rd "Man's greatest enslaver has always been consultant to the Ford Foundation on education in Pakistan. ^Man's greatest emancipator has alWays been Dr. Caldwell is a past president of the National Association tood. The transformation of ignorance into of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, the leading n of belief in knowledge, surely is one of the national body representing public institutions; presently processes of life. North Carolina State College chaii-man of the board of the Educational Testing Service, a ^ IV the process of freeing men's minds." director of the Overseas Development Council; and a n was born in Yazoo City, Dec. 19,1911. He was member of the Board of Visitors of Air University. i,-. Joe Caldwell, Yazoo City. He is a first cousin He has been awarded honorary doctorates by the College of soh Dunn,C.T. Bardwell and the late J.A. Bardwell. the Ozarks. Wake Forest University, Duke University and wj-ad'uadon from the public schools of that city, the University of Maryland. Yates. Rehearsals are held each Mayor Johnson Messiah presentation Tuesday. Approximately 50 Obituary persons from Yazoo City, named to County and surrounding is Friday, Dec. 13 ODunties comprise the choral committee Mrs. Evie M. Smifhharf The date for the presentation group. the sanctuary of the First The public is invited to attend. of "The Messiah" is Friday Mayor Floyd Johnson has Mrs. Evie Martin Smithhart, age 64, died at 6:30 a.m. Friday Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ' Baptist church. j been appointed to the tran morning at her residence, Route Two Bentonia. In Thursday's Herald a The "Messiah" is sponsor Mr. and Mrs. James Miller of sportation committee of the outline under a picture listed an by the Mozart Music ^ ' Rouston, Tex. are here to spend National League of Cities. She was a member of the Mt. Olivet Methodist Church. 3 week with his mother Mrs. incorrect date. Yazoo City, and is Mayor Nat W. Bullard, Mayor Surviving are her husband, W.L. Smithhart of Route Tv The program will be held in directed by the Rev. J-S. Miller. of Vicksburg, is the only other Bentonia; one son, Wallace James Smithhart of Yazoo City; Mississippian on this national daughter, Mrs. Paul Massey of Vicksburg; two grandchildr^'-^ committee which represents trother, Leo Martin of Route 2, Bentonia. municipal interests. Services were held Saturday at 2 p.m.