MELVENE DRAHEIM HARDEE: MUSIC MAKER AND DREAMER OF DREAMS Sally Evelyn Click A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2009 Committee: Michael D. Coomes, Advisor Michael J. Zickar Graduate Faculty Representative Maureen E. Wilson Dafina L. Stewart © 2009 Sally Click All Rights Reserved i ABSTRACT Michael D. Coomes, Advisor Dr. Melvene Draheim Hardee, a higher education administrator, scholar, and leader spent her weekends tending to a 900‐acre Georgia pine tree farm. Born in Clarion, Iowa in 1913, she earned degrees at Iowa State Teachers College, Teachers College Columbia University, and the University of Chicago. The majority of her professional career played out at Florida State University where she first served as coordinator of counseling and later joined Dr. Hugh Stickler and Dr. Raymond Schultz as one of the original faculty members of the FSU higher education graduate preparation program. Between 1958 and 1989, she advised 120 doctoral students to the successful completion of their degrees and she advised and mentored many more master’s degree students. Hardee assumed leadership positions in several higher education professional organizations. This study sought to determine her contributions to the student affairs profession’s philosophical and practical development especially in light of her time in history, a time when women were underrepresented in leadership roles. Archival evidence was gleaned from two collections, the Melvene Draheim Hardee Papers housed in the National Student Affairs Archives located at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and The Melvene Draheim Hardee Center for Women in Higher Education Collection housed by Florida State University Libraries. This information was analyzed along with data derived from interviews with 16 former students and professional colleagues and one family member. The resulting chapters include an overview of Dr. Hardee’s life, an analysis of her writings for publication, speeches, and ii presentations, and a compendium of recollections from people who knew her from a variety of perspectives. Hardee contributed to the early development of faculty advising constructs, the development of an association for Southern student personnel professionals, and the Joint Statement on Student Rights and Freedoms. During her presidential term, she introduced the commission system to the American College Personnel Association. Her legacy at FSU includes the establishment of the Center for the Studies on Women in Educational Management Systems that was later named in her honor. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation came about because of the support and sacrifice of others. It is important that I name them so that their contributions are recognized. Happily situated in La Grande, Oregon, this student affairs practitioner, daughter, sister, spouse, and mother of two was somehow able to convince those I loved the most that Bowling Green, Ohio would be a great place to relocate. My husband, Art Furman, was willing to invest in my dream of earning a doctorate and he committed fully to this adventure. This meant his interests acquiesced to our needs and he became responsible for the daily functioning of our family. One of our biggest challenges was to cleave our children, Kelsey and Davis, from all that they knew, especially when they were at the doorway of their teenage years. They were presented a life challenge and both of them have handled it admirably. It has been difficult for me to sacrifice time with them as they are engaging, bright, and fun. In 2005, I entered the community of scholars in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at Bowling Green State University. Among those who welcomed me to this program was Dr. Michael Dannells, my initial advisor, and now my friend and colleague. (In a strange twist, he has since moved to La Grande, Oregon and was unable to participate in the final phase of my program.) Members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Maureen Wilson, Dr. Dafina Stewart, and Dr. Michael Zickar were incredibly flexible and accommodating as I sought to meet deadlines. There was a lot to read and digest in a short period. I appreciated their feedback for it made this process and product much better. My adviser, Dr. Michael Coomes, agreed to share this journey with me (which was only fair because he got me started on this historical research path). Our profession is indebted to iv him and to those who steadfastly remind us that the lessons of our history inform our present day thinking and practice. Somewhere along this path, I became a believer too. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be under his tutelage. My experience in the BGSU doctoral program was phenomenal for so many reasons. It was actually fun to return to the classroom after a 22‐year hiatus. I have appreciated the opportunity to catch up on pertinent literature, but most of all, I was reminded about how much I like to write. I have often sent telepathic thoughts of gratitude to Dr. Harry Stuurmans, my high school English teacher, who really taught me the fundamentals of academic writing. This time around, it was much easier producing papers using a laptop computer, this in lieu of a typewriter and a supply of correction fluid. I entered the program in a cohort and spent many hours working through coursework and other challenges with Brady, Casey, Gina, and Nicole. These four, and other doctoral students in the program, were incredibly gracious to include me in their lives. I had a good twenty years on each of them but I always felt part of the group. Additionally, the student affairs staff at BGSU, led by Dr. Ed Whipple, stimulated other learning. The professional staff was accessible to us and thereby enhanced our doctoral program experiences. After three and a half years and another recent interstate move, I am unbelievably grateful to be done with this academic journey. Dr. Levester Johnson and the staff at Butler University have been especially accommodating in the final months of this dissertation’s construction. It is not easy to learn all that comes with a new position, let alone learning while one is charging toward the finish line on a dissertation. LJ, Dr. Irene Stevens, and my new colleagues have been incredibly patient and supportive. v During the course of data collection, I met some very special people. Simply stated, Ann Bowers, the archivist at the National Student Affairs Archives, is a treasure among treasures. From day one, she has been exceptionally helpful and enthusiastic. Burt Altman in the Special Collections Department assisted me with the Hardee Center Collection at FSU. My hosts for my weeklong stay in Tallahassee included Dr. Jon Dalton and Aurelio Valente who made sure I got oriented to my environment and that I had everything I needed. The fun part of the dissertation process was conducting interviews with Hardee’s students and colleagues. Out of all of my requests for participation, no one person declined an invitation to participate. Every student spoke with passion about his or her FSU experience and every person spoke with great respect for Dr. Hardee. Participants were reflective, candid, and at times, emotional. I appreciated the laughter (there was plenty) and the heartfelt gratitude they expressed for her. It was a privilege for me to hear their stories. Among the study’s participants, I want to give a special thank you to my former vice president for student affairs, Dr. Harris Shelton. Through captivating stories, he introduced me to Melvene Hardee long before I knew that I had a dissertation in me. Additionally, I want to acknowledge the wonderful cooperation and interest I received from Judge Newt Draheim, Melvene’s surviving sibling. She came alive to me through my conversations with him. I am appreciative of his investment in this project and the trust he placed in me. Of the many people who have provided inspiration for this endeavor, I am truly grateful for the love and support of my mother, Peggy Keller Click Taylor who has been tenacious in her fight against ovarian cancer so that she could witness my accomplishment. Its successful completion is not a signal for her to be any less tenacious. Instead, it is a vi testament to the investment she made in her four children. I was able to complete this because of qualities and values she instilled in me. When Jim Rhatigan learned that Melvene Hardee would be my topic he told me that I might be one of the only people that truly enjoyed writing a dissertation. I cannot say if this is the case, only that he was right ‐ I did enjoy this journey. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER II. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER III. THE LIFE OF MELVENE DRAHEIM HARDEE: AN OVERVIEW ................................ 21 Settling in Iowa .................................................................................................................................................. 21 “Breaking Home Ties” ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Florida State University ................................................................................................................................