C University of Missouri, Graduate School, Records, 1911-1967 3354 31.5 linear feet This collection is available at The State Historical Society of Missouri. If you would like more information, please contact us at [email protected]. INTRODUCTION The records of the University of Missouri Graduate School contain minutes of graduate committees, 1911-1967, and correspondence of the dean of the Graduate School with administrators, graduate faculty, graduate students, government officials, foundation officers, and alumni, 1930-1967. DONOR INFORMATION The records were donated to the University of Missouri by the University of Missouri Graduate School on 7 September 1977 (Accession No. 3737). Two additions were made on 15 March 1968 (Accession No.3748) and 2 January 1969 (Accession No. 3795). ORGANIZATIONAL SKETCH The Graduate Department of the University of Missouri was established in 1896. It was administered by the University Council Committee on Higher Degrees. In 1903, the administration was placed in the hands of a Graduate Conference. The Graduate Department was elevated to school status in 1910, and a Faculty of the Graduate School was appointed the following year. The president appointed five members of this faculty to serve as a Graduate Committee charged with administering the work of the school. The position of Dean of the Graduate Faculty was created in 1914 to execute the policies established by the faculty and the Graduate Committee. Walter Miller, Professor of Latin, served as the first Graduate Dean. He was succeeded in 1930 by William J. Robbins, Professor of Botany. Henry E. Bent, Associate Professor of Chemistry, became dean in 1938 and retired in 1966. In 1952 a Graduate Council was created as an intermediary body between the faculty and the Educational Policy Committee, as the size of the Graduate Faculty grew too large. By 1961, the duties of the Graduate Dean had become so numerous that the position of Associate Dean was created. The Graduate Dean was ex officio member of the University Research Council, the Library Committee, the University Studies Committee, and the Committee of Deans. C3354 University of Missouri, Graduate School, Records, 1911-1967 Page 2 FOLDER LIST Undated Materials Series f. 1 Newspaper clippings about the University f. 2 Miscellaneous papers pertaining to registration and the University Research Council Minutes Series f. 3 Minutes of the Graduate Committee, 1911-1914. f. 4-15 Minutes of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School with copies of directives attached, 1914-1929 Correspondence Series f. 16-57 1930-1934. Budget, financial aids, dissertation publication, inquiries by prospective students, publication of the University of Missouri Studies, letters concerning Administrative Committee minutes, Official Notices of Board Action, faculty committee work, and other administrative matters. Dean William J. Robbins activities as member of the Committee on Problems of the Masters Degree of the Association of American Universities. f. 58-112 1935. Admissions, candidacy, exams, publications, letters concerning Administrative Committee minutes, requisitions, orders, vouchers, statements, and other matters. W.J. Robbin’s work on the Committee on Problems of the Masters Degree of the Association of American Universities. f. 113-155 1936. Administrative matters, proposed genetic research program to be funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, proposed co-operative graduate program with the Missouri State Teachers Colleges, and W.J. Robbins activities in the Association of American Universities. f. 156-198 1937. Administrative matters, work of the Committee on Co-operative Graduate Work with the Missouri State Teachers Colleges, creation of the University Research Council, and W.J. Robbins work as chairman of the Committee on Classification of the Association of American Universities. f. 199-253 1938. Administrative matters including applications for grants from and project reports to the newly organized University Research Council. Advance preparations for the annual meeting of the Association of American Universities to be held in Columbia in 1939 during the university’s centennial celebration. Henry E. Bent succeeded W.J. Robbins as graduate dean. f. 254-285 1938. Notifications to students who had not fulfilled the publication of dissertation requirement that they could now do so by microfilming at a nominal cost, and arrangements for the Columbia meeting of the C3354 University of Missouri, Graduate School, Records, 1911-1967 Page 3 Association of American Universities. f. 286-302 1939, July-December. Administrative matters, arrangements for microfilming of dissertations by University Microfilms of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and preparations for the fall meeting of the Association of American Universities in Columbia. Folders 293-294 include letters from Lucile H. Bluford to H.E. Bent, F.L. Martin, F.A. Middlebush, F.M. McDavid and S.W. Canada complaining that she was refused admission to the university because she was a negro. f. 303-350 1940. Administrative matters and arrangements for microfilming of dissertations. H.E. Bent’s activities in the Association of American Universities. f. 351-388 1941. Administrative matters and H.E. Bent’s work in the Association of American Universities. f. 389-425 1942. Administrative matters, microfilm publication of dissertations, and purchase and installation of an electron microscope. H.E. Bent’s work in the Association of American Universities. Draft of Graduate School Section of biennial report. H.E. Bent to F.A. Middlebush opposing a proposal to create Colleges of Education and Business and Public Administration at university. Notary Public’s Subpoena in the case of Lucille Bluford vs. S.W. Canada. H.E. Bent to F.A. Middlebush recommending integration of the university as a means of securing Negro support for the war effort. f. 426-454 1943. Administrative matters including those of the newly created Educational Policy Committee of the Graduate School which superseded the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School. H.E. Bent’s work as chairman of the committee on Committees and Nomination of Officers and as member of the Committee on Classification and Committee on Higher Degrees of the Association of American Universities. H.E. Bent to George F. Zook commenting on the wartime status and post-war prospects of scientific research at the university. f. 455-485 1944. Administrative matters, departmental survey of prospects and needs for post-war graduate study conducted by the Educational Policy Committee of the Graduate School and the Library Committee of the university. T.S. Montgomery to H.E. Bent regarding provision for graduate study by Negroes in Missouri; Bent’s reply outlining the state’s policy of paying their tuition at out of state institutions. f. 486-525 1945. Administrative matters. H.E. Bent’s work on the Committee on Accreditation, the Committee on Classification, and the Committee on Graduate Work of the Association of American Universities. L.E. Thomas to W.C. Curtis criticizing the conservative policies of the university which were causing it to lose its former prestige. Draft to “Statement on Graduate Work in the State of Missouri” by H.E. Bent. H.E. Bent to F.A. Middlebush urging that the university embark on an extensive program of nuclear research. H.E. Bent to J.W.M. Bunker suggesting that American scientists give Japanese scientists a cyclotron C3354 University of Missouri, Graduate School, Records, 1911-1967 Page 4 to replace those destroyed by order of the War Department. f. 526-570 1946. Administrative matters. H.E. Bent’s activities on the Committee on Classification, Committee on Graduate Work, and the Committee on Accreditation of the Association of American Universities. H.E. Bent to B.G. Anderson summarizing the principal sources of public support of faculty research at the university. f. 571-622 1947. Administrative matters. H.E. Bent’s work as chairman of the Committee on Classification and Secretary of the Association of American Universities. f. 623-717 1948. Administrative matters. H.E. Bent’s work as Secretary of the Association of American Universities and chairman of its Committee on Classification. Draft of a proposal for the on-campus use of textbooks written by members of the university faculty. H.E. Bent to F.A. Middlebush submitting report of the effect of the war and post-war situation upon research productivity at the University. f. 718-796 1949. Administrative matters and loyalty oath, matters regarding Lewis Stadler. H.E. Bent’s activities in the Association of American Universities. Carbon copy of answers supplied by Lewis J. Stadler to an interrogatory issued by the Loyalty Board of the Department of Agriculture under the Federal Employees Loyalty Program. Mimeographed copy of “The Facilities and Needs of the University of Missouri—An Explanation of the Appropriations requests for the Biennial Period, 1949-1951.” H.E. Bent to C.E. Forster of the Department of Agriculture’s Loyalty Board attesting to the loyalty of L.J. Stadler. f. 797-879 1950. Administrative matters. H.E. Bent’s activities as chairman of the Committee on Graduate Work of the newly formed Association of Graduate Schools in the Association of American Universities. “Proposal for Atomic Energy Commission Sponsored Research.” “Preliminary Report of the Committee on Graduate Work of the AGS.” H.E. Bent’s confidential report of the functions of the Graduate Dean at the University of Missouri to the Committee on Graduate