Office of the President Adams, Walter. Papers

Transcription

1 Page cu. ft. Copyright: Michigan State University Property Rights: Michigan State University Acc. No.: UA 409 Donor: Madison Kuhn History Walter Adams was chosen to be Michigan State University's 13 th president. Prior to his acceptance of the post, Adams was a professor of Economics at Michigan State University. Adams was asked to succeed President John A. Hannah, who had resigned his position as President in order to accept that as Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID), in Washington, DC. Adams assumed presidency on April 1, 1969 and vacated the office on January 1, At the outset, Adams made very clear that he did not want to be considered for the permanent presidency, a stand he maintained throughout, as is manifested in his letter to Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Don Stevens, on October 16, 1969 (Box 614, File 22). Adams maintained this position despite the fact that he was very popular with the students, faculty, and the Board of Trustees. When he stepped down from the Presidency, he resumed his former position, a post he held until retiring on December 31, During his administration, Adams had to confront issues which were part of the general social and political conditions found throughout the United States (viz. Box 614, Files 7, 17, 18, 41, 51, and 71; Box 596, Files 2, 16, 20, 39, 47), as well as problems specific to Michigan State University. During his administration, the School of Osteopathic Medicine began to become a reality (Box 614, Files 29, 30), the Center for Urban Affairs became established (Box 614, Files 17, 18), and a proposal was made to establish a Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies (Box 614, File 62).

2 Page 2 Walter Adams was born August 27, 1922 in Vienna, Austria. He received a BA from Brooklyn College in 1942, and his MA and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University in 1946 and 1947, respectively. His graduate studies were interrupted by World War II, during which he served, with distinction, in the U.S. Army ( ), receiving the Bronze Star Medal for heroic conduct. In 1947, he joined the Michigan State faculty in Economics Department. After a long battle with the disease, Walter Adams died of complications from pancreatic cancer, at the age of 76, on September 8, Adams, and his wife Pauline, had one son, William J. Adams. Scope and Content The Adams Collection consists of files largely kept in the subject files maintained by his office. There were very few occasions which necessitated a reordering of his materials. The processor merely transferred the contents from their original files to acid-free folders, and photocopied documents already found to be deteriorating onto acid-free paper. The files have been ordered into three major groups: Administrative Subject Files (Box 614, Files 1-76; Box 596, Files 1-20 and 48-49), Correspondence (Box 596, Files 21-41) and Speeches (Box 596, Files 42-47). Administrative Subject Files and Correspondence Files have been placed in alphabetical order, while the Speeches Files are organized in chronological order. The Administrative Subject Files contain correspondence, monographs, and other documents pertaining to daily administrative affairs and special problems. Among the notable files of the latter are those dealing with various protests, one of which received national coverage (Box 596, File 2). Some of the Administrative Subject Files contain monographs which are concerned with important issues of the day, such as "A Report and Recommendation of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aid to Non-Public Schools" and "Preliminary of the Special Committee on ROTC to the Secretary of Defense" (Box 614, File 51). The correspondence files deal with various subjects and were created in an effort to keep material from the State of Michigan and Federal Government together. One of these files (Box 596, File 33) contains a letter from President Richard Nixon to Secretary George Romney. Walter Adams, August 1983 Revised, September 1999

3 Page 3 Container Listing I. ADMINISTRATIVE SUBJECT FILES Associations Alumni American Association of Universities American Association of University Women American Economics Association Agronne Universities Association Athletic Council Michigan Council of State College Presidents Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Copy of By-laws Board of Trustees 11 Agenda. Agenda for meeting of June 20, Meeting in May Special Meeting -- August 1, Calendar Centers 15 Health Highway Traffic Safety Urban Affairs Urban Affairs. Positions Colleges 19 Agriculture and Natural Resources Arts and Letters Business Business. Positions Communication Arts Dean's Evaluations Education Education. Departments Engineering Home Economics Human Medicine Human Medicine. Departments Natural Science Natural Science. Departments Osteopathic Medicine (1969)

4 Page Social Science. Departments University University. Departments Veterinary Medicine Commencement. Spring Term Commendations Committees 40 Academic Senate Ad Hoc Committee Placement Center Ad Hoc Fee Committee Administrative Group All University Traffic Athletic Council Commencement Computer Faculty Advisory For Public Safety Faculty Affairs Hidden lake Gardens Advisory Military Education Advisory Multi-Racial (to recommend procedures for investigating complaints of racial discrimination) Provost Search and Selection Retirement a University Student Affairs. Report on Demonstration against General Electric Recruiters -- n.d. 55 Departments. Business Offices 56 Comptroller a Financial Aids Personal 57 Assistant. Elliott Ballard Attorney. Leland, W. Carr, Jr Joseph McMillan - Urban Affairs Center (c.f.) Provost Provost. Honors College Provost. John E. Cantlon Secretary Board of Trustees Registrar Student Vice-President for Business and Finance Vice-President for Special Projects

5 Page Vice-President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Press Releases Programs 70 Intercollegiate Athletics International Military Science and Aerospace Studies Mott Fellowship Upward Bound Projects. Detroit Projects. Law School Protests Journalism Students Placement Offices Public Relations. Dialogue ' Public Safety 4 Monthly Reports Weekly Reports Schools 6 Advanced Graduate Studies Graduate. Business High and Grade Schools Labor and Industrial Relations Out of State -- n.d. 11 State Supported University. Oakland Services. Book Store Students 14 Deaths Organizations -- n.d. 16 Organizations. Associated Students of MSU Organizations. Fraternities Organizations. Varsity Club University Relations Vietnam Moratorium -- October 15, 1969 II. CORRESPONDENCE 21 General Board of Trustees Board of Trustees. Meetings Breakfast Group and Council of Deans

6 Page 6 Community Capitol Area Economic Opportunity Churches Lansing Model Cities Programs Other Complaints Congratulations Executive Vice-President Federal 32 National Science Foundation Housing and Urban Development Miscellaneous Off-Campus State of Michigan -- n.d. State of Michigan 37 Department of Education Governor Huber Commission (to study campus disorder and student unrest) Legislature Students III. SPEECHES 42 Special Meetings of Academic Senate -- May 8, Retirement Luncheon -- May 12, ROTC Commissioning -- May 20, Lantern Night -- May 31, Commencement -- June 8, "Vietnam: A Perversion of U.S. Priorities" (c.f. File 20, Box 518) -- October 15, RESTRICTED