Department of Philosophy Records, 1952-1997, n.d.

Records relating to the department of philosophy contain annual reports, correspondence, agendas and meeting minutes, files of the Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy, and student-related academic files. Spanning only forty years (1952-1991), the files provide an uneven picture of the internal and external activities of the Oberlin College Department of Philosophy. Organized around two subgroups, the twelve records series are arranged for the most part in hierarchical order—from the most important to the least.

The primary strength of this group of records relates to the department’s external activities. Of special significance are the files of the department-sponsored Oberlin Colloquium of Philosophy. Begun in 1960, as a small weekend gathering of academic affiliated philosophers, the records (Subgroup II, Series 1) fully document this popular event in the field of American philosophy. To be highlighted are the papers and drafts of the proceedings’ publications in that they provide, in their own way, a profile of American philosophy since 1960. The 1964, 1967, 1972, and 1974 colloquia files are especially rich in content, and contain nearly all of the papers of the participants, as well as drafts of the proceedings for publication. Edited by various members of the philosophy department, titles of the published proceedings include Metaphysics and Explanations (1964), Art, Mind, and Religion (1965), and Issues in Law and Morality (1972). The 1974 colloquium files contain an unpublished manuscript of the proceedings, Papers on Purpose. In addition, correspondence and program planning and finance files (both dating 1960-1984) reports on the administrative efforts of the department to organize annually the philosophy colloquium, including the detailed planning behind the development of colloquium topics, the struggle to secure funds from Oberlin College, and the invitation of philosophers from North America and Europe. Correspondents include Roderick Chisholm (1974), Anthony Flew (1973), Anthony Quinton (1980), and Paul Ziff (1970).

The department of philosophy records also contain significant, but not extensive, files of incoming and outgoing memoranda and correspondence (subgroup one, series four). Dating primarily after 1955 and thin for many areas (1980s), the correspondence, supplemented with the annual reports (1975-78, 1983-90), provides a better than usual record of departmental activity. Topics of discussion include budgets, colloquium, course offerings, personnel changes, sabbaticals, visiting professors, and tenure appointments. A memo of October 23, 1970, directed to the acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, E.P. Vance, describes the academic status of each staff member, their fields of interest, and courses taught at Oberlin College. Interfiled with the memoranda is some external correspondence, both incoming and outgoing. Though not complete, the correspondence provides a small glimpse into the department’s outside contacts with its own staff and peers around the country. Especially noteworthy are a series of exchanges (12 letters) between acting chair Norman S. Care and Robert H. Grimm while the later was teaching abroad (March 1972-April 1973). Care details to Grimm department business over the course of fourteen months, writing on many subjects, including budgetary and curriculum issues.

Although this institutional holding documents a wide range of departmental activity, the records are notably weak in some areas. The administrative files, for instance, are a bit scanty and uneven for a number of departmental matters. Though the department has existed in one form or another since 1875, the holding contains no records before 1952. (The location of these records is unknown, although some documentation can be found in the records of the Dean’s Office of Arts and Sciences.) After 1952, the most significant gap is the absence of department meeting minutes. Agendas (1970s and 1980s) provide outlines of topics scheduled for discussion, but they do not offer any specifics of action taken. Gaps in the annual report files also contribute to the overall weaknesses of the collection. Dating mostly after the late 1970s, no reports exist before 1975 summarizing the department’s activities. (This is true for a great many other academic departments during the early 1970s as well.) Program review files, important because they document the evolution of the department’s academic programs, consist of a single file related to a 1977 accreditation review. Users must consult the department chair’s correspondence (1956-90) to fill gaps existing in the administrative files after 1955.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Subgroup I. Administrative Files, 1955-97 (3.2 l.f.)

Under subgroup I, the administrative files related to the department of philosophy, are arranged into ten series: 1. Annual Reports, 1972, 1975-78, 1983-90; 2. Meeting Agendas and Minutes Files, 1970-71, 1973-78, 1981-88; 3. Budgetary and Financial Files, 1955-89; 4. Correspondence (incoming and outgoing), 1956-90; 5. Curriculum-Related Files, 1957-89; 6. Faculty-Related Committee Files, 1957-62, 1978-83; 7. Program Review Files, 1977; 8. Subject Files, 1950s-92; 9. Student-Related Academic Files, 1952-82; and, 10. Honors Program Files, 1962-83. No files exist before 1952, despite the department’s founding in 1875.

            Series 1. Annual Reports, 1972, 1975-78, 1983-94 (0.1 l.f.)

            The annual reports of the philosophy department, written by the department chair to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, provide a digest of the department’s activities for the fiscal year. Topics often reported on curriculum decisions, finances, the Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy, personnel matters, and visiting speakers. These files also summarize enrollment in philosophy courses, honors candidates, the number of graduating philosophy majors, and winners of the annual essay-writing contest. Arranged chronologically.

            Series 2. Meeting Agendas and Minutes Files, 1970-71, 1973-78, 1981-88 (0.1 l.f.)

            Series two (2) consists of agendas and minutes from philosophy department meetings. Far from complete, meeting agendas represent the bulk of the series. Oftentimes the agendas contain notations from the staff, providing some idea of what action was taken. Topics discussed include the colloquium, curriculum, departmental duties of the staff, sabbaticals, and students. Most noteworthy are the agenda, dated 1981-88, as these records are nearly complete. Some early agendas (late 1950s to 1960s) may be filed in subgroup one, series four. Arranged chronologically.

            Series 3. Budgetary and Financial Files, 1955-89 (0.2 l.f.)

            Consisting of records related to the department’s budgets, this series contains mainly spreadsheets recording yearly budgets for a period of three to five years (1959-80, 1984-88). In addition, the spreadsheets provide the approved yearly budget for the department and the amount of funds actually spent. Series three (3) also contains some correspondence, much of which discusses budget revisions and line item transfers to the department. Arranged chronologically.

            Series 4. Correspondence (incoming and outgoing), 1956-90 (0.8 l.f.)

            Documenting thirty-five years of office activities, this series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence and memorandums of the department chair. Both correspondence and memoranda, incoming and outgoing, are interfiled, with the latter being the most prevalent form. Topics of discussion often include budgets, colloquium, course offerings, tenure appointments, and visiting professors. Interfiled with the memos is external correspondence. Subjects often reported on include the colloquium, teaching opportunities abroad, and answering inquiries about the program by prospective students and other college and university philosophy departments. Arrangement is chronologically by school year.

            Series 5. Curriculum-Related Files, 1957-89 (0.2 l.f.)

            Series five (5) contains a variety of materials relating to the planning of the department’s course offerings for the coming academic year. Included here are proposed philosophy course schedules from each teaching staff member and drafts of updated class descriptions for the yearly college course catalog, as well as student enrollment statistics. A small number of memos from philosophy faculty are interfiled and discuss the coming year’s curriculum. Included also are reports (1970-72) describing proposed changes to the honors and majors program. Arranged alphabetically and thereunder chronologically by school year.

            Series 6. Faculty-Related Committee Files, 1957-62, 1978-83 (0.1 l.f.)

            This series consists of files relating to philosophy faculty participating in departmental or campus wide committees. Most significant is the department’s CFC/EPPC Long Range Planning records (1978-79). Responding to the call for long range planning for Oberlin College, the department reports on current and future curriculum needs, staffing, and the drop in class sizes. Also included in series six (6) are records relating to the teaching evaluation subcommittee (1981-83) which reveals the department’s efforts to formalize faculty teaching evaluations. Arrangement is alphabetically and thereunder chronologically.

            Series 7. Program Review Files, 1977, 1987 (2 folders)

            Series seven (7) contains one folder related to the 1977 accreditation review conducted by the North Central Association Accreditation Steering Committee. Included here are responses from the philosophy department and philosophy majors committee regarding significant changes in the curriculum and majors program for the past five years.  Also included is a file on a Program Review in 1987.

            Series 8. Subject Files, 1950s-92 (0.1 l.f.)

            This series consists of a small number of subject files created by the department chair. Significant files include statistical student course evaluations (1969-72), election information of student representatives to the department’s majors committee (1976-81, 1992), and faculty sabbatical requests (1974-91). Most interesting is the clippings file (c. late 1950s), which features eight articles written by philosophy professors Calvin D. Rollins (d. 1993) and Paul F. Schmidt. Arranged alphabetically and thereunder chronologically.

            Series 9. Student-Related Academic Files, 1952-82 (1.2 l.f.) - RESTRICTED

            Series nine (9) contains records regarding to the department’s undergraduate and graduate programs. The files of students majoring in philosophy (dating from 1957 to 1982) are arranged by graduating class. The records, organized by student, contain a wide variety of material, including student transcripts (restricted), semester course grades, and correspondence reporting on academic status. Most significant are lists of Oberlin College philosophy majors that contain graduating class and often post-graduate occupations (1952-84). Also included here are master’s program student files (1967, 1969-70, n.d.) and fourteen papers from the department’s annual essay writing contest (1958-62, 1969, n.d.). Arrangement is alphabetical and thereunder chronological. This series is restricted.

            Series 10. Honors Program Files, 1962-83 (0.4 l.f.) - RESTRICTED

            This series consists solely of records related to the department’s honors program. Arranged chronologically by school year, these files contain student honors proposals, departmental correspondence recruiting outside examiners, and staff recommendations for students seeking honors status. Also included here are written test questions, student completed written exams, and notifications to students awarded honors status. This series is restricted.

Subgroup II. Program Files, 1958-97, n.d. (3.1 l.f.)

Subgroup II documents the philosophy department’s efforts to attract prominent philosophy speakers to Oberlin College, as well as to organize the annual philosophy colloquia. The bulk of the subgroup, the colloquia, focuses on the thirty-year history of the weekend event. Subgroup two (2) is arranged into two series: 1. Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy, 1960-91; and, 2. Visiting Lecturers Files, 1958-84, 1990-92, n.d.

            Series 1. Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy, 1960-97 (2.7 l.f.)

            Comprising the largest series in the collection, these files document the department’s organization of its annual Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy, as well as its efforts to publicize fourteen proceedings. Arranged chronologically, most years, but not all, contain correspondence recruiting speakers, commentators, and guests, colloquium papers, and program planning and finance files containing guest lists, press releases, and records of expenditure. In addition, certain years (especially the late 1960s and early 1970s) may also include drafts of its proceedings for publication and correspondence between the department, publisher, and speakers in an attempt to publish the colloquium’s papers. Files dating before 1964 and after 1981 are not nearly as rich, since much of the documentation is absent. Colloquium files after 1981 may still be held by the philosophy department. An additional noteworthy file is a chronological list (1960-97) of speakers, titles of their papers, and titles of books if the proceedings were published.

            Series 2. Visiting Lecturers Files, 1958-84, 1990-92, n.d. (0.4 l.f.)

            Arranged chronologically, series two (2) reports on the department’s pursuit outside of the colloquia to bring outside speakers to Oberlin College. Consisting mostly of correspondence between the department and potential lecturers, the files also include some drafts of the talks, and announcement advertising the event. Philosophy scholars attracted to Oberlin over a thirty-year period include prominent alumni such as Michael Dunn ’63 (1977) and David Palmer ’66 (1979), as well as Richard Hall (1976) and Anthony Quinton (1980). Also included here is correspondence documenting the department’s efforts to attract philosophers to its 1962 Festival Rousseau, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Swiss writer Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778).