UMM Miscellaneous and Correspondence: Correspondence (A1-K-g) contents
Abstract
This subseries consists of a single box but spans primarily the administrations of Rodney Briggs and David Johnson. Only two folders from the John Q. Imholte administration are included, and no materials date from the Schuman and Johnson chancellorships. The material covers significant territory, and issues addressed range widely. Correspondence from the 1960s is from the Rodney Briggs administration (first as dean and then as provost) and topics covered included the American Indian tuition waiver, real estate boundary questions, the relationship of the college with the experiment station and conflict in the early years over grounds and building maintenance, early computing needs and the request for a remote terminal in Morris, scholarship issues, the West Central Educational Development Association (Edward LeFave, Jr. is a key figure here), the naming of buildings--including an original plan to name the library after Malcolm Willey--and athletic conference issues, to name a few. Much of the correspondence is with senior administrators at the Twin Cities campuses. An entire folder is dedicated to correspondence between Briggs and Steve Granger.
One folder of materials for Jack (John Q.) Imholte dates from the 1965-66 academic year and thus predates his chancellorship. Imholte in that year chaired the Social Science Division and his correspondence sheds an interesting light on the the nature of that position at that point in UMM history. Through the course of this year, at least as illustrated by his letters, Imholte dealt
with student complaints, negotiated with publishers, attempted to recruit historians, weighed in on personnel matters and offered advice and support to former students. The other folder, "Briggs Correspondence," contains letters between Imholte and Briggs following the latter's resignation in 1969.
David Johnson's materials are arranged alphabetically and by year. As with Imholte's records, Johnson's exchange of letters with Rodney Briggs is of interest. Johnson's correspondence touches upon a variety of other issues, and these range from faculty affairs, the college's relationship to the Morris business community, donors and fund-raising, parental complaints, etc. Taken together, Johnson's materials reveal the wide variety of problems and challenges--some trivial and others of great significance--faced by the chancellor in the 1990s.
The vast majority of materials are personal correspondence. Other records include handwritten notes, reports, memorandum, pamphlets and brochures.