|
|
| Records of the Presidential Assistants
(Group 3) |
| [9] Papers of William F. Bohn,
1910 (1913-44) -1953, 20 ft. 6 in. |
|
Biographical Note
William F. Bohn (1878-1947) received three degrees from Oberlin
(A.B. 1900, B.D. 1905, and A.M. 1908) and an honorary doctor of
divinity degree from Bates College (1921). During the administrations
of Presidents Henry C. King and Ernest H. Wilkins, Bohn was secretary
to the president (1905-1913) and assistant to the president (1913-1944).
His primary duties were raising funds for scholarships and new buildings
and strengthening the endowment through the annual-fund drive and
the Capital Campaign of 1923. He helped develop several academic
departments, including the Department of Physical Education for
Women and the Department of Religion. Bohn was a trustee of the
First Church in Oberlin and the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association
and president of the Oberlin Village Improvement Society.
Scope and Content
The Bohn papers, which primarily span three decades, are divided
into eight series. Documentation on Bohn’s fund-raising activities
during the administrations of King and Wilkins is found in the general
files (correspondence) and the series fund raising (covering the
1923 campaign). Bohn was responsible for funds given by and in memory
of such women as Mrs. Elisabeth Severance Allen Prentiss (1865-1944).
Some gifts were earmarked for uses benefiting women, such as scholarships,
buildings, and lecture series (e.g., the Nellie Heldt Lecture Fund).
Women’s issues—including the changing role of women, segregation
in dormitories, the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association, and the
Women’s Physical Education Department—are detailed in
the annual reports and the correspondence series. The Bohn papers
contain significant documentation on the celebration of coeducation,
as well as transcripts of two chapel talks given by Mildred McAfee
(b. 1900), dean of women at Oberlin at the time. (She went on to
become president of Wellesley College.) There also is information
on Kathryn Newell Adams (1876-1966), who was president of Constantinople
Women’s College from 1924 to 1931. Other materials include
lists of black graduates prominent in public affairs and education;
honorary degrees given between 1911 and 1932; freshman honors lists
for some years between 1911 and 1934; the percentages of men and
women graduating Phi Beta Kappa, 1838-1912; an occupational distribution
of graduates, 1924-1934;the number of men and women involved in
missionary work, 1833-1912;and the amount of financial aid received
by students, 1930-1952.
The Bohn files also contain Oberlin printed materials covering
such topics as drinking, dancing, smoking, dating, and the religious
attitudes of the Oberlin community. There is an article by Bohn
titled “Oberlin and Suffrage” (1915).
|
| [10] Papers of Charles Whiting
Williams, 1904-1912, 5 ft. 2 in. |
|
Biographical Note
Charles Whiting Williams (1878-1975) was awarded the A.B. degree
in 1899 and the A.M. degree in 1911 from Oberlin College. He was
assistant to President Henry C. King (1858-1934) from 1904 to 1912.
He was named executive secretary of the Federation of Charity and
Philanthropy (later the Cleveland Welfare Federation) in 1912, a
position he held from 1913 to 1917. Thereafter, Williams held a
variety of other posts; his experiences as an author and lecturer
in the field of social work and industrial labor relations drew
on this earlier work.
Scope and Content
This collection, arranged alphabetically, consists of correspondence
and records pertaining to donations, organizations, and the student
body. A list of donors (1908-1911) includes the names of women who
funded various college needs, including scholarships for female
students, the library, the art museum, the Living Endowment Fund,
and different college divisions. Also included is information about
the Camp Fire Girls and the YWCA. Reports concerning women include
an analysis of the course work completed by the student body and
a list of specific scholarship recipients.
|
| [11] Papers of Harold S. Wood,
1942 (1944-48) -1953, 2 ft. 5 in. |
|
Biographical Note
Harold S. Wood (b. 1898), was awarded the A.B. degree from Oberlin
College in 1923, the A.M. degree from Ohio State University in 1937,
and an honorary A.M. degree from Wesleyan University in 1939. Before
serving as assistant to Presidents Ernest H. Wilkins (1880-1966)
and William E. Stevenson (1900-1985) from 1944 to 1948, he was a
member of Ohio State University’s Department of Physical Education
(1926-1937) and chairman of Wesleyan University’s Department
of Physical Education (1937-1944). His responsibilities at Oberlin
were mainly financial, including the development of funds for new
dormitories. He became a vice president at Beloit College after
leaving Oberlin.
Scope and Content
The correspondence and reports in this administrative file concern
gifts, residential life, postwar plans for Oberlin, and alumni.
The gifts were for scholarships and money given by and for women.
Residential life files include information on conditions in and
regulations of women’s dormitories and on smoking legislation
(1933-1946), as well as a list of women’s dormitories and the
minutes of the Residences and Dining Halls Committee. The alumni
reports include a list of graduates working in government service
in 1943-44, statistics on blacks enrolled at different times, and
a list of alumni working in the media compiled in 1953.
|
| [12] Papers of Bayley F. Mason,
1971-1974. 4 ft. 7 in. |
|
Biographical Note
Bayley F. Mason (b. 1930) received the A.B. degree from Harvard
University in 1951. Before his appointment as administrative vice
president to President Robert W. Fuller (b. 1936), Mason was employed
by Harvard in various capacities. Between 1971 and 1974 his main
duties at Oberlin included the development and management of college
resources and the supervision and coordination of the administrative
activities of the business of fice, development department, and
public relations with alumni. Mason left Oberlin in 1974 to become
vice president of resources at Boston University.
Scope and Content
The collection, arranged chronologically and alphabetically, contains
information a number of topics, including the status of women, standards
for women in higher education, affirmative action, the Oberlin Women’s
Service Center, funds restricted for use by women, and student life.
One file contains biographical data on participants of a program
for Native American women students. The Placement and Graduate Counsel’s
Report (1971-1973), the Class of 1973 Occupational Summary, and
an occupational summary of College and Conservatory graduates for
the years 1968 to 1973, also contain useful statistical data.
|
|
