Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Robert Fluno Papers, 1952-1990
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Fluno, Robert Younger
- Title
- Robert Fluno Papers
- Dates
- 1952-1990 (inclusive)19521990
- Quantity
- 5.7 linear feet, (6 boxes)
- Collection Number
- WCMss.028
- Summary
- This collection contains writings, curricular materials, and documents regarding the political activities of Robert Fluno, a Whitman College political science professor.
- Repository
-
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Robert Younger Fluno was born on November 27, 1916 in Appleton, Wisconsin. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rollins College in 1938. Fluno went on to study at the American University in Washington, D.C. from 1938-1940; University of Minnesota from 1946-48; and the London School of Economics and Political Science from 1950-51; finally earning his doctorate of philosophy in 1952 from the University of Minnesota. During his study he taught political science at the University of Minnesota (1947-48) and Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio (1948-52). He accepted a position at Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA in 1952, where he served a 30-year tenure until his retirement in 1982. He was married to artist and poet, Ruth Fluno in 1944, until her death in 1974; and was remarried to Marcella Kerins in 1979.
During Fluno's tenure at Whitman College, he was an active professor and advisor for the student body, serving as a pre-law advisor and Chairman of the Political Science Department, organizing a number of symposiums and seminars and, perhaps most notably, serving as the advisor to Whitman Political Union. The Whitman Political Union was formed in 1954-55, following the success of the Workshop in Practical Politics in April, 1954 and the Intercollegiate Mock Political Convention in March, 1956. The Political Union remained active for approximately twenty-five years as a bipartisan group fostering political awareness and student involvement. The group sponsored annual Mock Conventions, Student Legislatures, as well as a number of political speakers, and an annual seminar—Roots of Contemporary Democracy which ran annually from 1961-1969. In April, 1990, The Whitman Political Union held a reunion of its former participants who had been identified through listings in articles from the Whitman Pioneer (1952-1958). The reunion was organized by Sally Rodgers, Robb Ball, and Robert Fluno. Fluno was the keynote speaker.
Shortly after the Political Union Reunion, Robert Younger Fluno died on October 6, 1990, at the age of 73 in his home in Berkeley, CA.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains Robert Fluno's writings and curriculum proposals and records the leadership of the Political Union at Whitman College. Student work and unpublished writings record a wide-range of educational processes. The collection provides a record of the political and social dimensions of political science education.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
1: Political Union and Politics, 1952-1990, (bulk 1952-1973) Return to Top
This series contains materials regarding the Political Union. The Union sponsored several mock conventions and hosted a semiannual political-awareness series entitled "Roots of Contemporary Democracy." Fluno and the Political Union were also instrumental in the organization of the Cordiner Symposium, which featured panels of guest scholars who spoke on a series of social issues. Programs for events and speakers are included along with correspondence and letters nationally recognized political leaders. The series holds a scrapbook of Political Union activities that includes a lengthy explanation of goals and aims of the Political Union. This series also includes the plans and correspondence surrounding the Political Union Reunion in 1990.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Cordiner Symposium |
1968-1969 |
1 | 2 | Cordiner Symposium |
1970-1971 |
1 | 3 | Cordiner Symposium -- Invitation Letters |
1971 |
1 | 4 | Cordiner Symposium |
1971-1972 |
1 | 5 | Cordiner Symposium -- Committee and Arrangement |
1972-1973 |
1 | 6 | Cordiner Symposium -- Publication |
1972-1973 |
1 | 7 | Cordiner Symposium -- Speakers |
1972-1973 |
1 | 8 | "Pioneer" Clippings, Political Union and Political Involvement |
circa 1952-1969 |
1 | 9 | Political Union Programs, "Name" Speakers Correspondence |
1956-1961 |
1 | 10 | Political Union Programs, 1954 Workshop |
1954 |
1 | 11 | Political Union Programs, 1956 Convention |
1956 |
1 | 12 | Political Union Programs, 1957 Legislature |
1957 |
1 | 13 | Political Union Programs, 1960 Convention |
1960 |
1 | 14 | Political Union Programs, 1961 Legislature |
1961 |
1 | 15 | Political Union Programs, 1962 Legislature |
1962 |
1 | 16 | Political Union Programs, 1964 Convention |
1964 |
1 | 17 | Political Union Programs, 1965 Legislature |
1965 |
1 | 18 | Political Union Programs, 1966 Legislature |
1966 |
1 | 19 | Political Union Programs, 1968 Convention |
1968 |
1 | 20-21 | Political Union Reunion |
circa 1988-1990 |
object | |||
2 | 7 | Political Union Scrapbook |
1954-1958 |
Folder | |||
3 | 1 | Political Union, Misc. |
circa 1959-1970 |
3 | 2 | Roots of Contemporary Democracy |
1961-1962 |
3 | 3 | Roots of Contemporary Democracy |
1962-1963 |
3 | 4 | Roots of Contemporary Democracy |
1963-1964 |
3 | 5 | Roots of Contemporary Democracy |
1964-1965 |
3 | 6 | Roots of Contemporary Democracy |
1965-1966 |
3 | 7 | Roots of Contemporary Democracy |
1969 |
2: Education and Curriculum, 1952-1981Return to Top
Fluno was highly involved in the Political Science Department at Whitman College. This series contains his writings and proposals regarding both college and department issues. Correspondence between faculty and president and several publications regarding educational reform are included. Fluno was active in creating a progressive, "hands-on" course for political science majors which he entitled "Government In-Action Seminar." Included are student projects from these classes as well as syllabi and Fluno's final reports on the case studies.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
3 | 8 | Address to Political Science Majors |
1962 |
3 | 9 | Case Studies -- "Reapportionment in Washington State" and "Premier Bennett, Frontier Diplomat" |
1965-1967 |
3 | 10 | Columbia River Treaty Case, sample case study, Randall Nelson |
1965-1966 |
3 | 11 | Curricular proposals by Fluno |
1952-1981 |
3 | 12 | "Dean" Issue |
1964-1966 |
3 | 13 | Hanford Reactor Case (no student copies) |
1963-1964 |
3 | 14 | Letters to the Editor—regarding Whitman College and education |
1960-1974 |
3 | 15 | Oregon State Tax Battle, 1967, sample case study by Larry Amburgey |
1968-1969 |
3 | 16 | Oregon Tax Referral Case, 1963, sample case study by Robert Lawton |
1964-1965 |
3 | 17 | Political Internships -- Jackson |
1965-1981; undated |
3 | 18 | Political Science Curriculum |
1952-1981 |
4 | 1 | Reapportionment in Wash. State after 1970, sample case study by Terry Abeyta |
1972-1973 |
4 | 2 | School Budget, Washington State, case study report by Lynn DeFrees |
1962-1963 |
4 | 3 | Syllabi |
1962-1981 |
4 | 4 | Tax Reform in Washington State, sample case study by Larry Johnson |
1970-1971 |
4 | 5 | Wash. State Budget, 1961, case study by Sharon Johnson |
1961-1962 |
4 | 6 | Wash. State Public Disclosure Law, sample case study by Lars Johnson |
1974-1975 |
4 | 7 | Wash. State Reapportionment, 1962-65, sample case study by Thomas Church |
1966-1967 |
4 | 8 | Wash. State School Levy Issue, sample case study by Kathy Holden |
1976-1977 |
4 | 9 | Whitman—Curriculum. Papers on Political Education |
1960-1974; undated |
4 | 10 | Writing—on education, etc. Papers on Political and Liberal Arts Education |
1963-1975 |
3: Writings and Publications, 1953-1990Return to Top
This series contains several unpublished manuscripts of Fluno's writings and several reprints of published articles and book reviews.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
4 | 11 | Book Reviews |
1957-1978 |
4 | 12 | Conversation among Liberals (Unpublished Manuscript) |
undated |
4 | 13 | Manuscript, How Deep is the Court in Politics |
1957 |
4 | 14 | Periodical Publications |
1953-1983; undated |
5 | 1-11 | Politics and Principle (Unpublished Manuscript) |
circa 1990 |
4: Miscellaneous, 1957-1990Return to Top
This series includes personal correspondence, articles regarding Fluno's travel and personal life, and obituary and funeral information. Also included are several published and unpublished photographs of Fluno, WWII medals, a commemorative letter book, and travel photograph albums.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
5 | 12 | Articles on Fluno |
1957-1982; undated |
5 | 13 | Correspondence |
1978-1990 |
5 | 14 | Miscellaneous |
1990; undated |
5 | 15 | Obituary |
1990 |
5 | 16 | Photographs |
undated |
5 | 17 | Vita |
circa 1971 |
object | |||
6 | 1-2 | Travel scrapbooks |
1950, 1963 |
6 | 3-7 | Drawings and photographs |
1934-1960 |
2 | 1 | 25 year commemorative letter book |
1977 |
2 | 2 | Town Gown award |
1979 |
2 | 3 | Photograph album of trip to Europe |
1967-1973 |
2 | 4 | Photograph album of trip to Bengal |
1957 |
2 | 5 | Photograph album of Robert Fluno's retirement and alumni weekend |
1981 |
2 | 6 | World War Two medals |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Corporate Names
- Whitman College