Walter L. Powers Papers, 1947-1966

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Powers, Walter L.
Title
Walter L. Powers Papers
Dates
1947-1966 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.6 linear feet
Collection Number
SPC 988-0288 (collection)
Summary
Collection contains records maintained by Powers, professor in the Applied Psychology Dept. while he was active in college and department governance. Includes information about the William B. Reese controversy.
Repository
Eastern Washington University
Archives & Special Collections
Eastern Washington University Libraries
320 Media Lane - 100 LIB
Cheney, WA
99004-2453
Telephone: 5093592475
archives@ewu.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

The Walter L. Powers Papers include the Faculty Organization minutes and correspondence pertinent to the Willam B. (Red) Reese controversy. William Reese had been a member of the Eastern Washington College faculty since 1930 and was announced as a candidate for head of the Division of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1951. This created a controversy because there was debate over whether Reese met the minimum requirements for the position, chiefly that he did not have a masters degree. Then, an April 1953 catalog announced that Reese was a full professor holding a Master of Education. Questioning of Reeses completion of the masters degree caused an investigation by the Faculty Organization, culminating in the resignation of several staff and a no confidence vote on the administration by faculty and students.

Results of the controversy included: 1) Dr. Otis Freeman's resignation ; 2) Clearing of the records of eight faculty accused of "insubordination, unprofessional conduct, and behavior detrimental to the college" and a cash settlement for five of these faculty ; 3) Removal of Reese from the head of the Division of Health, Recreation, and Physical Education, though he was retained as Director of Athletics and coach of basketball and track; 4) Strengthening of the Faculty Organization; 5) Passage of a state law requiring a five-member board of trustees for each of the colleges of education.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains minutes, memoranda, and correspondence of a number of administrative groups at Eastern Washington College including: the Faculty Organization, the Education Division, the Social Science Division; the 1950 Faculty Workshop; the 1950 Faculty Representative Committee; and 1954 By-laws. Also includes documentation of staff promotion, salary and benefit policies from 1948-1951.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Use of this collection is subject to the rules concerning access to archival and manuscript collections at Eastern Washington University. For more information, see: http://www.ewu.edu/Library/Services/Archives.xml

Copyright restrictions may apply. For more information or permission to publish, contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475, or archives@ewu.edu

Preferred Citation

Walter L. Powers Papers; SPC 988-0288; box number; folder number; Archives & Special Collections, Eastern Washington University.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection includes two distinct groupings of papers from two time periods: 1947-1954 and 1959-1966.

Powers' original order of filing of the 1947-1954 papers has been significantly altered. These papers were a compilation of loose papers and notebooks including: reverse chronologically ordered Faculty Organization minutes, agendas, memoranda, correspondence; 1953 Education Division minutes; 1953 Social Science Division minutes; 1950 Faculty Workshop minutes; 1950 Faculty Representative Committee; 1954 By-laws; and staff promotion, salary and benefit policies from 1948-1951. Also included was a reverse chronologically ordered record of minutes followed by a reverse chronologically ordered set of correspondence kept by Francis Hyde in 1953. A separate notebook (author unknown) chronicled the events of the William Reese controversy. A Faculty Organization file kept by Dr. William H. Drummond was also included. The 1953 Education Division minutes, 1953 Social Science Division minutes, 1950 Faculty Workshop minutes, 1950 Faculty Representative Committee, the staff promotion, salary and benefits policies and the 1954 By-laws were all pulled and filed separately in chronological order. The Faculty Organization minutes and the agendas and Francis Hyde’s minutes were combined in chronological order as were the correspondence from these sets of records. The chronicle of the Reese controversy was recopied from its original thermofax paper and filed in its original order. The minutes and correspondence of the Faculty Organization file kept by Dr. William H. Drummond was ordered chronologically and combined with the previous compilation; all duplicates were removed from these files. The remainder of Dr. Drummond's file was maintained separately.

Powers' original ordering of the 1959-1966 papers required little rearrangement. It was originally organized into the following three groups, filed reversed chronologically: the 1959-1966 Education Division minutes, agendas and correspondence; the 1959-1966 Psychology Dept. minutes, agendas, and correspondence; and the 1964-1966 Division or Education and Psychology minutes, agendas, and correspondence. A fourth group, the 1963-1966 Education Dept. minutes, was created and filed separately. All groups were then ordered chronologically.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by William L. Powers in 1988.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • College teachers--Washington (State)--Spokane

Personal Names

  • Powers, Walter L. (creator)
  • Reese, W. B. (William B.)

Corporate Names

  • Eastern Washington State College. Academic Senate
  • Eastern Washington State College. Applied Psychology Dept.
  • Eastern Washington State College. Division of Education and Psychology
  • Eastern Washington State College. Faculty Affairs Council

Form or Genre Terms

  • bylaws (administrative records)
  • correspondence
  • memorandums
  • minutes