NTDMG381.xml Guide to the Allen Sheeley Janssen Papers1928-1974 Janssen (Allen Sheeley) Papers Finding aid prepared by Judith Nielsen Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives ©1997 Encoded by ArchProteus2003 Finding aid is in English Overview of the Collection University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives MG381 Allen Sheeley Janssen, 1908-1983 Allen Sheeley Janssen Papers 1928-1974 4.0 cubic feet Personal and professional papers of engineering professor Allen Janssen concerning administration, teaching, research, and civic activities. English

Allen Sheeley Janssen was born in Boise, Idaho, September 12, 1908, the son of Alfred E. and Edna M. (Sheeley) Janssen. After graduating from Boise High School he attended the University of Idaho, earning a B (Arch) in 1930, a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1933, and his M.S. in Civil Engineering in 1937.

Following his graduation in 1930, he worked for the Idaho Department of Highways. In 1931 he returned to the university as an instructor in the Civil Engineering Department. He continued teaching at the university for over forty years, becoming dean of the College of Engineering in 1946. He resigned as dean in 1967, but continued to teach half-time until his retirement in 1972. While at the university he served on the Academic Council, Research Council, Research Foundation, Patent Committee and Water Resources Committee; he was also faculty advisor to the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity from 1936 to 1956.

While teaching he also acted as consultant and designer on many civil engineering projects, with emphasis on highway work, materials of construction, and construction and analysis research. He also worked as a field draftsman for the Idaho Department of Highways from 1930 to 1946. After his semi-retirement from the university he worked part-time as an office engineer for Pacific Consultants.

He interrupted his teaching during World War II (1942-1946) when, as part of the 55th Naval Construction Battalion, Civil Engineering Corps. he spent two and a half years in the Seabees constructing overseas bases in the South Pacific, and a year and a half in research and development work with the Bureau of Yards and Docks in Washington, D.C.

He was the author of a dozen published works and a member of numerous professional organizations and fraternities, holding regional offices in many of them. His honors and awards include a Distinguished Service Certificate from the National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners (1957), Engineer of the Year award given by the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers (1959), Engineer of Merit commendation from the Spokane Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (1965), and Outstanding Service to the Community award given by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce. In 1972 the new engineering building at the University of Idaho was named after him.

In 1947 he was elected to the Idaho State Board of Engineering Examiners to fill the unexpired term of Jesse Buchanan, who resigned upon assuming the Presidency of the University of Idaho. Janssen continued on this board until his resignation in May 1968.

He was also active in community affairs, serving as chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Chamber of Commerce (1969-1972), on the Board of Trustees of the Moscow School District (1948-1953), as a member of the Board of Directors for the Highway District, and on the Technical Advisor Committee for the Regional Airport (1969-January 1972). He was active in the Republican Party and was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

He married Ada Jones on July 14, 1930, in Logan, Utah; they had two children, a son Alfred and a daughter Sheila. Janssen suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and died at the Good Samaritan Village in Moscow on December 26, 1983.

The papers of Allen Janssen span the years 1928 to 1974, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1930 to 1960. Included are papers related to his activities at the University of Idaho, personal papers, including military service, and papers concerning investigations and research.

Additional papers of Allen Janssen, totaling 11 cubic feet, are located in MG 149.

The papers of Allen Janssen were in labeled file folders which were removed from file cabinets in the Department of Civil Engineering. Using the file drawer labels as guides, the papers were easily divided into three series: University Related, Personal, and Reports, Investigations, Research. Although the contents were transferred to acid neutral folders, all folder headings were retained. The folders retain their original alphabetical sequence, and no attempt was made to rearrange the material within the folders.

Series one contains university related material. Included are reports from committees on which Janssen served, correspondence, financial and other records from the Delta Tau Delta fraternity to which he was faculty advisor, material concerning the department of civil engineering, and talks which Janssen gave to other classes about the importance of engineering.

Personal papers are contained in series two and include material on his time in the navy, military courses taken in later years, and correspondence with organizations to which he belonged.

The third series contains materials related to research on the use of asphalt and concrete, primarily as used in road building, as well as other areas of interest.

Printed books and documents, both state and federal, and duplicates of near print material were removed from the collection; this reduced the records by two cubic feet.

The Records of Allen Janssen were transferred to the University of Idaho Library by the Department of Civil Engineering between March 1989 and August 1992.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Idaho Colleges and Universities Janssen, Allen S.--Archives. University of Idaho -- Faculty -- Records and correspondence Engineers -- Idaho -- Correspondence Detailed Description of the Collection Series I. University Related Papers 1928-1974 1/1 Academic Council 1959-1950 35 items 1/2 Accrediting committee (NICE inspection trip) 1946 3 items 1/3 All University Day 1942-1951 5 items 1/4 Alpha Phi wall 1940 3 items 1/5 Alumni 1938-1940 2 items 1/6 American Society for Testing Materials 1937-1940 7 items 1/7 American Society of Civil Engineers 1934-1942 28 items 1/8 Architects, State Board of Examiners 1941-1943 9 items 1/9 Asphalt Institute 1937-1942 25 items 1/10 Beta Chi Corporation 1947-1958 105 items 1/11 Beta Chi Corporation, Building loan fund ledger 1925-1933 1 item 1/12 Catalog changes 1957 1 item 1/13 Civil Engineering 160 undated 1 item 1/14 Civil Engineering 203 1947-1952 5 items 1/15 Civil Engineering 241 1948 2 items 1/16 Civil Engineering curriculum 1946 3 items 1/17-18 College of Engineering 1941-1943 79 items 1/19 College of Engineering, Administrative memos 1939-1946 9 items 1/20 College of Engineering, Alumni letters 1928-1941 4 items 1/21 College of Engineering, Alumni news and addresses 1946 4 items 1/22 College of Engineering, Applications for work 1947 7 items 1/23 College of Engineering, Budget requests 1945 6 items 1/24 College of Engineering, Letters 1934-1939 50 items 1/25 College of Engineering, Miscellaneous 1935-1935 5 items 1/26 College of Engineering, Notes 1946-1947 1 item 1/27 Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Delta Mu chapter by-laws November 1946 1 item 1/28 Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Financial (Beta Chi bond) 1936-1946 21 items 1/29 Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Pledges 1949-1954 14 items 1/30-39 Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. General 1946-1959 482 items 1/40 Dormitory Planning Committee 1947 2 items 1/41 Emergency Classroom and Office Space Committee 1946 15 items 1/42 Engineering inspection trip 1935 11 items 1/43 Engineering report grading 1939-1947 9 items 1/44 Engineering student activities 1933-1936 15 items 1/45 Engineering student list 1930-1936 9 items 1/46 Engineer's show 1933-1942 5 items 1/47 Examinations and absences 1952-1953 8 items 1/48 Exams 1929-1938 20 items 1/49 Extension and short courses 1939-1956 6 items 1/50 Faculty personnel reports 1954 31 items 1/51 Farm Electrification Committee 1968 1 item 1/52 Fluorescent lighting, Engineering drawing building 1946-1947 15 items 1/53 Freshman conferences 1944-1960 25 items 1/54 Freshman students, Carnegie tests 1940-1944 22 items 1/55 Graduate picture display 1947 13 items 1/56 Guidance - Testing 1938-1948 32 items 1/57 Highway conference 1940 4 items 1/58 History - College of Engineering 1920-1946 9 items 1/59-60 Idaho Society of Engineers 1938-1942 100 items 2/61 Idaho Society of Engineers, Publications, Idaho Engineer 1939-1942 71 items 2/62-63 Idaho Society of Engineers, Northern Section 1940-1942 196 items 2/64 Informal Engineering faculty meetings 1947-1948 14 items 2/65 In-service training 1939-1950 21 items 2/66 Letters to high school students & parents 1941-1956 31 items 2/67 Library 1938-1941 25 items 2/68 List of officials 1939-1946 12 items 2/69 Materials school 1948 17 items 2/70 Materials testing lab, CE 103 manual undated 4 items 2/71 Mechanics special committee 1957-1960 53 items 2/72 Nuclear engineering 1950-1952 6 items 2/73 NYA 1951 6 items 2/74 Patent policy 1947 4 items 2/75 Personnel Records 1941 15 items 2/76 Pre-engineering testing program 1947-1954 16 items 2/77 President Buchanan matters to discuss 1952-1954 46 items 2/78 President's committee, area IV 1957 31 items 2/79 Radio talk 1951 1 item 2/80 Recommendations 1937-1961 152 items 2/81-92 Registration 1936-1951 329 items 2/93 Student personnel practice 1941-1951 6 items 2/94 Salary data 1946-1955 19 items 2/95 Sigma Tau 1939-1947 3 items 2/96 Sigma Xi 1949-1950 36 items 2/97 Sigma Xi 1969-1974 20 items 2/98 Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, Reports 1936-1939 9 items 2/99 Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, Northwest meeting, Moscow April 24-25, 1936 16 items 2/100 Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, Idaho 1936 18 items 2/101 Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, Oregon 1940 5 items 2/102 Speech training survey 1951 2 items 2/103 Student employment 1938-1941 21 items 2/104 Student Union Building Committee 1950 13 items 2/105 Statistical data 1935-1945 9 items 2/106 Suggestions from seniors 1946-1963 63 items 2/107 Talk to Dr. Giles guidance institute 1961 2 items 2/108 Talk to education classes 1952 3 items 2/109 Talks to high school students 1954 3 items 2/110 Teaching loads 1937-1948 33 items 2/111 Testimonials 1952-1954 11 items 2/112 Transfer students 1951 1 item 2/113 Water and sewage short course 1947-1948 9 items 2/114 Water Resources Research Institute 1965 3 items Series II. Personal Papers 1930-1971 3/115-116 Aerial bombardment protection course, New York University 1942 22 items 3/117 American Concrete Institute, C-115 committee 1938-1971 19 items 3/118 American Institute of Steel Construction 1938-1942 7 items 3/119-120 American Society of Civil Engineers 1949-1971 118 items 3/121 Applications, work experience 1930-1942 11 items 3/122 Certificates 1968 2 items 3/123-125 Correspondence 1934-1942 135 items 3/126 Industrial Committee, Chamber of Commerce 1948 4 items 3/127 Miscellaneous 1949-1973 29 items 3/128 Moscow School Board 1948 7 items 3/129 National Society of Professional Engineers 1950-1952 17 items 3/130 Navy: Application 1942 38 items 3/131 Navy: 55th review 1945-1956 103 items 3/132 Navy: 55th Seabees reunion 1954 2 items 3/133 Navy: Civil Engineer Corps 1947-1963 39 items 3/134 Navy: Civil Engineer Officers School 1948-1950 47 items 3/135 Navy: Naval law - correspondence course 1949 1 item 3/136 Navy: Office of Naval Research 1948-1949 9 items 3/137 Navy: Orders 1942-1946 60 items 3/138 Navy: Seminar, Port Hueneme, CA November 1949 9 items 3/139 Navy: Separation papers 1946-1948 16 items 3/140 Northwest Scientific Association 1939 4 items 3/141-142 Sons of the American Revolution, Idaho Society 1948-1971 118 items 3/143 Talks to various groups 1946-1961 15 items Series III. Reports, Investigations, Research 1931-1949 3/144 Airports 1938-1939 9 items 3/145 Moscow 1947-1948 15 items 3/146 Alkali content - cement 1940-1941 5 items 3/147 Asphalt 1937 2 items 3/148 Asphalt mixtures 1939 2 items 3/149 Base stabilization correspondence 1939-1940 5 items 3/150 Bearing test 1937-1938 17 items 3/151 Boise laboratory reports 1940-1941 5 items 3/152 Byers, A.M. & Co. (wrought iron) 1941-1944 10 items 3/153 Cement 1935-1942 5 items 3/154 Cement for Umatilla ordnance depot 1941 22 items 3/155 Cement, heat of setting 1933 2 items 3/156 Codes 1933 6 items 3/157 Concrete: Durability 1931 14 items 3/158 Concrete: General 1932-1940 10 items 3/159 Concrete: Mix design chart 1933-1942 23 items 4/160 Concrete: Proportioning 1939-1941 13 items 4/161 Concrete: Proportioning, bibliography undated 3 items 4/162 Concrete: Properties 1941 3 items 4/163 Concrete: Strength, relationship - 7 & 28 days 1939-1940 1 item 4/164 Design notes 1935-1936 43 items 4/165 Duthie Co. warehouse, Lewiston 1935 10 items 4/166 Geological classification 1941 7 items 4/167 Highway Research Board 1939-1943 7 items 4/168 Highway study committee, Chamber of Commerce 1948-1950 57 items 4/169 Highway district reorganization 1945-1949 12 items 4/170 Memorial Gym stone and miscellaneous 1928 3 items 4/171 Mine tailings 1938-1939 8 items 4/172 Miscellaneous projects 1932-1933 2 items 4/173 Mud Mountain Dam (Boyd Walter) 1940-1941 14 items 4/174 National Board of Fire Underwriters 1941-1942 4 items 4/175 Oil - Aggregate 1939 3 items 4/176 Oil mix design 1942 7 items 4/177 Paving (concrete) study, Report 2A 1937-1941 14 items 4/178 Portland Cement Association 1934-1942 11 items 4/179 Proctor test (Reference CE 112) 1939-1941 12 items 4/180 Research cylinder capper soil compression device 1935 1 item 4/181 Sands, Commercial 1936-1939 8 items 4/182 Soil-cement airports undated 2 items 4/183 Soil conservation service, shear test 1940 4 items 4/184 Soil mechanics conference, Purdue 1940 15 items 4/185 Soils: Mechanical analysis 1937 40 items 4/186 Specifications: Road oils 1940 2 items 4/187 Special investigations and reports 1941 1 item 4/188 Slide investigation 1937 16 items 4/189 Stripping: Furfural article 1940-1941 12 items 4/190 Stripping: Furfural correspondence, data 1940-1942 38 items 4/191 Stripping tests: Jacobs' thesis 1939-1940 5 items 4/192 Stripping tests: Miscellaneous 1936-1940 6 items 4/193 Surveys undated 3 items 4/194 Timber Engineering Company 1938-1942 23 items 4/195 Waterproofing 1938-1945 9 items 4/196 Welding, Bibliography undated 4 items 4/197 West Coast Lumberman's Association 1942 5 items 4/198 Wood: drying of wood undated 2 items