The Finding Aid of the Earl Vivon Pullias Papers 0009
Jessica Geiser and Jamie Henricks
The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National
Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
April 2012
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA, 90263-4786
kelsey.knox@pepperdine.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
Title: Earl Vivon Pullias Papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0009
Physical Description:
20.19 Linear Feet
(34 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1910-2009
Date (bulk): 1928-1991
Abstract: Earl Vivon Pullias was a professor, administrator and scholar of higher education. The collection includes materials that
document his positions at Pepperdine College and the University of Southern California, his academic career and research on
higher education, and his personal and family life. Materials in the collection range from the 1910s to the early 2000s.
Physical Location: Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], Earl Vivon Pullias papers, Collection no. 0009, Special Collections and University Archives, University
Libraries, Pepperdine University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The majority of the material was given to the University Archives around the time of Pullias's death. Further materials were
donated by Patsy Lovell Trowbridge on April 7, 2010.
Biographical note
Earl Vivon Pullias was born on March 12, 1907 in Castalian Springs, Tennessee. He attended David Lipscomb College, and then
transferred to Cumberland University, where he received his BA in 1928. After graduating, he taught English and served as
assistant principal at Hardy Memorial School in Richard City, Tennessee, from 1928 to 1930. During this time, Pullias met
his wife Pauline, who also taught at the school, and they married in 1930.
Pullias left Hardy Memorial School to attend the University of Chicago, where he received his Masters in Education in 1931.
He went on to attend Duke University, where he studied for his doctorate while also teaching courses part-time at the university.
Pullias received his PhD in Educational Psychology from Duke in 1936, and continued to work at the school as an instructor,
as well as an Assistant Psychologist at the Duke Hospital Psychiatric Clinic.
In 1938, Earl and Pauline moved to Los Angeles, California, in order for him to begin work as a Professor of Psychology at
Pepperdine College. In 1940, he also began serving as the Dean of Faculty at Pepperdine, while continuing to teach courses.
Pullias also taught courses in the summers at the University of Southern California (USC) as a visiting professor beginning
in 1940.
In 1957, Pullias left Pepperdine and took a permanent position as a Professor of Higher Education at USC, where he helped
found the Department of Higher and Postsecondary Education. He taught there until his
retirement in 1977, whereupon he became a Professor Emeritus of Higher Education. While at USC, he also
established a series of colloquiums on higher education, known as the Pullias Colloquiums, which occurred
annually from 1965 to 1977.
In addition to his career as a professor, Pullias was also involved in many other education organizations. He served on the
Los Angeles County Board of Education from 1954 to 1977, as well as the California Commission on
Higher Education from 1960 to 1966. Pullias was also a prolific author, writing numerous research articles on
education, as well as several books. His most famous book,
A Teacher is Many Things, was translated into nine languages, and other works include
A Search for Understanding,
Toward Excellence in College Teaching and
A Common Sense Philosophy for Modern Man: A Search for Fundamentals.
In 1978, after Pullias's retirement, an annual lectureship series was established at USC in his name.
The Pullias Lecture continues today, and is the oldest endowed lectureship series on higher education in the
United States. In February of 2012, the USC Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis was renamed in Pullias's
honor, and is now known as the Earl and Pauline Pullias Center for Higher Education.
Earl and Pauline Pullias had two sons: Calvin, and John, who drowned in 1957. Pullias lived in Los
Angeles until his death on August 20th, 1994.
Scope and Content
The collection contains the personal and professional papers of Earl Pullias, including professional correspondence; copies
of speeches and related notes and programs; drafts and copies of published articles and books; files related to Pullias's
work as a student; notes and course materials from classes taught by Pullias; files related to his positions at Pepperdine
College and the University of Southern California; personal correspondence and writings; family and work-related photographs;
journals written by Pullias and his wife; personal memorabilia; and awards he received.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged within series by topic, with items arranged chronologically within a particular topic, unless otherwise
noted. The collection is organized in eleven series:
Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Speeches
Series 3: Publications
Series 4: Duke University & Educational Background
Series 5: Pepperdine College
Series 6: University of Southern California
Series 7: Personal Material
Series 8: Photographs
Series 9: Journals
Series 10: Memorabilia
Series 11: Awards
Processing Information
The collection was arranged and inventoried at the item-level by James Smythe in 1998. Smythe's original item-level inventories
are available by request. The collection was rearranged and described by Jessica Geiser and Jamie Henricks in April 2012,
to group similar materials together and create more appropriate series for the finding aid.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Brochures
Correspondence
Photographs
Programs
Plaques
Universities and colleges -- California -- History
Articles
Audiocassettes
Speeches, addresses, etc., American -- 20th century
Psychologists -- United States
Diaries
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History
Videocassettes
Education, Higher -- California
College administrators -- United States -- History
Hahn, James K.
Los Angeles County (Calif.). Board of Education
University of Southern California
Pullias, Earl Vivon
Duke University
University of Southern California. Dept. of Higher and Postsecondary Education
Hahn, Kenneth
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine College
box 1
Series 1:
Correspondence
1956-1990
Scope and Content
The series contains general correspondence related to Pullias' professional career as an educator and administrator. Topics
addressed in the series include speaking engagements, associations, his relationships with other colleges, student and peer
appreciation of his work, Los Angeles City Attorney James Hahn, and his trip to Iran in 1958.
box 1, folder 1-4
Letters of Recommendation
1957-1990
box 1, folder 5
Letters About His Consultations With Colleges
1972-1979
box 1, folder 6-7
Letters About Speaking Engagements
1957-1979
box 1, folder 8
Letters About The Western College Association
1956-1960
box 1, folder 9
Letters About The American Association of Christian Counselors
1977-1978
box 1, folder 10
Letters About His Monetary Donations to Colleges
1973-1987
box 1, folder 11
Letters About Cumberland College
1970-1985
box 1, folder 12
Letters of Appreciation to Pullias
1962-1975
box 1, folder 13
Letters of Appreciation for Awards He Had Received
1976-1977
box 1, folder 14
Letters About His Excellence as a Teacher
1965-1986
box 1, folder 15
Letters from City Attorney James Hahn
1984-1985
box 1, folder 16
Miscellaneous Letters
1958-1990
box 1, folder 17
Letters About His Trip to Iran
1958
box 2-3
Series 2:
Speeches
1956-1986
Scope and Content
The series contains notes, drafts, articles and programs related to speeches given by Pullias. The speech topics mostly concern
education, with specific emphasis on teachers, higher education, psychology, and individual growth.
Arrangement
No Subnote Content
box 2, folder 1
Speeches at Christian Colleges
1964-1969
box 2, folder 2-3
Speeches Related to Christian Colleges
1962-1976
box 2, folder 4
Challenges for Teachers
1959-1980
box 2, folder 6
Facing the Challenges of our Troubled Times
1970-1971
box 2, folder 7
Outdoor Education
undated
box 2, folder 10
The College As Community
1960
box 2, folder 11
The Individual in Modern Society
1961
box 2, folder 12
Public Education
1978-1979
box 2, folder 13
These Things Are Fundamental
1964-1968
box 2, folder 14
A Teacher is Many Things
1972-1984
box 2, folder 15
The Junior or Community Colleges
1967-1974
box 2, folder 16
Higher Education
1964-1982
box 3, folder 2
Some Things I Try to Remember
1972-1976
box 3, folder 3
Developing Excellence in Teaching
1961-1983
box 3, folder 4
For Physical Education Teachers
1969-1971
box 3, folder 5
The End of an Age
1973-1977
box 3, folder 6
Accreditation Talks to College Faculty
1966-1970
box 3, folder 7
Human Aspects of Education
1961-1975
box 3, folder 8
Education for Modern Man
1962-1966
box 3, folder 9
Speeches Related to Psychology
1956-1970
box 3, folder 11
Latter Day Saints' Faculty Workshop
1975
box 3, folder 13
Speeches for Individuals and Events
1967-1980
box 3, folder 14
Seventh Day Adventist's North Pacific Conference
1969
box 3, folder 15
Snow College Conferences
1960-1979
box 3, folder 16
Speeches on Miscellaneous Topics
1967-1975
box 3, folder 17
Interviews, Speech Plans and Invocations
1974-1986
box 4-8
Series 3:
Publications
1931-1984
Scope and Content
The series contains notes, drafts, articles and correspondence related to Pullias's planned and completed publications. Topics
in the series include bibliographies of Pullias's publications, planned books on aging and Christian education, ideas for
articles and books, and materials related to published books.
Also in the series are published copies of articles and books, including Pullias's master's thesis and PhD dissertation, signed
copies of his books, and various translations of
A Teacher is Many Things.
box 4, folder 1-6
Pullias's Books
1946-1984
box 5, folder 1-6
Translations of
A Teacher is Many Things
1968-1974
box 6, folder 1-2
Pullias's Thesis and Dissertation
1931,1936
box 6, folder 3-7
Pullias's Articles
1944-1982
box 6, folder 8
Bibliographies of Pullias's Publications
1932-1971
box 6, folder 9
The Educational Forum article: Teaching- A Profession or a Trade?
1940
box 7, folder 1
Planned Book on Aging
1973
box 7, folder 2
Planned Book on Christian Education
undated
box 7, folder 3
The Environment of Learning
undated
box 7, folder 4
Ideas for Articles and Books
1957-1961
box 7, folder 5-11
Items Related to
A Teacher is Many Things
1962-1983
box 7, folder 12-15
Items Related to
A Common Sense Philosophy for Modern Man
1967-1981
box 7, folder 16
Items Related to
Principles and Values for College and University Administration
1982-1985
box 8, folder 1-2
Letters About Articles & Reviews
1967-1979
box 8
Series 4:
Duke University & Educational Background
1928-1981
Scope and Content
The series contains correspondence, articles, coursework, notes, and other materials related to Pullias's graduate work and
teaching position at Duke University, including correspondence with Duke officials throughout his career. Also included in
the series are transcripts of Pullias's work from colleges and universities he attended, as well as materials concerning his
teaching credential.
box 8, folder 3
Materials Related to Pullias's Work as a Student
1928-1957
box 8, folder 4
Papers Pullias Wrote at Duke University
1933-1934
box 8, folder 5
Courses Pullias Taught at Duke University
1937
box 8, folder 6
Materials Pullias Collected at Duke University
1929-1937
box 8, folder 7
Pullias's Correspondence with Duke University
1957-1981
box 8, box 9-10
Series 5:
Pepperdine College
1930-1990
Scope and Content
The series contains correspondence, course materials, programs, and notes related to Pullias's years at Pepperdine College
as dean and a professor of psychology and education. Also included are audiocassettes of two lectures given by Pullias, and
an oral history of his time at Pepperdine.
box 8, folder 8-12
Pepperdine Publications
1937-1957
box 8, folder 13
Pullias's Correspondence
1930-1942
box 8, folder 14
Letters About Pullias Joining Pepperdine Faculty
1936-1939
box 8, folder 15
Pullias's First Roll Book at Pepperdine
1938
box 9, folder 1
Course Materials: Psychology 5A
1938
box 9, folder 2
Course Materials: Psychology 101B
undated
box 9, folder 3-4
Course Materials: Psychology 135 - Personality and Mental Hygiene
1933-1956
box 9, folder 5
Course Materials: Psychology 220 - History and Systems
1930-1954
box 9, folder 6
Course Materials: Education 403 - The Learning Process
undated
box 9, folder 7
Course Materials: Education 29 - The Psychology of the Exceptional Child
1938-1939
box 9, folder 9
Materials Related to Pepperdine Crisis
1957-1958
box 9, folder 10
Correspondence Related to Pepperdine
1960-1990
box 9, folder 11
Non-Pullias Letters About Pepperdine
1939-1948
box 9, folder 12-13
Miscellaneous Pepperdine Material
1940-1957
box 9, folder 14-15
Letters Pullias Kept
1946-1990
box 10, folder 1, box 9, folder 16, box 9, folder 17
Pullias's Notebooks, Audio-Cassettes and Video Cassette
1953-1984
box 10-15
Series 6:
University of Southern California
1956-1998
Scope and Content
The series contains correspondence, course materials, rollbooks, notes, reports, articles, programs, memorandums, and meeting
minutes related to Pullias's position as Professor of Higher Education at the University of Southern California. Also included
are programs, notes, correspondence, articles, lists of attendees, memorandums, and speech transcripts from the colloquiums
and lecture series named for Pullias.
box 10-13
Sub-series 6.1:
USC Courses
1958-1979
box 10
Pullias's Rollbooks
1958-1977
box 11, folder 1-3
Course Materials: Higher Education 680
1958-1975
box 11, folder 4-6
Course Materials: Higher Education 681
1962-1979
box 11, folder 7-9
Course Materials: Higher Education 684
1959-1977
box 12, folder 1-3
Course Materials: Higher Education 686
1958-1967
box 12, folder 4-9, box 13, folder 1-8
Student Papers on Their Learning Experience in Pullias's Courses
1966-1975
box 13, folder 9
Miscellaneous Course Materials
1969-1979
box 13-15
Sub-series 6.2:
USC Colloquiums and Lectureships
1965-1991
box 14, folder 1-7, box 13, folder 10-18
The Pullias Colloquiums
1965-1978
box 15, folder 1-7, box 14, folder 8-16
The Pullias Lectureships
1978-1991
box 15
Sub-series 6.3:
USC School of Higher Education
1956-1998
box 15, folder 8-14
Various Material About the USC School of Higher Education
1956-1998
box 15, folder 15
Special Report on the Doctoral Programs of the School of Education at USC
1965
box 15, folder 16
The Waite Phillips Hall of Education at USC
1968
box 15, folder 17
Faculty Reaction to the Revision of the Doctoral Programs of the School of Higher Education
1964
box 15, folder 18
Graduates of the Department of Higher Education at USC
1961-1982
box 15, folder 19-20
Concerning the Search for a New Dean for the School of Education at USC
1972-1975
box 16, box 17-20
Series 7:
Personal Material
1865-2009
1927-1991
Scope and Content
The series contains materials saved by Pullias throughout his life, as well as personal materials about and produced by Pullias.
Materials include notes, articles, biographical sketches, autobiographical essays, personal and early works, speeches from
his memorial service, as well as saved quotations and publications, including copies of some 19th-century materials.
Also included in the series is a variety of personal correspondence, including letters from the Pullias family, between Pullias
and his wife, from friends after the death of his son John Pullias, and between Pullias and his first grade teacher Nancy
Lee.
box 16, folder 1
One-page Essays Pullias Wrote about His Early Life
1985-1987
box 16, folder 2
Material Related to Pullias's Life
1934-1978
box 16, folder 3
Letters from Pullias Family
1929-1977
box 16, folder 4
Personal Notes Pullias Wrote to Himself
1968-1990
box 16, folder 5
Materials Related to the Vermont Ave. Church of Christ
1938-1979
box 16, folder 6
Pullias's Thoughts on Various Subjects
1963-1975
box 16, folder 7-8
Newspaper Articles about Pullias
1957-1975
box 16, folder 9-11
Miscellaneous Material
1980-1989
box 16, folder 12
Copies of Nineteenth Century Material Sent to Pullias
1865-1890
box 16, folder 13
Publications Pullias Saved
1962-1980
box 16, folder 14
Newspaper Clippings Pullias Saved
1934-1976
box 16, folder 15
Quotations Pullias Saved
undated
box 16, folder 16
Pullias's Early Writings
1928-1931
box 17, folder 1-9
Letters between Earl & Pauline Pullias
1928-1978
box 18, folder 1-2
Miscellaneous Letters, Records, Etc.
1927-1984
box 18, folder 3-5
Biographical Sketches of Pullias and the Pullias Family
1935-1988
box 18, folder 6-8, box 20
Correspondence and News Articles Related to the Death of Pullias's Son John
1957
box 18, folder 9
Correspondence with Pullias's First Grade Teacher Nancy Lee
1936-1968
box 18, folder 10
Letters to Amy, a Child who Shared His Birthday
1987-1990
box 18, folder 11
Letters about Louzelle Malcom's Will
1982-1984
box 18, folder 12
Letters about his Contribution to the Library at Hartsville, TN
1968-1971
box 18, folder 13
A Book of Essays by Pullias
1983-1991
box 18, folder 14
Letters from Patsy Lovell Trowbridge to Pullias Family Members
1995-2009
box 19, folder 1
Notebook #1: Meetings and Lectures
1960-1961
box 19, folder 2
Notebook #2: Records of Consultation with Southern CA Colleges
1961-1962
box 19, folder 3
Speeches at Pullias's Memorial Service
1994
box 19
Series 8:
Photographs
1910s - 1990s
Scope and Content
The series contains photographs from throughout Pullias's life, but mainly focuses on his professional career. Photographs
in the series include Pullias with Los Angeles City Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Pullias's work with the Los Angeles County Board
of Education, special events attended by Pullias, events at Pepperdine College, portraits of friends and colleagues with and
without Pullias, and personal and family portraits.
box 19, folder 4
Pullias with Supervisor Kenneth Hahn
1975-1988
box 19, folder 5
Los Angeles County Board of Education
1954-1964
box 19, folder 7-8
Pepperdine Years
1947-1953
box 19, folder 9-10
Pullias with Others
1964-1982
box 19, folder 11
Friends, Colleagues and Students of Pullias
1940s - 1980s
box 19, folder 11-13
Personal Photographs of Pullias
1910s - 1980s
box 21-25, box 26-28
Series 9:
Journals
1929-1992
Scope and Content
The series contains journals written by Pullias, from 1929 to 1992, which include his daily activities, his thoughts on various
topics and people, and book reviews. Also included are a smaller number of journals written by his wife Pauline, which include
her responses to daily events, including Pullias's work, her work with students, and family trips.
Arrangement
The series has been kept in original order, and arranged by volume markings assigned to each journal by Pullias. The journals
in the series are arranged initially by letter volumes (A-O), but then change to numerical volumes (1-119). For the most
part, the journals are arranged chronologically.
box 30, box 31
Series 10:
Memorabilia
1924-1959
Scope and Content
The series contains memorabilia collected by Pullias related to his life and academic career. Materials include Pullias's
academic diplomas from high school, undergraduate and graduate institutions; his academic robe, hood and cap from Duke University;
family and personal bibles; and a cup and saucer printed with Pullias's name.
box 29
Pullias's Academic Robe, Hood, and Cap from Duke University
1936
box 30
Academic Diplomas
1924-1936
box 31
Miscellaneous Memorabilia
1954-1959
box 32-33, box 34
Series 11:
Awards
1956-1991
Scope and Content
The series contains awards, plaques, and certificates given to Pullias, including honorary degrees, his certification as a
psychologist, certificates of appointment to the Los Angeles County Board of Education, and various education awards.
