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Guide to the San José State University Office of the President, Gail Fullerton Records
MSS-2009-04-03
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Title: SJSU Office of the President, Gail Fullerton Records
Dates: 1950-1994
Bulk Dates: 1978-1991
Collection number: MSS-2009-04-03
Creator:
San José State University. Office of the President
Collection Size:
184 Boxes
223 linear feet
Repository:
San José State University, Special Collections & Archives.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: The Office of the President is the highest administrative office for the campus, reporting to the California State University
(CSU) Chancellor and Board of Trustees, respectively. As such, the Office of the President records document the overall policies,
practices and procedures of the daily operation of the campus, as well as the interaction with other CSU campuses and with
the CSU administration. The SJSU Office of the President, Gail Fullerton Records 1950-1994 (bulk 1978-1991) document Fullerton's
tenure as university president (1978-1991). The records consist of administrative files, architectural drawings, correspondence,
legal cases, speech files, and awards and plaques. This collection is arranged into five series: Series I. Administrative
Records, 1950-1994 (bulk 1978-1991); Series II. Athletics Department, 1985-1992; Series III. Legal Records, 1963-1992; Series
IV. San Carlos Street Closure, 1982-1986; and Series V. Restricted Materials,1967-1986.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
The collection is open for research, with the exception of the following materials: specific folders within Boxes 4, 103,
173, 174, 176, and 177 are restricted; all materials in Boxes 180 and 181 are restricted.
Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission
to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply
to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
SJSU Office of the President, Gail Fullerton Records, MSS-2009-04-03, San José State University Library Special Collections
and Archives.
Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Mary Ellen Petrich. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen.
This finding aid was created as part of the Survey and Cataloging Project, a two-year San José State University Library grant project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The project began in 2008. The Project Director is Danelle Moon. The Project Archivist is Erin Louthen.
In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers
in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California
State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San
José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed
the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed
in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes,
Minns' Normal School is now San José State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations,
and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.
The Office of the President is the highest administrative office for the campus, reporting to the California State University
(CSU) Chancellor and Board of Trustees, respectively. As such, the Office of the President records document the overall policies,
practices and procedures of the daily operation of the campus, as well as the interaction with other CSU campuses and with
the CSU administration.
Dr. Gail Fullerton (1978-1991) earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Sociology from the University of Nebraska
by 1950, and received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1954. The first female president of San José State University,
Fullerton served from 1978-1991. She was also the first faculty member to be promoted to the Office of President since the
appointment of President Morris Dailey (1900-1918).
Fullerton began her career at San José State University in 1964, as a tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Sociology.
She later served as Executive Vice President for President John Bunzel (1970-1978) before serving as university president.
During her tenure, President Fullerton (1978-1991) supported the university and the Athletics Department and was a firm believer
in the "student athlete" concept. In addition, she laid the groundwork for the closing of San Carlos Street between 9th Street
and 4th Street, which bisected the college campus until 1996. Appointed in the late 1970s during a severe budget crisis, Fullerton
also navigated several controversies and lawsuits, including one highly publicized legal case that concerned the firing of
university football coach Claude Gilbert following the 1989 football season. Fullerton's tenure as president took place during
a very litigious period of time at the university, and she was jokingly referred to as "the perpetual defendant." Despite
several lawsuits and a bare bones budget, Fullerton had a long-term career as president, serving 13 years.
Gilbert, Benjamin F., and Burdick, Charles.
Washington Square, 1857-1979: The History of San José State University. San José, California: San José State University, 1980.
San José State University.
About SJSU.
http://www.sjsu.edu/about_sjsu/
Walsh, James P.
San José State University: An Interpretive History, 1950-2000. San José, California: San José State University, 2003.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Office of the President is the highest administrative office for the campus, reporting to the California State University
(CSU) Chancellor and Board of Trustees, respectively. As such, the Office of the President records document the overall policies,
practices and procedures of the daily operation of the campus, as well as the interaction with other CSU campuses and with
the CSU administration. The SJSU Office of the President, Gail Fullerton Records, 1950-1994 (bulk 1978-1991) document Fullerton's
tenure as university president (1978-1991). Fullerton began her career as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology,
and she also served as the Executive Vice President under President John Bunzel (1970-1978) before her appointment as university
president. The records consist of administrative files, architectural drawings, correspondence, speech files, and awards and
plaques. In addition, copies of legal cases concerning the university, administrative decisions related to the budget and
the Athletics Department, and changes to the physical campus are included.
This collection is arranged into five series: Series I. Administrative Records, 1950-1994 (bulk 1978-1991); Series II. Athletics
Department, 1985-1992; Series III. Legal Records, 1963-1992; Series IV. San Carlos Street Closure, 1982-1986; and Series V.
Restricted Materials, 1967-1986.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Fullerton, Gail Putney
San José State University. Office of the President -- History
San José State University -- Presidents
San José State University -- History
San José State College -- History
California State University, San José -- History
Education, Higher -- California -- San José
Education -- California -- San José