Guide to the University of California, Irvine, Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich Correspondence and Other Materials
AS.002
Finding aid prepared by Ann E. Clark
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California, 92623-9557
949-824-3947
spcoll@uci.edu
© 2009
Title: University of California, Irvine, Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich correspondence and other materials
Collection number: AS.002
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Irvine. Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Language of Material:
English.
Physical Description:
11.1 Linear feet
(29 boxes and 1 OS folder)
Date (inclusive): 1962-1984
Abstract: The collection conisists mainly of correspondence sent from the office of Daniel G. Aldrich during his tenure as chancellor
of the University of California, Irvine (1962-1984). It also includes correspondence congratulating Aldrich on his appointment
as chancellor (1962-1963), desk calendar pages (1972-1973), daily appointment files (1967-1973) and other material.
creator:
Aldrich, Daniel G.
Access
Series 1, subseries 2 (outgoing correspondence) contains restricted personnel records interfiled throughout the subseries.
Unrestricted materials in this subseries can be made available with sufficient advance notice. Other materials in the collection
are open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. For permissions to reproduce or to publish material from the collection,
please contact the Head of Special Collections and University Archives.
Acquisition Information
Transferred from Administrative Services in 1977, 1984 and 1989.
Preferred Citation
University of California, Irvine, Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich corresponcence files and other materials. AS-002. Special Collections
and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
Processing History
Processed by Lee Johnson in 1998 and Ann Clark in 2009.
Historical Background
Daniel G. Aldrich was the founding chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, serving from 1962 until 1984. Aldrich's
background in agriculture and his connection with the land-grant system at the University of Rhode Island influenced his decision
to design a campus in which environmental planning and community service would be crucial. After accepting the appointment
of chancellor he set out to create a university faithful to the land-grant tradition, yet appropriate to the opportunities
and challenges of the 21st century.
Born in Northwood, New Hampshire, on July 12, 1918, Aldrich received his Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Agriculture
at the University of Rhode Island in 1939. He earned his Master’s of Science degree at the University of Arizona in 1941 and
married the former Jean Hamilton. He went on to get his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in 1943.
Aldrich began his academic career at the University of California in 1944 as a soil chemist at the Citrus Experiment Station,
now the University of California, Riverside. In 1955 he was appointed chair of the Soils departments concurrently for the
University of California, Davis and The University of California, Berkeley. In 1958 he became dean of Agriculture for the
University of California, presiding over agricultural teaching programs at Davis, Berkeley, Riverside and Los Angeles, as
well as the Statewide Agricultural Experiment Station. He was responsible for activities on four campuses, a network of field
stations, and the Agricultural Extension Service, with farm advisors and home advisors serving 56 of California's 58 counties.
When appointed to the position of founding chancellor of UC Irvine, Aldrich was given the responsibility for developing the
new campus from blueprints to fully operating academic institution within three years. He accomplished this, encouraging the
newly recruited deans and department chairs to establish academic programs that reflected new developments in intellectual
inquiry. Thus, the School of Biological Sciences pioneered in establishing departments based on levels of analysis, the School
of Social Sciences developed programs emphasizing mathematical approaches to inquiry in the social and behavioral sciences,
and the School of Humanities fostered programs in creative writing, literary criticism, and comparative literature. The young
UC Irvine campus also provided a fertile setting for the development of newly-emerging interdisciplinary programs. The campus
landscape was Aldrich's applied laboratory, a reflection of his interest and expertise in soils and plant nutrition.
Aldrich retired as UC Irvine chancellor in 1984. However, with the sudden death of the UC Riverside chancellor, he became
acting chancellor of that institution from 1984-85. He was called again from 1986-87 to become acting chancellor of UC Santa
Barbara, after which he retired, finally, and became Chancellor Emeritus of UC Irvine.
In recognition of Aldrich's key role in the planning and development of the buildings and programs of UC Irvine, the park
in the center of campus was dedicated to him and named in his honor in 1984.
Aldrich was involved in numerous civic and professional activities, receiving honorary degrees and awards from a number of
academic institutions as well as many honors in recognition of his professional activities and his contributions to service
organizations. He served on advisory committees and boards of a large number of local, national, and international organizations
and provided leadership to groups concerned with world-wide problems of agriculture and natural resources, including the President's
Agricultural Task Force to Zaire (1985).
He was also an active participant in a variety of sports, ranging from coaching Little League teams in Riverside, Davis and
Berkeley, to participating (and winning medals) in U.S. Master Track and Field Championships, Senior Olympics, and World Association
of Veteran Athletes Championships.
When Daniel Aldrich died on April 9, 1990, he had been with the University of California for 47 years.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The collection conisists mainly of correspondence sent from the office of Daniel G. Aldrich during his tenure as chancellor
of the University of California, Irvine (1962-1984). It also includes correspondence congratulating Aldrich on his appointment
as chancellor (1962-1963), desk calendar pages (1972-1973), daily appointment files (1967-1973) and other material.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged in 2 series:
- Series 1. Correspondence, 1962-1984, 10 linear feet
- Series 2. Appointment files and other materials, 1963-1974, 1.1 linear feet
Related Collections
Related materials can be found in the Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich Records (AS-001) and the Central Records Files (AS-004).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Aldrich, Daniel G. -- Archives
University of California, Irvine -- Administration. -- Archives
University of California, Irvine. Office of the Chancellor. -- Archives
Series 1. Correspondence,
1962 January-1984 August
Physical Description:
10.0 Linear feet
Access
All outgoing correspondence in the series is restricted until 2055 due to the presence of scattered personnel records. However,
researchers may contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives to request access to records from particular dates
or date ranges, and staff will provide access to unrestricted material after reviewing requested ranges and separating restricted
material.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series comprises correspondence from the Chancellor's office for the years 1962-1984 including: congratulatory letters
and responses, general communication and confidential correspondence. The bulk is outgoing correspondence files.
Series Arrangement
This series is arranged in 2 subseries:
- Subseries 1. Congratulatory
- Subseries 2. Outgoing
Within each subseries, the arrangement is chronological with confidential correspondence last.
Box 1, Folder 1-3
Subseries 1.1. Congratulatory,
1962 January-December, 1963 April-June
Subseries 1.2. Outgoing,
1962-1984
Box 1, Folder 4-9
1962 December - 1963 December
Box 4, Folder 1-10
1966 December-1968 January
Box 5, Folder 1-10
1968-February-1969 February
Box 7, Folder 1-10
1970 April-1971 January
Scope and Contents note
Includes outgoing correspondence from Acting Chancellor Roger Russell, who served in that role while Chancellor Aldrich was
on sabbatical January 22, 1971-April 30, 1971.
Box 8, Folder 1-11
1971 February-1971 December
Scope and Contents note
Includes outgoing correspondence from Acting Chancellor Roger Russell, who served in that role while Chancellor Aldrich was
on sabbatical January 22, 1971-April 30, 1971.
Box 15, Folder 1-9
1976 November-1977 September
Box 16, Folder 1-9
1977 October- 1978 October
Box 17, Folder 1-7
1978 November-1979 September
Box 18, Folder 1-9
1979 October-1980 September
Box 20, Folder 1-8
1981 September-1982 April
Box 22, Folder 1-9
1982 December-1983 October
Scope and Contents note
Does not include correspondence dated 1983 April, May and June. Files with these dates were not transferred to Special Collections
and Archives along with the rest of the chronological correspondence files.
Box 25, Folder 1-8
Confidential,
1963 October-1977 July
Box 26, Folder 1-3
Confidential,
1977 August-1980 June
Series 2. Appointment files and other materials,
1963-1974
Physical Description:
1.1 Linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
This is series includes advisory council and committee records, daily appointment files and desk calendars, and Campus Officer
in Charge files.
Series Arrangement
The arrangement is alphabetical.
Access
Materials in this series are open for research.
Box 27, Folder 1
Administrative Advisory Council: action commentary, meeting minutes, and other materials,
1963-1970
Box 27, Folder 2
Advisory committee of regents for Irvine campus: correspondence and meeting notes,
1963
Historical Background
The Regents' Irvine Advisory Committee was established in May, 1963
Box 28, Folder 1-7
Appointment files,
1967 June-1974 June
Box 29, Folder 1-5
Campus Officer in Charge files,
1971 July-1973 December
Box Flat Box 69, Folder 6
Desk calendars,
1972 January-1973 December
