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San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records
MSS.2009.06.02  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Project Information
  • Processing History
  • Organizational History
  • Related Material
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement

  • Language of Material: English
    Contributing Institution: SJSU Special Collections & Archives
    Title: San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records
    Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2009.06.02
    Physical Description: 8 boxes (8 linear feet)
    Date (inclusive): 1961-1984
    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 Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records, 1961-1984 (bulk 1969-1970), document his tenure as interim university president. The records consist of correspondence, manuscripts, meeting minutes and newspaper clippings. This collection is arranged into two series: Series I: California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees Materials, 1966-1984; and Series II: Administrative Files, 1961-1984.

    Publication Rights

    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.

    Preferred Citation

    San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records, MSS-2009-06-02, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

    Project Information

    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.

    Processing History

    Collection processed and finding aid EAD encoded by Jane Gilvin. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen. Folder level description added to finding aid by Kate Steffens, November 2019.

    Organizational History

    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 bachelors 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.
    Hobert W. Burns was educated at Stanford University, and served as an administrator at Syracuse and Hofstra Universities before his appointment at San José State University as Dean of the College of Education in 1963. Hobert W. Burns (1969-1970) became acting president of SJSU after the unexpected departure of President Robert D. Clark (1964-1969) in May of 1969. Burns served as the interim president for one year before resigning in protest over the faculty's decision to ease academic standards in order to allow students more time to protest the Vietnam War. Previously, Burns was appointed by President Clark to the position of Academic Vice President in 1966. He returned to that post after his resignation as acting university president, and he retired from SJSU in 1983. Burns continued to support the University after retirement. He died October 14th, 2008.

    Related Material

    San José State University Faculty Papers of H. Brett Melendy, MSS-2009-05-01, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
    San José State University Office of the President, Robert D. Clark Records, MSS-2009-08-03, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

    Scope and Content

    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 San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records, 1961-1984 (bulk 1969-1970), document his tenure as interim university president. The records consist of correspondence, manuscripts, meeting minutes, and newspaper clippings.

    Arrangement

    This collection is arranged into two series: Series I: California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees Materials, 1966-1984; and Series II: Administrative Files, 1961-1984.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Education, Higher -- California -- San José.
    College presidents -- California -- San José.
    College administrators -- California -- San José.
    California State University, San José -- History.
    Burns, Hobert W., 1925-2008
    San José State University -- History.
    San Jose State College
    San José State University President's Office -- Records and correspondence.
    San José State University President's Office -- History.