Guide to the SJSU Office of the President: Hobert W. Burns Records
SJSU Library Special Collections & Archives
© 2009
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Guide to the San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records
Collection number: MSS-2009-06-02
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0087
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
Finding aid funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
- Processed by:
- Jane Gilvin
- Date Completed:
- 2009
- Encoded by:
- Jane Gilvin
© 2009 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Title: San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records
Dates: 1961-1984
Bulk Dates: 1969-1970
Collection number: MSS-2009-06-02
Creator:
San José State University. Office of the President
Collection Size:
8 boxes,
10 linear feet
Repository:
San José State University. Library.
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 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, 1969-1970;
and Series II: Administrative Files, 1961-1984.
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, however, grievance folders 1-12 and Special Cases folders 1-6 are restricted in Box 4.
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.
San José State University Office of the President, Hobert W. Burns Records, MSS-2009-06-02, San José State University Library
Special Collections & Archives.
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.
Collection processed and finding aid EAD encoded by Jane Gilvin. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
This collection is arranged into two series: Series I: California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees Materials, 1969-1970;
and Series II: Administrative Files, 1961-1984.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Burns, Hobert W.
San José State University President's Office -- History.
San José State University President's Office -- Records and correspondence.
San José State College -- History.
San José State University -- History.
California State University, San José -- History.
Education, Higher -- California -- San José.
College presidents -- California -- San José.
College administrators -- California -- San José.
Collection Contents
SERIES I: California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees Materials 1969-1970
Physical Description: 3 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
The materials in this series consist of correspondence, meeting minutes and polices of the California
State University's (CSU) Board of Trustees. The correspondence documents topics such as the CSU's decision
not to allow the use of its resources by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), as well as acting President
Burns' (1969-1970) decision not to recognize the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) as a legitimate student
organization.
This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 1 CSU Memorandums & Trustees Logs 1966-1984
Box 2 CSU Trustees Letters & Directives 1969-1970
Box 3 CSU Meeting Minutes & News Releases 1969-1970
SERIES II: Administrative Files 1961-1984
Physical Description: 5 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
The materials in this series consist of correspondence to and from acting President Burns (1969-1970), memoranda,
newspaper clippings, and speeches. This series documents the exploration of a joint doctorate program with UC
Berkeley in Mexican American Studies, the attempts of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) to be recognized as a
student group by the university, and the position of the Ombudsman.
This series is arranged alphabetically by format.
Access Note: Grievance folders 1-12 and Special Cases folders 1-6 are restricted in Box 4.
Box 4 Administrative Files 1968-1970
Box 5 Correspondence & Clippings 1967-1970
Box 6 Correspondence & Meeting Minutes 1961-1970
Boxes 7-8 General Files 1964-1970