Biographical note
Scope and Content
Organization
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Warren Bennis papers
creator:
Bennis, Warren G.
Identifier/Call Number: 5285
Physical Description:
54.01 Linear Feet
67 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1960s-2012
Abstract: The Warren Bennis papers, 1960s-2012, consist of teaching materials, correspondence, clippings, scrapbooks, “yearbooks”, manuscripts
of articles and essays (published and unpublished), research materials, photographs, ephemera, and audio visual materials,
created and collected by Warren Bennis. These materials document Bennis’ long career as an educator, author, consultant and
academic leader. Bennis was an American scholar, organizational consultant and author who is widely regarded as a pioneer
in the field of Leadership studies.
Container: 67
Biographical note
Warren Bennis, educator, author, and consultant, received his B.A in psychology and business from Antioch College and his
Ph.D in economics and social science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following the completion of his Ph.D,
Bennis worked to establish the study of leadership as an academic field, spending several years on the faculty of MIT’s Sloan
School of Management, later becoming Chairman of the Organizational Studies Department. He has served on faculties of Harvard
and Boston Universities. He also taught at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC), INSEAD, and the Institute
for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In 1967, Bennis accepted the appointment of Provost and Executive Vice President at the State University of New York (SUNY)
at Buffalo. Bennis left SUNY Buffalo to serve as the 22nd President of the University of Cincinnati from 1971-1977. Through
his leadership, the university transitioned from a municipal university to a major research-oriented university and a member
of the University System of Ohio. Both SUNY Buffalo and the University of Cincinnati awarded honorary degrees to Bennis in
2007. In total, he received honorary degrees from 15 institutions.
In addition to his teaching and administrative work, Bennis has advised four presidents of the United States and served on
many high-level advisory boards, including the White House Task Force on Science Policy. He also served as an advisor to
Fortune 500 companies and their equivalents around the world. He has served on the boards of the American Chamber of Commerce,
Claremont University Center, and the Salk Institute, among others.
Bennis joined the USC faculty in 1979 as professor of business administration, and during his 35 year tenure earned the distinction
of being appointed both a Distinguished Professor and University Professor. He was the founding chairman of the USC Marshall
School's Leadership Institute, which is dedicated to preparing future generations for the business and public sectors through
real-world training. In addition to teaching, the majority of Bennis’ 30 published books were written or co-written during
his time at USC, along with hundreds of essays and articles. At USC, Bennis also continued to consult with business leaders
and served on various USC committees, such as search committees for USC's President, to committees reviewing everything from
undergraduate education to facultry appointments and promotions.
Scope and Content
The Warren Bennis papers, 1960s-2012, consist of teaching materials, correspondence, clippings, scrapbooks, “yearbooks”, manuscripts
of articles and essays (published and unpublished), research materials, photographs, ephemera, and audio visual materials,
created and collected by Warren Bennis. These materials document Bennis’ long career as an educator, author, consultant and
academic leader. The bulk of the papers consists of published journal articles and Bennis's "yearbooks" (scrapbooks). The
papers also include reports, and other materials relating to Bennis’ teaching and administrative career at USC, as well as
his presidency at the University of Cincinnati.
Organization
The Warren Bennis papers have been organized into the following series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Warren Bennis Books; 3. Articles
by Warren Bennis; 4. Interviews by Warren Bennis; 5. Teaching; 6. Speeches and Appearances; 7. USC Administrative; 8. Yearbooks
and Notebooks; 9. University of Cincinnati; 10. Audio/Visual; 11. Articles About Warren Bennis; 12. Articles Saved by Warren
Bennis; 13. Awards
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections 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.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], Warren Bennis papers, Collection no. 5285, University Archives, Special Collections, USC Libraries,
University of Southern California
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Leadership -- Study and teaching -- Archival resources
Annual reports
Audiocassettes
Correspondence
DVDs
Clippings
Notebooks
Videocassettes
Yearbooks
Bennis, Warren G.
Bennis, Warren G. -- Archives
Marshall School of Business -- Archives
Marshall School of Business -- Faculty
Marshall School of Business -- Students
University of Southern California -- Faculty