The Edgar R. Levin Collection, circa 1934-1965 (bulk 1939-1959), chronicles the adult life of Edgar Ross Levin, a teacher, lecturer and later supervisor in Santa Clara County who worked as Father Bernard R. Hubbard’s assistant on his journeys to Alaska. The collection consists of materials detailing Levin's Alaskan adventures, his methods of teaching, and the topics he discussed during his lectures. The collection also supplies further information about Father Hubbard from his assistant’s point-of-view. The bulk of the collection consists of notes and other forms of writing by Levin, along with correspondence received by Levin. Other materials include school worksheets, newspaper clippings, diaries, and his work on a territory orientation for Alaskan areas to assist those who wanted to utilize the land but were not familiar with its terrain. This collection is arranged into one series: Series I. Personal Papers of Edgar R. Levin, circa 1934-1965 (bulk 1939-1959).

Santa Clara University was founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as Santa Clara College and is California’s oldest operating institution of higher learning. It was established on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the eighth of the original 21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank until 1853. The institution became known as the University of Santa Clara in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added. For 110 years, Santa Clara University was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and Santa Clara University became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students and faculty tripled over the next decade and the university began the largest building program in school history with eight residence halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the university for generations to come. In 1985, the university adopted Santa Clara University as its official name. Bibliography: Santa Clara University. “About SCU – History.” www.scu.edu/about/history.cfm (Accessed Nov. 23, 2010) McKevitt, Gerald, S.J. The University of Santa Clara: A History, 1851-1977. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1979.

1.69 linear feet (2 boxes)

Materials in Archives & Special Collections may be subject to copyright. All requests for permission to publish from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the University Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Archives & Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials, and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials.

The collection is open for research.