William Tidwell Papers
Lauren DeCelle
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
2019
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: William Tidwell Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 2017-05-25
Physical Description:
1 Box
(0.6 linear ft.)
Date (inclusive): 1966-1992
Abstract: The papers of William Tidwell, a San José State University microbiology professor, consist of documents, correspondence, newsletters,
publications, conference and meeting papers, legislation, and newspaper clippings. The bulk of this material is from his time
as a consultant on State College Affairs to the CSEA, 1966-1968. Also included are papers from his time as Chair of SJSU's
Academic Senate, 1983-1984.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically.
Biographical / Historical
William Lee Tidwell was a Microbiology professor at San José State University from 1955 to 1988. Born on January 14, 1926
in Greenville, South Carolina, Tidwell graduated from Rock Hill High in 1942 at age 16. He then went on to attend University
of South Carolina, graduating in 1945 with a B.S. in Biology. He then moved to Hawaii with his wife Louise to attend University
of Hawaii, where he worked as a teaching assistant and graduated with an M.S. in Bacteriology in 1948. He finished his studies
at UCLA in 1951, and worked as a teaching assistant while he studied for his Ph.D. in Microbiology. After teaching at Texas
A & M from 1951-1955, he went on to San José State University where he taught until he retired in 1988. During his time at
SJSU he was active in campus politics. He was a part of the Faculty Council, Chairman of the Academic Senate, California State
Employees' Association (CSEA) Chapter President and Regional Director, Interim Biology Department Chair, and chaired on many
other smaller committees, including the Committee on Committees. He also served on the Liaison Delegate Committee that established
the California Faculty Association (CFA), and later served as State Vice President and Legislative Committee Chairman of CFA.
Tidwell enrolled in the Naval ROTC after high school, and served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946, on both the U.S.S. Colorado
and U.S.S. Iowa. He continued in the Naval Reserve for over 30 years, retiring in 1986 as a Naval Captain. After retiring
he moved to Visalia, California where he died November 5, 2017.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission
to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections & Archives. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of 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
William Tidwell Papers, MSS 2017-05-25, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives
Content Description
William Tidwell was a professor of Microbiology at San Jose State University from 1955 to 1988. The bulk of this collection
of papers, however, is from his time working as a consultant on State College Affairs to the California State Employees' Association
in the 1960s. Also included are papers from his time as chair to the SJSU Academic Senate in the early 1980s. This collection
consists of correspondence, newsletters, publications, papers from conferences and meetings, papers regarding legislation,
and a few newspaper clippings.
Processing Information
Collection was processed by Lauren DeCelle in 2019.
Related Materials
Gordon Greb Papers, MSS 2014-09-27
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California State Employees' Association
San José State University -- Faculty
San José State University -- History -- 20th century
San José State University. Academic Senate -- History
Strikes and lockouts -- Universities and colleges -- San Jose (Calif.)
San José State University. Library. Special Collections & Archives
Box 1, Folder 1
California Legislation Relating to Public Higher Education
1966 - 1968
Box 1, Folder 2
California State Employees' Association Newsletter The Scope
1966 - 1968
Box 1, Folder 3
California State Employees' Association Organizational Correspondence and Memorandum (1 of 2)
1966 - 1968
Box 1, Folder 4
California State Employees' Association Organizational Correspondence and Memorandum (2 of 2)
1966 - 1968
Box 1, Folder 5
Collective Bargaining for Public Employees - UCLA Conference
Feb. 1-2, 1967
Box 1, Folder 6
Ad Hoc Committee on Strike
1967 - 1970
Box 1, Folder 7
Reports and Publications on California State Colleges and Collective Bargaining
1967 - 1970
Box 1, Folder 8
Newspapers: Spartan Daily, 1983 and CFA: California Professor, 1980 - 1983
Box 1, Folder 9
Academic Senate Chair Correspondence
1983 - 1984
Box 1, Folder 11
Notes on the History of the Academic Senate San José State University
circa 1992
