Glenn S. Dumke Collection of Western Americana 0194
Brendan Morris, Michaela Sinclair, Lucy Perrin
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
October 18, 2021
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu 90263-4786
Business Number: (310) 506-4434
Fax Number: (310) 506-4117
kelsey.knox@pepperdine.edu
Contributing Institution:
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
Title: Glenn S. Dumke Collection of Western Americana
Identifier/Call Number: 0194
Physical Description:
3.0 Linear Feet
3 cartons
Date (inclusive): Undated
Abstract: Glenn Dumke was a prominent leader for the development and growth of higher education as well as a passionate educator and
scholar of Western American and Hispanic history. His collection features pottery and basketry that is presumed to be from
the Chumash tribe.
Physical Location: Collection is located in Payson 260, row 7.
Language of Material:
English
.
Advance notice required for access.
Glenn Dumke was born May 5, 1917 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At age five, his family moved to Glendale, California where his
father, William Frederick Dumke, became a buying agent for a major Los Angeles grocery business. Originally, his mother, Marjorie
Schroeder Dumke, was the home maker, largely responsible for raising Glenn and his sister. After William died, she went to
work as a title searcher in the Land and Titles Office of Los Angeles. Glenn Dumke's K-12 schooling occurred at the UCLA Training
School before attending Occidental College as a history major. While at Occidental, Dumke also studied art and photography
before graduating with his history degree in 1938.
Dumke earned a Master's Degree in History from Occidental and his Ph.D. from UCLA in 1942. Dr. Dumke then took up a teaching
position at Occidental College in their history department as a specialist in Western American and Hispanic history. On February
3, 1945, he married Dorothy D. Robison. While teaching at Occidental, Dr. Dumke conducted extensive historical research, published
countless articles, and several books. His most notable publications during his Occidental years were the books, The Boom
of the Eighties in Southern California (1944), Mexican Gold Trail: The Journal of a Forty-Niner (1945), and co-authorship
of the book, A History of the Pacific Area in Modern Times (1949). In later years, Dr. Dumke also published some material
under the pseudonyms Glenn Pierce and Jordan Allen. In 1950, Dr. Dumke was offered the position of Dean of Faculty at Occidental,
although he also continued to teach occasional classes.
In 1957 Dr. Dumke accepted the position of President of San Francisco State College (SFSC). This was a move he regretted immediately
and even explored means of backing out of the appointment and staying at Occidental. Dr. Dumke realized the Presidency was
a huge step up for his career but his letters reveal he was not enthusiastic about leaving Occidental, where he had pursued
his academic career for more than twenty years.
Shortly after taking up this new position, he was invited to participate on the committee creating the Master Plan for California's
higher education system. Dr. Dumke was offered a position on the committee because of his teaching background as well as his
experience as a college administrator. Dr. Dumke had also gained a reputation as an outspoken advocate of state-wide educational
standards.
The concept of a unified, state-wide system, had been discussed on and off for many years. However, the concept took on new
urgency in the late 1940s and early 1950s as unprecedented numbers of Californians took advantage of funding to attend college-especially
returning veterans under the GI Bill. Educators and politicians throughout the state realized that the existing independent
campuses could not handle the sheer numbers of students applying for higher education, and that these campuses were not providing
uniformly high standards of education. The Master Plan sought to create a two track system of higher education. The Universities
of California were to be research schools offering Ph.D.'s and the California State Universities and Colleges were to be four
year schools up to the Master's Degree level.
From 1961-1962, Dr. Dumke served as the first Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the California State College system.
The first Chancellor of the new CSC system, Buell Gallagher, stunned the Board of Trustees by resigning his position after
just eight months. After a short search, the Board offered the Chancellorship to Dr. Dumke. Dr. Dumke immediately tackled
the daunting task of firmly establishing a state-wide program for the new CSC system. One of his first important acts as the
new Chancellor was the establishment of a system-wide academic senate. He established the precedent of meeting with the campus
presidents monthly as well as allowing them strong input on most policy decisions. Dr. Dumke was also responsible for successfully
leading the movement to establish the permanent headquarters of the new CSC in Long Beach.
In the twenty years that Dr. Dumke served as Chancellor, he boasted many accomplishments that still influence the CSU today.
He expanded several policies that were first initiated when he was Vice Chancellor; such as the creation of more accredited
programs, stronger standards for accreditation of all programs, and the establishment of a system-wide general education program.
Early in his tenure, he strongly advocated admission standards, although the CSU did not adopt these proposals until 1990.
He also oversaw the creation of additional CSU campuses including Dominguez Hills, Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and Sonoma.
From 1965-1971, Dr. Dumke was at the forefront of the efforts by the CSU opposing student and faculty strikes. In 1969 he
banned faculty strikes outright. He led political and public efforts opposing Governor Ronald Reagan's proposed cuts to the
CSU system in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Dr. Dumke was one of the first California higher education administrators to recognize the changing nature of student needs
at the CSU. In 1971 he successfully initiated the "New Approaches to Higher Education" Program. This initiative established
the CSU off-campus and extension programs. In 1978, the Chancellor's office embarked on a new, aggressive, five year affirmative
action plan to increase minority and women's attendance at the CSU. He was also instrumental in establishing legal counsel
systems and legal services for faculty and students at each of the CSU campuses.
Dr. Dumke retired as Chancellor in 1982. However, he remained active as President for several think tanks including; "The
Institute for Contemporary Studies" (1982-1986) and the "Foundation for the 21st Century" (1986-1989). He also remained an
active member on the Board of Trustees for a wide variety of organizations such as Pepperdine University, University of the
Redlands, Joint Council on Economic Education, The West Coast Advisory Board, and the California Chamber of Commerce. Additionally,
Dr. Dumke remained active in a host of social clubs including; the Bohemian Club, Commonwealth Club, Los Angeles Club, Virginia
Country Club, Rotary Club (Long Beach), and the California Club.
For his accomplishments as a historian, educator, and administrator, Dr. Dumke received several prestigious national awards
including the USO Distinguished American Award and the award for Individual Excellence in Education from the Freedoms Foundation.
Dr. Glenn S. Dumke died suddenly of a heart attack on June 29, 1989. He was survived by his wife Dorothy. They had no children.
Donated as a part of Glenn S. Dumke estate in 2008.
[Box/folder# or item name], Glenn S. Dumke Collection of Western Americana, Collection no. 194, Special Collections and University
Archives, University Libraries, Pepperdine University.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
This collection contains 3 boxes of painted and unpainted fragile pottery, as well as intricate baskets. They may have originated
from the Chumash tribe.
Donator order maintained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Antiquities
Native Americans
California -- History