Guide to the San José State University Office of the President, John Bunzel Records

Processed by Robert Donahue.
SJSU Library Special Collections & Archives
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
© 2009
Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.

Guide to the San José State University Office of the President, John Bunzel Records

Collection number: MSS-2009-06-01



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:
Robert Donahue
Date Completed:
2009
Encoded by:
Mary Ellen Petrich
© 2009 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: San José State University Office of the President, John Bunzel Records
Dates: 1963-1984
Bulk Dates: 1970-1978
Collection number: MSS-2009-06-01
Creator: San José State University. Office of the President
Collection Size: 71 boxes (86.25 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, John Bunzel Records, 1963-1984 (bulk 1970-1978), document Bunzel's tenure as university president. The records consist of administrative files, correspondence, news releases, newspaper clippings, and reports. This collection is arranged into five series: Series I: Administrative Records, 1963-1984 (bulk 1970-1978); Series II: Speeches, 1971-1978; Series III: Correspondence, 1970-1977; Series IV: Meeting Minutes, 1966-1979; and Series V: Restricted Materials, 1969-1984.
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

Access

The collection is open for research, however, Box 71 is restricted.

Publication Rights

Copyright is assigned to the San José State University 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. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

San José State University Office of the President, John Bunzel Records, MSS-2009-06-01, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Mary Ellen Petrich. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen.

Project Information

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.

Organizational History

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 bachelor's 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.
John H. Bunzel (1970-1978) graduated from Princton University magna cum laude in 1948 with a bachelor's degree in political science, and he received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954. Bunzel was appointed president of San José State University in 1970, succeeding the popular President Robert D. Clark (1964-1969), and Acting President Hobert W. Burns (1969-1970). During his tenure, Bunzel gained national attention for his reasoned resistance to intimidation, and his defense of academic freedom during a time of campus unrest.
President Bunzel (1970-1978) had a tumultuous relationship with the faculty at San José State University. Bunzel's administration was also burdened by Governor Ronald Reagan's cuts to the education budget beginning in the early 1970s, which further exacerbated the tense atmosphere at the university. Bunzel exalted academic excellence, and emphasized research and publishing requirements on par with the University of California system. Many faculty members resisted this educational philosophy, arguing that according to the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, the California State University system had traditionally concentrated more on teaching than research or publication. President Bunzel clashed with the faculty again over the issue of shared governance during the Economics Department controversy during the 1970s. Due to political and ethical issues between two factions of the department, the Economics Department had difficulties performing even basic personnel functions such as recruiting. President Bunzel subsequently appointed a special receivership committee to handle administrative functions of the Economics Department without the authorization of the Academic Senate. The Academic Senate opposed this action and censured Bunzel in 1975, partially because he failed to consult the Senate on such an unprecedented move. After eight challenging years as SJSU president, Bunzel left the university, accepting the position of Senior Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in 1978.

Bibliography

Gilbert, Benjamin F, and Charles Burdick. Washington Square, 1857-1979: The History of San José State University. San José: San José State University, 1980.
Norton, T.M. "Notes on the History of the Academic Senate." 1999. http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/Notes.htm  (accessed 03/19/2009).
San José State University. About SJSU. http://www.sjsu.edu/about_sjsu/  (accessed 03/19/2009).
Walsh, James P. San José State University: An Interpretive History, 1950-2000. San José: San José State University, 2003.

Related Material

Academic Senate Records. SJSU University Archives Collection. http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5k4034vh/ 
The California and San José State University Master Plan for Higher Education Records. SJSU University Archives Collection. http://oac4.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt2r29r6d1/ 
Academic Council Records. SJSU University Archives Collection. http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5r29r8r3/ 

Scope and Content of Collection

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, John Bunzel Records, 1963-1984 (bulk 1970-1978), document Bunzel's tenure as university president. The records consist of administrative files, correspondence, news releases, newspaper clippings, and reports.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into five series: Series I: Administrative Records, 1963-1984 (bulk 1970-1978); Series II: Speeches, 1971-1978; Series III: Correspondence, 1970-1977; Series IV: Meeting Minutes, 1966-1979; and Series V: Restricted Materials, 1969-1984.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Bunzel, John H., 1924-
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


 

Series I:  Administrative Records 1963-1984 (bulk 1970-1978)

Physical Description: 53 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series consists of the administrative records of President John H. Bunzel (1970-1978), and includes budget files, communications, legal opinions, meeting files, police incident reports, general reports, and student unrest files.

Arrangement

This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Boxes 1-24

Administrative Files 1963-1981

Box 25

Faculty and State Legislation 1964-1978

Box 26

Commencement and Committee Files 1965-1974

Box 27

Faculty and Committees 1965-1974

Box 28

Disciplinary Procedures, Administration Files 1965-1977

Box 29

Personnel Policies, Commencement, and Executive Orders 1965-1978

Box 30

Alphabetical Files, A-C 1966-1979

Box 31

Board of Directors 1968-1973

Box 32

Bunzel: Memos, Press Releases, and Statements 1968-1978

Box 33

Commencement and Committee Papers 1968-1979

Box 34

SJSU Presidents 1969-1970

Box 35

University Relations and Curriculum 1969-1970

Box 36

Alphabetical Files, A-K 1969-1978

Box 37

Academic Clubs and Councils 1970-1971

Box 38

Alphabetical Files, L-Y 1970-1972

Box 39

Special Cases 1970-1976

Box 40

Special Cases and Salary Structure 1971-1973

Boxes 41-44

Administrative Files, Alpha by Subject 1971-1974

Box 45

Task Force Information, and Bunzel's Speeches 1971-1974

Box 46

Chancellor's Office 1971-1974

Box 47

Alphabetical Files, G-N; Master of Social Work Suit 1972-1974

Box 48

AAAS, Positive Aspects of SJSU, and Pay Letters 1972-1974

Box 49

President's Office Functions 1972-1984

Box 50

Bunzel: Memos, Policies, and Reports 1973

Box 51

Faculty and Administrative Appointments 1974-1975

Box 52

Liaison Binders 1974-1975

Box 53

"Pioneers for One Hundred Years": Computer Tapes and Transcripts of the Publication 1977

 

Series II:  Articles, Lectures and Speeches 1971-1978

Physical Description: 1 box

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains the speech files of President Bunzel (1970-1978), as well as copies of various articles and lectures he created during his tenure. Bunzel was active in the research and publication aspect of academia when he was a professor at San Francisco State University, Stanford University, and later at Stanford’s Hoover Institution after leaving SJSU in 1978.

Arrangement

This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 54

Articles, Lectures and Speeches 1971-1978

 

Series III:  Correspondence 1970-1977

Physical Description: 7 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series consists of correspondence generated during President Bunzel’s tenure (1970-1978). It includes correspondence and directives from the Board of Trustees, news releases, executive directives, and subjects concerning university administration. This series covers a wide range of subjects, including correspondence regarding international programs.

Arrangement

The series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 55

Letters and Directives from the Board of Trustees 1970

Box 56

General Files and Correspondence 1972-1973

Box 57

Bunzel: Correspondence 1972-1973

Box 58

International Programs: Correspondence 1974-1975

Box 59

Correspondence 1974-1975

Box 60

Miscellaneous Files 1977

Box 61

General Files 1976-1977

 

Series IV:  Meeting Minutes 1966-1979

Physical Description: 9 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains meeting minutes from the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor’s Council of Presidents, and committees such as the Vice President Search Committee and the Campus Planning, Building, and Grounds Committee. Subject files in this series consist of budget, bicentennial proposals, and campus planning, as well as other topics.

Arrangement

This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 62

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes and Vice President Search Committee 1966-1979

Box 63

Board of Trustees Meetings and Agendas 1970-1971

Boxes 64-67

Board of Trustees and Committee Meetings 1971-1974

Box 68

Chancellor's Council of Presidents Meetings, and Campus Planning, Building, and Grounds Committee 1974-1976

Box 69-70

General Meetings 1976-1977

 

Series V:  Restricted Materials 1969-1984

Physical Description: 1 box

Access Restrictions

Box 71 is restricted.
Box 71

Restricted Materials 1969-1984