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.
Walsh, James P.
San José State University: An Interpretive History, 1950-2000. San José: San José State University, 2003.
Related Material
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 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
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