Guide to the Jesse Brundage Sears papers SC0005
University Archives staff
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
2000; July 2024
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
Fax Number: (650) 723-8690
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Note
This encoded finding aid is compliant with Stanford EAD Best Practice Guidelines,
Version 1.0.
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Jesse Brundage Sears papers
Creator:
Sears, Jesse Brundage
Identifier/Call Number: SC0005
Physical Description:
14.5 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1860-1973
Language of Material:
English .
Material Removed from the Collection
Multiple copies of the Sears genealogy and duplicates of forms. Three glass negatives of
Sears' grandparents have been put in the photograph collection.
Accession Note
Professor Sears' papers were originally received in two lots prior to January of 1965.
These groups were combined to form SC 5 when the old Stanford Collection became the holdings
base of the University Archives in that year. The portion of the following register which
covers the first six boxes was done at that time.
Subsequently, following Professor Sears' death in December of 1973, his son, Professor
Emeritus Robert Sears, donated another group of the senior Dr. Sears' professional and
biographical material. This group expanded the chronological range of the collection and
furnished a good deal more manuscriptal material than had been included in the orginal gift.
This later donation is described in the following register as boxes 7-11.
In June of 1979, Robert Sears donated yet another group of his father's records to the
Archives. For the most part this material consists of correspondence between family members
and friends, and covers the years 1860-1973. There is a small amount of material relating to
Sears' professional life, mostly correspondence with Ellwood Cubberley. Several account
books, pocket diaries or memo books, information on Sears' family history and genealogy, and
copies of pages (not bound) from his wife, Stella's autobiography, make up the remainder of
this addition to the collection. A preliminary guide to these later boxes (12-14) is
contained in the register following box 11.
Scope and Contents note
DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION
The Sears Collection represents the combination of two groups of papers obtained prior to
January 1965 with another large assemblage of papers added in March of 1974. A third
addition was added to this collection in July of 1979. Both the pre-1965 and 1974 papers
include four categories of data. A relatively small collection of Sears' correspondence in
his professional capacities is present in both sets. Some personal history appears in Box 2
(part of the pre-1965 material), and a larger amount in Box 7 (part of the 1974 material).
Except for the last three boxes which were added in 1979 and contain mostly family and
personal correspondence, the bulk of the collection consists of Sears' writings, which are
divided into a manuscript category and a reprint category. It should be noted that these
four categories are intermixed in the pre-1965 material (first six boxes), and separated in
the 1974 material. The material added in 1979 also includes account books, memo or pocket
diaries, information on the Sears family history and some professional correspondence with
Ellwood Cubberley.
MAJOR CORRESPONDENTS
Most of the correspondence in this collection is in the most recent (1979) addition of
material. As yet these boxes have received only preliminary attention, and the list of major
correspondents is not complete. Among them are Ellwood Cubberley, J.B. Sears' wife Stella
Richardson Sears, his children: Jean, Robert and Norman Sears, his brothers and sisters,
C.B. Sears, C.N. Sears, G.W. Sears, B.L. Sears H.J. Sears C.G. Sears, and D.L. Sears, as
well as numerous other relatives and friends.
Biographical Note
Dr. Sears was a Professor of Education at Stanford University from 1912-1942. He was born
in 1876 and died in 1973.
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item], Jesse Brundage Sears Papers, SC 005, Stanford University
Archives, Stanford, Calif.
Provenance
Gift of Jesse Brundage Sears and Robert Sears, 1965, 1974, 1978, and 1979. Gift of Nancy
Barker Sears, 2018.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the
documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the
Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections and Univeristy Archives.
Box 1, folder 1
SCHOOL SURVEY CORRESPONDENCE
1925-1932
Box 1, folder 2
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS CORRESPONDENCE,
1927-8
Box 1, folder 3
SUMMER SCHOOL LECTURES, CORRESPONDENCE,
1930
Box 1, folder 4
ST. LOUIS MEETING OF A. E. R. A.
1935-6
Box 1, folder 5
CORRESPONDENCE WITH McGRAW-HILL
1937, 1949-1950
Scope and Contents note
(SEE ALSO MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE)
Box 1, folder 6
CUBBERLEY BOOKS, REVIEWS AND CORRESPONDENCE
1955-60
Box 1, folder 7
CUBBERLEY H. S. CORRESPONDENCE
1958
Box 1, folder 8
MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE
1922-1964
Box 1, folder 12
FELLOWSHIP FORUM OF PALO ALTO
Box 1, folder 13-16
MSS. OF PUBLISHED ARTICLES (SAMPLES OF WORKS)
Box 2, folder 1
MISCELLANEOUS MSS. OF WRITINGS (POSSIBLY DRAFT OF TAMALPAIS SURVEY)
Box 2, folder 4
UNFINISHED MANUSCRIPT OF BOOKS ON ADMINISTRATION
Box 2, folder 2-3
MISC. MSS. OF WRITINGS-SOME DRAFTS
Box 2, folder 5
UNFINISHED MSS. OF BOOKS PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
Box 2, folder 6
1930 WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON CHILD HEALTH AND PROTECT
Box 2, folder 7
1932 CALIFORNIA WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON CHILD HEALTH AND
PROTECTION
Box 3
SCHOOL SURVEYS. PRINTED REPORTS, IF ISSUED ARE FILED WITH THE RELATED PAPERS IN
THE FOLLOWING CARTONS.
Box 3, folder 1
OAKLAND SPELLING INVESTIGATION
1915
Box 3, folder 2
SALINAS UNION HIGH SCHOOL.
1918
Box 3, folder 3
PRESTON SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY, WATERMAN, CALIFORNIA
1919
Box 3, folder 4
BOISE [IDAHO] CITY SCHOOLS - MISSING 5/96
1920
Box 3, folder 5
ARLINGTON [MINNESOTA] SURVEY
1921
Box 3, folder 6
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
1922
Box 3, folder 7-8
PHOENIX UNION HIGH SCHOOL
1925
Box 3, folder 9
MARYSVILLE [CALIFORNIA] UNION HIGH SCHOOL
1925
Box 3, folder 10
BERKELEY SCHOOL PROPERTIES SURVEY
1926
Box 3, folder 11
BERKELEY SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SURVEY
1926
Box 4, folder 3
FALL RIVER JOINT UNION H. S. CONSOLIDATION
1929
Box 4, folder 4
SUTTER COUNTY INSTRUCTIONAL SURVEY
1929
Box 4, folder 5
SACRAMENTO SCHOOL SURVEY
1928
Box 4, folder 6
SANGER SCHOOL BUILDING SURVEY
1929
Box 4, folder 7
PITTSBURG [CALIFORNIA] SURVEY
1929
Box 4, folder 8
ALBANY [CALIFORNIA] SURVEY
1930
Box 4, folder 9
SACRAMENTO SCHOOL SURVEY REVIEW
1930
Box 4, folder 10
PALO ALTO ADDRESS ON POSSIBLE SERVICE OF SURVEYS TO PALO ALTO
1930
Box 4, folder 11
MARYSVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1931
Box 5, folder 1
SANGER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1931
Box 5, folder 2
MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE
1932
Box 5, folder 3
TRACY UNION HIGH SCHOOL
1935
Box 5, folder 4
STOCKTON SCHOOL SURVEY
1938
Box 5, folder 5
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION OF SACRAMENTO'S SCHOOL SYSTEM
1940
Box 5, folder 6
ADMINISTRATIVE SURVEY OF PLACER UNION HIGH SCHOOL AND PLACER JUNIOR
COLLEGE
1940
Box 5, folder 7
WASCO [CALIFORNIA] SURVEY
1943
Box 5, folder 8
SAN FRANCISCO CURRICULUM
1944
Box 5, folder 10
STANFORD SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1932
Box 6
BOUND VOLUME OF REPRINTS. MISCELLANEOUS REPRINTS AND BOOKS WRITTEN BY J. B.
S.
Personal History and Professional Correspondence.
Scope and Contents note
The following folder register covers that portion of the Sears Collection donated by
Professor Robert Sears in 1974. This portion is divided according to the type of
material (as described in the short register) and covers the last four boxes of the
collection.
Box 7, folder 1
Personal History: Autobiographies of Jesse Brundage Sears (
The Story of My Life and Work, and his wife Stella R. Sears
(
My Story,
1959 1948
Box 7, folder 2
Personal History: Sears Family Biographies: Charles B., George W., and Edith
F. Sears.
Box 7, folder 3
Personal History: Sears Family Biographies: Harry Johnson Sears.
Box 7A, Item 4
Personal History: Sears Family Genealogical Data. Genealogical Chart
(Rolled)
Box 7, folder 5
Personal History: Personal Correspondence
1909-1966
Box 7, folder 6
Personal History: Personal Financial Data, The 1928 material consists of
stock purchase orders and receipts, company statements. The 1960's material consists
of tax records and dividend statements.
1928 and 1960-1965
Box 7, folder 7
Personal History: Personal Financial Data, The material of this folder
consists of tax records and dividend statements.
1967
Box 7, folder 8
Personal History: Personal Financial Data, The material of this folder
consists of tax records and dividend statements.
1968
Box 7, folder 9
Personal History: Professional Memorabilia, General.
Box 7, folder 10
Personal History: Professional Memorabilia, Newspaper Clippings.
Box 7, folder 11
Personal History: Professional Memorabilia, Scratch Notes and
Notebooks.
Box 7, folder 12
Professional Correspondence: General, A - M.
Scope and Contents note
(The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent, chronologically
thereafter when a correspondent is represented by more than one item.)
Box 7, folder 13
Professional Correspondence: General, N - Z.
General note
[Note: Folders 12 and 13 feature correspondence from Ellwood P. Cubberley, David
Starr Jordan, Kidder Institute, Edward Krehbiel, Ray Lyman Wilbur, the Universities of
California, Minnesota, Missouri, Penn, Pitt, Utah and Wisconsin, and the various
publishers of Dr. Sears' books.]
Box 7, folder 14
Professional Correspondence: Letters relating to Sears Scholarship awards at
Kidder Institute in Missouri.
Box 7, folder 15
Professional Correspondence: Letters of greeting upon Dr. Sears' retirement
from active teaching in 1942 [bound in leather notebook].
Box 8, folder 1
Major Mss:
Classroom Organization and Control,
1918
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of first ten chapters.
Box 8, folder 2
Major Mss:
Classroom Organization and Control,
1918
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of latter ten chapters.
Box 8, folder 3
Major Mss:
The School Survey,
1925
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of Part I (pp. 1-186).
Box 8, folder 4
Major Mss:
The School Survey,
1925
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of remaining Parts (pp. 187-424).
Box 8, folder 5
Major Mss:
The Sacramento School Survey,
1928
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of work done with Almack, Proctor, and Eelts, (pp. 1-270).
Box 8, folder 6
Major Mss:
The Sacramento School Survey,
1928
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of work done with Almack, Proctor, and Eelts, (pp.
271-506).
Box 8, folder 7
Major Mss:
The Sacramento School Survey,
1928
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript (pp. 507-757) plus appendix and handwritten notes.
Box 8, folder 8
Major Mss:
Modesto Junior College Survey,
1932
Scope and Contents note
Handwritten manuscript.
Box 8, folder 9
Major Mss:
City School Administrative Controls,
1938
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of first draft material, including notes and some handwritten
pages.
Box 8, folder 10
Major Mss:
City School Administrative Controls,
1938
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of first draft material.
Box 8, folder 11
Major Mss:
City School Administrative Controls,
1938
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of first four chapters.
Box 8, folder 12
Major Mss:
City School Administrative Controls,
1938
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of latter four chapters.
Box 8, folder 13
Major Mss:
Public School Administration,
1947
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of seven chapters (pp. 1-189).
Box 8, folder 14
Major Mss:
Public School Administration,
1947
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of Chapters 8 through 13, (pp. 190-407).
Box 8, folder 15
Major Mss:
Public School Administration,
1947
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of final chapters (pp. 408-488) plus handwritten draft of
early chapters.
Box 9, folder 1
Major Mss:
Nature of the Administrative Process,
1950
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of first four chapters.
Box 9, folder 2
Major Mss:
Nature of the Administrative Process,
1950
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of Chapters 5 through 9.
Box 9, folder 3
Major Mss:
Nature of the Administrative Process,
1950
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of Chapters 10 through 14.
Box 9, folder 4
Major Mss:
Nature of the Administrative Process,
1950
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of annotated bibliography and index; also handwritten
manuscript of index.
Box 9, folder 5
Major Mss:
Nature of the Administrative Process,
1950
Scope and Contents note
Typewritten manuscript of various scattered pages and complete set of plate proofs
for final version.
Box 9, folder 6
Major Mss:
Cubberley of Stanford: and His Contribution
to American Education,
1957
Scope and Contents note
Handwritten manuscript of Preface through Chapter 5, with typewritten comments and
changes by Adin D. [UNK] Sears' collaborator.
Box 9, folder 7
Major Mss:
Cubberley of Stanford...,
1957
Scope and Contents note
Handwritten manuscript of Chapters 6 through 8 with Henderson's typewritten comments
and changes.
Box 9, folder 8
Major Mss:
Cubberley of Stanford...,
1957
Scope and Contents note
Handwritten manuscript of Chapters 9 through 11 with Henderson's typewritten comments
and changes.
Box 9, folder 9
Major Mss:
Cubberley of Stanford...,
1957
Scope and Contents note
Handwritten manuscript of Chapter 12 through Appendices and Index with Henderson's
comments and changes.
Box 9, folder 10
Major Mss:
My Life and Work,
1959
Scope and Contents note
Complete typewritten manuscript.
Box 9, folder 11
Major Mss:
My Life and Work,
1959
Scope and Contents note
Complete typewritten draft with handwritten notes and corrections.
Box 9, folder 12
Major Mss:
My Life and Work,
1959
Scope and Contents note
Complete handwritten draft.
Box 9, folder 13
Major Mss: Sears' portion of an untitled, apparently unpublished cooperative
book (written with Cubberley and Almack). Chapters 17-22.
1940
Box 9, folder 14
Major Mss: Sears' portion of an untitled, apparently unpublished cooperative
book (written with Cubberley and Almack). Chapters 23-32.
1940
Box 9, folder 15
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings,
1921-22
Box 9, folder 16
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings,
1924-29
Box 9, folder 17
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings,
1930-34
Box 9, folder 18
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings,
1935-37
Box 10, folder 1
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings,
1941-49
Box 10, folder 2
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings,
1950-53
Box 10, folder 3
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings, Publication and
Date Uncertain
Box 10, folder 4
Minor Mss: Articles and Other Writings, Publication and
Date Uncertain
Box 10, folder 5
Minor Mss: Articles on Rural Education, Publication and
Date Uncertain
Box 10, folder 6
Minor Mss: Addresses and Speeches,
1914
Box 10, folder 7
Minor Mss: Studies and Surveys, Publication and
Date Uncertain
Box 10, folder 8
Minor Mss: Book Reviews,
1915
Box 10, folder 9
Minor Mss: Sears' Own Student Memorabilia [papers, class outlines and
summaries],
1910-11
Box 10, folder 10
Minor Mss: Miscellany [notes and outlines for articles or speeches, student
paper by Myrtle G. Welton],
Dates Uncertain
Addenda, 1979 accn 1979 addenda
SCOPE AND CONTENT
This addenda to SC 005 (boxes 12-14) contains material given to the Archives by Robert
R. Sears (son of J.B. Sears) in 1979. The bulk of the material is personal
correspondence to and from family members and close friends, although there is a small
amount of professional correspondence with Ellwood Cubberley. In addition the boxes
contain several account books, pocket diaries, copies of J.B. Sears' wife's
autobiography and copies of the Sears genealogy. The correspondence covers the years
1860-1973.
Box 12
Chronological Correspondence,
1860-1973
Box 12
Correspondence by individual,
1860-1973
Box 12
Sears family history and genealogy
Box 12
Misc. essays and poetry of J.B. Sears
Box 12
Misc. essays and stories of Stella Richardson Sears
Box 12
Memo books, pocket diaries
Box 12
Memoirs of J.B. Sears' trip to Europe,
undated
Box 13
Correspondence, still in envelopes
Box 13
Unbound copies of Stella Richardson Sears' autobiography
Box 14
Account books (8)
1936-1962
Box 14
Folder of correspondence, etc. relating to J.B. Sears' death in
1973
Box 11
Publications and Reprints.
General note
[Box 11, a large record carton, contains journals and magazines which include articles
or reviews by J.B. Sears. The box also contains copies of some of these same articles
and reviews in reprint form.]
PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION. Typed and handwritten manuscript, fifteen
chapters,
undated
Box 15, folder 2
Chapter 1: An Approach to the Study of School Administration
Box 15, folder 3
Chapter 2: The Tools of Research and Library Usage
Box 15, folder 4
Chapter 3: The Background of Social Administration
Box 15, folder 5
Chapter 4: Professional Organizations, Serial Publications, and Public
Documents of the Field
Box 15, folder 6
Chapter 5: Our Theory of Public School Administration
Box 15, folder 7
Chapter 6: Federal Government and Education
Box 15, folder 8
Chapter 7: State School Administration
Box 15, folder 9
Chapter 8: County and Rural School Administration
Box 15, folder 10
Chapter 9: Financing Public Education
Box 15, folder 11
Chapter 10: Local School Administration
Box 15, folder 12
Chapter 11: Personal Management
Box 15, folder 13
Chapter 12: Supervision and Research
Box 15, folder 14
Chapter 13: School Business Management
Box 15, folder 15
Chapter 14: School Buildings
Box 15, folder 16
Chapter 15: The Administration of a School
Box 15, folder 17
Bibliographic Index Cards
Addenda, 1990-112 Accession ARCH-1990-112
Language of Material: English.
Box 16, folder 1
Education and the War Emergency: Letters and Bulletins from California School
Executives Covering Emergency Activities assembled vol. 1, locations A-O
[1941-1942], 1942,
Box 16, folder 2
Education and the War Emergency: Letters and Bulletins from California School
Executives Covering Emergency Activities assembled vol. 2, locations P-Z
[1941-1942], 1942,
Addenda, 2019-141 Accession ARCH-2019-141
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Photograph album, presented to Jesse B. Sears after he taught at Kidder
Institute, MO.
Language of Material: English.
Box 2
50th wedding anniversary album, J.B. & Stella
1954
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 1
Robert's school project on birds of Santa Clara Valley
1920
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 2
Stella's baby journal
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 3
Photographs of J.B. Sears & Robert R. Sears
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 4
Photographs of J.B. Sears, Robert R. Sears, and Pauline Snedden
Sears
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 5
Robert's mother's diary
1910 Sep 3-1913 Jan 1
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 6
Early photographs, Stella & J.B.
circa 1900s
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 7
Will and deed
1911, 1955
Language of Material: English.
