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San José State University Archives Directories, Guides & Handbooks Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-2010-05-04

Scope and Content of Collection

The San José State University Archives Directories, Guides & Handbooks, 1920-1997 (bulk 1941-1976) consists of handbooks and directories targeted to students, faculty, and staff. The directories contain address and telephone lists of students, staff and faculty. The handbooks, mostly produced for student usage, give a comprehensive view of University procedures, resources, and traditions. The records consist of printed materials, bound and unbound guides and handbooks, directories, and pamphlets.

Dates

  • Creation: 1920-1997 1941-1976
  • Creation: 1941 - 1976

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has been assigned to the San José State University Library 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 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.

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.

Extent

17.0 boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The San José State University Archives Directories, Guides & Handbooks, 1920-1997 (bulk 1941-1976) consists of handbooks and directories targeted to students, faculty and staff. The directories contain address and telephone lists of students, staff, and faculty. The handbooks, mostly produced for student usage, give a comprehensive view of University procedures, resources, and traditions. The records consist of printed materials, bound and unbound guides and handbooks, directories, and pamphlets. This collection is arranged into four series: Series I. Directories, 1921-1997 (bulk 1945-1981); Series II. Student Handbooks, 1923-1997 (bulk 1941-1967): Series III; Staff Reference Guides, 1962-1997 (bulk 1961-1978); Series IV. Miscellaneous, 1902-1979 (bulk 1934-1969).

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into four series: Series I. Directories, 1921-1997 (bulk 1945-1981): Series II. Student Handbooks, 1923-1997 (bulk 1941-1967): Series III. Staff Reference Guides, 1962-1997 (bulk 1961-1978); Series IV. Miscellaneous, 1902-1979 (bulk 1934-1969).

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.

Related Material

San José State University Faculty Wives Club Records, MSS-2010-03-02. San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Bibliography

  • Gilbert, Benjamin F., and Burdick, Charles. Washington Square, 1857-1979: The History of San José State University. San José, California: San José State University, 1980.
  • Walsh, James P. San José State University: An Interpretive History, 1950-2000. San José, California: San José State University, 2003.

General Physical Description note

(6.88 linear feet)

University Archives Collection

Record Group: 7.8

Processing Information

Collection processed by Stephanie Waslohn. Finding aid EAD encoded by Stephanie Waslohn. Reviewed by Danelle Moon. A 1934-1935 Bulletin Directory of Students & Faculty from the San José State Normal School and San Jose State Teachers College Course Catalogs Collection was moved to Box 1 in May 2023 by Christine Thuy Minh Nguyen.

Title
Guide to the University Archives Directories, Guides & Handbooks Collection
Status
Completed
Date
© 2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in: English

Repository Details

Part of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
(408) 808-2062
(408) 808-2063 (Fax)