President's Office Records - O'Donnell, 1909-1964 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Delsie Jenkins, Connie Poiston, Sheri Brewer, Joyce Libbey and Charles Hay

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Collection Overview

Title: President's Office Records - O'Donnell, 1909-1964

Primary Creator: O'Donnell, William F. (1890-1974)

Extent: 80.3 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 05/21/2002. More info below under Accruals.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The official and personal papers of Eastern's fifth president, William O'Donnell, comprise 182 boxes of materials covering the years 1909 -1964. The bulk of the collection is organized into the Subject Series (Boxes 26-182) and gives insights into the daily workings of a school moving from the troubled times of World War II into the transitional period the 1950's. Included are subjects as various as correspondence with faculty and staff by both the President and the Dean, enrollment figures, dealings with the Army during World War II and the Extension Division. The smaller General Series (Boxes 1-25) contains a great deal of material which overlaps and connects with the Subject Series. Therefore, the two Series should be cross-referenced by users.

Collection Historical Note

The fifth president of Eastern, William Francis O'Donnell, was born May 1, 1890, in Burnet, Texas. After attending elementary and secondary school in his native state, O'Donnell matriculated to Transylvania University where in 1912 he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree. Service as Principal (1912-1913) and Superintendent (1913-1926) of the Carrollton, Kentucky public schools followed. In 1926 O'Donnell became Superintendent the Richmond Public Schools. While in that capacity, O'Donnell received the Master of Arts Degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.

In April of 1941, the Board of Regents chose him to succeed Herman L. Donovan as President of Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College July 1, 1941. America's entry into World War II followed closely O'Donnell's assumption of his post. Attendance at Eastern plummeted as Kentucky's sons and daughters rushed to volunteer their services to their country. The establishment of Army training units on the campus helped to ease the shock. After the end of the war, enrollment began a steady increase, helped by the G.I. Bill of Rights which enabled many veterans to obtain higher educations. A change in name to Eastern Kentucky State College and permission to grant degrees in fields other than teaching symbolized the maturation of Eastern under O'Donnell's leadership. In addition, the 1950's saw the beginnings of a building program which culminated in the great physical growth of the college in the 1960's.

On June 30, 1960, O'Donnell retired as President of Eastern. Continuing to reside in Richmond, the former President and his wife were familiar figures at campus events until their deaths three months apart in 1974.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: General],
[Series 2: Subject Series],
[All]

Series 1: General

The general series is composed of twenty-five boxes, Boxes 1-25, of material relating to both university and personal matters. The series covers the years 1941 through 1960. Included is correspondence with students and faculty, prominent political figures of both state and nation, and various companies and organizations. All of these papers are arranged alphabetically either by correspondent or topic and then chronologically within each folder.

Box 1

Barcode: 31234013817356

Folder 1: Abbott, H. P. Almon - Admans, Virginia B.
Folder 2: Adams, William E. - Allen, Victor, Jr.
Folder 3: Allen Company
Folder 4: Alley, Margaret - Amis, Otis C.
Folder 5: American Book Company
Folder 6: Ammerman, Jeannie Ann - Applegate, Teddy
Folder 7: Anderson, Olof
Folder 8: Arbuckle, J. A. - Asbaugh, E. J
Folder 9: Ashby, Wilson - Atwood, R. B.
Folder 10: Ault, James - Baird, William Jesse

Box 2

Barcode: 31234013817349

Folder 1: Bailey, Sue - Bales, George William
Folder 2: Balf our Company - Barnes, Helen Jo
Folder 3: Barkley, Alben W
Folder 4: Barnes, Marshall - Bays, Karl D.
Folder 5: Beals, W. E. - Beers, Howard W.
Folder 6: Beeler, T. W.
Folder 7: Begley, James G. - Berry, Robert C
Folder 8: Bell, Ira
Folder 9: Benefield, William A., Jr
Folder 10: Best, Frankie Stephans - Bivins, Claude H
Folder 11: Black Brothers Bus Lines - Bledsoe, Mallie
Folder 12: Blackburn, John

Box 3

Barcode: 31234013817331

Folder 1: Blessing, Paul - Boulos, Barbara
Folder 2: Boatman, Conway
Folder 3: Bowdish, Grace Sawyer - Bozeman, Estelle
Folder 4: Bower, W. C.
Folder 5: Boyd, Paul P
Folder 6: Bracken, John - Bray Pictures Corporation
Folder 7: Breckinridge, John B. - Brock, Wanda Peters
Folder 8: Bridges, Russell E.
Folder 9: Brockman, B. N. - Brown, Jun
Folder 10: Brown, Laura - Bullock, Leonard
Folder 11: Bumgarden, Eleanor - Bushart, R. W

Box 4

Barcode: 31234013817281

Folder 1: Butler High School - Campbell, Ethel
Folder 2: Campbell, Fallen - Carmon, D. E
Folder 3: Carnahan, Mary Elizabeth - Carter, William C
Folder 4: Cartmell, R. B. - Caudill, Wendell
Folder 5: Cavana, Milton J. - Charles, Glen R.
Folder 6: Chandler, A. B.
Folder 7: Chapman, Virgil
Folder 8: Charles, Patsy Sue - Chitwood, Howard
Folder 9: Chesapeake and Ohio Lines
Folder 10: Chrisman, John - Cleaver, Charles Edward
Folder 11: Clarke, James W.

Box 5

Barcode: 31234013817273

Folder 1: Clem, Robert B. - Coffman, Ben
Folder 2: Cole, Arch E. - Collins, R. L.
Folder 3: Collins, Velma - Combs, Roy
Folder 4: Colton, Ethan
Folder 5: Combs, Travis - Cooper, Clara Chassell
Folder 6: Congleton, Vernon E.
Folder 7: Cooper, Don E. - Cosby, R. Josh
Folder 8: Cooper, John Sherman
Folder 9: Coslow, W. F
Folder 10: Cottengim, Ralph - Coy, Charles R.
Folder 11: Crabb, A. L. - Cronin, John J.
Folder 12: Crossfield, R. H.

Box 6

Barcode: 31234013817489

Folder 1: Crook, Robert H. - Cyr, Frank W.
Folder 2: Culbertson, Harry
Folder 3: Dabney, James Elmer - Dansby, Beverly
Folder 4: Darling, Fred C. - Davis, Clifford
Folder 5: Davis, D. T. - Davis, William L.
Folder 6: Davis, Olin W
Folder 7: Dawahare, William - Demaree, Dorothy
Folder 8: Dawson, C. C.
Folder 9: Demetree, George - DeWitt, R. T
Folder 10: Dial, Fred - Dodson, Norman E.

Box 7

Barcode: 31234013817471

Folder 1: Dolen, Frances - Downard, Ruby
Folder 2: Donaldson, J. Lyter
Folder 3: Downer, Edward T. - Duncan, Paul
Folder 4: Drysdale, W. S
Folder 5: Dummit, Eldon S
Folder 6: Dunham, W. E. - Durr, George Wilson
Folder 7: Durrett, Emily - Ecton, T. C.
Folder 8: Eddleman, H. Leo - Elliott, Reed
Folder 9: Ellis, Faye - Estridge, Roy
Folder 10: Ethridge, Mark - Ezell, William R.
Folder 11: Ethridge, Willie Snow
Folder 12: Evan, E. J
Folder 13: Ezelle, Sam

Box 8

Barcode: 31234013817463

Folder 1: Faculty Meeting - Farris, Tom
Folder 2: Farley, C. H.
Folder 3: Faulconer, Herman S., Jr. - Fitzgerald, Ann Marie
Folder 4: Fine, Benjamin
Folder 5: Fitzpatrick, H. D.
Folder 6: Flaget High School - Ford, William Wallace
Folder 7: Foreign Policy Association - Frazier, Chalmer H.
Folder 8: Foster, Abner Ernst
Folder 9: Foster Hall Collection
Folder 10: Freeman, Delmas - Fyffe, Carroll

Box 9

Barcode: 31234013817455

Folder 1: Gabbard, Doris - Garnett, Lee W.
Folder 2: Gardner, Leslie
Folder 3: Garnett, Richard L. - Gerard, Sumner
Folder 4: Gentry, Frank
Folder 5: German, Ruth - Gilligan, Alice
Folder 6: Gibbs, Minnie
Folder 7: Gilbert, Teddy C.
Folder 8: Gilligan, L. F. - Gooch, Wilkie B.
Folder 9: Godard, J. M.
Folder 10: Good, Carter V. - Grant, Charles H.
Folder 11: Graham, Verena B.
Folder 12: Grant, Raymond S., Jr. - Griffey, John

Box 10

Barcode: 31234013817448

Folder 1: Griggs, Bess - Guerry, Alexander
Folder 2: Guiang, Honesta - Hagan, Doris Rose
Folder 3: Hager, Alice - Halyard, O. C.
Folder 4: Hall, Palmer
Folder 5: Hamblin, Foster - Hanson, Ernest
Folder 6: Harbor, W. O. - Hastings, Robert
Folder 7: Harmon, Clarence D
Folder 8: Harris, Claude H.
Folder 9: Hatch, Eddie - Heiss, Clarence L.

Box 11

Barcode: 31234013817430

Folder 1: Held, William Louis - Herring, Hubert
Folder 2: Helmick, Russel E
Folder 3: Herschede, Frank A. - Hill, Betty J
Folder 4: Higgins, Howard
Folder 5: Hill, C. A. - Hinton, Robert T.
Folder 6: Hill, Henry H
Folder 7: Hire, Eleanore - Hollowell, C. A.
Folder 8: Hollis, Ernest V
Folder 9: Holmes, Bonnie Sue - Horne, V. P.
Folder 10: Horsch, M. J. - Huffsey, Ralph
Folder 11: Huger, William Beckman - Hunley, Pauline

Box 12

Barcode: 31234013817422

Folder 1: Hunt, Arthur Billings - Hutton, Richard R.
Folder 2: Hunt, Charles W.
Folder 3: Hutchins, Francis J
Folder 4: Ickes, Harold - Ives, C. A
Folder 5: Jackson, Eula - Jewell, Robert B
Folder 6: Jewell, James W.
Folder 7: Jewish Chautauqua Society
Folder 8: Jobe, E. R. - Johnson, Louis
Folder 9: Johnson, Martha - Jones, Josephine
Folder 10: Johnson, W. A. E.
Folder 11: Jones, Earle
Folder 12: Jones, Kenneth R. - Joyce, E. R.

Box 13

Barcode: 31234013817380

Folder 1: Jones, W. C
Folder 2: Judd, Eugene - Keith, Eugene
Folder 3: Keller, J. A. - Kentucky Hotel
Folder 4: Kentucky Inspection Bureau - Khachatourian, E.
Folder 5: Kerensky, Alexander
Folder 6: Kidd, Earl - Kirby, David
Folder 7: Kirk, Bonnie - KYMA Club
Folder 8: Kirkpatrick, Lee
Folder 9: Lackey, Allie - Lawson, Jesse C.
Folder 10: Larson, A. H.
Folder 11: Lassiter, A. L
Folder 12: Laxton, Richard - Lever, Oscar W.

Box 14

Barcode: 31234013817372

Folder 1: Lessenger, W. E.
Folder 2: Lewallen, Caleb - Ley, Jack
Folder 3: Library of Congress - Livesay, William
Folder 4: Lloyd, Arthur - Lowry, B. H.
Folder 5: Lubbe, Marlene - Lyons, William R.
Folder 6: McAfee, Mildred - McCoy, Christine
Folder 7: McConnell, J. Edward
Folder 8: McCracken, Ralph - McGuire, William C.
Folder 9: McHenry, James R. - McMullen, Robert J.

Box 15

Barcode: 31234013817539

Folder 1: McLellan, Hugh
Folder 2: McNabb, Edgar, Jr. - McWilliams, Gerald
Folder 3: McNitt's Inc.
Folder 4: Mabrey, Lois - Marquette, Rex
Folder 5: Marr, Mary - Martin, Leslie L.
Folder 6: Martin, James W.
Folder 7: Martin, Marlene - Mather Kirtley F.
Folder 8: Mathews, Dorothy - Mayberry, Howard C.
Folder 9: Mayberry, Hilda Gay
Folder 10: Mayberry, Vera - Melvin, Shirley R.
Folder 11: Meece, L. E.
Folder 12: Mengel Company - Meyer, J. I.
Folder 13: Milbern, Joda - Miller, Jack: This folder includes correspondence between Dr. O'Donnell and Andrew Miller (Eastern's first African American student) regarding his admission to Eastern. Digital Content is only the Andrew Miller correspondence.

Box 16

Barcode: 31234013817521

Folder 1: Miller, James - Mims, Edwin A.
Folder 2: Mims, Mary - Moberly, Tom Burnam
Folder 3: Moery, Marguerite - Moore, Kenneth
Folder 4: Moore, Mabel A. - Morgan, Woodrow
Folder 5: Morin, M. J. - Maynahan, B. T.
Folder 6: Morris, Glyn A.
Folder 7: Mrazovich, Chuck - Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York
Folder 8: Myers, Edward D. - Nath, Lawrence
Folder 9: National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Naylor, Joyce
Folder 10: National Beta Club

Box 17

Barcode: 31234013817513

Folder 1: Neace, Stella B. - Newton, Beverly
Folder 2: Nguyen, Dau - Noll, Waldemar
Folder 3: Nichols, Homer W
Folder 4: Noonan, Joseph F. - Odum, Howard W.
Folder 5: Nursworthy, E. M
Folder 6: O'Donnell, W. F.
Folder 7: Office Equipment Company - Olson, Ove S
Folder 8: Odgen, Frank J.
Folder 9: O'Neal, Kenneth V. - Overhultz, Aileen
Folder 10: Oppenheimer, J. J.
Folder 11: Overman, Ralph T. - Owens, W. B.
Folder 12: Owen, W. B.
Folder 13: Owens, A. D
Folder 14: Oxford University Press - Parker, W. F.
Folder 15: Page, A. A.
Folder 16: Parks, George Washington - Patrick, Olney M.

Box 18

Barcode: 31234013817505

Folder 1: Patridge, Ina - Paynter, Joyce
Folder 2: Payne, Patrick M.
Folder 3: Peabody Journal of Education - Pendry, Margaret J.
Folder 4: Pedley, G. M.
Folder 5: Pelfrey, W. O.
Folder 6: Penn, Robert A. - Perry, Charles
Folder 7: Perry, Dolph - Peyton, Warren
Folder 8: Pfanstiel, E. E. - Piper, L. A.
Folder 9: Piper, Lewis A. - Polin, John A.
Folder 10: Pollack, Marion L. - Potter, Martha Jane
Folder 11: Powe1l, Clarence - Pruff, Fred C.
Folder 12: Pruffit, Mae - Quinsenberry, Dorothy J.

Box 19

Barcode: 31234013817497

Folder 1: Raaum, Carroll - Randall, Doris
Folder 2: Randalle, Emma Jane - Ray, Paul D.
Folder 3: Ray, W. C. - Reed, Max
Folder 4: Rees, James Ward - Reynolds, Alice
Folder 5: Reynolds, Doris - Richie, Virginia Lea
Folder 6: Richmond, Harry - Ring, Mary F.
Folder 7: Ring, Patricia
Folder 8: Roberts, Homer
Folder 9: Roberts, James - Roif, James H.
Folder 10: Rogers, Emory G.
Folder 11: Romersa, Henry - Royce, Reverend W

Box 20

Barcode: 31234013817414

Folder 1: Rose, Chester A.
Folder 2: Ruark, Jeanne - Ryle, Walter
Folder 3: Sageser, David - Sanderson, Frances G.
Folder 4: Sanford, Theo A.
Folder 5: Sandridge, Willard - Saylor, Mildred Ann
Folder 6: Schacter, Harry F. - Schilling, Karl, Jr.
Folder 7: Schnabl, Henri
Folder 8: Schirmer, Mary Lou - Scott, Barbara J.
Folder 9: Scott, Billy - Scutt, William R.
Folder 10: Seabury, Ruth I. - Seevers, George W.
Folder 11: Seevers, Jean H. - Seyfrit, Paul L.
Folder 12: Shackleford, Clyde - Sherry, Sanford L.

Box 21

Barcode: 31234013817406

Folder 1: Sherwood, Henry Noble
Folder 2: Shewmaker, Nancy - Schutt, C. N.
Folder 3: Sidebottom, Paul - Sizemore, Thomas
Folder 4: Skaggs, Elizabeth - Slusher, W. W.
Folder 5: Smalley, J. C. - Smith, G. Murray, Jr
Folder 6: Smith, Geneva M. - Smith, Lucy L.
Folder 7: Smith, M. Susan - Smyth, Wanda
Folder 8: Snapp, C. V. - Snyder, Pauline
Folder 9: Sockman, Ralph W. - Sowder, Gail
Folder 10: Spain, Charles R. - Spurlock, Jimmy D.

Box 22

Barcode: 31234013817398

Folder 1: Squires, James R. - Stanton, Anna Mae
Folder 2: Stapleton, Procter - Stevenson, Roberta
Folder 3: Stewart, Carolyn - Stott, Roscoe G.
Folder 4: Stout, W. H.
Folder 5: String Quartet Trips
Folder 6: Stovall, Henry A. - Sturtevant, Paul
Folder 7: Sublett, Billy L. - Sutton, Willis A.
Folder 8: Sverdrup, L. J. Syracuse University
Folder 9: Swearingen, Orville L.
Folder 10: Taber, Rhea H. - Tannery, Fladger
Folder 11: Tapp, Hambleton
Folder 12: Tarkington, J. B. - Taylor, Leonard C.

Box 23

Barcode: 31234013817364

Folder 1: Taylor, L. N. - Taylor, William S.
Folder 2: Telegrams 1947-1948
Folder 3: Teachers Insurance - Texas, University of
Folder 4: Thacker, Bruce - Thurston, Lee M.
Folder 5: Tice, Fred A. - Titus, Mary
Folder 6: Todd, Camile - Toynbee, Arnold
Folder 7: Trabue, M. R. - Trusty, Constance
Folder 8: Tsuji, Hitomi - Tyree, Mabel V.
Folder 9: Tydings, J. M.
Folder 10: Uhrhan, Ruth J. - Utz, Jane G.
Folder 11: Vacuum Can Company - Van Peursem, J. E.

Box 24

Barcode: 31234013818438

Folder 1: Van Walt, Harry P. - Vaught, Vernie R.
Folder 2: Venable, Leroy G. - Voice Writing
Folder 3: Wachs, Fred - Walsh, Joseph K.
Folder 4: Walston, Thomas F. - Warburton, Amber
Folder 5: Ward, C. T. - Warren, Rufford
Folder 6: Wash, J. C. - Watson, Paul
Folder 7: Watters, Phyllis - Wayne, Irvine
Folder 8: Weatherford, W. D. - Weldon, John C.
Folder 9: Wells, Darlene - Wesleyan College
Folder 10: West, Happye - Weyler, Edward H.
Folder 11: Whalin, E. B. - Whitaker, Vernon E.
Folder 12: White, Allen - Who's Who in America

Box 25

Barcode: 31234013818388

Folder 1: Wicker, Clyde L. - Willard, A. C.
Folder 2: Williams, Aeida - Williams, Wentworth
Folder 3: Williamson, Ben, Jr. - Wilmer, Doris
Folder 4: Wilson, Barney E. - Wilson, William
Folder 5: Winburn, Anne - Witt, John David
Folder 6: WLAP Radio Station - Worthington, Roy J.
Folder 7: Wrather, M. O. - Wright, R. Colvin
Folder 8: Wu, Kuo-Chou - Wyker, Mossie A.
Folder 9: Yaden, Doris - YWCA
Folder 10: Zaferokes, A. P. - Zweigart, Robert G.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: General],
[Series 2: Subject Series],
[All]