O. Meredith Wilson papers
Scope and Content
The collection contains personal files of O. Meredith Wilson, President of the University of Minnesota from 1960-1967. Included are speeches, personal correspondence, and files relating to the Commission on Rights, Liberties, and Responsibilities of the American Indian and the Advisory Panel on Educational Statistics, U.S. Office of Education. There is one box of certificates received by Wilson and another box of files relating to honors given, notably honorary degrees and the Alumni Service Award.
The Commission on Rights, Liberties and Responsibilities of the American Indian was established by The Fund for the Republic, Inc. in March 1957. The Fund gave a grant of $100,000 to the Commission. The Commission's purpose was to "promote a better understanding of the special status of the people as United States citizens and of what should be done by and for them to facilitate their entry into the mainstream of American life." Wilson was chairman of the Commission from 1957 to circa 1961 while he was president of the Universities of Oregon and Minnesota. It produced, "A Program for Indian Citizens: a Summary Report, January, 1961, while Wilson was president at the University of Minnesota.
Dates
- 1955-1967
Creator
- Wilson, O. Meredith, 1909-1998 (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Use of Materials
Items in this collection do not circulate and may be used in-house only.
Copyright
Requests for permission to quote O. Meredith Wilson should be arranged with the University of Minnesota Archives head.
Biographical Sketch of O. Meredith Wilson (1909-1998 )
Wilson was born in Mexico and raised in Texas and Utah. He attended Brigham Young University and earned a doctoral degree at the University of California, Berkeley. An historian specializing in American colonial history, he taught at the University of Utah and the University of Chicago. He was president of the University of Oregon for six years before becoming president at the University of Minnesota in 1960.
During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, President Wilson oversaw more than 40 building projects, including the creation of a new campus on the west bank of the Mississippi. In 1960 the University of Minnesota, Morris opened, offering four-year liberal arts degrees and in 1966 the Northwest School of Agriculture was transformed into the University of Minnesota, Crookston, offering two year degrees in agriculture and related fields. Wilson left the University in 1967 to become director of the Center for Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He died in 1998.
Extent
12 boxes (12 linear feet)
Abstract
Collection contains personal files of O. Meredith Wilson, President of the University of Minnesota, 1960-1967. Included are speeches, personal correspondence, and files relating to the Commission on Rights, Liberties, and Responsibilities of the American Indian and the Advisory Panel on Educational Statistics, U.S. Office of Education.
Processing Information
The collection has not been processed.
- Title
- O. Meredith Wilson papers, 1955-1967
- Author
- Leslie Czechowski
- Date
- December 2004
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Collecting Area Details
Contact The University Archives Collecting Area
