Records of the Associate Dean of Harvard College in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment, 1934-1942
Overview
The office of Associate Dean of Harvard College in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment existed from 1935-1943. Its only office holder was George F. Plimpton. These records document Plimpton's administrative activities which included not only alumni and student job placement but also encompassed freshman advising, administration of scholarships for German refugees, and United States Army Air Corps intelligence officer placement.
Dates
- Creation: 1934-1942
Creator
- Harvard College (1780- ). Associate Dean in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment. (Organization)
Conditions on Use and Access
Access to unpublished archival records is restricted for 50 years from the date of creation of the record(s). Access to student and personnel records is restricted for 80 years. See reference staff for details. No restrictions on access apply to published records. The application of this policy is indicated in a special restriction note for each series.
Extent
3.3 cubic feet (10 boxes)The records document the administrative activities of George F. Plimpton, Associate Dean of Harvard College in charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment. The records provide evidence of the effects of the Depression on Harvard University, especially financial aid to students via employment and scholarships, alumni prospects for employment, and Plimpton's change in attitude toward students needing financial assitance. They also document academic and personal counseling of students at Harvard College. In addition, these records demonstrate Harvard's response to the 1938 German political situation, refugees and academic freedom; they also provide a record of Harvard's support of the United States' war effort, 1941-1942.
History of the office of Associate Dean of Harvard College in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment
The office of Associate Dean of Harvard College in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment existed from 1935-1943. Its only office holder was George F. Plimpton. His activities included not only student and alumni job placement, but also administration of scholarships and freshman advising. Scholarships included those for refugees from Germany and its annexed lands. When the United States entered the war, Plimpton's interviewing and placement experience led to his involvement in placement of United States Army Air Corps intelligence officers. When the office dissolved, Plimpton's responsibilities were taken on by the Dean of the College, A. C. Hanford.
Alumni placement and student employment at Harvard was effected by the Depression. Alumni placement had been the province of the Harvard Alumni Placement Service, originally established and sponsored by the Harvard Alumni Employment Committee. The Harvard Alumni Placement Service and its branches at various Harvard Clubs provided alumni and graduating seniors with career advice and introductions to the business and industrial communities. In 1935, before Plimpton was appointed, the University took over the private Cambridge office of the Harvard Alumni Placement Service, replacing it with the University-controlled Alumni Placement Office. Plimpton worked closely with the Alumni Placement Office. On July 31, 1941 the Alumni Placement Office was closed due to the necessity to make cuts in the University's budget. The Student Employment Office, which was initiated in 1910 , and with which Plimpton also worked closely, continued to function.
After the Alumni Placement Office closed, Plimpton still did as much as possible for job-seeking graduates. He provided advice and career counseling to students, the resources of the Placement Office Library were still made available, and the various alumni placement committees continued to assist seniors relocating to their cities.
Plimpton's additional responsibilities were many. He was responsible for assisting in the fair administration of scholarships and other aids to undergraduates, including German refugees. He was a Freshmen Adviser. He also served as a member of numerous University committees including the Committee on the Supervision of Non-Athletic Undergraduate Organizations and the Committee on Scholarships in Harvard College. From March to September 1942, Plimpton worked as a civilian interviewer for the United States Army Air Corps' New England Personnel Procurement Division, recommending college and university faculty for positions as combat intelligence officers. He later was granted a leave of absence to enter the Army as a Major. In 1943 he resigned his position as Associate Dean in charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment and the office was abolished.
Series in the Collection
- Administrative Files, 1934-1942. 1.3 cubic feet in 4 containers.
- Combat Intelligence Officer Placement Records, 1937-1942 (Inclusive), 1942 (Bulk). 0.6 cubic feet in 2 containers.
- Refugee Scholarship Records, 1936-1942. 1.6 cubic feet in 5 containers.
- Student Employment Records, 1935-1942. 0.6 cubic feet in 2 containers.
- Freshmen Advisee Files, 1936-1942. 0.3 cubic feet in 1 container.
Arrangement
The records are arranged into five series that reflect the arrangement of the records as received from the Office.
Custodial Information
The records of the Associate Dean of Harvard College in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment likely came to the Archives in the 1940's. Accruals are not expected.
General note
This document last updated 2022 June 28.
Processing Information
Processed by Andrea Goldstein September-October 1999.
Originally, these records had been mis-classified in the Harvard University Archives with the Records of the Dean of Students in UAIII 5.34.108. In 1999, processing staff in the Harvard University Archives recognized that the records originated from a different office. Staff eradicated the old classification number, replaced it with UAIII 5.76, re-processed the records, and created this finding aid.
- Title
- Harvard College (1780- ). Associate Dean in Charge of Alumni Placement and Student Employment. Records : an inventory
- Author
- Harvard University Archives
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua06999
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
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