Synopses & Reviews
Deans of men in American colleges and universities were created in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to help manage a growing student population. The early deans often had a personality that allowed them to engage easily with students. Over time, many deans saw their offices increase in size and responsibility. The profession grew slowly but by the 1940s drew several hundred men to annual conferences and many more were members. Deans of men and women were significant figures for college students; many students saw them as the “face” of the college or university. Schwartz traces the role and work of the deans and how they managed the rapidly growing culture of the American college campus in the twentieth century.
Review
“Historian Robert Schwartz has brought the campus administrative chart to life by animating the fascinating story of colleges' Deans of Men. This book includes thoughtful analysis of significant higher education trends combined with his fresh, remarkable biographies of colorful, influential figures.” —John R. Thelin, University Research Professor and Professor of Educational Policy Studies, University of Kentucky
"The biographies of early Deans of Men in this volume are fascinating and wide-ranging. Schwartz includes deans from the South and the Midwest in his volume, in addition to representatives from the Northeast. He places all of his biographies in a context of a developing profession, struggling to find its way." —Wayne J. Urban, Paul W. Bryant Professor in the College of Education, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
“This book offers a unique and important contribution to the field of higher education. It is thoughtful, well-written, and tells a unique and important story. Schwartz has created a hybrid book where he uses biography with history to do academic history with a human voice.” —Alan Wieder, Senior Research Consultant, Center for Teaching Quality
About the Author
Robert Schwartz is Associate Professor at Florida State University where he teaches in the Higher Education program. He has written extensively on deans of men, deans of women, and issues related to students, women in higher education, and the history of higher education. His work has appeared in the Review of Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of College Student Retention, among others.
Table of Contents
The Rise and Demise of the Deans of Men: A Historical Perspective * The Pioneer: Thomas Arkle Clark , “Dean of Deans” * The Paternalist: Scott Goodnight of Wisconsin * The Academics: Early Deans in Liberal Arts Colleges * Francis F. Bradshaw, A Southern Student Personnel Pioneer * A Modern Dean, Fred Turner of Illinois * A Brief Treatise on the Deans of Women * The Demise of the Deans of Men, The Rise of the Deans of Students * A Retrospective Epilogue