Archival Acquisitions Build On Anniversary’s Success

One of the central goals of the UCI Historical Records Project is to actively add the records of major campus offices and the papers of distinguished faculty to the University Archives in order to preserve key components of campus history. Thanks in part to the assistance of Spencer Olin during his appointment as Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professor, the campus profile of the Archives is higher, and we are off to a good start in acquiring important collections from individuals and units campuswide.

UCI’s University Archives contains the raw material of UCI’s history—textual documents, photographs and other audiovisual items, electronic records, and materials in other media created by faculty, administrators, staff, and students, that document historically significant people, events, and policies. The mission of the Archives is to collect, preserve, and provide access to such items of permanent historical value. Since the Historical Records Project was launched early in 2004 with support from EVC Gottfredson, a variety of important collections have been transferred to the archives. Some highlights:

UCI Offices and Academic Units

Chancellor’s Office
Detailed records documenting Ralph Cicerone’s seven years as UCI’s fourth Chancellor (1998-2005).

Academic Senate, Irvine Division
Minutes and agendas of the Executive Committee and the Representative Assembly, as well as extensive central subject files, document the faculty’s participation in University governance from 1965 to 1995.

Thesaurus Linguae Graecae Project
Records documenting the evolution of this monumental humanities computing project since its founding at UCI in 1972.

Dean of the School of the Arts
Files from Jill Beck’s deanship (1986-2004).

Center for Women and Men
The Center closed in 2004, and its responsibilities were moved to other offices within Student Affairs. Extensive records document both the Center and its predecessor organizations, including the Women’s Resource Center.

Cross Cultural Center
Recent additions enhance the detailed records of “the Cross” and its affiliated student organizations throughout its 31-year history.

UCI Faculty

Jack Peltason
Materials documenting the activities of UCI’s second chancellor (1984-1992) following his retirement as UC President in 1995. The records of Peltason’s Chancellorship are also in the Archives.

Seymour Menton
Extensive files documenting Menton’s career as a founding UCI faculty member and internationally renowned expert in Latin American literature.

Robert Cohen
Production books that document in detail every play directed by this UCI founding faculty member and distinguished acting theorist.

Grover Stephens
A complete collection of reprints, manuscripts, and teaching materials documenting the scientific accomplishments of this UCI founding faculty member and former Dean of Biological Sciences who died in 2004.

Paul Silverman
Papers of the former associate chancellor for the development of the College of Health Sciences. Silverman also was a pioneer in the human genome project and a strong advocate for stem-cell research. He died in 2004.

Roland Schinzinger
Notable as the first person awarded the Ph.D. degree at the new UCI campus in 1966, Schinzinger served for many years on the faculty of the School of Engineering. He died in 2004.

Joan Ariel
While serving as Women’s Studies Librarian at UCI for nearly twenty years, Ariel was a key player in numerous campus organizations and programs relating to lesbian and gay issues. Her files are a detailed record of UCI history in this area.

Building the University Archives is a task without end, and the Archives welcomes inquiries from anyone on campus who may have valuable materials for us to consider. Please contact University Archivist Jackie Dooley (jmdooley@uci.edu or x44935) with questions or suggestions at any time.