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© 2003 Smith College. All rights reserved.
Thomas Corwin Mendenhall was the sixth president of Smith College, and the last male president to take office. He accepted the position in 1958, and began work in the fall of 1959. He remained at the college for 16 years, retiring in the spring of 1975. Over the years he became a respected and beloved member of the Smith community, seeing the institution through one of the most divisive periods in American history with skill, sensitivity, and a precocious sense of humor.
Mendenhall arrived at Smith with more than 20 years of experience as an educator and administrator. After receiving degrees from Yale (Class of 1932), and Oxford's Balliol College (B.A. 1935, B.Litt. 1936), he returned to Yale as a professor of history in 1937. Six years later he began taking on administrative duties, first as assistant to the provost (1943-1950), then as the master of Berkeley College (1950-1959). He also had experience with Smith itself by way of his mother, Dorothy Reed Mendenhall, Smith Class of 1895.
Mendenhall was president during a challenging and eventful period for academic administrators across the country. He successfully guided the college through both national and local upheaval, weathering the social and political disputes that have become the hallmark of the 1960s and early 1970s. As the country battled over civil rights, the wars in Southeast Asia, and class iniquity, Smith became one of the thousands of colleges and universities across the country compelled to join the fray both nationally and locally. The legacies of student and faculty activism at Smith can be seen in the curriculum, social regulations, and even administrative structure and procedures. Afro-American Studies (via the Five Colleges), the Bridge Program, and the student exchange program with historically Black colleges all began during these years as a result of local and national struggles for civil rights and class equality. Recruitment programs attempted to diversify the population of students, as well as that of faculty and staff. The debate over coeducation also reached a pinnacle during the Mendenhall years, and the women's movement began to impact the college's curriculum and administrative structure. The Mendenhall Files illustrate the evolution of these issues via the records of individual Smith offices, departments and committees, but also through correspondence with alumnae, students and parents who needed not only to be informed, but in some cases placated in their anger and disappointment.
Changes in the administration and population were accompanied by renovation and addition to the physical layout of the college. Mendenhall oversaw the construction of three new centers and the renovation of several existing buildings. The Clark Science Center, the Fine Arts Center, and the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts were all constructed between 1959 and 1975. There was also a significant addition to Neilson Library.
As president of one of the premier women's colleges in the country, Mendenhall was also required to participate in intercollegiate associations such as the Seven Sisters, the Pioneer Valley's Five Colleges, Inc., and the primarily ivy league 12-College Exchange. He was also the Smith representative and point person for many educational organizations and related businesses. His daily schedule was crowded not only with campus activities and responsibilities, but also with speaking engagements and meetings at a variety of locales across the country. The extent of his responsibilities is most apparent in five records series in the collection: Colleges & Universities, Events, Engagements, Intercollegiate Associations, and Non-Smith Organizations. His philosophies and opinions on a variety of issues and events are documented throughout the collection, but are detailed most specifically in the Speeches series.
Throughout his tenure, Mendenhall played key roles in traditional college events, was cheered for his formal and informal talks, and came to be known by successive classes of students and alumnae as "Uncle Tom." He could be seen regularly rowing on Paradise Pond, made frequent appearances at dinners and teas in the student residences, and took an active role in the daily life of the college. He also remained an active educator, teaching in the history department throughout his presidency. When he died On July 18, 1998, at the age of 88, he was mourned by many from the Smith community. The following October, there was a memorial service in the Hills Chapel where friends and spoke about his legacies as an administrator, an educator, and a charismatic character in the history of Smith College.
The Mendenhall Files include nearly 39 linear feet (92.5 document boxes) of material dating from 1958-1975. Some material has been restricted according the College Archives policies. The open records include incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports and working papers, news clippings and photographs. For more specific information about the contents of the collection see the series descriptions and folder listing below.
Additional material in the Smith College Archives may be found in the records of other departments and offices of the college, as well as in the personal papers of Thomas Corwin Mendenhall. The papers of Dorothy Reed Mendenhall may also prove useful. They are housed in the Sophia Smith Collection.
This collection is organized into eighteen series:
The bulk of the collection (83.5 document boxes) is open to researchers according to the regulations of the College Archives. Some material has been restricted according to the College Archives policies. A small selection is currently open only to employees of the office of origin. College policy and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act require the restriction of the records of both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Counselors.
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or quote from the documents must be obtained from the Smith College Archives.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
Office of the President Thomas Corwin Mendenhall Files, Box #, Smith College Archives.
The Records of the Office of the President is considered a continuing collection, because certain materials remain in active use by the office for periods exceeding a president's actual tenure. The College Archives may receive accessions/additions long after the date of creation. Significant additions will be noted in an updated finding aid.
The majority of the Mendenhall Files were transferred to the College Archives from the Office of the President in a number of accessions dating from the time of his tenure until the present. Some material, however, came from Mendenhall himself after his retirement in 1975, and then from his wife, Cornelia Mendenhall, after his death in 1998. Additional biographical materials, such as news clippings, press releases, and photographs, have been added by the College Archives staff.
Processed by Laura Finkel.
Additional material in the Smith College Archives may be found in the records of other departments and offices of the college, as well as in the
The records in this series include newsclippings, press releases, and correspondence relating to Mendenhall and his presidency. The bulk of the information relates to the beginning of his career at Smith. There is also information about his family, his tenth anniversary at Smith, and his retirement.
The files in this series are arranged alphabetically by the most recent name of the department. Included are news clippings, correspondence, and reports from the undergraduate departments of the college. Also included are programs administered by the departments. For example, files from the Smith College Day Schools are included as a sub-series of the Department of Education. However, undergraduate and graduate academic programs administered either jointly by two or more departments, or by a separate and autonomous college office are filed either with Academic Programs or Administrative Offices. Information about Five College joint academic programs in English, History, Music, and the Sciences can be found in the Intercollegiate Associations series.
See Series III Academic Programs American Studies -and- Series XIII Graduate Work American Studies Diploma Program
See Series II. Academic Departments - Sociology and Anthropology
see also Series IX. Committees and Boards - Physical Education and Recreation
see also SeriesVII. Buildings and Grounds - Student Residences - Ziskind House Crew
see also Series IX. Committees and Boards Science, Committee on
The Academic Programs series consists of correspondence, news clippings, and reports regarding academic programs administered by the college outside of the regular operations of the academic departments. Those programs include: the Ada Comstock Scholars Program; the Honors Program; Pre-medical studies; Smith Scholars/Independent Study; the National Defense Education Act Institutes, interdepartmental courses and majors; Operations Crossroads Africa, Junior Year Abroad; and a number of exchange programs. The exchange programs involve colleges in India and Nigeria, as well as historically African-American colleges and universities within the United States. The Junior Year Abroad program files include information on studies in Toronto, Canada; Paris, France; Munich, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Geneva, Switzerland; Florence and Rome, Italy; Japan; the Philippines; China; and Latin America.
see also Series XIII. Grad Work - Amer. Studies Diploma Progam
see also Series III. Academic Programs - Operations Crossroads Africa
see also Series XIV. Intercollegiate Assoc - Five Colleges - Mary Holmes Junior College
The files in the Administrative Issues series document activity in the President's Office which is either of a general nature, requiring the attention of only the president and his closest assistants, or requiring the participation of a number of administrative bodies at once. Included in this series are records relating to a number of general issues, such as administrative structure, the curriculum, the college calendar, disaster preparedness, bomb threats, and energy conservation. The issues generally requiring the attention of the president and his assistants include the president's annual reports, town and gown relations, secondary education, and emeritus Smith presidents and their families. Issues that involve a number of administrative bodies include computer and audiovisual equipment and facilities, and the confidentiality of student records. There is also a collection of miscellaneous correspondence handled by the President's Office.
See Series IX. Committees & Boards - College Planning & Resources, Cttee on
see also Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations - 5 Colleges Computing Center -and- Series V. Administrative Offices - Computer Center
see also Series IV. Administrative Issues - Town & Gown Relations Northampton Public Schools
see also Series IX. Committees & Boards - Smith-Northampton Ad Hoc Cttee - and- Series V. Admin Offices - Financial Aid Scholarships - Northampton-Hatfield Scholarships
see also Series XIII. Graduate Work - Educ and Child Study - Clark School Teacher Training
The Administrative Offices series is the largest series in the Mendenhall Files. It includes correspondence and reports from individual offices as well as news clippings and other general information about their activities and functions. The files are arranged alphabetically by the most recent name of the office.
See Series II. Academic Depts - Educ. & Child Study Smith College Day Schools
see also Series IV. Administrative Issues - Computers -and- Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations - 5 Colleges - Computing Center
see also Series VI. Alumnae - Alumnae Association - Alumnae Fund
See also Series VII. Buildings & Grounds - Clark Science Center
see also Series IX. Committees & Boards - Financial Aid, Cttee on
see also Series XV. Non-Smith Organizations College - Entrance Examination Board
See Series V. Admin. Offices - Residence and Dining Services
see also Series XVII. Students - Drugs - and - Series XVII. Students - Alcohol
See Series V. Admin Offices - Janhige Social Science Resarch Center
This series includes material on a number of issues related to the alumnae in general as well as the Alumnae Association and its activities. There is a series of chronological files containing letters to President Mendenhall from individual alumna. Many are routine and pro forma letters of thank you for attending certain functions, or congratulations on his successes as an administrator. However, there are also letters scattered throughout addressing specific issues of both local and national concern. Several letters from roughly 1959-1961 address Mendenhall's inauguration, the National Defense Education Act and its loyalty oath, and continuing education for adults. Many letters from 1964-1966 discuss early marriage, coeducation, minority recruitment, and campus unrest. From approximately 1969-1972 there are many letters addressing the Vietnam War and student protest. There are also letters about civil rights, coeducation, parietal regulations, equal opportunity for female academics, pass/fail grading, and the burgeoning women's liberation movement. There is additional information about continuing education for alumnae in the Graduate Work series. There is also a collection of alumnae correspondence relating to parietal regulations in the Students series.
see Series V. Admin Offices - Development - Foundations[Edna McConnell] Clark Foundation
This series includes records related to the maintenance and development of campus structures and infrastructure. Student Residences are grouped together and organized alphabetically. A large portion of the series consists of the records regarding the construction of the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, the Clark Science Center, and the Fine Arts Center. Related material may be found in the Committees & Boards series in the records of the Space Committee and the Faculty Office Committee.
See also Series V. Admin. Offices-Development- Foundations-[Edna McConnell] Clark Foundation
See Series XVII. Students-Student Centers-Davis Student Ctr.
See Series VII. Buildings & Grounds-Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts-Josten Library
This series consists of correspondence, reports and news clippings from other institutions regarding cooperative programs, institutional activities and events, as well as common educational issues. The files are organized alphabetically by institution, with one file at the end of miscellaneous material, also filed alphabetically. There are a number of inauguration/ anniversary invitations and programs sent on a pro forma basis from other institutions everyyear. These are filed chronologically following the alphabetical institution files. For institutions of either the Five Colleges, Seven Sisters or Twelve College Exchange, see also Intercollegiate Associations.
see also Series XIII. Graduate Work-Master of Arts in Teaching
This series includes correspondence, reports and working papers of the standing and ad-hoc committees and boards of the college. The most central and far-reaching decision-making bodies are the Board of Trustees, the Board of Counselors, and the Committee on Planning and Resources (previously the College Planning Committee and the Faculty Planning Committee). However, college policy and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act require the restriction of the records of both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Counselors. The records of the Committee on Planning and Resources contain the bulk of information on the debate over coeducation, as well as many budgetary and structural issues. More information about coeducation may be found in the folowing series:
Series V. Administrative
Offices-Development-Foundations-Clark Foundation (for a
JAN 1969 coeducation proposal)
Series VIII. Colleges & Universities-Yale
University
Series VIII. Colleges & Universities-Amherst
College
Series XIII. Graduate Work-School for Social Work-Male
Students
Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations-Five
Colleges-Amherst College-Coeducation
Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations-12-College
Exchange
Other significant committees in this series include several faculty committees, the Committee on Social Responsibility and the Committee on Student Affairs.
See Series IV. Administrative Issues-Audio-Visual Facilities & Equipment
See Series IX. Committees & Boards-College Planning and Resources, Committee on
See the Commitees & Boards series description for other sources of information.
see also Series IX. Committees & Boards-Faculty Offices, Committee on
This series of records works in concert with the Speeches and Events series to provide a detailed description of the activities and responsibilities of the President of Smith College. Included are a nearly complete set of Mendenhall's appointment calendars (missing only 1968-1969 and 1973-1974), and another set of calendars from the Secretary to the President, Florence McDonald. There is also a large collection of correspondence documenting the planning and organization of Mendenhall's schedule of outside speaking engagements and official functions. The speaking engagements include talks at Smith Clubs, local fraternal and civic organizations, as well as a variety of regional and national organizations. Events which occurred on campus are not documented in this series; that information can be found in the Events series and in the records of specific Smith departments, offices, and committees. The Speeches series includes any notes or transcripts of the speeches given both on campus and off. The records in the Engagements series are organized chronologically by the date of the event.
Along with the Speeches and Engagements series, the records in this series document the activities and responsibilities of the President of Smith College. The events in this series (as opposed to the Engagements series) include significant campus traditional gatherings and celebrations as well as one-time happenings. Routine events include assemblies, commencement, Rally Day, and the awarding of Smith College Medals and honorary degrees. Other events include Mendenhall's inauguration, and the college's centennial celebrations in 1974-1975. The centennial records also include research the president did on his own as well as what a paid assistant completed in part for the 1974 Katharine Asher Engel Lecture and its publication as, Chance and Change in Smith College's First Century (Northampton: Smith College, 1976). Documentation of plans to hold an event at Smith in honor of International Women's Year in 1975 are also included in this series, even though the event was eventually canceled.
see also Series XVI. Speeches-Smith Assembly (various dates)
see also Mendenhall's "Chance and Change in Smith College's First Century" (Northampton: Smith College, 1976)
The records in this series document the relationship of the President's Office with faculty and staff. There are a number of files for individuals, and two folders of miscellaneous thank-you notes for appointments, salary raises, or other professional occasions. There is also material on a number of general faculty and staff issues, such as housing, internships, salaries, and retirement. Additional material for specific faculty or staff members may be found in the Academic Departments, Administrative Offices, or Committees & Boards the individuals were associated with.
see also Series VI. Alumnae-Alumnae Assoc-Faculty Speaking Tours
see also Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations-5 Colleges- Faculty Seminars
The Graduate Work series includes correspondence, news clippings, and reports regarding the evolution and operation of several graduate studies programs at the college. There are records documenting general aspects of graduate education, as well as specific programs of study, such as the American Studies Diploma Program, teacher training at the Clarke School for the Deaf, the Smith-Northampton Summer School, the Master of Arts in Teaching program; the Department of Theater and Speech's Master of Fine Arts program; and the School of Social Work. There are also records documenting the evolution of continuing education programs for alumnae which led to a Smith graduate degree. Information about other educational programs for alumnae which did not lead to a degree can be found in the Alumnae series.
see also Series II. Academic Departments Education & Child Study
see also Series II. Academic Departments- Theatre and Speech
There are four intercollegiate associations included in this series: Five Colleges, Inc., the Seven Sisters, the Twelve-College Exchange, and the College Research Center.
Five Colleges: The Five Colleges material includes correspondence, reports and news clippings tracing the evolution of cooperative relations between Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Seven Sisters: The records of the Seven Sisters include correspondence, reports and news clippings documenting relations between seven of the most important women's colleges in the Eastern United States: Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley.
Twelve-College Exchange: The Twelve-College Exchange files include records of the student exchange program begun in 1969 which eventually included the following institutions: Smith, Amherst, Bowdoin, Connecticut, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, Trinity, Vassar, Wellesley ,Wesleyan, Wheaton, and Williams. The program had a publicly stated purpose of expanding the collegiate experience for the students, but privately was initiated as an experiment in coeducation for several traditionally single-sex institutions.
College Research Center: The College Research Center began in 1962 as a cooperative research program, focusing specifically on administrative and educational issues at women's colleges. The initiating institutions were Mount Holyoke, Vassar, and Wheaton. Smith College joined the center in its third year, but remained only until 1967. The records in this series include reports and correspondence generated by the center and its participating institutions. Other members of the center during Smith's involvement include: Hollins, Sweet Briar, Briarcliff, Connecticut, Trinity, and Randolph-Macon Woman's Colleges. Brown University was not a member of the center but served as a consultant and a home for the center in the earliest stages.
The material in this series documents the variety of national, regional and local organizations which had an impact on and a relationship with the college. Included are reports, news clippings and correspondence with a number of academic, civic, corporate and nonprofit organizations. President Mendenhall was particularly active with the College Entrance Examination Board, the Association of American Colleges, and the Association of Independent Schools and Universities of Massachusetts. In 1962 he helped to found Catalyst, a national organization devoted to supporting women returning to the workforce. The files in this series are organized alphabetically by organization, with two files of miscellaneous organizations at the end, also organized alphabetically.
see also Series V. Admin Offices-Financial Aid-College Entrance Examination Board
see also Series XV. Non-Smith Orgs- Association of American Colleges
See Series V. Administrative Offices- Special Programs-Smith-Amherst Tutorial
The duties of the President included many public speaking engagements, not only at Smith College events but at local and national gatherings as well. The records in this series include notes and some full texts for many of these speeches. There is also a collection of note cards and clippings of quotes Mendenhall gathered on various topics for use in both his writings and speaking engagements. The records in this series are filed chronologically by event and are labeled with one or all of the following: title, location, and event. More detailed information about the events themselves can be found in the Events and Engagements series, and in some cases in the records of sponsoring Smith Administrative Offices, Academic Departments or Committees & Boards, as well as Non-Smith Organizations.
The records in this series document the relationship of the Smith student body with the faculty and administration of the college. The bulk of the series relates to the student unrest which in so many ways defined the era of Mendenhall's presidency. There are also records of more traditional student organizations and activities, such as student government, publications and extracurriculars. Information about students can also be found in the records of Committees & Boards with student representation, as well as in the records of specific student residences in the Buildings & Grounds series.
See Series V. Administrative Offices-Health Services- Christian Science
see also Series IX. Committees & Boards- Foreign Students, Committee on
See Series XVII. Students-Organizations-Black Students' Alliance -and- Series IX. Committees & Boards-Student Affairs, Committee on- Committee of Six -and- Series V. Administrative Offices-Admissions -and- Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations-Five Colleges-Students-Minorities -and- Series XIV. Intercollegiate Associations-Five Colleges-Acad. Progs-Afro-American Studies
See Series X. Engagements-March 1965 , for a letter from John Lewis.
see also Series IX. Committees & Boards-Social Responsibility, Committee on -and- Series IX. Committees & Boards-Student Affairs, Committee on -and- Series XIII. Graduate Work-School for Social Work-Student Unrest
The photographs in this series document many of the events and activities described in the printed material. Additional photographs may be found in the Hampshire College Records (70.Org.H.C.), the Honorary Degree records (12.HD), and in the class records under Ivy Day and Commencement. There are also slides and film footage of the inauguration in the audio-visual collection (see list at the end of the Photographs folder listing).