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Guide to the George E. MacLean Papers

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Collection Overview
Date Span: 1899-1911
Creator: MacLean, George E. (1850-1938)
Extent: 17.50 linear feet.
Collection Number: RG05.0001.006
Repository: University of Iowa Archives
Summary: George Edwin MacLean served as the eighth president of the University of Iowa, from 1899 to 1911.

Access: This collection is open for research.

Use: Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.

Acquisition: These papers were transferred to the University Archives from the Office of the President; date undetermined. Guide posted to the Internet December 2006.

Preferred Citation: George E. MacLean Papers, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.

Repository: University of Iowa Archives
Address: 100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-335-5921
Curator: David McCartney
Email: david-mccartney@uiowa.edu
Website: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/archives

George Edwin MacLean served as the eighth president of the University of Iowa, from 1899 to 1911.

Under MacLean's leadership, the University of Iowa moved to the forefront of America's public universities. The university received high rank for the first time in a 1911 survey of the nation's universities conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Education.

MacLean received his A.B. at Williams College and, in 1874, his B.D. degree from the Yale Divinity School. After several years in the ministry, he studied at the universities of Leipzig and Berlin, receiving his Ph.D. degree at Leipzig in 1883. After serving 12 years as a member of the faculty at the University of Minnesota, he became chancellor of the University of Nebraska in 1897 before arriving in Iowa City two years later.

New colleges were organized at Iowa during MacLean's administration, including the College of Applied Science (later renamed Engineering), the College of Education, and the Graduate College. Most notable were his efforts to raise academic standards, including admission requirements and the level of scholarship at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

MacLean was born in Rockville, Connecticut, on August 31, 1850, and married Clara Stanley Taylor on May 20, 1874. MacLean died in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 1938, at age 87.

Johnson, Ellen Elizabeth. "A History of the State University of Iowa: The Administration of President MacLean." M.A. thesis, University of Iowa, 1946. 95 pp. Archives.

MacLean, George E. "Jottings: Fragmentary Notes on the MacLean Administration, 1899-1911, of the State University of Iowa." N.p., 1934. 38 pp. Archives, in Historical Papers Collection (RG01.0001.003).

Pound, Louise. "MacLean, George Edwin." Dictionary of American Biography, suppl. 2 (1936-1940): 419-420. Main reference.

Browse by Series:
Series 1: LETTER-BOOKS (COPIES OF OUTGOING TYPED LETTERS)
Series 2: CORRESPONDENCE

  • Series 1: LETTER-BOOKS (COPIES OF OUTGOING TYPED LETTERS)
  • Box 1:
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, September 13-January 31 - 1899-1900
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, February 5-August 13 - 1900
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, August 14-April 12 - 1900-1901
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, April 12-November 5 - 1901
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, November 6-May 18 - 1901-1902
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, May 18-October 4 - 1902
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, October 4-April 20 - 1902-1903
  • Box 2:
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, April 21-September 16 - 1903
  • Copies of outgoing typed letters, September 16-September 30 - 1903
  • Series 2: CORRESPONDENCE
  • Box 3:
  • Miscellaneous, September-December - 1899
  • Board of Regents, September-December - 1899
  • Faculty, September-December - 1899
  • High Schools, September-December - 1899
  • MacLean, September-December - 1899
  • Miscellaneous, January-March - 1900
  • Board of Regents, January-March - 1900
  • Faculty, January-March - 1900
  • MacLean, January-March - 1900
  • Miscellaneous, April-June - 1900
  • Board of Regents, April-June - 1900
  • Faculty, April-June - 1900
  • MacLean, April-June - 1900
  • Miscellaneous, July-August - 1900
  • Board of Regents, July-August - 1900
  • Faculty, July-August - 1900
  • Miscellaneous, September-December - 1900
  • Board of Regents, September-December - 1900
  • Box 4:
  • Miscellaneous, January-March - 1901
  • Faculty, January-March - 1901
  • MacLean, January-March - 1901
  • Miscellaneous, April-June - 1901
  • Board of Regents, April-June - 1901
  • Faculty, April-June - 1901
  • Miscellaneous, July-September - 1901
  • Board of Regents, July-September - 1901
  • Faculty, July-September - 1901
  • Miscellaneous, October-December - 1901
  • Board of Regents, October-December - 1901
  • Faculty, October-December - 1901
  • Miscellaneous -- W - 1902
    Includes some 1903
  • Miscellaneous -- S1 - 1902
  • Box 5:
  • Miscellaneous -- S2 - 1902
  • Miscellaneous -- S3 - 1902
  • Board of Regents -- W - 1902
  • Faculty -- C - 1902
  • Faculty -- various - 1902
  • MacLean -- W - 1902
  • Correspondence - 1903
  • MacLean - 1903
  • MacLean - 1903
  • Box 6:
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons) - 1903
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons) - 1903
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons) - 1903
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons) - 1903
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons) - 1903
  • Correspondence (outgoing carbons), January-April - 1904
  • Correspondence (outgoing carbons), May-July - 1904
  • Box 7:
  • Correspondence (outgoing carbons), August-December - 1904
  • Correspondence (outgoing carbons), T-W - 1904
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons), B-E - 1904
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons), F-L - 1904
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons), M-P - 1904
  • Correspondence (incoming carbons), R-S - 1904
  • Box 8:
  • Incoming correspondence, A-D - 1905
  • Incoming correspondence, E-P - 1905
  • Incoming correspondence, R-Y - 1905
  • Incoming correspondence, S-Y - 1905
  • Outgoing correspondence, A-B - 1905
  • Outgoing correspondence, C-G - 1905
  • Outgoing correspondence, H-L - 1905
  • Box 9:
  • Outgoing correspondence, M-R - 1905
  • Outgoing correspondence, S-T - 1905
  • Outgoing correspondence, U-Y - 1905
  • Incoming correspondence, A-M - 1906
  • Incoming correspondence, N-Z - 1906
  • Outgoing correspondence, A-B - 1906
  • Box 10:
  • Outgoing correspondence, C-E - 1906
  • Outgoing correspondence, F-H - 1906
  • Outgoing correspondence, I-M - 1906
  • Outgoing correspondence, N-S - 1906
  • Outgoing correspondence, T-Y - 1906
  • Box 11:
  • Incoming correspondence, A-F - 1907
  • Incoming correspondence, G-M - 1907
  • Incoming correspondence, M-W - 1907
  • Outgoing correspondence, A-B - 1907
  • Outgoing correspondence, C-D - 1907
  • Outgoing correspondence, E-G - 1907
  • Outgoing correspondence, H-K - 1907
  • Box 12:
  • Outgoing correspondence, L-P - 1907
  • Outgoing correspondence, R-S - 1907
  • Outgoing correspondence, T-Z - 1907
  • Incoming correspondence, A-C - 1908
    Carnegie includes 1906
  • Box 13:
  • Incoming correspondence, D-G - 1908
  • Outgoing correspondence, A - 1908
  • Outgoing correspondence, B - 1908
  • Outgoing correspondence, C - 1908
  • Outgoing correspondence, D-G - 1908
  • Box 14:
  • Undivided correspondence, H - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, HAR-HY - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, I-J - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, K - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, L - 1908
  • Box 15:
  • Undivided correspondence, MA - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, MY - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, N-O - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, P-PO - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, PR-RE - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, RI-RU - 1908
  • Box 16:
  • Undivided correspondence, S-SE - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, SH-SP - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, ST-SW - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, T-TO - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, TR-V - 1908
  • Box 17:
  • Undivided correspondence, W-WE - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, WH-WO - 1908
  • Undivided correspondence, WR-Z - 1908
  • Box 18:
  • Correspondence, A - 1909
  • Correspondence, B-BA - 1909
  • Correspondence, BE-BRI - 1909
  • Correspondence, BRO-BY - 1909
  • Correspondence, C-CH - 1909
  • Box 19:
  • Correspondence, CI-CU - 1909
  • Correspondence, D-DA - 1909
  • Correspondence, DE-DU - 1909
  • Correspondence, E - 1909
  • Correspondence, F - 1909
  • Correspondence, Flexner Investigation - 1909
  • Correspondence, G - 1909
  • Box 20:
  • Correspondence, H-HA - 1909
  • Correspondence, HE-HOL - 1909
  • Correspondence, HE-HOM-HU; HA-HE - 1909
  • Correspondence, I-J - 1909
  • Correspondence, K - 1909
  • Correspondence, L - 1909
  • Correspondence, M-MAC - 1909
  • Box 21:
  • Correspondence, MAG-ME - 1909
  • Correspondence, MI-MY - 1909
  • Correspondence, P-PE - 1909
  • Correspondence, PH-PU - 1909
  • Correspondence, R-RIE - 1909
  • Correspondence, RIG-RY - 1909
  • Correspondence, S-SE - 1909
  • Box 22:
  • Correspondence, SH-SK - 1909
  • Correspondence, SL-SP - 1909
  • Correspondence, ST-SW - 1909
  • Correspondence, T-TR - 1909
  • Correspondence, TU-V - 1909
  • Correspondence, W-WH - 1909
  • Correspondence, WI-Z - 1909
  • Box 23:
  • Correspondence, A - 1910
  • Correspondence, B-BE - 1910
  • Correspondence, BI-BO - 1910
  • Correspondence, BR-BY - 1910
  • Correspondence, C - 1910
  • Box 24:
  • Correspondence, D - 1910
  • Correspondence, E - 1910
  • Correspondence, F-FL - 1910
  • Correspondence, FO-FU - 1910
  • Correspondence, G - 1910
  • Correspondence, H-HE - 1910
  • Box 25:
  • Correspondence, HI-HO - 1910
  • Correspondence, HU-HY - 1910
  • Correspondence, L - 1910
  • Correspondence, MA - 1910
  • Correspondence, ME-MY - 1910
  • Correspondence, North Central Association - 1910
  • Box 26:
  • Correspondence, P-PH - 1910
  • Correspondence, PI-PU - 1910
  • Correspondence, R-RI - 1910
  • Correspondence, RO-RU - 1910
  • Correspondence, S-SE - 1910
  • Correspondence, SH-SP - 1910
  • Box 27:
  • Correspondence, ST-SY - 1910
  • Correspondence, T - 1910
  • Correspondence, U-V - 1910
  • Correspondence, W-WH - 1910
  • Correspondence, WI-WY - 1910
  • Correspondence, Y-Z - 1910
  • Correspondence, A - 1911
  • Correspondence, B - 1911
  • Box 28:
  • Correspondence, C - 1911
  • Correspondence, D - 1911
  • Correspondence, E - 1911
  • Correspondence, F - 1911
  • Correspondence, G - 1911
  • Correspondence, H - 1911
  • Correspondence, L - 1911
  • Correspondence, M - 1911
  • Correspondence, P-Q - 1911
  • Correspondence, R - 1911
  • Box 29:
  • Correspondence, S - 1911
  • Correspondence, T - 1911
  • Correspondence, U-V - 1911
  • Correspondence, W - 1911
  • Copies of correspondence - 1900, 1902-1903
  • Copies of correspondence - 1904
  • Copies of correspondence - 1905
  • Copies of correspondence - 1906-1908
  • Miscellaneous correspondence - 1900, 1902, 1911-1912
  • Sub-Series: Subject folders
  • Box 30:
  • Coordination of state educational institution's Committee of Fifteen - 1910
  • National Association of State Universities - 1902-1911
    3 folders
  • National Conference Committee on Standards of Colleges and Secondary Schools - 1907-1909
  • Religious Education Association - 1905-1908
    Correspondence after July 1908 filed in General Correspondence files
  • Box 31:
  • Religious Education Association - 1906-1909
  • State Educational Board of Examiners, Department of Public Instruction - 1906-1911
  • Preparation and certification of teachers
  • Steere, Kenneth D. - 1904
  • Box 32:
  • President MacLean speeches - 1897-1906
  • President MacLean speeches - 1907-1909
  • President MacLean speeches - 1910-1911
  • President MacLean Articles and Publications
  • President MacLean speeches and publications
  • Box 33:
  • MacLean, George
  • Lecture "English Life and Letters of Today"
  • Box 34:
  • MacLean inaugural address - 1899
  • Box 35:
  • MacLean investigation - 1904
  • President MacLean's addresses and articles - 1909-1910
  • President MacLean's addresses and articles - 1904-1908
  • President MacLean's addresses and articles - 1903-1904

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.


Personal Names:
MacLean, George Edwin, 1850-1938

Topics:
Universities and colleges

Occupations:
College administrators
College presidents

Geographic Names:
United States -- Iowa -- Iowa City

Genre/Form of Materials:
Speeches
Archives
Articles
Sources
Correspondence
Letter books

Browse:
University of Iowa Administration