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Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the President, records of Julius A. Stratton

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: AC-0134

  • Staff Only
  • Select item to request

Scope and Contents

The collection covers the period of Julius A. Stratton's term as the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), January 1, 1959, to June 30, 1966. It contains correspondence, reports, and memoranda about administrative issues including student activities and student housing, relationships with faculty and alumni, and contacts with other universities.

Corporation records including correspondence with members of the Corporation; visiting committee material; and files on development and fund raising work are in the collection. MIT celebrated its Centennial in 1961 during Stratton's presidency, and there are records that document the celebrations for the Centennial. There are also reports and minutes of MIT committees, including the Committee on Educational Policy, and faculty meetings; and reports and correspondence from the Alumni Association and local alumni chapters. Also included are correspondence, background materials, and reports about MIT's patent rights and the Institute's relationship with the Research Corporation, a firm which managed patents for MIT.

Dates

  • Creation: 1957 - 1966

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection must be reviewed to identify any restricted material before access can be granted. Please submit your requests at least ten business days before your desired visit to allow time for this review. An archivist will respond within five business days to let you know whether your requested material is open. For complete information on this policy, see our Statement on Accessing Institute Records.

Conditions Governing Use

Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.

Historical Note

In November 1957 Julius Adams Stratton, then chancellor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was appointed as MIT's acting president, retaining at the same time his title of chancellor. In December 1958 he was elected president of the Institute, effective January 1, 1959. His inauguration was held on June 15, 1959. Dr. Stratton served as president until June 30, 1966, when he retired at the age of 65 (at the time, a mandatory retirement age).

Further information about the Office of the President at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be found at http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/mithistory/histories-offices/pres.html

Extent

48.5 Cubic Feet (145 manuscript boxes, 1 half-manuscript box)

Language of Materials

English

Physical Location

Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.

Related Materials in the Institute Archives and Special Collections, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Julius A. Stratton papers (MC 431).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the Chancellor, records of Julius A. Stratton as provost, vice president and provost, and chancellor (AC 132).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the President, records of Karl Taylor Compton and James Rhyne Killian (AC 4).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the President and Office of the Chairman of the Corporation, records of Howard W. Johnson (AC 118).

Bibliography

  • Science and the Educated Man: Selected Speeches of Julius A. Stratton, with a foreword by Elting E. Morison. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1966.[Includes his inaugural address delivered June 15, 1959; Centennial Convocation address delivered at MIT, April 9, 1961; and several MIT commencement speeches, as well as speeches outside the Institute.]
  • "Julius Adams Stratton '23, Walking in the Footsteps of William Barton Rogers," by Claude W. Brenner. Technology Review, October 1994, pp. 14-20.
  • Obituary. Tech Talk, June 29, 1994. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1994/stratton-0629.html
Title
Guide to the Records of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Office of the President
Subtitle
Records of Julius A. Stratton
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2021 July 12: Edited by Lana Mason for compliance with DACS single-level optimum requirements.
  • 2022 March 9: Edited by Thera Webb to include full names of women in collection.

Repository Details

Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository

Contact:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US