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E. E. Schattschneider papers

 Collection
Identifier: 1000-009

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the papers of E. E. Schattschneider, a political scientist who spent the majority of his career at Wesleyan University. This collection is organized into seven series and primarily reflects Schattschneider's research interests from the 1950s until his death in 1971. All series are arranged alphabetically by name or subject and chronologically thereunder, with the exception of Series 3, Teaching, Wesleyan Government Department, Student Papers, each section of which is arranged chronologically, and alphabetically thereunder. Schattschneider's original order and nomenclature for folder titles have been retained throughout wherever possible; renaming and further description is present where the original titles have been nonexistant or extremely misleading.

Series 1, Correspondence, includes primarily incoming correspondence concerning professional activities, teaching, speeches and publications. Other notable groups include correspondence with Schattschneider's publishers concerning several of his books, organizational correspondence relating to Schattschneider's NBC television series "American Government and the Pursuit of Happiness" (1957), and correspondence concerning visiting professorships at American universities. Correspondents include many elected officials from Connecticut from the 1940s-60s including Chester Bowles, John Dempsey, and Abraham Ribicoff. Other correspondents include Harold H. Burton, J. William Fulbright, Samuel P. Huntington, Estes Kefauver, Henry Cabot Lodge, Adlai Stevenson, and Arthur T. Vanderbilt. Cross-references have been noted for persons appearing in more than one location if their corporate or university affiliation changes. Correspondence notation lists the amount of incoming correspondence first, followed by outgoing correspondence (e.g. Brown, Joseph R. 3/0, 1967-68).

Series 2, Writings and Speeches, contains notes, drafts, corrected typescripts, and author proofs for several of Schattschneider's books including Party Government, A Guide to the Study of Public Affairs, The Semi-Sovereign People, and Two Hundred Million Americans in Search of a Government. This series also contains documents, including corrected typescripts, for an unpublished volume or volumes titled, at various times, The Great American Experiment and The Resolution of Conflict - An Explanation of American Government, the latter of which Schattschneider was completing at the time of his death, and typescripts of several unpublished speeches and lectures.

Included in other series are student projects from Schattschneider's seminars on performing local community surveys, subject files of background material and notes for individual books as well as general subject files, family photographs, a documentary film written and presented by Schattschneider, and a collection of books annotated by Schattschneider.

Dates

  • Creation: 1901-1971
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1955-1971

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

University records - Copyright held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the creator - In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted

Some material is in public domain - No Copyright - United States

Biographical / Historical

Chronology List

  • 1892 Born, Bethany MN, August 11.
  • 1915 A.B., University of Wisconsin. Phi Beta Kappa.
  • 1916 Works for the YMCA for two years.
  • 1918 Serves in the Navy for one year.
  • 1919 Teaches at Senior High School, Butler PA, until 1926.
  • 1926 Wallace Fellow in Political Science, University of Pittsburgh.
  • 1927 M.A., University of Pittsburgh.
  • 1927-1930 Instructor in Government, Columbia University.
  • 1929-1930 Assistant Professor of Political Science, New Jersey College for Women (now Rutgers University)
  • 1930-1935 Assistant Professor of Government, Wesleyan University
  • 1935 Ph.D., Columbia University.
  • 1935-1939 Associate Professor of Government, Wesleyan University.
  • 1938-1940 Member, City Council, Middletown CT.
  • 1939-1960 John E. Andrus Professor of Government, Wesleyan University.
  • 1940-1946 Member, [Connecticut] State Board of Mediation and Arbitration.
  • 1944-1952 Member, Board of Directors, The Rockfall Corporation, Middletown CT.
  • 1946-1951 Consultant Editor, Rinehart & Co. August 1949 Travels to Germany as a "visiting expert" for the U.S. Army of Occupation.
  • 1949-1950 Visiting professor at Syracuse University supervising the studies of 20 visiting German students.
  • 1949 Chair, Committee on Political Parties, American Political Science Association. Report of the committee was published in 1950 as "Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System."
  • 1950-1955 Member, Board of Directors, Long Lane School, Middletown CT. President of Board, 1953-1955.
  • 1951 Chair, Governor's Commission of Community Adjustment Problems.
  • 1953-1954 Vice-president, American Political Science Association.
  • 1955-1961 Chair, Public Affairs Center, Wesleyan University.
  • 1955 Receives Moravian College Annual Alumni Award.
  • 1956-1957 President, American Political Science Association.
  • 1956-1962 Member, Board of Trustees, National Center for Education in Politics.
  • 1957-1961 Chairman, Board of Directors, Citizenship Clearing House, an organization that encourages college students to enter politics.
  • 1958 Receives Freedom Foundation award for "Democracy as a Moral System," a television discussion with Julian Hartt of Yale University.
  • 1960-1971 Professor Emeritus of Government, Wesleyan University. Taught courses at Wesleyan through 1970.
  • 1960 Receives L.L.D. degree [honorary], Moravian College.
  • 1967-1968 Member, Charter Study Commission, Old Saybrook, CT.
  • 1969 Receives James L. McConaughy Memorial Award, Wesleyan Alumni Council.
  • March 4, 1971 Dies.

Extent

13 Linear Feet (12 paige boxes and 2 hollinger boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Schattschneider was the author of numerous books and articles about American government and American political parties. Schattschneider was president of the American Political Science Association (1956-57), and spent the majority of his career (1930-71) teaching at Wesleyan University.

The E. E. Schattschneider papers include correspondence, speeches and writings, student projects from Schattschneider's seminars on performing local community surveys, subject files of background material and notes for individual books as well as general subject files, family photographs, a documentary film written and presented by Schattschneider, and a collection of books annotated by Schattschneider.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquired by Clement E. Vose following Schattschneider's death and kept by Vose as an unprocessed collection within the Collection on Legal Change.

Title
E. E. Schattschneider papers, 1901-1971 (bulk 1955-1971)
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Jeffrey Makala, 2000 Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, November 2006 Migrated to ArchivesSpace by Jenny Miglus, October 2020
Date
October 8, 2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository

Contact:
Olin Library
252 Church Street
Middletown CT 06459 USA
860-685-3864