Historic Oakland University Documents collection

Collection — Container: Box 1

Identifier: OU-HISTORY-DOCS

Staff Only

Scope and Contents note

This collection brings together documents of multiple origins relating to the early history of the university, from its planning and founding to its development in the years following its opening.

Some documents deal with the planning of the future university in the 1956-1959 period (box 1). This includes the Meadow Brook Seminars, a series of meetings held at Meadow Brook Hall in 1959 to discuss the curriculum of the future university (box 2). Additional materials document the establishment of the university in 1959-1960 (box 3). Curriculum development is also addresssed (box 4) as well as student life (box 6). The collection includes press releases, brochures and other promotional material produced by the young institution (box 6). Additional materials deal with the 1963-1973 period (boxes 7-8).

Of particular interest is the unfinished manuscript of an early history of Oakland University, drafted by history professor George Matthews.

Dates

1956 - 1973
1984

Access and Use

The Historic Oakland University Documents collection is open for research except for certain records restricted by statute or university policy. Box 6 contains confidential information, and some folders are closed for 75 years from date of creation or until death of subjects.

Copyright

History

Oakland University -- originally Michigan State University - Oakland -- opened its doors in 1959 on a brand new campus carved out of the Meadow Brook Estate, with 2 buildings (North and South Foundation), 24 faculty and about 570 students. Durward B (Woody) Varner became its first Chancellor. The new MSUO was intended to be an elite liberal arts branch of MSU. Its curriculum was designed from the ideas put forward during the Meadow Brook Seminars -- a series of workshops held at Meadow Brook Hall with academic leaders from the best institutions in the country.