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American Association of University Professors Collection
Creator Sketch
On May 1, 1936, seven teachers at Louisiana Normal met and established a local chapter of the American Association of University Professors. At that meeting, Mr. A. C. Maddox was elected as the first president of the chapter, and Dr. Sarah L. C. Clapp was named as the chapter secretary.
The chapter at Normal and later at Northwestern State College remained an active chapter until about 1963. However, the records indicate that after 1958, the chapter became almost inactive.
Throughout its quarter century of existence, the AAUP chapter at the Natchitoches institution struggled for viability. The minutes of the chapter show an almost yearly struggle to renew memberships and encourage new faculty members to join. Only during the period immediately following World War II did the chapter flourish, at one time claiming a membership of 75.
Very rarely did the Natchitoches chapter function as the organization was intended to function. The primary aims of the national AAUP are to encourage faculty participation in university government, promotion of academic freedom and tenure, and promotion of higher salaries for university teachers. The Normal and NSC chapter more often served as a kind of social outlet for its members. However, some exceptions should be noted. In 1948-1952, the local AAUP chapter presented a variety of committee reports to the college; from 1956 to 1958, the members worked for the adoption of the five-day week at Northwestern; and the local AAUP also developed as Evaluation of
Instruction From that gained attention at other Colleges and universities. The NSC chapter of AAUP gained the most notoriety in 1958 when it became the only chapter of the organization in the United States to vote to retain the loyalty provisions of the National Defense Education Act. The vote on the issue caused some personal dissension within the chapter and probably contributed to the eventual demise of the group.
Much of the success of the chapter during its twenty-five years can be attributed to the efforts of Dr. Sarah Clapp. Dr. Clapp was the moving force behind the organization of the Normal chapter of AAUP, and she served as an officer of the organization during most of the years of its existence until her retirement in 1958.
Prepared By
Wendell A. Robison
December 1980
Scope and Content
The American Association of University Professors Collection is made up of 84 folders and a total of 1065 items. Including among the items are chapter minutes, membership lists, correspondence with the national organization, correspondence with other chapters, and various materials distributed by the national organization. Also including in the collection are four signed letters of interest: a letter from Hodding Carter, editor of the Delta Democrat-Times; a letter from Norman Cousins, editor of the Saturday Review; a letter from Senator J. Williams Fulbright of Arkansas; and a letter from Jimmy Davis, governor of Louisiana.
Inventory
1 Chapter bylaws (1937); amended (1956)2 Correspondence to and from national AAUP related to the formation of the Louisiana Normal AAUP Chapter; Folders 3-8 contain minutes, executive committee minutes, and three financial reports of the chapter. Items within the folders are arranged chronologically.
3 Chapter Minutes, 1936-1939
4 Chapter Minutes, 1940-1949
5 Chapter Minutes, 1950-1954
6 Chapter Minutes, 1955-1960
7 Executive Committee Minutes, 1937-1960
8 Financial Reports (1948; 1956-1957; 1957-1958) Folders 9-13 illustrate the difficulties that the chapter had in membership. Lists of members were often revised two or three times within a year, and much correspondence with the national organization related to confirmation of memberships.
9 Membership Lists, 1936-01944
10 Membership Lists, 1945-1949
11 Membership Lists, 1950-1954
12 Membership Lists, 1955-1960
13 Membership Lists, (undated)
The items in Folders 14-19 are letters, announcements, and other correspondences between members of the local organization. The bulk of the items herein contained consist of meeting announcements. Items within the folders are arranged chronologically.
14 Correspondence Within Local AAUP, 1938-1945
15 Correspondence Within Local AAUP, 1946-1949
16 Correspondence Within Local AAUP, 1950-1954
17 Correspondence Within Local AAUP, 1955-1956
18 Correspondence Within Local AAUP, 1957
19 Correspondence Within Local AAUP, 1958-1961
Folders 20-26 represent the work that the chapter accomplished during its most productive period; a variety of committee reports are included.
20 Questionnaire and Responses: Universal Military Training (1946)
21 Report on “President’s Commission on Higher Education” (1947)
22 Committee Report on “The Place and Function of Faculties in College Governments”; notes, revisions, and bibliography (1948)
23 Individual Responses by Chapter Members on “Place and Function of Faculties” (1948)
24 Committee on Academic and Professional Standards (1952)
25 Miscellaneous Committee Reports (1956-1958)
26 Evaluation of Instruction Form
In 1958, the AAUP published a paper for the faculty at NSC entitled “Faculty Items.” Folder 27 contains examples of the paper.
27 “Faculty Items” (Volume 1, Number 1-3; March-May, 1958)
Folders 28-30 contain correspondence to and from the local AAUP within the university. Many of the letters invited membership; others are to the administration concerning university policy. Items within the folders are arranged generally chronologically.
28 Correspondence to and from the Local AAUP within the University, 1942-1953
29 Correspondence to and from the Local AAUP within the University, 1954-1960
30 Correspondence to and from the Local AAUP within the University, (undated)
On two occasions (1940 and 1944) the local AAUP became involved in state politics concerning education. Folders 31 and 32 relate to those occasions
31 Letter and response: State Superintendent of Education related to tenure law (1940)
32 Political letters including a signed letter of Governor Jimmy Davis (1944)
From time to time during the history of the organization, the annual AAUP Banquet assumed more importance than at other times. Folders 33-39 contain items related to the banquets (primarily invitations and responses to and from potential speakers).
33 Letters from Author Ollivier of Mississippi State
34 Signed letter from Hodding Carter (1953)
35 Correspondence with Norman Cousins, including one signed letter.
36 Correspondence with Senator J. Williams Fulbright, including one signed letter
37 Correspondence between local AAUP and Dr. J. C. Morris of Tulane, 1956-1957
38 Invitations to prospective banquet speakers
39 Copy of speech presented by Dr. J. C. Morris (1948)
Folder 40 illustrates the lack of public relations efforts made by the NSC AAUP chapter throughout its history
40 Miscellaneous newspaper items, write-ups, and public relations materials
From time to time throughout the history of the organization, efforts were made to start a statewide AAUP. Folder 41 contains items related to those efforts
41 Material related to State Organization of AAUP (including membership lists)
AAUP chapters were maintained at other colleges and universities throughout the state. Folders 42-49 contain correspondence between the NSC chapter and other statewide chapters.
42 Correspondence with Centenary AAUP
43 Correspondence with La. College AAUP
44 Correspondence with LSU AAUP
45 Correspondence with La. Tech AAUP
46 Correspondence with Northeast AAUP
47 Correspondence with Southeastern AAUP
48 Correspondence with Southwestern AAUP
49 Correspondence with Tulane AAUP
Folders 50-51 contain correspondence from chapters of the AAUP (not in Louisiana) to the NSC chapter. Much of the correspondence relates to solicitation of support for abuse of academic freedom at those colleges. Items in the folder arte arranged generally chronologically.
50 Correspondence from non-Louisiana chapters of AAUP to NSC, 1944-1955
51 Correspondence from non-Louisiana chapters of AAUP to NSC, 1956-1960
Folder 52 contains material related to regional AAUP Business; many
of the items relate to regions\al meetings.
52 Regional AAUP business (arranged roughly chronologically)
Folders 53-54 contain letters from the local chapter to the national organization. Much of the correspondence relates to the confirmation of memberships. Items within the folders are arranged chronologically.
53 Correspondence from NSC AAUP to national AAUP, 1938-1955
54 Correspondence from NSC AAUP to national AAUP, 1956-1960
Folders 55-56 contain letters from the national organization addressed to specific officers of the NSC AAUP; items within the folders are arranged chronologically.
55 Correspondence from national AAUP to specific addresses in NSC AAUP, 1935-1947
56 Correspondence from national AAUP to specific addresses in NSC AAUP, 1948-1961
Much of the business of the national AAUP is communicated to the local chapters through chapter letters. These letters ate announcements, calls for information, and other general business of the organization. Folders 57-63 contain a chronological arrangement of these letters. (Some numbers are missing)
57 Chapter Letters, 1936-1939
58 Chapter Letters, 1940-1945
59 Chapter Letters, 1946-1950
60 Chapter Letters, 1951-1954
61 Chapter Letters, 1956-1957
62 Chapter Letters, 1958-1959
63 Chapter Letters, 1960-1963
In addition to chapter letters, the national AAUP corresponded to local chapters through irregularly issued general correspondence. These letters were not directed to a specific addressee. Folders 64 through 68 contain this general correspondence. The items are arranged roughly chronologically.
64 General Correspondence from national AAUP, 1936-1942
65 General Correspondence from national AAUP, 1942-1947
66 General Correspondence from national AAUP, 1948-1953
67 General Correspondence from national AAUP, 1954-1962
68 General Correspondence from national AAUP, (undated)
National committee reports of the AAUP were distributed to local chapters. The reports centered on academic freedom, salary, and tenure. Folders 69-72 contain copies of these reports. Items are arranged in no specific order.
69 National Committee Reports
70 National Committee Reports
71 National Committee Reports
72 National Committee Reports
The national organization often distributed material to the local chapters that did not originate with the national chapter. Folders 73-75 contain such items. Items are arranged in no specific order.
73 Pamphlets and miscellaneous materials distributed by the national AAUP
74 Pamphlets and miscellaneous materials distributed by the national AAUP
75 Pamphlets and miscellaneous materials distributed by the national AAUP
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