Office of the President Collections
James A. MacAlister
Term in office: 1891-1913
Collection ID: 1.001: James MacAlister Papers view finding aid
The first president of the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, MacAlister was a proponent of vocational and technical education throughout his career. This collection documents his term as president, his views on education, and his involvement in the early history of the Drexel Institute. Records include MacAlister’s letters, a book that he published, lectures, and his personal notebook, as well as research notes believed to have been compiled by Harriet Worrell for the book Drexel Institute of Technology 1891-1941: A Memorial History.
Hollis Godfrey
Term in office: 1914-1921
Collection ID: 1.002: Hollis Godfrey Administration Records view finding aid
Collection ID: MC.11 Hollis Godfrey papers 1920-1936 view finding aid
During his tenure at Drexel, Hollis Godfrey reorganized the Institute's independent departments into three schools, discontinued a number of programs, and standardized the schools' curricula into systematized two- to four-year programs of study leading to formal degrees. Godfrey began the cooperative plan during his tenure as President. The collection consists of records from Dr. Godfrey's term as president of Drexel and shortly thereafter, including his publications and manuscripts, speeches, and correspondence. The majority of the records are dated 1914-1922, except for a small number of newspaper clippings from later in Dr. Godfrey's career.
Kenneth G. Matheson
Term in office: 1921-1931
Collection ID: 1.003: Kenneth G. Matheson Administration Records view finding aid
As he took office, Matheson and the Institute faced many challenges, including financial difficulties, decreasing enrollments, outdated facilities, and a generally dissatisfied university community. The files contain correspondence with faculty, parents and students which documents the numerous, positive changes Matheson helped to initiate during his presidency. Various reports on departments, budgets, faculty, facilities, curriculum and extra-curricular activities as well as faculty publications are often attached as supporting documents to the letters and memoranda. A complete set of annual reports for the period 1922-1931 is also included.
Parke R. Kolbe
Term in office: 1932-1942
Collection ID: 1.004: Parker R. Kolbe Administration Records view finding aid
Parke Rexford Kolbe, the Drexel Institute's fourth president, presided over the decentralization of Drexel's administration and the development of educational programs to support national defense as the threat of U.S. involvement in World War II loomed. The bulk of the collection consists of Dr. Kolbe's correspondence, mostly with faculty but also including parents and students. The collection also includes copies of surveys of university faculty salaries from 1940 and 1941, as well as a brief set of records relating to the survey.
George Peters Rea
Term in office: 1942-1944
Collection ID: 1.005: Office of the President Records, Series 5 view finding aid
Rea’s term as president of the Drexel Institute was short-lived and only a small number of documents survived, to comprise this small series. Included are a radio address by Rea, correspondence, interviews, meeting minutes, and documents discussing academic programs at Drexel, such as the war effort and its effect on Drexel, and reduced entrance requirements for high school seniors. Courses in engineering and the effect of World War II include correspondence, brochures, and pamphlets. There is material on the Dean’s List and an update on how Drexel honored students academically including academic honor society requirements and “Institute Day," which celebrated academic excellence. There is also a folder on the Women’s Student Government Association, 1942, which includes correspondence and Grant of Powers and Articles of the WSGA, Discipline Committee.
Robert Disque
Term in office: 1944-1945 (interim)
Collection ID: 1.005: Office of the President Records, Series 6 view finding aid
Disque served as interim President for approximately one year. Though short, this series contains some interesting items because of local and world events that occurred during the period. Drexel held a memorial service for students who died in the war, and included here are a program, correspondence and memoranda related to the event. Grace Godfrey, Dean of Women at Drexel for many years, passed away during Disque’s tenure, and a record of the memorial to Godfrey, along with correspondence on her death, newspaper clippings of her obituary, and her writings survive here. Newspaper article clippings, speeches, programs and correspondence are also included in a folder on the “Drexel Victory,” a war ship named for Drexel.
James Creese
Term in office: 1945-1963
Collection ID: 1.007: James Creese Administration Records view finding aid
Creese’s tenure began with great increase in student enrollments and continued to oversee both the physical expansion of the campus and the development of academic programs, especially in the areas of engineering and cooperative education. Such extensive development required major capital investments, for which two major fundraising campaigns were undertaken. Creese was active in a number of local and national organizations, serving on numerous committees and sitting on the boards of several prominent local institutions. The collection consists of subject files compiled by President Creese on individuals associated with Drexel University; academic departments and administrative committees; national committees, institutions and organizations; and other subjects and issues relevant to Creese’s internal and external activities.
William W. Hagerty
Term in office: 1963-1984
Collection ID: 1.008 W.W. Hagerty Administration Records view abstract
During Dr. Hagerty’s tenure, the Institute grew to become the third largest university in the Philadelphia area. Dr. Hagerty presided over the renaming of the Drexel Institute of Technology to Drexel University and the establishment of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Science, and the Continuing Professional Education Program. During his presidency, Drexel became the first university to require students to purchase personal computers. The collection consists primarily of two sets of subject files. An earlier set includes papers inherited from the previous president, James Creese, that document the transition from the Creese to the Hagerty administration. A later set of subject files was created by Dr. Hagerty and his staff and reflects decisions made during his tenure. The collection also includes the outgoing correspondence of Dr. Hagerty and his staff, several of Dr. Hagerty's speeches, and some reports submitted to Dr. Hagerty from leaders of the colleges and divisions of Drexel University.
William S. Gaither
Term in office: 1984-1987
Collection ID: 1.009: William S. Gaither Administration Records view abstract
William Samuel Gaither served as president for three years before resigning in October of 1987, after being accused of sexual harassment in April and receiving a vote of no confidence from the Board of Trustees in July. This collection consists chiefly of a set of subject files on organizations, university offices and departments, special projects, and administrative topics compiled by Gaither, including a record of Gaither's outgoing correspondence from June 1984 to December 1986 and a box of certificates presented to him at his inauguration.
Richard Breslin
Term in office: 1988-1994
Collection ID: 1.010: Richard Breslin Administration Records view abstract
Richard David Breslin began his academic career in 1968 at Villanova University, where he became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1972. He later became vice president for academic affairs at Iona College and president of the University of Charleston in West Virginia. Dr. Breslin served as president of Drexel from 1988 to 1994. This collection consists of a chronological record of Dr. Breslin's outgoing correspondence; subject files on administrative topics, organizations, events, and Drexel colleges and offices; and material relating to Dr. Breslin's inauguration as president.
Office of the President
Dates covered: 1891-1965
Collection ID: 1.005 Office of the President records view finding aid
Seven presidents of Drexel University are represented in this collection, which consisits of annual reports, financial records, Board of Trustees records, and subject files created by the Office of the President under the tenures of presidents MacAlister, Godfrey, Matheson, Kolbe, Rea, Disque, and Creese. Subject files cover individuals affiliated with the university, faculty, university committees, historical events, and subjects of interest.
Office of the President
Dates covered: 1950-1989
Collection ID: 1.011 Office of the President records
Four presidents of Drexel University are represented in the collection: James Creese (1896-1966, president 1945-1963), William Walsh Hagerty (1916-1986, president 1963-1984), William Samuel Gaither (b. 1932, president 1984-1987), and Richard Breslin (b. 1937 or 1938, president 1988-1994). The collection consists of subject files, reports, and other materials compiled by the staff of the Office of the President between 1950 and 1989.