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Records of the Dean of Women, Washington Square College, Dorothy McSparran Arnold

Call Number

RG.19.3

Date

1924-1967, inclusive

Creator

Arnold, Dorothy (Dorothy McSparran Arnold)

Extent

2.5 Linear Feet in 5 manuscript boxes

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

Dorothy McSparran Arnold was Advisor to Women's Office (1924-28), Assistant Dean of Washington Square College (1928-48), and Dean of Women (1948-61) at New York University (NYU). Arnold was the administrator responsible for women's interests at Washington Square College for 43 years. The collection includes her administrative files with minutes, correspondence, memoranda, printed material, news clippings that describe, and photographs that illustrate her activities on behalf of women students.

Biographical Note

Dorothy McSparran Arnold received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1918. She was a professor and administrator at Washington Square College for 43 years. Arnold began in 1924 as a young instructor in the English department. A year after her arrival, during the 1925-26 school year, she began working as a counselor and administrator for women students at Washington Square College. She was named chairman of the faculty committee on women's interests and, as the catalog for that year states, "Matters affecting the interests of girls in the college should be referred to Mrs. Arnold."

The next year she became the official Advisor to Women. In December of 1928, the Council appointed her Assistant Dean, recognizing her as an administrator. She received her academic promotion to Assistant Professor in 1926.

She continued as an Assistant Dean until November of 1948, when she became Dean of Women. She reported directly to the Dean of Washington Square College. She served as Dean until her retirement in 1961. As Advisor and Dean, Mrs. Arnold was concerned with promoting the welfare of women students. She worked with students, providing continuity, structure and development of new programs for women. In addition to personal counseling, she served as advisor to many of the campus' women's organizations. Her office organized or coordinated many activities of the League of Women, women's honorary and social societies and women's athletics. She also helped to develop The Junior Advisors Committee, a peer counseling program to aid freshwomen and transfer students' adjustment to college life. The League of Women, the Eclectic honorary society and Pan-Hellenic Council were other vehicles for recognizing and developing women student leaders.

As an administrator Dorothy Arnold worked for women students, providing representation on college committees directly concerned with student issues. She was a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee for Women's Athletics, Faculty Committee on fraternities and sororities connected with the Student Committee on Educational Policy, various scholarship committees and the committee on faculty-student advising. She was also an advisor on disciplinary, and financial aid matters. As a Dean she participated on college and university governance committees, the Cabinet of the College, Advisement Council, and the Council of Deans.

Dean Dorothy McSparran Arnold died on November 22, 1971.

Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically.

Scope and Content Note

The Dorothy McSparran Arnold Papers describe the evolution of the counseling and programming system Washington Square College developed to coordinate students' intellectual growth with their development as social and moral beings. The papers also reveal the growth of strong women's organizations at the college and present some insights into the attitudes toward women and their roles. Washington Square College, set in an urban environment with a large commuter student body, valued and promoted the extracurricular customs of undergraduate life. Societies and sororities, athletics, undergraduate class loyalties and clubs were community builders. Student activities created the illusion of a society in miniature, preparing the student for citizenship and building loyalty and friendships at the college.

As the College grew in size, the Dean's Office became formally responsible for assuring the academic and personal advisory roles faculty had handled. These responsibilities were gradually divided. The academic counseling, remaining under the authority of the Dean's office was assigned to teaching faculty. The 'official' social and personal counseling became the preserve of faculty (and later student affairs specialists) removed from active teaching. Student activities and counseling became the business of the administration rather than the faculty. Dorothy Arnold switched from teaching to student affairs administrator in 1924, and her career spanned the next 43 years.

The papers have rich material on women's organizations at the College. The League of Women and the Eclectic Society records cover more than thirty years (1920's-50's), giving early organizational information on the group's activities, membership and selection. The Junior Advisory Committee and Faculty Advisory Corps records offer a view of the college's academic and peer counseling programs. There is limited material on fraternity/sorority relations and freshman orientation in the thirties and fifties. Information on the decline of women's athletics is in several folders of the Faculty Advisory Board (1929-1958).

Records of the Student Committee on Educational Policy (1947-59) indicate the shift to give students a more important role in college governance. An important theme throughout the papers is the constant fight Dean Arnold waged for money for adequate facilities and programs for women. The annual reports, the building office file, and the athletic files reveal the struggle. Mrs. Arnold's interest in linking college women to national organizations and interests appear in the American Association of University Women and Mortar Board files.

Access Restrictions

Administrative records and unpublished reports of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation. Access to files spanning multiple years will be opened to researchers based on the date of the most recent materials. Board of Trustees records are closed for 35 years from the date of creation. Materials related to personnel, grievances, job and fellowship searches and applications, and all files that fall under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are permanently restricted. Additional restrictions may apply to other materials in this collection. For questions regarding specific restrictions, please contact the University Archives.

Use Restrictions

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the creator are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from New York University Archives, (212) 998-2646, university-archives@nyu.edu.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Washiongton Square College: Office of the Dean of Women, Dorothy McSparran Arnold; Record Group 19.3; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred from the Dean of Washington Square and University College, New York University.

Related Material at the New York University Archives

Records of the Washington Square Counselor to Women Students (Berger) RG.19.4

Records of the Office of the Chancellor (Elmer Ellsworth Brown) RG.3.0.4

Munn-Recht, Aristine (1st Dean of Women)

The Student Affairs Collection

Women at NYU - Archives H

Collection processed by

B. Balliet

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 17:50:56 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Processing information before 2019 is unavailable.

Revisions to this Guide

July 2019: Updated by Jacqueline Rider for compliance with DACS and ACM Required Elements for Archival Description
April 2021: Edited by Rachel Mahre to revise laudatory language in Biographical Note

Edition of this Guide

This version was derived from Arnold OCR draft.doc

Repository

New York University Archives
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012