Stuart Givens collection

Collection – Box: 1

Identifier: MS-0376

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

Collection of miscellaneous research materials gathered by Stuart Givens, a faculty member at Bowling Green State University between 1952 and 1997, collected during his writing of, The Falcon Soars: Bowling Green State University: the years of growing distinction, 1963-1985, which updated Overman's History of Bowling Green State University, 1910-1963.

Dates

Creation: 1911-1986

Extent

0.46 Cubic Feet (1 legal size archive box)

Creator

Givens, Stuart R. (Person)

Scope and Contents

The collection is comprised of research files organized by various topics gathered as Dr. Givens prepared his history of BGSU, The Falcon Soars, published in 1985.

The files include mostly photocopied reports, memoranda, extracts from the Board of Trustees minutes, news clippings, and articles, containing primarily statistics or various facts pertinent to tuition, fees, funding, capital improvements, university buildings, students, faculty, staff, degrees, Board of Trustees members, organizational structure, BGSU presidents, and many other topics from the 1960s to the 1980s. Some documents provide comparative data across time for tuition, room and board, alumni giving, and the like. Lists of important events in BGSU history, dates of buildings on campus and individuals who served on the Board of Trustees at any given time are just a few examples of pertinent information contained in this collection.

Biographical / Historical

Stuart Givens was born April 1, 1924 in Honolulu, Hawaii and lived in California and Washington. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 while attending George Washington University. During World War II he served in the 17th and 82nd Airborne Divisions - Parachute and Glider Infantry. After the war he received a master's degree in 1949 from George Washington University and a Ph.D. from Leland Stanford University in 1956.

Dr. Givens was hired at BGSU in 1952 as coordinator of student activities and part-time history professor. Four years later he became a full-time professor of history. He chaired the History Department from 1965-1969 and the Arts and Sciences Council from 1972-1973. Dr. Givens also served as president of the Faculty Senate from 1975-1976. He helped establish a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter on campus and the Canadian Studies Program.

Givens was also university historian and author of The Falcon Soars, a history of BGSU from 1963-1985. He was the first faculty member to receive the Hollis A. Moore University Service Award and was made honorary University Alumnus in 1983. Dr. Givens retired in 1997 and died on August 19, 2004.

(Excerpted from August 21, 2004 obituaries in the Daily Sentinel Tribune and BG News.)

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright.

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Additional Description

Existence and Location of Originals

Many of the materials in this collection are available in their original form in the University Archives, Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green State University. Originals can be located in a number of record groups throughout the University Archives.

Related Materials

These notes form the basis of Givens' published history of the university, The Falcon Soars: Bowling Green State University: The Years of Growing Distinction, 1963-1985. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.

Givens' work was intended as a follow-up to Overman's The History of Bowling Green State University.

Additional materials documenting the history of Bowling Green State University are available in the University Archives, Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green State University.