Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Van Til, William
- Abstract:
- The William Van Til papers document the career of an important figure in the history of American education in the twentieth century. Identified with the progressive movement of John Dewey and William Heard Kilpatrick, Van Til was an early supporter of racial integration in American schools and a proponent of the use of a multicultural curriculum in the classroom. The bulk of the Van Til papers consist of his speeches and writings, along with correspondence between Van Til and his publishers.
- Extent:
- 59 manuscript boxes (23.6 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], William Van Til papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The William Van Til papers document the career of an important figure in the history of American education in the twentieth century. Identified with the progressive movement of John Dewey and William Heard Kilpatrick, Van Til was an early supporter of racial integration in American schools and a proponent of the use of a multicultural curriculum in the classroom. The bulk of the Van Til papers consist of his speeches and writings, along with correspondence between Van Til and his publishers. A prolific author, William Van Til outlined his views on education and society in numerous articles written for academic journals and magazines. Many of these articles are concerned with the response of the American educational system to the challenge of rapid social change, and of how schools address questions of diversity and inclusiveness. An advocate of a holistic approach to education, Van Til thought that the mission of schools included the transmission of democratic values and the preparation of students to participate as citizens in wider society. Van Til's books include ones devoted to secondary education and to the modernization of curriculum in American schools. Another of his books is addressed to writers and offers them advice on how to develop their skills in order to have their work published. Van Til also wrote an extensive autobiography, and drafts of the two editions of this work are part of the collection. Additionally, the papers contain a number of unpublished stories that Van Til wrote in his youth.
The papers also include materials relating to a number of professional organizations that Van Til belonged to, as well as to writing workshops that he conducted. There are also some studies that Van Til collaborated on, including surveys of school systems in Iran, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Date Event 1911 Born, Corona, New York1933 Awarded B.A. degree, Columbia College1934-1943 Instructor and assistant professor, College of Education, Ohio State University1935 Awarded M. A. degree, Columbia University1946 Receives doctorate, Ohio State University1947-1951 Professor, University of Illinois1951-1957 Professor, George Peabody College1957-1967 Professor and administrator, New York University1961-1962 President, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development1964-1966 President, John Dewey Society1967-1968 President, National Society of College Teachers of Education1967-1977 Professor, School of Education, Indiana State University2006 Died - Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1989.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], William Van Til papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563