Spencer C. Olin papers, 1944-2006, bulk 1966-2006

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Summary

Creators:

Abstract:

This collection comprises the extant professional papers of Spencer C. Olin, founding faculty member, administrator, and professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). His papers contain research files related to his book Major Problems in California History, teaching materials for two undergraduate courses titled "California in Modern America" and "Utopian Experiments in American History," research files documenting Orange County, and research files documenting the history of UCI. The papers include photographs, clippings, journal articles, correspondence, and notes. The addition to this collection includes materials such as course syllabuse, lecture notes, and reference articles relating to research on the history of California and the American West, Orange County Great Park, "The Nature of Historical Inquiry", and "Postsuburban Analysis of Metropolitan Regions".

Extent:

3.8 Linear Feet (5 boxes)

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

Spencer C. Olin papers. MS-F024. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Background

Scope and content:

Biographical / historical:

Spencer Olin is a founding faculty member of the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Department of History and has been a prominent professor and administrator throughout UCI's history. A native Californian, Olin received a B.A. from Pomona College (1958) and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University (1961, 1965). His focus has been on modern American history, particularly California and the West. Over the years, Olin also served UCI in many administrative capacities, including acting vice chancellor for Student Affairs (1965-1966), chair of the Department of History (1977-1982), chair of the Academic Senate (1986-1988), director of the Humanities Core Course (1989-1991), dean of the School of Humanities (1992-1996), and acting Executive Vice Chancellor (1994). In recognition of his dedication and academic excellence, Olin has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr. Distinguished Service Award (1991), the Historical Society of Southern California's Martin Ridge Retrospective Award (2001), the UCI Alumni Association Extraordinarius Award (2006), and the UCI Medal (1998), the highest campus honor.

Olin is the author or co-author of six books relating to American history and has published numerous articles, essays, and book reviews in publications such as The Journal of American History, Western Historical Quarterly, Pacific Historical Review, California History, and Radical History. He was a co-curator of the 2006 UCI Library exhibit Under Construction Indefinitely: Forty Years of Designing UCI, during the campus's fortieth anniversary celebration. As of 2007, Olin is retired and lives in Irvine with his wife, Rita Olin, who retired from UCI as a financial analyst.

Chronology
Date	Event
1937 February 13	Born in Los Angeles, California
1958	Received B.A. from Pomona College
1961	Received M.A. from Claremont Graduate University
1965	Received Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University
1964-1965	Instructor in history, Pomona College
1965	Joined UCI's faculty as assistant professor of history
1965 September - June 1966	Acting vice chancellor for Student Affairs
1968	California's Prodigal Sons: Hiram Johnson and the Progressives
1969-1978	Associate professor of history, UCI
1971-1972	Visiting lecturer in history, University of Stirling, Scotland
1972	Racism in California: A Reader in the History of Oppression
1977 - 1982	Chair of the Department of History
1979	Why War? Ideology, Theory, and History
1981	California Politics, 1846-1920: The Emerging Corporate State
1982-1997	Professor of history, UCI
1983-1989	Member and vice president of the board of directors for the Irvine Campus Housing Authority
1986 - 1988	Chair of the Irvine Division of the Academic Senate
1989 - 1992	Director of the Humanities Core Course, UCI
1989 - 1991	With Sandra Campbell, co-chair of the UCI Campus Campaign
1991	Postsuburban California: The Transformation of Orange County Since World War II
1991	Received First Annual Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr. Distinguished Service Award
1992	Acting dean of the School of Humanities
1992 - 1996	Dean of the School of Humanities
1994	Acting Executive Vice Chancellor
1997	Major Problems in California History: Documents and Essays
1997	Professor emeritus of history, UC Irvine
1998	Awarded the UCI Medal
2001 - 2002	Acting director of the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies
2001	California's Prodigal Sons
2004-2006	Appointed Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professor, in honor of the longest-serving regent in University of California history, to work with the University Archivist on UCI's Fortieth Anniversary Historical Records Project
2006	Received UCI Alumni Association Extraordinarius Award

Acquisition information:

Gift of Spencer C. Olin, 2006. Gift of Spencer C. Olin, 2022.

Processing information:

Processed by Audrey Pearson, 2007. Updated by Gabrielle Wood, 2023.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in 4 series:

Series 1. University of California, Irvine files, 1979-2006. 0.5 linear feet
Series 2. Research files, 1950-2004. 2.5 linear feet
Series 3. Teaching materials, 1970-1985. 0.2 linear feet
Series 4. Writings, 1966-1997. 0.2 linear feet

Acession 2023-003, a minimally processed addition to the collection is listed at the end.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Utopias -- United States
Historians.
College teachers.
Clippings -- 20th century.
Letters -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Lecture notes -- 20th century.
Offprints -- 20th century.
Names:: University of California, Irvine -- Faculty -- Archives
University of California, Irvine -- Archives
Olin, Spencer C. -- Archives
Places:: California -- History -- Sources

Access and use

Restrictions:: The collection is open for research. One file of restricted personnel information has been separated and will be open for research in 2073. Acession 2023-003 is minimally processed, but is open for research.
Terms of access:: Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.