Collection Summary
Ralph Cooper Hutchison Papers
1920-1966
1957-1966
1920-1966
1957-1966
MSS54411
Hutchison, Ralph Cooper, 1898-1966
24,000 items
127 containers plus 3 oversize
55 linear feet
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Educator and college president.
Correspondence, diaries, speeches, sermons, writings, college catalogs, yearbooks, and
study guides relating to Hutchison's tenure as president of Washington and Jefferson
College and Lafayette College, chancellor of Abadan Institute of Technology in Iran, and
director of Studies in Higher Education.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC
Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and
by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Hutchison, Ralph Cooper, 1898-1966.
Organizations
Abadan Institute of Technology.
Lafayette College (Easton, Northampton County, Pa.)
Studies in Higher Education (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Washington and Jefferson College (Washington, Washington County, Pa.)
Subjects
Education, Higher--Research.
Education--Iran.
Education--Pennsylvania.
Universities and colleges--Iran.
Universities and colleges--Pennsylvania--Easton (Northampton County)
Universities and colleges--Pennsylvania--Washington (Washington County)
Occupations
College presidents.
Educators.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Ralph Cooper Hutchison, educator and college president, were given to the
Library of Congress in 1966 and in 1971 by his son, William Hutchison.
Processing History
The papers of Ralph Cooper Hutchison were described and arranged in 1968 by David Mathisen. The finding
aid was revised in 2012.
Transfers
Phonograph recordings have been transferred to the Library's Motion Picture,
Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division where they are identified as part of these
papers.
Copyright Status
Copyright in the unpublished writings of Ralph Cooper Hutchison in these papers and in
other collections of papers in the custody of the Library of Congress has been dedicated
to the public.
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Ralph Cooper Hutchison are open to research. Researchers are advised to
contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored
off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container number, Ralph Cooper Hutchison Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1898, Feb. 27
Born, Florissant, Colo.
1914
1916
Educated, Sterling College, Sterling, Kansas
1917
Aviator, United States Naval Aviation
1918
A.B., Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.
1919
M.A., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
1919
1922
Attended, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J., and ordained to
Ministry, Presbyterian Church
1923
1925
Authored curriculum and educational program for the Presbyterian
Church
1924
1925
Secretary, Young People's Work, Presbyterian Education, Philadelphia,
Pa.
1925
Married Harriet Sidney Thompson
1925
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
1925
1926
Professor of philosophy and religion, Alborz College, Tehran, Iran
1926
1931
Dean, Alborz College, Tehran, Iran
1931
1945
President, Washington and Jefferson College
1933
1945
President, Board of Trustees, Alborz College, Tehran, Iran
1939
1943
Director, Presbyterian Board of Christian Education
1939
1945
Director, Kiskiminetas Springs School, Saltsburg, Pa.
1940
1944
Member, Executive Committee, Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and
Universities (served again from 1953 to 1957).
1940
1945
Director, Western Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, Pa.
1941
1943
Director, Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Co. of Washington, D.C. (served again
in the 1950s)
1942
1944
Vice president, Pennsylvania United War Fund
1942
Awarded Yorktown Medal by Society of Cincinnati
1942
1945
Executive Director, Civilian Defense for Pennsylvania
1942
1956
Vice chairman, Pennsylvania Aeronautics Communications
1945
1948
Director, Governor's Committee on Civil Defense, Pennsylvania
1945
1950
Director, Pennsylvania Commission on Higher Education.
Vice president, Pennsylvania State YMCA
1945
1957
President, Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.
1948
1950
Member, Commission on Religion in Higher Education, Presbyterian Board of
Christian Education
1950
1953
Director, Council on Education in Arbitration of the American Arbitration
Association Chairman
1952
1956
Director, National Advisory Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases Council
1953
1955
Director, Lay Committee of the National Council of Churches of Christ
1953
1957
Member, Executive Committee, Pennsylvania Foundation of Independent Colleges,
Executive Committee (president,1956)
1957
Legion of Honor, French Republic
1957
1959
Educational Advisor to the Oil Consortium of Iran
1957
1960
Chancellor, Abadan Institute of Technology, Iran
Educational Adviser, National Iranian Oil Co.
1957
1966
Director, Studies In Higher Education, Philadelphia, Pa.
1960
Executive Director, National Presbyterian Center, Washington, D.C.
1966, Mar. 15
Died
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Ralph Cooper Hutchison (1898-1966) span the years 1920-1966, with the bulk
of the material concentrated in the period 1957-1966. The collection consists of
diaries, correspondence, sermons, speeches and writings, and other material relating to
Hutchison's work as director of Studies in Higher Education, president of Washington and
Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Lafayette College, Easton,
Pennsylvania, and chancellor of Abadan Institute of Technology in Iran. The papers are
organized into eleven series: [ Diaries and Notebook ](diarynote); [ General Correspondence ](genfile); [ Special
Correspondence ](specfile); [ Bound Correspondence ](bound); [ Financial Records ](finfile); [ Proposals,
Minutes, and Reports ](profile); [ Speech and Article File ](speech);
[ Studies in Higher Education: Published Studies ](study); [ College Publications ](college); [ Scrapbooks and
Photographs ](scrap); and [ Miscellany ](miscella).
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged in eleven series:
-
[ Diaries and Notebook, 1942-1965 ](diarynote)
-
[ General Correspondence, 1931-1966 ](genfile)
-
[ Special Correspondence, 1920-1966 ](specfile)
-
[ Bound Correspondence, 1945-1958 ](bound)
-
[ Financial Records, 1932-1964 ](finfile)
-
[ Proposals, Minutes, and Reports, 1945-1956 ](profile)
-
[ Speech and Article File, 1920-1966 ](speech)
-
[ Studies in Higher Education: Published Studies ](study)
-
[ College Publications, 1930-1957 ](college)
-
[ Scrapbooks and Photographs ](scrap)
-
[ Miscellany ](miscella)
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Diaries and Notebook, 1942-1965
1942-1965
Diaries and a notebook of religious services. .
Arranged by type of volume
1
Diaries, vols. 1-24,
1942-1956
1942-1956
Notebook, vol. 25,
1948-1955
1948-1955
2-34
General Correspondence, 1931-1966
1931-1966
Letters received, copies of letters sent, and printed matter.
Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent or subject and in reverse
chronologically order therein.
2
Aba-Ame
3
Ame-Ben
4
Ber-Bun
5
Cam-Civ
6
Civ-Con
7
Cor-Edu
8
Eis-Fou
9
Fou-Gla
10
Gol-Hem
11
Hen-Hon
12
Hot-Int
13
Ira-Jus
14
Kab-Laf
15
Laf
16
Laf-Luc
17
Mcc-May
18
Meh-Mor
19
Mos-Nix
20
Nor-Pel
21
Pen-Pre
22
Pre-Pri
23
Pro-Reg
24
Res
25
Rez-Sch
26
Sch-Sha
27
She-Smo
28
Sna-Swa
29
Swe-Tex
30
Tha-Tyl
31
Une-War
32
Was-Wey
33
Whe-Win
34
Wol-Zia
35-72
Special Correspondence, 1920-1966
1920-1966
35-60
Studies in Higher Education, 1942-1966
1942-1966
Letters received, copies of letters sent, and printed matter relating to
Studies in Higher Education.
Arranged alphabetically be name of correspondent within four groupings:
colleges, consultants, foundations and trusts, and trustees, and reverse
chronological order therein.
35
Colleges
American Association of University
Professors-Blackburn
36
Brigham Young University- Dickinson
College
37
Earlham College-Evansville
University
38
Fairleigh-Dickinson University-Goshen
College
39
Gordon College-Hanover College
40
Hastings College-Kalamazoo
College
41
Kansas City University-Lindenwood
College
42
Macalester College-Muskingum
College
43
New School of Music Study-Parsons
College
44
Parsons College
45
Pennsylvania Military Academy-Rose
Polytechnic Institute
46
St. Lawrence University-Tri-State
University
47
Ursinus College-Westminster
Choir
48
Westminster Theological Seminary-Yampa
Valley College
49
Consultants
Armstrong-Ketcham
50
McGrath-Shay
51
Smith-Wager
Foundations and trusts
Administrative-chemistry
52
Church-closed
53
Closed-engineering colleges of
professional development
54
Endowment-faculty
55
Faculty-inflation
56
Language-plant
57
Presbyterian-student
58
Tax-teaching
59
Team-year
Trustees
Bury-Groseclose
60
Harkins-Wyckoff
Miscellaneous
61-72
Iran, 1920-1965
1920-1965
Letters received, copies of letters sent, and printed matter relating to
Hutchison's educational interests in Iran.
Organized into three groups: Abadan Institute of Technology, Alborz College,
and the National Iranian Oil Co.
61
Abadan Institute of Technology,
Tehran
Arrangements-contracts
62
Curriculum-Lafayette College Board of
Trustees
63
Language machines-refresher
courses
64
Salaries-takeover
65
Teacher's Insurance and Annuity
Association of America-trustees
Current faculty
Azad-Kirby
McCarthy-Zanen
66
Former faculty, Ripley-Telfer
67
Alborz College, Tehran
68
National Iranian Oil. Co.
Office Supplies
Bylaws-incorporation
Fact sheets
69
Faculty
Students
Accountings
70
Accountings
71
Taxes
Operating companies vouchers
72
Operating companies vouchers
73-74
Bound Correspondence, 1945-1958
1945-1958
Bound volumes of letters received relating to Hutchison leaving the presidency of
Washington and Jefferson College to become president of Lafayette College, his
resignation from Lafayette College, and the reunion of the Lafayette class of 1918
in 1958.
73
1945, Washington and Jefferson
College, Washington, Pa., and Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.
1945
1957, resignation from Lafayette
College
1957
74
1958, Lafayette College class of
1918, fortieth reunion
1958
75-80
Financial Records, 1932-1964
1932-1964
Estate correspondence, vouchers, orders, miscellaneous correspondence, bank
statements, cancelled checks and check stubs, income tax reports, and accounts and
financial summaries.
Arranged by type of material.
75
William E. Hutchison estate,
1932-1958
1932-1958
76
1943-1956
1943-1956
77
1957-1964
1957-1964
78
Bank statements
Cancelled checks
Check stubs
79
Income tax reports,
1932-1954
1932-1954
80
Accounts, 1935-1954
1935-1954
Summaries, 1935-1954
1935-1954
81-88
Proposals, Minutes, and Reports, 1945-1956
1945-1956
Bound material concerning Lafayette College, proposals and minutes, and commission
and annual reports.
Arranged by type of material and therein chronologically.
81
Vol.1, 1945-1946
1945-1946
Vol. 2, 1946-1947
1946-1947
82
Vol. 3, 1947-1948
1947-1948
Vol. 4, 1948-1949
1948-1949
83
Vol. 5, 1949-1950
1949-1950
Vol. 6, 1950-1951
1950-1951
84
Vol. 7, 1951-1952
1951-1952
Vol. 8, 1952-1953
1952-1953
85
Vol. 9, 1953-1954
1953-1954
Vol. 10, 1954-1955
1954-1955
86
Vol. 11, 1955-1956
1955-1956
Vol. 12, 1956-1957
1956-1957
87
Vol. 13, commission reports,
1953
1953
88
Vol., 14, annual reports,
1953-1954
1953-1954
Vol. 15, annual reports,
1954-1955
1954-1955
89-104
Speech and Article File, 1920-1966
1920-1966
Articles, sermons, speeches, reference material, and bound magazines and pamphlets
of published works by Hutchison.
Arranged by type of material and in the volumes created by Hutchison.
89
Miscellaneous
A-J
90
K-R
91
S-Y
92
Sermons
Vol. 1, 1921-1922
1921-1922
Vol. 2, 1922-1923
1922-1923
Vol. 3, 1923-1924
1923-1924
93
Persian papers, vol. 4, 1924-1931
1924-1931
Address and papers
Vol. 5, 1932-1933
1932-1933
Vol. 6, 1933-1934
1933-1934
Vol. 7, 1934-1935
1934-1935
94
Vol. 8, 1935-1937
1935-1937
Vol. 9, 1937-1938
1937-1938
Vol. 10, 1938-1939
1938-1939
Vol. 11, 1939-1940
1939-1940
95
Vol. 12, 1940-1941
1940-1941
Vol. 13, 1941-1943
1941-1943
Vol. 14, 1943-1945
1943-1945
96
Vol. 15, 1945-1947
1945-1947
Vol. 16, 1947-1948
1947-1948
Vol. 17, 1948-1949
1948-1949
97
Vol. 18, 1949-1950
1949-1950
Vol. 19, 1950-1952
1950-1952
Vol. 20, 1952-1954
1952-1954
98
Vol. 21, 1954-1956
1954-1956
Vol. 22, 1956-1959
1956-1959
Vol. 23, 1959-1964
1959-1964
99
Speech notebook, vol. 24,
1964
1964
Speech index by city, vol. 25
100
Reference notes
101
Sermon note cards
Bound magazines and pamphlets
1920-1926
1920-1926
102
1927
1927
103
1928-1939
1928-1939
104
1940-1966, undated
1940-1966, undated
105-111
Studies in Higher Education: Published
Studies
Volumes from participant colleges.
Arranged alphabetically by name of college.
105
Vol. 1, Anderson College-Earlham
College
106
Vol. 2, Emporia College-Franklin
College
107
Vol. 3, Fuller - Hastings College
108
Vol. 4, Indiana University-Manchester
College
109
Vol. 5, Maryville-Park Street
110
Vol. 6, Parsons College-Rose Polytechnic
Institute
111
Vol. 7, Studies in Higher
Education-Whitworth
112-120
College Publications, 1930-1957
1930-1957
Yearbooks, catalogs, and other college publications.
Arranged by name of college in volumes compiled or collected by Hutchison.
112
Washington and Jefferson College, Washington,
Pa.
Hutchison inauguration, vol. 1, 1932, 2
Apr.
1932, 2 Apr.
Dedication, Walker Memorial Room, vol. 2,
1933, Mar. 15
1933, Mar. 15
Pandora
Vol. 3, 1930
1930
Vol. 4, 1933
1933
Vol. 5, 1934
1934
113
Vol. 6, 1935
1935
Vol. 7, 1936
1936
Vol. 8, 1937
1937
Vol. 9, 1938
1938
114
Vol. 10, 1939
1939
Vol. 11, 1940
1940
Vol. 12, 1941
1941
Vol. 13, 1942
1942
115
Vol. 14, 1943
1943
Vol. 15, 1944
1944
Vol. 16, 1945
1945
Vol. 17, 1946
1946
116
Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.
Alumnus, vol. 18,
1945
1945
Study of buildings, vol. 19,
1946
1946
Decade of progress, vol., 20,
1945-1955
1945-1955
Catalog
Vol. 21,
1950-1951
1950-1951
Vol. 22,
1952-1953
1952-1953
Vol. 23,
1954-1955
1954-1955
Vol. 24,
1955-1956
1955-1956
117
Melange
Vol. 25, 1918
1918
Vol. 26, 1947
1947
Vol. 27, 1948
1948
Vol. 28, 1949
1949
118
Vol. 29, 1950
1950
Vol. 30, 1951
1951
Vol. 31, 1953
1953
119
Vol. 32, 1956
1956
Vol. 33, 1955
1955
Vol. 34, 1956
1956
120
Vol. 35, 1957
1957
121-129
Scrapbooks and Photographs
Photograph albums, loose photographs, and scrapbooks of clippings, programs,
certificates, and other items.
Arranged by type of material.
121
Vol. 1, Washington and Jefferson College -
I
Vol. 2, Washington and Jefferson College -
II
Vol. 3, Harrisburg, Pa., years,
1943-1946
1943-1946
122
Lafayette College years
Vol. 4, I
Vol. 5, II
123
Vol. 6, III
Vol. 7, IV
124
Vol. 8, inauguration pages
Vol. 9, ideal scrap book
Vol. 10, loose-leaf notebook
125
Vol. 11, photograph album
Vol. 12, photograph album
Vol. 13, photograph album
Vol. 14, photograph album
Loose photographs
126
Loose photographs
OV 127
Vol. 15, photograph album
Vol. 16, photograph album
Loose photographs
OV 128
Vol. 17, photograph album
Vol. 18, photograph album
Vol. 19, photograph album
OV 129
Vol. 20, photograph album
130
Miscellany
A guest book, bride's book, portrait photo plate of Hutchison, photographic slides
and negatives, volumes concerning the Abadan Institute of Technology and the
National Iranian Oil, Co., passport, birthday cards, and an insurance policy.
Arranged by type of material.
130
Guest book
Bride's book
Hutchison portrait photo plate
Slides and negatives
Volumes concerning Abadan Institute of
Technology, Tehran, Iran, and National Iranian Oil Co.
Passport
Birthday card
Insurance policy