Chatham College

This artificial collection documents the process by which coeducation was proposed, researched, debated, and ultimately defeated in the late 1960s and in the early 1990s. The bulk of the records originate from the office of President Stafford.  Coeducation in graduate programs and move to coeducation in 2016 are not included in this collection.

This collection contains meeting agendas, meeting minutes, correspondence, committee agendas and meeting minutes, presidential search records from a couple presidential searches in the mid to late 1900s, as well as other documents pertaining to the meetings and some photographs dating back to the 1800s. Additionally, information on a couple historic families and person was found and kept in this collection.

Jerry L. Caplan was a professor of art at Chatham College from 1959 until 1988. He taught a variety of art courses including oil painting, design, drawing, ceramics, and sculpture, the latter being his primary subject. Caplan was the innovator of pipe sculpture, a technique in which industrial clay pipes are shaped, cut, and joined to form artworks. In his personal time, Caplan taught workshops for pipe sculptures, raku, and ceramics across the United States and around the world.

This collection mainly contains the working manuscripts of Chatham College: The First Ninety Years. Within the collection is also the Centennial Award received by Dysart, a retirement book, and a portrait photograph of Dysart.