Oberlin College. Admissions Office.

The admission of new students to Oberlin College was one of the functions of the Secretary of the College prior to 1928. In that year, William H. Seaman (d. 1948) was appointed Director of Admissions. In 1949, Robert L. Jackson (d. 1989) replaced Seaman, presiding over a steady increase in the number of freshman applications which culminated in 1972. During the tenure of Carl W. Bewig (1973-86), innovative recruitment techniques were instituted in order to counteract the decline in applications. With the hiring of Douglass Gardner as Dean of Enrollment Planning in 1987, the offices of admissions, financial aid, and registrar became jointly administered. Under Gardner, advanced computer systems analyze and develop recruitment strategies.