New York University. College of Arts and Science

Biographical notes:

Beginning in 1947 and ending in 1962, Thomas Clark Pollock served as dean. William Earl Buckler succeeded Dean Pollock in 1962 and remained in office until 1969. In that year, Richard Bayly Winder became Dean of Washington Square College and presided until 1971. Phillip Mayerson, who had been Vice Dean of Washington Square College from 1969 to 1971, became the Acting Dean from 1971 to 1973. In 1973 he became Dean of Washington Square and University College and served until 1978.

The function of the Office of the Dean at Washington Square College is largely to develop curricula that will enable the urban student to later use this knowledge in teaching, law, medicine, further education, or other types of employment. The Dean's office was created at New York University, as at other colleges, to act as a liaison between administration and students. The dean's challenge is to maintain collegiate and human values in a word of increasing scholarship and specialization. The dean symbolizes the continuance of the "the collegiale way and humanist tradition." Simply, the dean represents the human touch in an organized institution.

Under Deans Buckler and Winder, the major purpose of the Dean's office involved helping Washington Square College live up to its potential as an undergraduate college in a large and complex university located in an equally large and complex city. Under Dean Mayerson, the Dean's office broadened its outlook.

Dean Mayerson saw two major purposes as challenging the resources and structure of the Dean's office. He added fundraising as a major goal of his office in addition to attracting and holding students. Dean Mayerson saw New York University in competition with other schools for the enrollment of students, and thus did everything in his power to bring larger numbers into Washington Square College. To this end, he concentrated on personalizing the admissions process, helping the students to mix more with the faculty, cutting red tape in dealing with the problems of individual students, and creating a closer relationship between his office and the director of admissions. These initiatives are well documented in this collection.

From the guide to the New York University. Office of the Dean of Washington Square College., Bulk, 1951-1980, 1929-1984, (Bulk 1951-1980), (New York University Archives)