Capen, Samuel Paul, 1878-1956

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Samuel Paul Capen graduated from Tufts College in 1898 and received his graduate education at Harvard University. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1902, he was hired to teach German at Clark College in Worcester, Mass. In 1914 he was hired by the United States Bureau of Education where he was asked to conduct numerous surveys on American higher education and in 1918 he became the first director of the American Council on Education (ACE). In 1922 Capen was hired by the Council of the University of Buffalo to be the first full-time Chancellor of the University. The Council looked at Capen to establish a strong central administration that would unify the University. During his twenty-eight years at the University of Buffalo, Capen established many University programs and educational experiments that helped to further the expansion of higher education. He brought strong leadership and intellectual integrity to the University and helped to broaden the education of the professional schools, developed standardized curricula, and personally hand-picked a first-class faculty of full-time, academically trained professors. He also established the Millard Fillmore College for adult education and created the Bureau of Personnel Research, a counseling office, to administer programs that tested the achievements and personalities of students in order to provide better guidance for career choices and help them obtain employment. Under his leadership, student enrollment increased from 1,687 in 1922 to over 10,000 by the time of his retirement in 1950. Capen's experience working on the Bureau of Education and the ACE helped him establish a central and solid administration for the University. He often addressed conferences, commencements, and social clubs on the subjects of educational administration and academic freedom. Samuel P. Capen made a huge impact on the history of the University at Buffalo and brought it into a new era.

From the description of Samuel P. Capen papers, 1893-1956. (SUNY at Buffalo). WorldCat record id: 65525982

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Capen, Samuel Paul, 1878-1956. Samuel P. Capen papers, 1893-1956. SUNY at Buffalo, University at Buffalo
creatorOf Capen, Samuel Paul, 1878-1956. Stanley D. Travis papers, 1932-1967. SUNY at Buffalo, University at Buffalo
referencedIn Account books of brick and pottery makers in Massachusetts, 1747-1817 (inclusive) [microform]. Harvard Business School, Knowledge and Library Services/Baker Library
referencedIn Account books of brick and pottery makers in Massachusetts, 1747-1817 (inclusive). Harvard Business School, Knowledge and Library Services/Baker Library
referencedIn Lucien Howe papers, 1892-1940 (inclusive), 1907-1931 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf United States. Office of Education. Survey of The University of Arizona: conducted by Samuel P. Capen, 1917. University of Arizona Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Council on Education. corporateBody
associatedWith Association of American Colleges. corporateBody
associatedWith Capen family. family
associatedWith Capen, Grace Wright, 1874-1951. person
associatedWith Clark College (Worcester, Mass.) corporateBody
associatedWith Cooke, Walter Platt, 1869-1931. person
associatedWith Cult of the White Buffalo (Buffalo, N.Y.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Howe, Lucien, 1848-1928 person
associatedWith Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim, 1729-1781 person
associatedWith Lewis, Wyndham, 1882-1957. person
associatedWith Millard Fillmore College. corporateBody
associatedWith Public Education Association (Worcester, Mass.) corporateBody
associatedWith State University of New York at Buffalo. University Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith Thursday Club (Buffalo, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Tufts College. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Bureau of Education. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Office of Education. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Buffalo corporateBody
associatedWith University of Buffalo. Committee on General Administration. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Buffalo. Office of the Chancellor. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Buffalo. University Council. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Buffalo (N.Y.)
New York (State)--Buffalo
Subject
Academic freedom
Education
Baccalaureate addresses
Clubs
College administrators
College presidents
College presidents
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges
College teachers
Commencement ceremonies
Community and college
Drama
German drama
Educational change
Educational leadership
Education, Higher
Education, Humanistic
Educators
German teachers
Higher education and state
Learning and scholarship
Public universities and colleges
Radio addresses, debates, etc.
School management and organization
Speeches, addresses, etc., American
Teaching, Freedom of
World War, 1939-1945
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1878-03-21

Death 1956-06-22

Information

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SNAC ID: 26926955