New York University. Office of Vice President and Secretary.

The Office of Vice President and Secretary was first created as the Office of the Secretary of the University in 1925. The Secretary was appointed by the Council, upon recommendation of the Chancellor, and served as the general executive assistant to the Chancellor. The Office of Secretary became central to the administration of New York University.

The primary function of the Secretary was to assist the Chancellor in the discharge of his duties. The responsibilities delineated in 1925 included: conducting correspondence with individuals and institutions relating to the University at large; coordinating the work of secretaries of the several schools and divisions; preparing and maintaining minutes, documentary materials, records, and conducting correspondence of the Council and its committees. The Secretary affixed the University seal, issued diplomas, certificates and maintained records of these. He maintained personnel records of the faculty, published the University bibliography, supervised the publication of annual reports, and performed other administrative duties assigned by the Chancellor.

The responsibilities of the Secretary increased in volume as the University grew and diversified. In recognition of the importance of the Secretary, the administrative title of the office was changed on July 1, 1945 to Vice Chancellor and Secretary in accordance with the duties assigned to the office by Chancellor Harry Woodburn Chase and the University Council. The title was changed again in 1955 to Vice President and Secretary as a result of a general administrative reorganization under President Henry T. Heald. Several assistant positions to the Secretary were created in 1956. The responsibilities of the Secretary increased in volume and complexity as the University grew and diversified.

Part of the collection deals with the New York University and its activities during the Korean conflict. New York University fell into line with war preparations and strove to define its wartime needs through groups like the American Council on Education, the Department of Higher Education, the Association of American Colleges, the National Education Association, and the Association of American Universities. When the Korean conflict began, colleges and universities around the country joined forces to protect themselves, their students, and their faculty from being overwhelmed by the military effort. During World War II, educational institutions had suffered from a decline in students. Chancellor Chase at New York University wrote in his report of the 1949-50 school year, that "clearly the most careful planning is imperative if we are to maintain our institutional stability. Declining registration means decreased revenue, and lower revenue presents a serious threat to the scope and quality of our services." In accordance with the Selective Service Act of 1948, young men were drafted into the various branches as needed. The universities wanted limitations and guidelines to be set whereby students and faculty could be deferred from service when it was shown that they would better serve their country by remaining in the field of education. On March 31, 1951 a student deferment policy was finally, formally put into effect. Students were able to be deferred if they scored high on a nationally administered scholastic aptitude test, or if they were ranked in the upper part of their class. Universities were also able to request deferments for faculty members. To do so, it was necessary to prove that the individual was of sufficient importance to the University to warrant a deferment. New York University made requests on behalf of some of their faculty. They did so by writing out requests to the local selective service boards.

The military's dilemma over how manpower should be supplied was dealt with in part by expanding their Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at colleges around the nation. A ROTC program had first been established at the University Heights campus of NYU in 1919. In the 1951-52 school year, for the first time, the Air Force branch of ROTC offered a program at the Washington Square campus of NYU. The quota for the first year of basic training was 1,100 men.

Civilian institutions provided may services during war times. In a letter found in the collection to Frederick W. Nichol, from the NYU chancellor, dated December 21, 1950 (Box 1, Folder 7) the position that NYU had during previous wars was outlined. NYU was responsible for providing training for men in uniform in many fields. They also trained both men and women for jobs in the war industry. In addition, NYU was involved with a variety of government contracts. In 1949, NYU filled out a Navy questionnaire, that was aimed to discern what sort of facilities the University had in case they were needed in the event of a national emergency. NYU, in effect, took an inventory of its facilities, and its staff.

The 1950 school year saw contracts for some 150 sponsored research projects, with an estimated cost of research at about 3 million dollars. Of this research, the major emphasis was placed upon projects relevant to military needs.

Harold Oliver Voorhis (1896-1985) served as the first Secretary of New York University. Born on July 29, 1896 in Kokomo, Indiana, Voorhis received his B.S. Degree from Colgate University in 1919. In 1920 he studied at Columbia University Law School and in 1922 earned an M.A. degree in Economics from New York University. In 1945 he was awarded an honorary LL.D from Colgate University.

From 1914 to 1915 Voorhis worked as a surveyor's assistant in Saskatchewan Canada. From 1916 to 1919 he acted as the secretary to the President of Colgate University and as secretary to the Chautauqua Institution in 1919. In 1920 Voorhis moved to New York City and took a position as secretary to the Vice President of the National Bank of Commerce. Voorhis began his administrative career at New York University as executive secretary to Chancellor Elmer Ellsworth Brown. Voorhis also taught economics at NYU during this time period.

During Voorhis' tenure the Secretary served as the Chancellor's principal assistant. Under the leadership of five presidents, Elmer Ellsworth Brown (1911-1933), Harry Woodburn Chase (1933-51), James Loomis Madden (acting Chancellor from 1951-1952), Henry Townley Heald (1952-1956), Carroll Vincent Newsom (1956-1962), and James McNaughton Hester (1962-1975).

New York University grew tremendously during this time period and the scope of responsibilities of the office of the Secretary reflected this growth. In 1945 Voorhis became the Vice Chancellor and Secretary under Chancellor Harry Woodburn Chase. In 1955 he was named Vice President and Secretary during Henry T. Heald's presidency. Over time the office supervised a wide array of functions including the administration of: Clerk of the Council/Trustees; Secretary of the Senate; Public Ceremonies; Annual; Commence; Bureau of Public Information; Student Services; Housing; Student Activities Office; University Publicity and Advertising Accreditation Regulation; University Directory; Annual Bibliography; Faculty Handbook, Public Occasions Hall of Fame; University Medal; Seal; Charter Oaths of Allegiance; Scholarship Resources; New York University Press; ROTC and the New York University Art Collection.

Voorhis retired in 1962 after 42 years of service to New York University.

Sources:

From the guide to the Records of the Vice President and Secretary Administrative Records, 1925-1965, (New York University Archives)