Robert Vandevander was born on April 5, 1924, and he received his B.S. from the University of Dayton in 1953 and his M.A. from Ohio State University in 1959. He was a UD faculty member in the School of Education from 1960 to 1966. He also served on the City of Dayton Board of Education until 1980. During his senior year at UD, Vandevander began collecting circus materials, an area of personal interest. He continued collecting until his final acquisition in 2009.
From the guide to the Robert Vandevander Circus Collection, 1907-2009, 1935-1965, (University of Dayton)