Records of the President, William R. Ferrante Papers (Rcg. Gr. 1.12)

William R. Ferrante was the fourth Acting President in the history of University of Rhode Island, serving in that capacity from August 15, 1973 to July 31, 1974. His predecessors as Acting President were Homer J. Wheeler in 1902-03, John Barlow in 1930-31, and Barlow again in 1940-41. Ferrante's tenure marked the end of an often acrimonious relationship between the governing Board of Regents and the Office of the President under Werner Baum., In retrospect, Ferrante's brief administration can be seen as setting the stage for a generally more congenial relationship between the Board and the Office of the President. His administration in effect provided some breathing space for the newly appointed Board to assume its new responsibilities and to conduct a nationwide search for a successor to Baum secure in the knowledge that the University would be well administered in the interim.

The records in this group consist of the administrative files maintained by Ferrante and his staff while he was president. The records contained herein provide a detailed and comprehensive administrative history of Ferrante's brief tenure. They are divided into three series: Series 1, Subject Series; Series 2, Committee Series; and Series 3, Chronological File.