Records of the President, Edward D. Eddy (Rec. Gr. 1.14)

Series I. Subject Files
118 box(es)
(54 linear feet)

The Subject Files series contains records on subjects ranging from Academic Affairs to President Eddy's trip to Zimbabwe. The files were transferred from their original folders to archival folders and most of the original titles were preserved. They reflect the interaction between President Eddy's office and other departments, organizations, committees and institutions within the University of Rhode Island and the larger educational and political community. Much of the content of the subject files is made up of correspondence combined with the memos, notes, and various other official records.

Topics covered by the records relate to the running of the University and include budget issues, Eddy's commitment to eradicating racial and sexual bias on and off campus, faculty grievances and teaching concerns, athletic files, admission issues, student housing concerns (in particular the issue of fraternities and sororities on campus), student conduct files, legal issues, maintenance of the physical plant of the university and construction plans, fund raising and development concerns, letters to the Office of Higher Education (which includes budget allocation approvals from the Board of Governors and an extensive list of correspondence from 1984 to 1991), athletics, and alumni affairs.

The controversial issues that faced Eddy during his tenure are represented in this series. Of particular interest in these files is folder 153, which contains news articles, alumni correspondence, and memos concerning the controversial hiring of McKinley Boston as the new Director of Athletics in 1989. In addition, Eddy faced numerous disciplinary problems with students. These are represented by the University Board on Student Conduct records which cover the years 1983 to 1991 and consist of memoranda, correspondence, criminal complaints, legal documents, newspaper articles and suspension notices. These records are confidential and restricted unless otherwise authorized for use by permission of this archival agency. These records contain school profiles, memoranda, correspondence, data sheets, provisionary material, and program guides.

Eddy was particularly involved with increasing the importance of the Graduate School of Oceanography. The Coastal Institute on Narragansett Bay contains files pertaining to the joint effort by Senator Pell and President Eddy to establish intensive research of marine ecosystems in Rhode Island to help promote efficient and secure methods of allowing the pursuit of local business ventures while maintaining the integrity of the bay's ecology. In these files are contained the proposals and outlines for the University of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay Center-- the hub for this proposed research. These reports detail the objectives, goals, funding and research initiatives of the Narragansett Bay Center. There are also records of correspondence, memoranda, and news articles pertaining to the establishment of this venture. The records of the Graduate School of Oceanography are listed chronologically from 1983 to 1991. They contain programs of study, project proposals and reports, correspondence from Director John Knauss, and dedication brochures to the Marine Resources Building, November 18, 1983. Included are records of the Marine Advisory Council from 1983 to 1990.

Not only are issues concerning the running of the University of Rhode Island well represented by Eddy's records, but also represented are issues concerning national and state organizations which influence the University, such as the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASLUC). NASLUC is a conglomeration of higher education institutions that confront national and global issues arising in the scholastic community. Also represented are records from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), the Rhode Island Partnership for Science and Technology whose goal is to implement innovative science and technology programs into businesses, universities, and hospitals, and the University/School Partnership Program, a joint program between the University of Rhode Island and the Providence schools, whose goal was to provide better education to minority populations in Rhode Island's urban areas. These records also include correspondence, memoranda, agenda and itinerary sheets, and invitations that represent the activities of the Center for Pacific-Basin Capital Markets Research (PACAP), which President Eddy chaired. The PACAP was established in 1989 at the University of Rhode Island in order to provide a forum for business representatives and members of academia to work on strategies for implementing database technologies into Pacific-Basin capital markets.

The records of the president are diverse and reflect the myriad concerns of running a research and state university. From personnel grievances to scholarship, construction to resource development, the divergent issues confronting a university president are reflected in this series.

Arrangement: Folders in the series are arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date.

Series II. Speeches and Events
4 box(es)
(2 linear feet)

This series contains guest lists, invitations, and RSVP cards, in addition to some speeches. Extensive records kept on the football and basketball game luncheons and dinners held at the President's residence after and before each game were kept and are included in this series. The folders are arranged alphabetically.

Arrangement: Folders in the series are arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date.