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Alexander A. Liveright Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

The adult education holdings are collectively known as the
Alexander N. Charters Library of Resources for Educators of Adults.

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Liveright, A. A. (Alexander Albert), 1907-1969
Title: Alexander A. Liveright Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1934-1969
Bulk Dates: 1956-1969
Quantity: 8.5 linear ft.
Abstract: Alexander A. Liveright was a professor of adult education and director of the Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults (CSLEA) for more than ten years. Correspondence, minutes and reports which highlight Liveright’s professional interests and affiliations. Included are papers generated while professor in the schools of education at Boston University and Syracuse University, as director of The Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, and as founding member and Secretary of the International Congress of University Adult Education. Sagamore Conference papers and those of the New Institutional Forms Project, a research project begun by Liveright to study the development of comprehensive adult education programs, also appear in the collection. International adult education is the focus of records from trips to Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Thailand. Miscellaneous material includes newspaper clippings, War Manpower Commission documents, and material from the Highlander Folk School.
Language: English
Language: French
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Alexander A. Liveright was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1907. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin (1929), an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University (1930), and a Ph.D. in Adult Education from the University of Chicago (1956). Over his thirty-year career he was a professor, consultant, researcher and director for various institutions and universities specializing in adult and continuing education.

Liveright was director of the Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults (CSLEA) from 1956 until its dissolution in 1968. (The Center was independently located in Chicago from 1951 until 1965, and then was affiliated with Boston University.) In 1966 he spent four months on a round-the-world study sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation. As director of CSLEA, and in his own right, he was involved in a wide range of adult and continuing education programs in the United States, had many contacts with adult education in other countries, and was a leader in international activities such as the International Congress of University Adult Education (ICUAE), of which he was a founding member and, at the time of his death, secretary.

He was on the faculty of George Williams College, Columbia College, University College of the University of Chicago, and the University of Michigan; a member of the Visiting Committee for Summer Schools and Extension Division of Harvard; Executive Director, American Council on Race relations; Director of Labor Education, University of Chicago; consultant to the Research Bureau, U.S. Office of Education; consultant to the Academy for Educational Development; consultant to the Air Line Pilots Association; consultant to the Montana Farmers Union; and Conference Coordinator for the 1956 AEA Conference. From 1967 until his death in 1969, Liveright was Associate Professor of Adult Education at Syracuse University.

Dr. Liveright authored numerous articles, monographs, and book chapters and served on the editorial boards of Convergence and Adult Education.

He died in 1969.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

Papers reflecting Liveright's activity in both the CSLEA and ICUAE, as well as his wide-ranging national and international involvement in adult education, form the bulk of the Alexander A. Liveright Papers. Notable in this portion of the collection are papers from the Sagamore Conference (September, 1960) marking the inception of the ICUAE. The CSLEA (with Liveright as its Director) was one of six adult education organizations sponsoring the Conference; Liveright became Secretary of the ICUAE.

Subjects covered include travels associated with the First World Conference and European Study Tour, adult education in Africa, Latin America, and Australia, as well as UNESCO meetings and conferences. The folders pertaining to the CSLEA International Comparative Education Conference at Exeter, New Hampshire are of note, since they form the basis of The Exeter Papers, published by Liveright (1966).

The bulk of the remainder of the collection is from the years 1968-1969, incorporating the phase-out of the CSLEA, Liveright's move to Syracuse University, and his ensuing illness. At Syracuse University, Liveright became associated with the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education, plus numerous research and publication projects (Liveright had hoped to complete a book on leaders in adult education before he died). During his illness and at the time of his death, some of Liveright's administrative duties were shared by James Whipple and Robert Blakely; in addition, John Ohliger, Robert Theobald and David Mosconi completed publication projects in progress.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is divided into series based on the various organizations and projects: Boston University, CSLEA, ICUAE, the New Institutional Forms Project, and Syracuse University. Travel includes material relating to trips to Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines. A final division covers Other activities while Miscellaneous includes photographs, clippings, and two audio tapes by Dr. Manet Fowler. The tapes record her interview with C. B. Ratchford, and refer to Liveright in two brief interchanges on Tape 1: on Side A of (after about 5 mm of tape), and on Side B (after about 10 mm of tape).

Because the collection was received as two separate donations several years apart and the two sections were processed separately, the intellectual order of contents shown in the finding aid is not necessarily the same as the physical order. For example, the CSLEA material is located in boxes 1, 2 and 8. Refer to the box numbers given in the finding aid for the correct location of a particular item.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Blakely, Robert J.
Charters, Alexander N.
Liveright, A. A. (Alexander Albert), 1907-
Sheats, Paul H., 1907-
Whipple, James B.

Corporate Bodies

Boston University, School of Education.
Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education
Highlander Folk School (Monteagle, Tenn.)
International Conference on University Adult Education (1960: Sagamore, N.Y.)
International Congress of University Adult Education.
New Institutional Forms Project.
Syracuse University. -- ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education.
Syracuse University. -- School of Education.
United States -- War Manpower Commission.
University Council on Education for Public Responsibility.

Subjects

Adult education.
Continuing education -- Study and teaching.
Continuing education -- United States.
Educators, United States

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Curricula.
Interviews.
Invoices.
Minutes (administrative records)
Proposals.
Reports.
Speeches (documents)

Occupations

Educators.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alexander A. Liveright Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: -/KW
Date: Oct 1976, Jun 1991
Revision history: 6 Jun 2006 - finding aids for parts 1 and 2 combined, converted to EAD (MRR)

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Inventory

Boston University
Box 1 Problems in Adult Education 1965-1968
Box 1 Problems in Adult Education 1965-1968 - course outlines and student papers (4 folders)
Box 1 Seminar in Comparative and International Adult Education 1968
Box 1 Seminar on Comparative Adult Education 1967-1968
Box 1 Student papers 1967-1968
Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults (CSLEA)
Box 8 4th Leadership Conference for University Adult Education 1956
Box 1 Academy study undated - draft of chapters 3, 4 and 5, n.d.
Box 8 Anglo-American Conference 1963-1965
Board meetings, minutes
Box 1 1956-1957
Box 2 1957
Box 2 Board minutes 1956
Conference on Comparative Adult Education/Exeter, New Hampshire
Box 8 Correspondence 1966
Box 8 Reports & info. 1966
Box 8 Roster 1966
Box 8 Discussion papers 1966
Working papers 1966
Box 8 Canada (English)
Box 8 Canada (French)
Box 8 Denmark
Box 8 France
Box 8 Hong Kong
Box 8 India
Box 8 Puerto Rico
Box 8 Sudan
Box 8 USA
Box 8 Yugoslavia
Box 2 Core programs 1960-1961
Correspondence
Box 2 Australia 1966
Box 2 Hawaii 1966-1967
Box 2 India 1967
Box 2 Israel 1965
Box 2 Malaysia and Singapore 1967
Box 2 Nepal 1966-1967
Box 2 New Zealand 1966-1967
Box 2 Philippines 1967
Box 2 Thailand 1967
CSLEA phase-out
Box 8 James Whipple 1968-1969
Box 8 Correspondence 1968
Box 8 Syracuse University 1968
Foundations
Box 8 Carnegie Corp. 1964-1969
Box 8 Ford Foundation 1959-1968
Box 8 Standard Oil of New Jersey 1966-1967
Box 8 United States Steel 1964-1967
Box 8 Western Electric 1965-1969
Box 8 Miscellaneous 1964-1965
Box 2 Grants and submissions 1963
Box 2 Impact study and supplement 1958-1959
Box 2 Program goals study 1964-1965
Proposals
See also Syracuse University: Kellogg Foundation proposal
Box 8 Audience Education proposal undated
Box 8 Correspondence Ed. Research Proj. 1964-1965
Box 8 Directory for Independent Study 1964-1968
Box 8 Research & Development Center 1966
Box 8 State University of New York (SUNY) /Albany 1964-1968
Box 8 University Council on Education for Public Responsibility (UCEPR) 1967-1968
U.S. Dept. of Health, Ed., Welfare (DHEW)/Office of Education (USOE)
Box 8 Bureau of Research 1965-1966
Box 8 Correspondence 1965-1968
Box 8 Follow-up 1966-1968
Box 8 Research & Development Center 1966-1967
Visitors
Box 8 Drew, Vernon 1964-1968
Box 8 Kelly, Tom 1967-1968
Box 8 Samolovcev, Borivoj 1964-1969
Box 8 Singh, Amrik 1967-1968
Box 8 Stretton, Dulcie 1967-1968
Box 8 Miscellaneous 1962-1968
ICUAE
Business
Correspondence
Box 8 Crowley, Desmond 1965-1969
Box 8 Dakin, James 1965-1969
Box 8 Friesen, John 1965-1969
Box 8 Howard, Campbell 1966-1969
Box 8 Hughes, Ieuan 1967-1968
Box 8 Jessup, Frank 1966-1969
Kidd, James Roby 1964-1969
Box 8 Convergence 1968-1969
Box 8 Melling, John 1965-1967
Box 8 Okamura, Seiichi 1965-1968
Box 8 Canadian Assoc. Adult Ed. (CAE) 1966-1967
Box 8 Canadian Assoc. Depts. of Ext. & Summer Schools, CADESS 1966-1967
Box 8 India-Rajasthan 1965-1969
Box 8 Uganda-Makerere Univ. College 1965-1966
Executive Committee, Members (alphabetical)
Box 9 Borinski, Fritz 1965-1969 - correspondence
Box 9 Coles, E.K. Townsend 1963-1969 - correspondence
Box 9 al-Halim, Amad Abd 1966-1967
Box 9 Lai, T.C. 1964-1969
Box 9 McCallion, W.J. (chair) 1963-1968
Box 9 Raybould, Sidney 1965-1969
Box 9 Savicevic, Dusan 1966-1969
Box 9 Schwartz, Bertrand 1966-1968
Executive Committee
Box 9 Minutes 1960-1963
Box 9 Minutes, correspondence Jul-Nov 1965
Box 9 Minutes, agenda, corres., Boston-Buffalo 1966
Minutes, correspondence, Syracuse-NYC 1967
Box 9 Education Permanente Seminar 1967 - speeches
Box 9 Education Permanente Seminar 1967 - corres. & speeches
Box 9 Minutes, correspondence, Leeds-Syracuse 1968
Legal affairs
Box 9 Geo. Overton 1962-1967
Box 9 Legal/financial affairs 1964-1968
Box 9 UNESCO affiliation 1962-1963
Membership affairs
Box 9 Ballots, institutional & individual undated
Box 9 Correspondence & misc. 1963-1966
Box 9 Dues 1963-1968
Box 9 Dues 1967-1968
Box 9 Information 1965-1968
Box 9 Invoices, individual memberships 1967-1970
Box 9 Invoices, institutional memberships 1967-1969
Box 9 Lifetime membership, Seiichi Okamura 1966
Box 9 List - individual 1966
Box 9 List - institutional 1966
Box 9 Prospective members 1966-1967
Publications
Newsletter
Box 9 First issue 1961
Box 9 Mailing list 1965
Box 9 Subscriptions 1965-1967
Box 9 Correspondence 1967-1968
Box 9 Diana Ironside, newsletter & personal correspondence 1965-1969
Box 9 Adult Ed publications 1966-1968
Box 9 ICUAE Adult Ed. Directory [1966?]
Conferences
Africa
Box 9 Cables 1961
Box 9 Correspondence 1961-1962
Box 10 Visa information 1961
Box 10 African Adult Education Institute 1961-1964
Ghana
Box 10 Correspondence 1961
Box 10 Memoranda & miscellaneous 1961-1962
Box 10 Reports 1961-1962
Box 10 Basutoland 1962
Box 10 African Trip, follow-up 1962-1963
Box 10 Africa, correspondence 1962-1966
Australia
Box 10 Conference 1961-1964
Box 10 Miscellaneous 1963
Europe
Box 10 Study tour 1963-1965
Box 10 Study tour, memos 1964-1965
Box 10 Study tour, questionnaires 1964
Box 10 Study tour, participants 1964-1965
Box 10 Study tour, cancellations 1964-1965
Box 10 Study tour, arrangements 1965
Study tour-Oxford 1965
Box 10 Britain, correspondence 1965-1968
Box 10 Study tour-UNESCO 1965
Box 10 World Conference, Krogerup Denmark, correspondence 1963-1964
Box 10 World Conference 1963-1965
Box 10 World Conference, business 1963-1965
Box 10 World Conference, Ford Grant 1964-1965
Box 10 World Conference, correspondence 1964-1965
Box 10 World Conference, correspondence/papers 1964-1965
Box 10 World Conference, ICCE/correspondence 1964-1965
Box 10 World Conference, Secretary's report 1965
Box 10 World Conference, executive minutes 1965
Box 10 World Conference, resolution
Box 10 World Conference, memoranda 1965
Box 10 World Conference, participants 1965
Box 10 World Conference, newsletter 1965
Box 10 World Conference, newsletter/correspondence 1965-1966
Latin America
Box 10 Correspondence 1961-1963
Box 10 Memoranda 1961-1963
Box 10 Correspondence & lists 1962
Box 10 Latin America/S. American conference 1962
Box 10 Latin America 1963 - correspondence
Box 10 Inter-American Conference 1964
Box 10 Inter-American Conference 1964-1968 - correspondence
United States
Sagamore Conference
Box 11 Agenda, minutes, participants 1960-1961
Box 11 Correspondence 1960
Box 11 Speeches Sep 1960
Box 11 Other conference notifications 1964-1968
Box 11 Other conferences, information/reports 1964-1968
Box 11 UNESCO, research & training grant 1967-1968
Box 11 UNESCO conferences 1968-1969
Box 11 2nd World Conference 1968-1969
New Institutional Forms Project
Consultant panel 1969
Box 2 Project #1
Box 3 Project #2
Box 3 Contract and proposal 1968
Box 3 Correspondence, Ivan Lappin 1968-1969
Draft Proposals
Box 3 Comments 1968
Box 3 Correspondence 1966-1968 (2 folders)
Box 3 National Focus Activity 1969
Box 3 National forms 1969
Box 4 Panel meetings 1968-1969
Box 4 Program budget 1968
Box 4 Proposal and background material 1966-1969
Box 4 Report, inquiries re 1969
Box 4 Reports to Committee of Adult Education Organizations (CAEO) 1968-1969
Box 4 Staff appointments 1969 - correspondence
Box 4 Survey form, city of Syracuse 1969
Syracuse University
Box 11 Academy for Education Development 1967-1969
Box 11 Academy for Education Development, report
Box 11 Academy for Education Development - Dave Mosconi 1968-1969
Adult education
Box 4 Course outline and student papers 1968
Box 5 Programs 1967-1969
Box 5 Related programs 1968
Box 5 Appointment to staff 1968-1969 - correspondence
Box 5 Continuing education 1969 - publications list
Box 5 Continuing education publications 1968 - correspondence
Box 5 Faculty interviews, drafts ca.1968
Box 5 Highlander Research and Education Center 1969
Box 5 International Seminar on Adult Education 1969
Box 11 International Seminar/Galaxy Conference 1968-1969
Box 11 Kellogg Foundation proposal 1968-1969
Box 11 National Institute for Independent Study 1968-1969
Box 11 New Institutional Forms 1969
Box 11 Miller, Paul A. 1968-1969
Publication Activity
Box 11 Adult Education Information 1968-1969
Box 11 Continuing Education for Adults 1968-1969
Box 11 ERIC Advisory Committee 1968, 1966-1969
Box 11 ERIC 1968-1969 - correspondence
Box 11 Kapoor, Sudarshan - correspondence
Box 11 Liveright, Alexander 1969
Box 11 Ohliger, John 1969
Box 11 UNESCO, Ruth Lazarus 1968-1969
Miscellaneous
Box 12 Archives 1968-1969
Box 12 Planning schedule 1968
Box 12 School of Ed/Ph.D. Orals 1968
Box 12 Recruitment, etc. 1968-1969
Box 12 Alex Charters, memos undated
Travel
Box 5 Australia, Canberra 1967
Box 5 Australia, Melbourne 1967
Box 5 Australia, New South Wales 1966-1967
Box 5 Australia, Perth 1967
Box 5 Australia, University of Sydney 1967
Box 5 Australia, Tasmania 1967
Box 5 Hong Kong
Box 5 India (general) 1967
Box 5 India, University of Rajasthan 1967
Box 6 New Zealand 1967
Box 6 Philippines 1967
Box 6 Thailand 1966-1967
Other Activities
Box 12 American Association of Jr. Colleges 1964-1969
Box 12 American Council on Education 1968-1969
American Education Association (AEA)
Box 12 Professional Standards Committee 1967-1968
Box 12 Continuing education 1967-1968
Box 12 Commission of Professors of Adult Education (CPAE) 1967-1969
Box 12 Reports 1967-1969
Box 12 Correspondence 1966-1969
Box 12 Cleveland State University 1966-1969
College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB)
Box 12 General 1966-1969
Box 12 Correspondence 1966-1969
Box 12 Directory 1966-1969
Box 12 Delbert Clark Award 1968-1969
Box 12 General Electric Seminar 1968
Harvard College, Board of Overseers
Box 12 Correspondence 1965-1969
Box 12 Reginald Phelps 1968-1969
Highlander Folk School
Box 12 1957-1962
Box 12 1968-1969
Box 12 Leaders in Adult Education [1968]-1969
Box 6 National Adult Education Resources Institute 1967 - confidential memoranda
Box 12 National Educational TV 1964-1968
Box 12 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education 1968
Box 7 South-East Asian Institute of Adult Education 1966-1968
Box 12 Theobald, Robert 1966-1969 - book contract & correspondence
Box 12 US Office of Education (USOE)/Region 2 1968-1969
Box 12 University of Pittsburgh, Board of Visitors 1968-1969
War Manpower Commission
Box 6 War Manpower Commission 1942
Box 7 Confidential study for 1942
Box 7 Office of Emergency Management, War Manpower Commission 1943
Box 7 U.S.A. Before War Manpower Commission 1943
Box 12 WCOTP, mailing list undated
Miscellaneous
Box 12 Audio tapes - interview of C.B. Ratchford by Dr. Manet Fowler undated
Clippings
Box 6 Newspaper clippings 1934-1935
Box 7 Printed papers and newspaper clippings 1968-1969
Box 12 Collected papers 1966-1968
Correspondence
Box 6 General 1963-1967
Box 12 Blakely, Robert 1965-1969
Box 12 Daigneualt, George 1968
Box 12 Houle, Cyril 1968-1969
Box 12 Other correspondence 1962-1969
Box 12 Illness 1969
Box 6 Dissertation proposals 1966-1967
Box 7 Notes on various topics 1966-1968
Photographs
Box 7 Alexander A. Liveright undated
Box 12 Miscellaneous photos 1951-[n.d.]

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