Table of Contents
| Ask a question |
| Request a visit |
| Suggest a change or correction |
| Potentially harmful content statement |
Summary |
|
| Creator: | Meiklejohn, Donald. |
| Title: | Donald Meiklejohn Papers |
| Dates: | 1926-1994 |
| Size: | 1 box, 1 oversized drawer (2.5 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | The Donald Meiklejohn Papers contain publications, teaching materials, correspondence, lectures, and other materials related to his time as a professor at Syracuse University and other institutions. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
Biography
Donald Meiklejohn was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1909, the son of Alexander Meiklejohn, one of the country's leading educational reformers and free speech advocates. A 1930 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Donald Meiklejohn received a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard University in 1936. From 1942 to 1946 he served in Army Intelligence. Before joining the faculty of the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in 1963, Meiklejohn taught courses at Dartmouth College, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Chicago. At Syracuse University, he taught courses in political philosophy and served as director of the undergraduate program in Citizenship and Public Affairs. His primary areas of research were civil liberties, the political theories of Kant and Rousseau, and the First Amendment.
In 1965, Meiklejohn published a book entitled Freedom and the Public. In 1969, he presented a lecture on “The Culture of Impatience,” describing the University’s responsibility to foster students’ desire to recognize and actively challenge society's failures, remarking that it is the academic responsibility of adults to “intellectualize that impatience.” Meiklejohn retired in 1975 and was awarded the title Emeritus. He remained an active adjunct professor at Syracuse University and was awarded the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Contributions by Emeritus Faculty in 1995. He died in Syracuse in 2001.
Scope and Content Note
The Donald Meiklejohn Papers contain materials related to his scholarly activities while a faculty member at Syracuse University and other institutions. Materials include correspondence, class materials and lectures. Most of the collection is made up of published and unpublished writings by Donald Meiklejohn, including writings on Rousseau, Kant, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger. A copy of his book Freedom and the Public (1965) can also be found in the collection.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Related Material
The Archives also hold a clipping file related to Donald Meiklejohn's life and work.
Selected Search Terms
Names
Associated Titles
Subjects
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Donald Meiklejohn Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
The Donald Meiklejohn Papers were deposited in the Archives in 1994 by Donald Meiklejohn.
Processing Information
Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Katie Swingly
Date: 2015
Revision history: