Deans of Men and the Shaping of Modern College Culture

Deans of men in American colleges and universities were created in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to help manage a growing student population. The early deans often had a personality that allowed them to engage easily with students. Over time, many deans saw their offices increase in size and responsibility. The profession grew slowly but by the 1940's drew several hundred men to annual conferences and many more were members. Deans of men and women were significant figures for college students; many students saw them as the "face" of the college or university. Schwartz traces the role and work of the deans and how they managed the rapidly growing culture of the American college campus in the twentieth century.

"Historian Robert Schwartz has brought the campus administrative chart to life by animating the fascinating story of colleges' Deans of Men. This book includes thoughtful analysis of significant higher education trends combined with his fresh, remarkable biographies of colorful, influential figures." - John R. Thelin, University Research Professor and Professor of Educational Policy Studies, University of Kentucky

"The biographies of early Deans of Men in this volume are fascinating and wide-ranging. Schwartz includes deans from the South and the Midwest in his volume, in addition to representatives from the Northeast. He places all of his biographies in a context of a developing profession, struggling to find its way." - Wayne J. Urban, Paul W. Bryant Professor in the College of Education, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

"This book offers a unique and important contribution tothefield of higher education. It is thoughtful, well-written, and tells a unique and important story. Schwartz has created a hybrid book where he uses biography with history to do academic history with a human voice." - Alan Wieder,Senior Research Consultant, Center for Teaching Quality

ROBERT SCHWARTZ Associate Professor of Higher Education at Florida State University, USA.