Curtis Tarr Presidential Papers

Collection

Identifier: LU-RG03-009

Staff Only

This collection is composed of the papers of Curtis Tarr, President of Lawrence University from 1963 to 1969. The collection primarily documents Tarr's presidency from his selection through his departure, though some articles related to his work after leaving Lawrence are included. Materials include articles and biographical information, photographs, calendars, correspondence sent and received, documentation of his installation, and his speeches and writings.

Dates

1961-2013
1963-1969

Creator

Tarr, Curtis W. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Lawrence University does not hold the copyright for all materials in this collection. Uses beyond those allowed for fair use under U. S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) require the researcher to secure permission from the copyright holder.

Extent

3.70 Linear Feet (6 boxes)

Additional Description

Biographical or Historical Information

Curtis Tarr was born Sept. 18, 1924 in Stockton, Calif. He saw combat in World War II as a member of General George Patton’s Third Army in Europe, earning three battle stars. After the war, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard University. He returned to Stanford to earn a Ph.D. in American history in 1962. He served as assistant dean of the humanities and director of the summer school at Stanford before his selection as Lawrence's 12th president in 1963. Tarr led the college during one of the most significant events in Lawrence’s history —the consolidation with Milwaukee Downer College in 1964— as well as one of the most turbulent times in the nation’s history as student protests over the Vietnam War erupted on campuses across the country. After leaving Lawrence, Tarr held three presidential appointments in the Nixon administration during the Vietnam War: Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, director of the Selective Service System, and Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance. Following his service in Washington, D.C., Tarr became vice president of Deere & Co. in Moline, Ill. Retiring after a decade at Deere, he became Dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. He left Cornell in 1990 to become vice president of Intermet Corporation, in Atlanta, Ga., an international automobile parts manufacturer, where he oversaw foundries in Germany and Sweden. Tarr passed away on June 21, 2013. [Excerpted from Lawrence University news article by Rick Peterson, June 25th, 2013.]

Arrangement Note

Materials are arranged alphabetically by format.

Method of Acquisition

Collection transferred to the University Archives prior to July 2005.

Related Materials

Curtis Tarr Papers. LU-MS-098. Lawrence University Archives, Seeley G. Mudd Library, Appleton, Wisconsin.

http://archives.lawrence.edu/?p=collections/controlcard&id=324