George Walter Papers

Collection

Identifier: LU-MS-001

Staff Only

This collection is comprised of the papers of George Walter, a Lawrence University alumnus, class of 1936, and faculty member from 1946 to 1975. The collection includes creative writing from Walter's time as a student at Lawrence, files that document his time as a professor of education and Dean of Men, and materials from his involvement with the Upward Bound program for at-risk high school students. Walter was also well known for his motivational speaking abilities regionally and nationally; written drafts and recordings of many of his speeches are also included in the collection. Audiovisual items also include a videocassette tape of home movies taken by Walter.

Dates

1933-2001

Creator

Walter, George Beverly (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Student files from the Upward Bound Program are restricted until 2042-01-01. Restrictions are noted at the file level.

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

5.00 Linear Feet (7 boxes)

Additional Description

Biographical or Historical Information

George Beverly Walter served as Dean of Men and Chairman of the Department of Teacher Training at Lawrence University from 1946-1975. He was born April 11, 1910, in Merrill, Wisconsin. Walter graduated from Lawrence College in 1936 with a degree in English literature with a specialization in creative writing. During his time at Lawrence, Walter was an all-conference fullback and the poet laureate of his class. He married Dorothy Schaefer in 1935. Walter went on to attend Ohio State University where he obtained a Master of Arts degree in Education. He also did additional graduate work at the University of Wisconsin. Walter began his teaching career at the South Milwaukee High School. He then taught English and served as assistant football coach at Washington Park High School in Racine, Wisconsin. After teaching for four years, Walter was elected principal of the high school and served there from 1942-1946. Walter returned to Lawrence College in 1946 to serve as Director of Teacher Training and coached freshman football from 1949-1956. He was appointed Dean of Men in 1948, a position he held until 1955. As Dean, Walter specialized in serving as counselor and friend to all freshmen boys and enhanced this relationship by living with 150 of them in Brokaw Hall, the freshman men’s dormitory. During his years as a faculty member at Lawrence, Walter received the Distinguished Service Award, the Lawrence Prize for Gifted Teaching, and an Honorary Master of Arts Degree. Walter retired in June 1975 as professor of education and English and department chair. A “George Walter Day” was held October 4, 1975, honoring his years of work at Lawrence. Outside of Lawrence, Walter was well known and highly regarded for his motivational speaking abilities. He gave many speeches throughout the country, from the 1950s into the 1990s, for professional conferences, high school commencements, teacher groups, and others. Walter also worked as a seasonal employee at Glacier National Park in Montana. He went on to purchase property near the Canadian border and resided there seasonally with his family before moving there permanently in 1988. Walter died on March 18, 1996, at his home in Helena, Montana.

Arrangement Note

This collection is arranged in 3 series. Series 1. Faculty and personal files, 1933-2001 Series 2. Speeches, 1935-1991 Series 3. Upward Bound program files, 1964-1972

Technical Access Requirements

Playback equipment may not be readily available for the reel-to-reel audio recordings and video recordings.

Method of Acquisition

Materials in the faculty and personal files series and the Upward Bound program files series were donated by David Walter in June, 1998. Video of home movies gift of Joe Hopfensperger, 2001. Materials in the speeches series were donated to the Archives by Marcella Walter in January, 2012 and integrated with the existing collection.

Appraisal Information

Contents of folders in the speeches series, particularly the drafts, were selected based primarily on completeness and the presence of contextual information.