Summary
Abstract
Dr Harold W. Perkins was the first director of the Wyomissing Center and Chief Executive Officer of the Berks Campus. He was an integral part of campus history and kept many of his records as well as collecting materials from Wyomissing Polytechnic Institue employees and alumni. Included in the collection are desk calendars; personal and business records; original campus site plans; audio and video files; journals; photographs; and various other artifacts.
Dates
- Creation: 1917-2021
Extent
9.99 Linear Feet (One enclosed cabinet shelf, one cabinet bin and one cabinet drawer) : The collection is housed on one shelf, in one bin and one file drawer of a metal storage cabinet located in the Archives Room in the Thun Library. ; The shelf measures 40" long, 16.5 inches deep and 10" tall. The bin and drawer measure 40" long, 16.5 inches deep and 9" tall.
Background
Biographical / Historical
From the program "A Tribute to Dr. Harold W. Perkins, CEO Emeritus, Penn State Berks" on the occasion of the ground breaking ceremony for the Perkins Plaza, Summer 2012:
"Dr. Harold W. Perkins served as CEO of Penn State Berks from 1959-1984 and was instrumental in laying the foundation for the college. Dr. Perkins earned both a master's degree in psychology and a doctorate in higher education from Penn State, where he served for ten years as assistant dean and then as associate dean of men. Previously, he worked for eight years as alumni secretary and secretary of admissions at Washington & Jefferson, but left his post for thirty-nine months, during which he served in the U.S. Army Service Forces during World War II, principally as an information-education specialist.
In 1958, Penn State University assumed responsibility for the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, renaming the institution the Wyomissing Center of The Pennsylvania State University, the fourteenth Penn State extension center established in the Commonwealth. Dr. Perkins was named director in April 1959. In 1964, the school was renamed Penn State Berks Center. Under his leadership, the Berks Center held its first capital campaign from
1967-68 to raise funds for a new, expanded campus location. With the recommendation of Dr. Perkins and other campus leaders, the University acquired Penn State Berks' first current campus tract of 105 acres in
1969.
Then in 1972, construction of the Luerssen Building was complete and the facility moved to its current location in Spring Township. It was renamed Penn State Berks Campus at this time. In 1973, the Student Center was completed and later renamed the Perkins Student Center in honor of the campus CEO. The campus continued to grow under Dr. Perkins' tenure with the addition of the Thun Library in 1975 and the Beaver Community Center in 1979, and the acquisition of the Janssen estate in 1981.
Dr. Perkins retired in 1984 but remained active in the campus until the time of his death. He was instrumental in the publication of a campus history book. Most recently, he served on the college's capital campaign
board..."
Scope and Contents
The Dr. Harold W. Perkins Collection encompasses just under 10 linear feet. Besides institutional records from Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, the the Wyomissing Center, the Berks Center and the Berks Campus, the collection documents community business- partnerships, community events such as car rallies, the Great Peace March in 1982, anniversary events featuring air balloons and fireworks, as well as Berks theatre productions, and Dr. Perkins’ post-retirement campus activities. It also includes the materials collected by Barbara Rodrock, Dr. Perkins' administrative assistant, and items solicited from former employees and alumni of the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute and the Berks Campus.
Physical Location
Thun Library, Penn State Berks Archives Room
Custodial History
Dr. Harold W. Perkins, first director of the Wyomissing Center in 1958 and then Chief Executive Officer of the Berks Campus from 1959 until 1984, gathered this collection of personal and business records, original campus site plans, audio and video files, journals, photographs, and artifacts. As well as these materials relating to the creation and growth of the Penn State Berks Campus, he retained Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute records, and solicited and materials for the Penn State Berks Archives from former faculty, staff and students after his retirement in 1984. He was assisted in this endeavor by Barbara Rodrock his administrative assistant who originally maintained many of the records. Louise Gottschall, the secretary of WPI, 1938 - 1958, and administrative assistant for the Wyomissing Center 1958 - 1968 and bookstore manager for the Wyomissing Center and Berks Campus, 1968-1985, maintained records, as well.
This collection contains a file "History and Original Papers" that records the hiring of Kathryn Joffred to organize the archives in 1989 and again in 1990 when Deena Morganti was Head Librarian of the Thun Library.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
All the materials were collected for the Thun Library Archives by Dr. Harold W. Perkins with the exception of post-mortem pieces such as the tribute program on the occasion of the ground breaking for the Perkins Plaza, and Dr. Perkins' desk calendars. The calendars were donated by Dr. Perkins' son, Rev. Timothy Perkins on April 4, 2021.
Also many people donated copies of the Winter 2010-issue of the Blue & White magazine that has the cover story “A Tribute to Dr. Harold W. Perkins, 1919 - 2010."
Processing Information
With the renovation of the Thun Library in 2000, the collection was moved to a cabinet in the Archives Room. Most of the materials were in their original file folders. Those original file folders have been retained, but archival folders and papers were then inserted to buffer the effects non-archival quality binders and folders. As additional papers and photos were added, they were placed in archival folders organized by donor name.
The majority of the materials have been scanned and are available as pdfs. Rosanne Chesakis, Library Operations Supervisor at Penn State Schuylkill Cilletti Library, kindly transcribed several files from the WPI Minutes to create accessible Word documents.
Subjects
- Academic libraries Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Certificates Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Engineering Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Theater programs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- greeting cards Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- technical drawings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Using These Materials
Repository Details
Part of the Berks Thun Library, Penn State Berks Repository
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for access. Scans of materials are available by request.
Conditions Governing Use
We encourage researchers to contact the library to make an appointment to review materials as the Special Collections Room also serves as a classroom and meeting space with exclusive access to 109A, the Archives Room: UL-BERKS@lists.psu.edu, 610-396-6339.
Photocopies of original materials may be made available for research purposes at the discretion of the Thun Library, Penn State Berks. Photocopies or reproductions of original materials may be subject to fees as outlined by the Pennsylvania State University Libraries reproduction policies. Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Patrons seeking advice on the availability of unpublished materials for publication should consult relevant copyright law and laws of libel.
Preferred Citation
Dr. Harold W. Perkins Collection, pstb_hwp_001 Thun Library. Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Penn State Berks
- Title
- Guide to the Dr. Harold W. Perkins Collection
- Status
- Minimal Record
- Author
- Barbara Lessig
- Date
- 2023-03-23
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin