Richard Glenn Gettell Papers, 1880-1989 (bulk 1924-1970)

Use of the collection is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.)

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Biographical Note

Richard Glenn Gettell, economist and college and university teacher and administrator, was born on March 3, 1912 in Hartford, Connecticut to Raymond Garfield Gettell, a political scientist and teacher, and Nelene Groff Knapp Gettell. The Gettells moved to Amherst, Massachusetts in 1914 and to Berkeley, California in 1923. He attended elementary and secondary schools in Amherst and Garfield Junior High School in Berkeley then went to University High School in Oakland, California from 1924-1927. Too young to enroll in college, Gettell joined the Merchant Marine and served on three voyages to the South Seas, Australia, and Hawaii in 1927-1928. He attended Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts in 1928-1929 and Amherst College from 1929-1933. At Amherst, he sang in choirs, served as president of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and manager of the freshman football team, participated in the debating society, and graduated with high honors in economics. He also took classes at the University of California in Berkeley during the summer of 1932. After working as Executive Secretary of the Amherst Club of New York, N.Y. from July-December 1933, he went to Washington, D.C. as the personal assistant to one of his former Amherst professors, Willard L. Thorp, who was Special Economic Adviser to the United States Department of Commerce. From 1933-1935, Gettell was a junior economist or special assistant in the Bureau for Foreign and Domestic Commerce and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He attended the University of California from 1935-1937 and received a Ph.D. in economics in 1940.

In 1938, Gettell became an instructor and tutor of economics and a research assistant at Harvard University. Concurrently, he was an instructor of economics at Wellesley College. He married his first wife, Eunice Burdick on September 10, 1938. He was an instructor and assistant professor of economics at Yale University from 1938-1941, when Yale granted him a leave of absence to work as an economist for the Textile Price Branch of the Office of Price Administration in Washington, D.C. He was in charge of rationing shoes and industrial rubber footwear during World War II. In 1943, Gettell became an operations analyst for what was then called the United States Army Air Force. He served with combat commands in England, Washington, D.C. and Guam and was a special consultant to the operations analysis division of the United States Air Force headquarters from 1945-1960. During the Korean War (1951-1953), he served for six months with the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Weapons Evaluation Group.

Gettell began working for Time, Inc. in December, 1945. He was chief staff economist and assistant to the publisher of Fortune magazine from 1945-1950 and chief staff economist from 1950-1953. He also was a lecturer in economics at the Columbia University School of Business Administration in 1947-1948. He divorced his first wife in 1946 (she later married Richard H. Demuth) and married Landonia Brock Richards on June 9, 1948.

Gettell became chief foreign economist for The Texas Company in December, 1953. He also served as a consultant to the White House staff and was a member of the Task Force of the Cabinet Committee on Energy Resources and Supplies in the Office of Defense Management. In 1954, he played a major role in preparing President Dwight D. Eisenhower's policy statement to Congress concerning foreign economic development. In addition, Gettell was a Rapporteur for and a member of the United States Council of the International Chamber of Commerce from 1947-1957.

Gettell became the thirteenth President of Mount Holyoke College in 1957. He launched an ambitious fund-raising effort that culminated in the Fund for the Future capital campaign during the College's celebration of its one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary in 1962. Most of these funds went to increasing faculty salaries, doubling the endowment, and constructing the Prospect, 1837, Ham, and MacGregor Hall dormitories, the Pattie J. Groves Health Center, the Psychology and Education Building, Alice Withington Rooke Laboratory Theatre, Eliot House (the center for religious life on campus) and an outdoor amphitheater. He also oversaw the renovation of several existing buildings, including Williston Memorial Library. Increasing numbers of African-American and Latina students were admitted to Mount Holyoke during Gettell's administration and he supported the ABC (A Better Chance) Program which encouraged minority girls to go to college. He also helped develop a student exchange program with Bennett College and approved Mount Holyoke's participation in the United States-India Women's College Exchange Program for faculty and staff. He was one of the founding trustees of Hampshire College and served as an active member of the boards of numerous other organizations, including the College of the Virgin Islands. He received honorary degrees from Amherst College (1957) and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (1962). Mount Holyoke awarded him an honorary degree in 1970 and named the amphitheater in his honor.

Gettell was uncomfortable with the desire of many students to abolish Mount Holyoke's long-standing chapel attendance requirement and liberalize social regulations such as those concerning alcohol use and parietals (the policy for allowing men in dormitory rooms). He announced his decision to resign as President in September of 1967 and left office on November 11, 1968. He served as a consultant to the Haas Community Funds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1969-1970, then retired and returned to live in California where he died in Menlo Park on August 14, 1988 at the age of seventy-six.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Richard Glenn Gettell Papers date from 1880-1989 and consist of correspondence, writings, education records, subject files, financial and legal documents, memorabilia, Gettell family materials, autobiographical and biographical materials, sound recordings, and photographs. These materials primarily document his personal and professional life from 1924 until his death in 1988 and contain information about his secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education; Merchant Marine service; work as an economist and educator; and hobbies and travels.

Correspondence (1930-1986) consists of personal letters to Gettell as well as letters by him. Correspondents include relatives (particularly mother, Nelene Groff Knapp Gettell), friends, professional colleagues, and Mount Holyoke College trustees, faculty, staff, alumnae, and students. Topics discussed in these letters include his experiences at Amherst College, plans for graduate studies, employment prospects, and decision to separate from his first wife, Eunice Burdick Gettell.

Writings (circa 1923-1988) consist of Gettell's published articles, reports, and speeches, unpublished materials, and correspondence and legal documents relating to his works. Most of his publications reflect his work as an economist. Unpublished materials include original verses (many written for Landonia Gettell) and typescripts, scores and lyrics for his original musical, The Saucerer's Apprentice, written under the name Glenn Richards in 1952-1953.

Education Materials (1880-1883, 1906, 1924-1982) consist of correspondence, course records, transcripts, report cards, diplomas, certificates, financial records, programs and newspaper articles primarily concerning his studies at Amherst College (1929-1933) and the University of California (1935-1937, Ph.D. 1940). Of note in the Amherst materials are letters relating to his involvement with the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, debate and musical organizations, and the football team. Materials for his graduate work in economics and political science include syllabi, notes, readings, and papers for course records and his dissertation. Education materials also include historical documents about Alpha Delta Phi (1880-1883) and a copy of a 1906 magazine from Gettell's high school that contains several caricatures of African-Americans. There is also post-graduation correspondence relating to Amherst (including the College's decision to admit women in 1973) and an article that Gettell wrote about one of his former University of California professors, Ira B. Cross (1950).

A significant portion of the collection documents Gettell's work as an economist for the United States Department of Commerce Bureaus for Foreign and Domestic Commerce and Labor Statistics (1933-1935), the Textile Price Branch of the United States Office of Price Administration (1941-1943), the United States Army Air Force (1943-1956), Time, Inc. (1945-1953), the United States Council of the International Chamber of Commerce (1947-1957), the Texas Company (1953-1957), and the Haas Community Funds (1969-1970). These materials include letters by and to Gettell, copies of many speeches, articles, reports, surveys, and studies by him, and a variety of personnel records. In addition, Sound Recordings (Series 22, 1948-circa 1953) in the collection are of speeches by and interviews of Gettell in his role as chief staff economist for Time, Inc. There are also correspondence and other documents concerning his youthful service in the Merchant Marine (1927-1928) on three voyages to the South Seas, Australia, and Hawaii.

Materials concerning Gettell's career as a teacher and college administrator include correspondence, course records, articles, notes, memorabilia, and tributes. His teaching activities at Harvard University (1938), Wellesley College (1938), Yale University (1938-1941), and the Columbia University School of Business Administration (1947-1948) are documented by correspondence about each position as well as syllabi, examinations, lecture notes, and lists of students. Materials from his tenure as President of Mount Holyoke College (1957-1968) primarily consist of correspondence, notes, memorabilia, newspaper articles, and retirement tributes. Of particular note are a scrapbook, poster, thank you notes, and other documents made or collected for the Gettells by Tamara Brooks Knell, music professor and Director of Choral Singing at Mount Holyoke from 1967-1970. Most of these materials reflect the Gettells' interest in the Mount Holyoke College Chamber Singers, a group formed and directed by Knell. There are also three letters by Knell: a thank you note (circa 1968) to the Gettells for their kindness toward her and two letters (February and June 1975) describing experiences of Knell and her husband, Foreign Service officer David Grimland during and after the 1974 military coup and Turkish invasion in Cyprus. These documents also include letters and telegrams congratulating him on his appointment as President, his personal correspondence with Mount Holyoke trustees, and notes written by Gettell after he accepted the position at Mount Holyoke reflecting his thoughts, and questions about his new role and home.

Subject Files (1924-1968) contain correspondence, applications, contracts, scripts, programs, brochures, newspaper articles, memoranda, lists, tickets, membership cards, and badges. Most of these materials reflect Gettell's personal interests and activities such as his membership in the Boy Scouts of America (1924-1925), participation in a World Tour Travel Contest sponsored by the San Francisco Chronicle (1925), interest in joining a Caribbean-East Indies anthropological and medical expedition to the South Sea as part of his preparation for graduate work (1931-1932), and hobby of deep-sea fishing (1961-1968). Another file (1946-1966) concerns the Gettells' interest in the Encampment for Citizenship, a summer camp for young adults founded by Algernon D. Black in 1946 through the New York Society for Ethical Culture. There are also materials documenting Gettell's financial involvement in several musical theatre productions in New York City (1952-1954) or at the Melody Fair summer concert hall in North Tonawanda, New York.

Financial and Legal Records (1912, 1930-1988) include tax returns, lists of investments, birth and death certificates, wills, leases, agreements, passports, and memoranda. Of note is Gettell's notarized statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1947) concerning his occupancy of an apartment in Washington, D.C, in a house where Communist Party meetings had taken place. Some of the financial records concern the estate of his father, Raymond G. Gettell, who died in 1949.

Autobiographical and Biographical Materials (1912-1988) consist of Gettell's baby book, his curriculum vitae and other biographical summaries, correspondence, articles, notes, and obituaries. These materials include his Check list for periodic stock-taking from the 1930s and documents concerning his physical and mental health (1952, 1954, 1967, 1988) and death (1988-1989). Memorabilia (1932-1976, n.d.) consists of passes, notes, lists, cards, certificates, publications, tickets, receipts, an address book, and insignia. These items include one of Gettell's World War II ration books, Christmas cards that he wrote and illustrated, and documents reflecting his travels.

Gettell Family Materials (1895, circa 1909-1949, 1965, n.d.) consist of correspondence, articles, notes, and an invitation relating to members of Gettell's family. These items include biographical notes, an obituary, and tributes concerning his father and two notes (1920s) to his mother from Lyla Young, wife of the governor of California.

Photographs (circa 1906-1986) chiefly consist of formal portraits or informal snapshots of Gettell alone or with others (1914-1970). These images include photographs taken as a young man and later photographs from his years at Time, Inc. or Mount Holyoke College. Informal photographs include those taken on fishing trips and other vacations or at Mount Holyoke. Photographs of Gettell with others document both is professional activities and personal life. There are images from his work with United States Air Force during World War II, on speaking engagements while working for Time, Inc., and his inauguration as President of Mount Holyoke (1957). Other photographs are of Gettell's family members, particularly Landonia Gettell. These images include photographs taken on the Gettell's 1948 wedding trip to California and the Caribbean. Additional photographs are of other people as well as places (circa 1920s-1986). These images include photographs of participants in the ABC (A Better Chance) program at Mount Holyoke (1965), members of the Mount Holyoke Class of 1961 at reunions (1981, 1986), the Gettells and others at the Encampment for Peace (circa 1946), and Gettell's residences in California and New York City (circa 1920s-1956).

Oversize (Folio) Material (1948-1961) contains oversize items described as part of other series in the collection. The container list description of these items includes an indication that they are shelved in Folio. Among the materials in this series are a photograph album (1948) documenting the Gettell's trip to the Caribbean on their honeymoon and a color portrait of Gettell as Mount Holyoke's President (circa 1961).

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into twenty-four series:

• Correspondence (1930-1986)
• Writings (circa 1923-1988)
• Education Materials (1880-1883, 1906, 1924-1982)
• Merchant Marine Work (1927-1928)
• United States Departments of Commerce and Labor Work (1933-1937)
• Harvard University Work (1937-1938)
• Wellesley College Work (1938)
• Yale University Work (1938-1945)
• United States Office of Price Administration Work (1941-1943)
• United States Air Force Work (1942-1956)
• Time, Inc. Work (1945-1953)
• United States Council of the International Chamber of Commerce Work (1946-1955)
• Columbia University Work (1947-1948)
• Texas Company Work (1953-1958)
• Mount Holyoke College Work (1957-1981)
• Haas Community Funds Work (1969-1970)
• Subject Files (1924-1968)
• Financial and Legal Records (1912, 1930-1988)
• Autobiographical and Biographical Materials (1912-1989)
• Memorabilia (1932-1976, n.d.)
• Gettell Family Materials (1895, circa 1909-1949, 1965, n.d.)
• Sound Recordings (1948-circa 1953)
• Photographs (circa 1906-1986)
• Oversize (Folio) Material (1948-1961, n.d.)

Arrangement of the Collection

The arrangement of these papers established by Richard Glenn Gettell and Landonia Gettell has been retained. Researchers should note that letters by or to Gettell and copies of his writings are part of many series in the collection. Explanatory notes by Landonia Gettell are filed with relevant materials in the collection and in the Register folder at the front of Box 1.

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Correspondence 1930-1986 1 box

Correspondence consists of personal letters to Gettell as well as letters by him. Correspondents include relatives (particularly mother, Nelene Groff Knapp Gettell), friends, professional colleagues, and Mount Holyoke College trustees, faculty, staff, alumnae, and students. Some letters date from his years at Amherst College (1929-1933). These documents include correspondence with his mother in April, 1931 about his unhappiness at Amherst College and his thoughts about leaving the school to becoming an actor. A number of subsequent letters concern his plans for graduate study and his employment prospects. These materials include copies of several letters of recommendation for him. Of particular interest are three letters from his mother written in August-September 1941 discussing Gettell's interest in working for the United States State Department and his decision to separate from his first wife, Eunice Burdick Gettell. Other documents consists of letters and telegrams concerning his marriage to Landonia Brock Richards in June, 1948 and correspondence with brother-in-law, Maurine L. Huggins, about a paper by him entitled A Program of Action for Peace (1951). There is also a letter (May 27, 1969) from Clara R. (Reggie) Ludwig, Director of Admissions at Mount Holyoke concerning the leave of absence that Gettell arranged for her and a letter from Tatiana (Tanya) Mazenko (December 18, 1970), a 1968 graduate of Mount Holyoke which comments on changes at the College since her graduation and asks for advice about publishing her novel

Arranged chronologically.

Writings circa 1923-1988 1 box

Gettell's writings consist of his published articles, reports, and speeches, unpublished materials, and correspondence and legal documents relating to his works. His publications (1931-1950) primarily concern economic issues such as the marketing of tires or Pluralistic Competition. There is also an article that he wrote in 1931 entitled Propaganda Vs. Truth in Education. His creative writings consist of essays, stories, and verses (circa 1923-1988). Many of the verses were written for Landonia Gettell to commemorate Valentine's Day, her birthday, their wedding anniversary, and Christmas. His writings also include typescripts, scores and lyrics for his original musical, The Saucerer's Apprentice written under the name Glenn Richards in 1952-1953.

Arranged by form of material, then chronologically.

Education Materials 1880-1883, 1906, 1924-1982 8 boxes

Education Materials consist of correspondence, course records, transcripts, report cards, diplomas, certificates, financial records, programs and newspaper articles. These documents primarily concern Gettell's secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education at University High School (1924-1927), Deerfield Academy (1928-1929), Amherst College (1929-1933), and the University of California (1935-1940).

University High School materials include an article about a Bal Masque presented by Gettell and other students (February, 1926), the script for his Spring Fever, a One-Act Fantasy (1927), programs, certificates, and a copy of his transcript. There is also a copy of a comic University Glee Club publication from March 17, 1906 that contains several caricatures of African-Americans. The Deerfield Academy materials consist of a copy of his transcript and an article about a Glee Club contest in which students participated.

Amherst College materials consist of a wide range of documents concerning his academic, social, and athletic activities. There are notes and papers for economics classes, documents about his honors work, copies of his honors thesis and application for a Rhodes Scholarship, and invitations and programs for commencement activities in 1933.

By-laws, correspondence, rushing and initiation materials, speeches, verses, invitations, financial records , lists of members, newsletters, minutes, and programs document Gettell's membership in and presidency of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. These materials include a report by Gettell on Fraternal Organizations: A study of the purposes, functions, organization, and leadership of a small group (May 1932) and documents relating to loans available to fraternity members. There are also documents and newspaper clippings from 1880-1883 by or about Alpha Phi Delta and its members.

Gettell was member and the secretary and manager of the Amherst College Debating Council, a member of Delta Sigma Rho speech and debate team, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Eastern Intercollegiate Debate League. Documents about his debating activities include correspondence, programs, newspaper articles, press releases, notes, and a published History, Constitutions and General Regulations of Delta Sigma Rho (March, 1929). Some documents relate to the Amherst Faculty-Student Committee on Debating.

Gettell also belonged to the football team and musical organizations at Amherst. Materials reflecting his involvement with football include correspondence, schedules, programs, lists of team members, financial records, and equipment inventories. His membership in the Glee Club and other musical groups is documented by correspondence, programs, and songs (some written by Gettell.). Rounding out the Amherst materials are copies of Gettell's letters to the student newspaper (1931) concerning faculty-student relations and College elections; correspondence and articles about the College's decision to become a coeducational institution (1973); and correspondence about reunions, fund-raising efforts, and the honorary degree that he received from Amherst (1932-1982).

Materials about Gettell's graduate studies in economics and political science at the University of California consist of correspondence (including some letters from his father, Raymond Garfield Gettell, course papers and reports, lecture and reading notes, bibliographies, course readings, transcripts, and grade records. There are also transcripts for his summer studies at the University in 1932. Correspondence concerns his plans to study at the University, employment as a teaching assistant, appointment as a University Fellow, and leave of absence (1938) to work as an instructor and tutor of economics and a research assistant at Harvard University. Most of the other materials consist of course records for economics, political science and history classes. Several drafts of his Ph.D. dissertation are part of these materials, along with research notes and the finished study of Pluralistic Competition with an illustrative case study of the rubber tire industry (1940). There are also copies of a tribute that Gettell wrote about one of his former University professors, Ira B. Cross (1950).

Arranged by name of school, then chronologically.

Merchant Marine Work 1927-1928 2 folders

Materials about Gettell's Merchant Marine service (1927-1928) on three voyages to the South Seas, Australia, and Hawaii is documented by letters to his family (including one in the form of a Log, July 14-19, 1927) and two published articles by him describing his experiences. There are also copies of his service record, permits, and certificates.

Arranged chronologically.

United States Departments of Commerce and Labor Work 1933-1937 2 boxes

Correspondence, newspaper articles, reports and notes by Gettell document his work as personal assistant to Willard L. Thorp (Special Economic Adviser to the United States Department of Commerce) and service as junior economist and special assistant in the Bureau for Foreign and Domestic Commerce and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most of these materials concern the prices of drug store goods, whisky, and other commodities. There is also a copy of the Report of the President's Committee of Industrial Analysis by the National Recovery Administration (1937).

Arranged chronologically.

Harvard University Work 1937-1938 3 folders

Materials about Gettell's work as an instructor and tutor in economics and a research assistant at Harvard University in 1938 consist of correspondence and a newspaper article about his appointment, a copy of his teaching schedule, and notes for lectures. There are also lists and notes concerning the students he tutored.

Arranged chronologically.

Wellesley College Work 1938 2 folders

Gettell's work as an instructor of economics at Wellesley College in 1938 is documented by correspondence, a newspaper article about his appointment, and examinations and notes for the two economics courses that he taught.

Arranged chronologically.

Yale University Work 1938-1945 1 box

Gettell's work as an instructor and assistant professor of economics at Yale University from 1938-1941 is documented by correspondence, syllabi, notes and examinations. The correspondence concerns his appointment and re-appointment to the position and his leaves of absence from 1941-1946 to work for Office of Price Administration in Washington, D.C. There are also letters from several former professors advising Gettell about his career.

Arranged chronologically.

United States Office of Price Administration Work 1941-1943 1 box

Materials concerning Gettell's work as an economist for the Textile Price Branch of the Office of Price Administration in Washington, D.C. primarily consist of speeches, reports and articles by him, position descriptions, salary information, lists of personnel, correspondence, and newspaper articles. Much of this material documents his role in establishing policies and procedures for rationing shoes and industrial rubber footwear in the United States during World War II. Correspondence includes letters to and from the Selective Services System concerning Gettell's eligibility for military service. There are also original verses, scripts, and drawings by Gettell and other staff members prepared for Christmas parties and other occasions.

Arranged chronologically.

United States Air Force Work 1942-1956 1 box

These materials consist of correspondence, enlistment and discharge papers, reports, notes, memoranda, publications, financial records, and certificates documenting Gettell's work as an operations analyst and special consultant for what was originally called the United States Army Air Force. There are also documents concerning his work for the Ad Hoc Committee on Scientific and Synthetic Analysis of the United States Research and Development Board, 1948-1951.

Arranged chronologically.

Time, Inc. Work 1945-1953 5 boxes

Gettell's work as chief staff economist (1945-1953) for Time, Inc. and assistant to the publisher (1945-1950) of Fortune magazine is documented by speeches, studies and reports, surveys, programs, newspaper articles, lists, and memoranda. Many of these documents reflect his analyses of economic trends in the United States and the company's advertising revenues. Most of the programs and newspaper articles concern Gettell's frequent speaking engagements and other activities such as his trip to London in 1950 to study economic and political conditions in Great Britain. There is also an illustrated booklet by Gettell written in response to a promotional piece by another staff member, Nick Samstag, and a parody of a Time, Inc. survey written by staff members for Gettell upon his departure from the company.

Arranged chronologically.

United States Council of the International Chamber of Commerce Work 1946-1955 2 boxes

Materials relating to Gettell's work as a Rapporteur for and member of the United States Council of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) from 1947-1957 consist of letters by or to him, published and unpublished reports by Gettell and others, policy statements, speeches, memoranda, minutes and agenda, press releases, and newspaper articles. As Rapporteur, Gettell investigated and reported on a variety of issues and topics for the ICC. Included in these materials are his studies of international enterprise (1949), foreign economic policy (1950), and the extension of trade (1953). Speeches and reports by other ICC members concern topics such as worldwide employment levels (1951), international economic policy in a period of rearmament (1951), foreign economic development (1952), and business statesmanship in world affairs (1952). These materials also include correspondence, summaries, and reports reflecting Gettell's service on ICC committees and commissions studying the charter of the ITO (International Trade Organization, 1946-1949), the extension of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (1948-1950), and the futures of the ECA (Economic Cooperation Administration) and OEEC (Organisation for European Economic Co-operation 1949-1950).

Arranged chronologically.

Columbia University Work 1947-1948 1 folder

Materials relating to Gettell's works a lecturer in economics at the Columbia University School of Business Administration in 1947-1948 consist of syllabi, lecture notes, examinations, and memoranda. These documents include a copy of the Syllabus for Economics of Business by Joel Dean (1947).

Arranged chronologically.

Texas Company Work 1953-1958 2 boxes

As chief foreign economist, Gettell analyzed and reported on economic problems involving all of the Texas Company's interests outside of the United States. His work is documented by correspondence, reports, studies, surveys, memoranda, press releases, and newspaper articles. Of particular note are copies of his detailed surveys of petroleum reserves throughout the world (1954-1956) and notes from his business trip to the Far East (1955). In addition, these materials contain correspondence, reports, drafts, articles, and newspaper clippings concerning Gettell's activities as a consultant to the White House staff and member of the Task Force of the Cabinet Committee on Energy Resources and Supplies in the Office of Defense Management. Most of these documents relate to his work on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1954 policy statement to Congress concerning foreign economic development.

Arranged chronologically.

Mount Holyoke College Work 1957-1981 2 boxes

Gettell's tenure as President of Mount Holyoke from 1957-1968 and his subsequent association with the College are documented by correspondence, notes, memorabilia, newspaper articles, retirement tributes, booklet of thank you notes, words to songs, a poster, and a scrapbook. Correspondence consists of letters and telegrams congratulating him on his appointment to the position and personal correspondence with Mount Holyoke trustees, including letters from May 1968 soliciting their advice about his career plans. Notes written by Gettell soon after he accepted the position at Mount Holyoke reflect his thoughts and questions about his new role and home. Memorabilia includes announcements programs, greeting cards, publications, and a pair of socks that a student gave to him. The retirement tributes from faculty and staff were presented to the Gettells after he left office in 1968. The illustrated booklet of thank you notes, words to songs, original poster, and scrapbook were made or collected by Tamara Brooks Knell, music professor and Director of Choral Singing at Mount Holyoke from 1967-1970. Most of these materials reflect the Gettells' interest in the Mount Holyoke College Chamber Singers, a group formed and directed by Knell. The handmade poster and words for songs are from a Halloween visit to the Gettells by the group as Tammy and the Go-go ghouls. The scrapbook contains certificates, programs, song sheets, and photographs concerning Chamber Singers (1968-1970) and newspaper articles and a press release about the honorary degree the College awarded to Gettell (1970). There are also three letters by Knell: a thank you note (circa 1968) to the Gettells for their kindness toward her and two letters (February and June 1975) describing the experiences of Knell and her husband, Foreign Service officer David Grimland during and after the 1974 military coup and Turkish invasion in Cyprus.

Arranged by form of material, then chronologically.

Haas Community Funds Work 1969-1970 1 box

Gettell's work as a consultant to Haas Community Funds, an organization that provided grants to cultural and social organizations in the Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, is documented by correspondence, reports, and financial records. These materials include his reports concerning the activities of entities that received these grants and his suggestions for ways that the Community could better publicize its work.

Arranged chronologically.

Subject Files 1924-1968 2 boxes

Subject files contain correspondence, applications, contracts, scripts, programs, brochures, newspaper articles, memoranda, lists, tickets, membership cards, and badges. Some materials concern his interest in joining the United States Naval Reserves ((1942-1943) or working for the United States State Department (1941, 1947-1948) or the Central Intelligence Agency (1967-1968). Also included are correspondence, a prospectus, and drafts concerning an economics column that Gettell proposed writing for the New York Herald Tribune (1948-1949).

Most subject files, however, reflect Gettell's personal interests and activities. Materials from earlier in his life consist of a biographical note by his mother and newspaper clippings relating to his membership in the Boy Scouts of America (1924-1925) and documentation about a World Tour Travel Contest sponsored by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1925. Gettell won fifth prize in the contest and these materials include a copy of his essay on Why I Want to Travel as well as newspaper articles about his cross-country trip to New York (accompanied by his mother). There are also programs, articles, a score, and a letter concerning his involvement with several musical groups (1925, 1927).

A file from Gettell's time at Amherst College reflects his interest joining a Caribbean-East Indies two year anthropological and medical expedition to the South Sea as part of his preparation for graduate work. Most of these materials consist of letters (1931-1932) by or to Gettell discussing details of the expedition and his qualifications. Correspondents include Gettell's father, anthropologist Franz Boas, and Mount Holyoke College economics professor Ethel B. Dietrich.

Another file concerns the Encampment for Citizenship, a summer camp for young adults founded by Algernon D. Black in 1946 through the New York Society for Ethical Culture. Both Richard and Landonia Gettell supported the work of the camp and their interest is documented by copies of the Encampment's constitution and minutes Board of Directors meeting, a report of a Dutch student's experiences at the camp, letters by and to the Gettells, and newspaper articles (circa 1946-1966). There are also copies of an article about the camp that Landonia Gettell wrote for the Vassar College Alumnae Magazine and an address by Gettell concerning Capitalistic Economy.

Gettell's financial involvement in several musical theatre productions in New York City (1952-1954) is reflected by correspondence, scripts, programs, lists, contracts, financial records, tickets, and newspaper articles. These materials concern musicals entitled Gumbo Ya-Ya and Maggie as well as several productions at the Melody Fair summer concert hall in North Tonawanda, New York.

Most of the remaining materials relate to Gettell's interest in deep-sea fishing. These documents (1961-1968) consist of correspondence, brochures, lists, press releases, newspaper articles, and applications primarily concerning his participation in the annual Metropolitan Miami (Florida) Fishing Tournament.

Arranged alphabetically by subject, then chronologically.

Financial and Legal Records 1912, 1930-1988 1 box

Financial records primarily document Gettell's income from 1934-1969. These materials include copies of income tax returns and lists of investments. Some of these records concern the estate of his father, Raymond G. Gettell, who died in 1949.

Gettell's legal records consist of certificates, wills, leases, agreements, passports, memoranda, a traffic citation and his fingerprint record. These documents include copies of his birth and death certificates and wills, records of his divorce from Eunice Burdick Gettell, a notarized statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1947) concerning an his occupancy of an apartment in Washington, D.C, in ahouse where Communist Party meetings had taken place, and a certificate for a share of ownership in a race horse (1950).

Arranged by form of material, then chronologically.

Autobiographical and Biographical Materials 1912-1989 1 box

These materials include a baby book, curriculum vitae and other biographical summaries by Gettell, correspondence, articles, notes, and obituaries. The baby book compiled by Gettell's mother (1912-1919) contains notes, drawings, locks of hair, and photographs. Curriculum vitae and other summaries, articles, biographical sketches, and notes (circa 1937-1983) provide detailed information about Gettell's life and work. These documents include his Check list for periodic stock-taking from the 1930s and summaries that he wrote for inclusion in editions of Who's Who and other biographical directories. Information relating to his physical and mental health includes letters from physicians (1952, 1954, 1967, 1988) and a psychological profile (1948). Materials relating to Gettell's death consist of obituaries; notes, lists, and tributes for his memorial service; and letters of condolence, many of them from Mount Holyoke College alumnae and former trustees and faculty and staff members.

Arranged by form of material, then chronologically.

Memorabilia 1932-1976, n.d. 1 box

Memorabilia consists of passes, notes, lists, cards ,certificates, publications, tickets, receipts, an address book, and insignia. These items include one of Gettell's World War II ration books, Christmas cards that he wrote and illustrated, and documents reflecting his travels. There is also a copy of the 1973 yearbook for the College of the Virgin Islands (of which Gettell was a trustee,) and his slide rule.

Arranged by form of material, then chronologically.

Gettell Family Materials 1895, circa 1909-1949, 1965, n.d. 1 box

These materials consist of correspondence, articles, notes, and an invitation relating to members of Gettell's family. Included are biographical notes, an obituary, and tributes concerning his father and two notes (1920s) to his mother from Lyla Young, wife of the governor of California. There are also notes, an obituary, and a letter concerning his paternal grandparents, John and Zora Gettel (the original spelling the family surname).

Arranged by name of each family member, then chronologically.

Sound Recordings 1948-circa 1953 9 items

These recordings are of speeches by and interviews of Gettell in his role as chief staff economist for Time, Inc. They include recordings from his visit to the Commonwealth Club of California.

Arranged chronologically.

Photographs circa 1906-1986 2 boxes

Most photographs are either formal portraits or informal snapshots of Gettell alone or with others (1914-1970). The earliest portrait is of Gettell as a toddler in 1914. Other portraits were taken as a senior in high school and Amherst College or while working at Time, Inc. or Mount Holyoke College. Informal photographs include those taken on fishing trips and other vacations or at Mount Holyoke.

Photographs of Gettell with others document both his professional activities and personal life. Images from 1943-1945 show Gettell with United States Air Force colleagues and include numerous photographs of airplanes, some on bombing missions. Photographs from his years at Time, Inc. (1945-1953) chiefly show Gettell during his many speaking engagements. Photographs reflecting his association with Mount Holyoke (1957-1986) include images from his inauguration and photographs of Gettell with College trustees, administrators, faculty, alumnae, and students in formal or informal settings. There are also photographs taken on Founder's Day in 1970, when he received an honorary degree, and of the portrait of him painted for that occasion.

Other photographs (circa 1906-1968) are of Gettell's family members. There are many portraits and snapshots of Landonia Gettell, including photographs taken on the Gettell's 1948 wedding trip to California and the Caribbean. Other individuals represented by photographs are Gettell's parents and his first wife, Eunice Burdick Gettell.

Rounding out the collection are photographs of other people as well as places (circa 1920s-1986). These images include photographs of participants in the ABC (A Better Chance) program at Mount Holyoke (1965) and of members of the Class of 1961 at reunions (1981, 1986.) Also included are photographs of the Encampment for Peace (circa 1946), Gettell's residences in California and New York City (circa 1920s-1956), and Landonia Gettell's home town of Riverton, Virginia (an aerial view, circa 1948).

Arranged by content, then chronologically.

Oversize (Folio) Material 1948-1961, n.d. 1 box

Contains oversize items described as part of other series in the collection. The container list description of these items includes an indication that they are shelved in Folio. Among the materials in this series are a photograph album (1948) documenting the Gettells' cruise to the Caribbean on their honeymoon and a color portrait of Gettell as Mount Holyoke's President (circa 1961).

Arranged by form of material.

Correspondence 1930-1986

Writings circa 1923-1988

Education Materials 1880-1883, 1906, 1924-1982

Merchant Marine Work 1927-1928

United States Departments of Commerce and Labor Work 1933-1937

Harvard University Work 1937-1938

Wellesley College Work 1938

Yale University Work 1938-1945

United States Office of Price Administration Work 1941-1943

United States Air Force Work 1942-1956

Time, Inc. Work 1945-1953

United States Council International Chamber of Commerce Work 1946-1955

Columbia University Work 1947-1948

Texas Company Work 1953-1958

Mount Holyoke College Work 1957-1981

Haas Community Funds 1968-1970

Subject Files 1924-1968

Financial and Legal Records 1912, 1930-1988

Autobiographical and Biographical Materials 1912-1988

Memorabilia 1932-1976, n.d.

Gettell Family Materials 1895, circa 1909-1949, 1965

Sound Recordings 1948-circa 1953

Photographs circa 1906-1986

Oversize (Folio) Material 1948-1960, n.d.