President Lewis Webster Jones, 1941-1947

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Series Biographical/Historical Note: Lewis Webster Jones was born in Nebraska in 1899 and grew up in Portland, Oregon. He received his undergraduate degree from Reed College in 1922, and later earned his Ph.D. in economics from the Brookings Institution. During post-doctoral studies in Europe, he served as an economist on the staff of the League of Nations. In 1932, Dr. Jones and his wife, Barbara, were among the first faculty members to join the staff of Bennington College. Dr. Jones taught in the Social Studies division, and was appointed to the presidency by the Board of Trustees after Dr. Robert Leigh’s resignation in 1941. He led the college during World War II, instituting changes in the academic calendar to save on energy costs and creating the 200-acre farm that became a fixture of college life from 1942-1944. In 1942, Dr. Jones directed the creation of a program of Basic Studies courses, as part of a reorganization of the Bennington College curriculum. After his resignation in 1947, Dr. Jones served as president of the University of Arkansas until 1951, then as president of Rutgers University from 1951-1958. From 1958 until his retirement in 1965, he headed the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Dr. Jones died in 1975. Organization Note: The arrangement of records in the Jones series is based upon the original filing system used by President Jones’ office. Original arrangement and folder titles have been maintained where possible. The records have been arranged into thematic sub-series. Each sub-series is arranged alphabetically by folder title. Materials within folders are arranged chronologically. Multiple types of materials – such as correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, notes, forms, and reports – are often combined within individual folders, unless otherwise noted. Oversized materials from all files of the Office of the President are stored together. Please see the Oversized Materials section of the finding aid for details. Scope and Content Note: This collection is comprised of records and documents created or used by the staff of the Office of the President in the course of business pertaining to Bennington College. Because of the President’s position as a medium of communication between the Board of Trustees and the rest of the college, the President's records provide material relating to several aspects of life and work at Bennington College. See sub-series notes for more information about scope and content for each sub-series. Related/Separated Materials: Please see the personal papers of Lewis Webster Jones (currently unprocessed) for materials relating to his teaching, articles, and other pursuits.

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