William C. Lang Papers
Scope and Contents
The William Lang papers date from 1948 to 1978 and consist of records related primarily to Lang's administrative roles at the University of Northern Iowa and his publication of a centennial history of the university. Administrative files focus on collective bargaining, including brochures, surveys, questionnaires, announcements, and policy statements; memos to and from the campus community; and both professional and personal correspondence. The collection also includes speeches and notes for speeches given by Lang.
A large portion of the papers concern Lang's writing of the two volume University of Northern Iowa centennial history, A Century of Leadership and Service. Included are proofs, half-tones, chapters, correspondence, research materials, and more related to this writing project. Published versions of A Century of Leadership and Service are housed in Special Collections & University Archives, the Rod Library's main stacks, and the UNI Museum.
Finally, the collection contains audiovisual content in video and audio cassette formats with recordings of speeches and lectures given by Lang.
Dates
- Creation: 1948-1978
Creator
- Lang, William C. (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Materials are open for research.
Technical Access
Some content is recorded on discs and audio and video cassette, and requires special playback equipment for access and use. Use of these materials may require the production of a listening or viewing copy. SC&UA staff will determine options for use on a case by case basis.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code § 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
William Lang was born to Albert Wilhelm and Ann Marie Lang on June 5, 1910, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He attended high school in Tyndall, South Dakota, and earned his bachelor's degree from Yankton College (1931); his masters degree from the State University of Iowa (1936); and his Ph.D. from the State University of Iowa in 1941. He married Esther Bucholz on June 7, 1932, with whom he had two children.
Prior to his career at the Iowa State Teachers College / State College of Iowa / University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Lang worked in the Kennebec, South Dakota, public school system from 1931 to 1936, and was an instructor and Dean and Acting President of Yankton College (South Dakota) from 1936 to 1949.
Lang served in a variety of teaching and administrative roles during his time at UNI beginning in 1949: Professor of History (1949-1954); Assistant to the Dean of Instruction (1954-1955); Head of the Department of Social Science (1955-1959); Dean of Instruction (1959-1967); Dean of Instruction and Vice President of the University (1966-1968); Vice President for Academic Affairs (1968-1970); and Professor of History from 1970 to 1978.
He also wrote a two volume book about the history of the University of Northern Iowa in celebration of its centennial. The volumes, titled A Century of Leadership and Service: A Centennial History of the University of Northern Iowa, provide detailed information about the university's operations, curriculum, student body, faculty and staff, and much more from its 1876 founding to 1976.
Lang retired from UNI in 1978. He passed away on August 6, 1994.
Extent
7.72 Linear Feet (20 boxes)
Bibliography
- Who’s Who in American Education, Inc., July 20, 1960
- Letter to Mr. Ed Boyle, April 4, 1960
Processing Information
Collection processed by Gerald L. Peterson, Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist, May 1998. Updated by Library Associate Dave Hoing, October 2016, October 2017, and February 2018. Inventory updated by student assistant Ilse Hooper, October 2024; and finding aid rewritten by processing archivist Tessa Wakefield, October 2024.
- Title
- William C. Lang Papers
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script