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John W. Johnson Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 12/06/02/11

Scope and Contents

The John W. Johnson papers date from about 1965 to 2016 and related to Johnson’s professional career in both teaching, administration, and publication. Included are classroom materials, correspondence, and files related to his publications. Materials concerning his role as an administrator at the University of Northern Iowa include history department meeting minutes, academic program reviews, committee information, and more. The collection also contains articles written by Johnson and others, general information about United States Supreme Court and United States District Court court cases, and research material. Additional materials include audiovisual items largely containing interviews with a variety of people.

Dates

  • c. 1965-2016

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Most materials are open for research. Materials related to the confidentiality of personnel, student, medical, and other legally protected records are CLOSED to researchers until 2086. Consult the University Archivist with any questions or concerns.

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Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the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. If you are unsure where to begin, please consult the Copyright LibGuide. Please note that it is not the library's responsibility to locate or contact copyright holders for a patron, and neither the library nor library employees are responsible for copyright violations of the materials to which they facilitate research access.

Please see our full General Use and Service Policies for more information.

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

John W. Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from St Olaf College in 1968 and his masters degree and Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota in 1970 and 1974, respectively. Prior to his career at the University of Northern Iowa, Johnson taught at Skidmore College from 1973 to 1976 and Clemson University from 1976 to 1986. He came to UNI in 1986. In addition to teaching classes in UNI’s history department, Johnson served as head of the Department of History from 1988-2003 and as interim dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2008. He also published books and articles related to American legal and constitutional history in the 20th century. He is the author of a two volume encyclopedia about major American court cases. Johnson retired from UNI in 2016.

Extent

14.17 Linear Feet (14 boxes)

Arrangement

  • Personal
  • Employment
  • Address to Fraternities
  • Articles
  • Book Reviews
  • Books
  • Classroom material
  • Correspondence
  • Supreme Court cases
  • U.S. District Court cases
  • Articles (written by others)
  • Research materials
  • Miscellaneous material
  • Restricted materials
  • Audio-Moving Image materials

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Dr. Johnson donated his papers to SC&UA in 2016.

Processing Information

This collection was processed and the finding aid created by Library Associate Dave Hoing, in July 2016; Updated October 2017 and April 2018 (dh). Inventory updated by student assistant Ilse Hooper, October 2024 and finding aid edited by processing archivist Tessa Wakefield, November 2024.

  • Issues of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the New York Times, the Des Moines Register, Sports Illustrated, LIFE, and LOOK commemorating 9/11, the JFK assassination, the Bill of Rights / Constitution, the Clinton impeachment, and other United States national news stories were deaccessioned in November 2024.
  • Department head evaluations, transcript change request documentation, degree audit and advisement reports, and grade change correspondence.
Title
John W. Johnson Papers
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository