Half Century Records, 1976-1981


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	University of Houston. Office of University Relations
	Title:	Half Century Records
	Dates:	1976-1981
	Abstract:	On December 7, 1976 President Philip G. Hoffman announced the 50th Anniversary of the University, with events to run throughout 1977. This collection consists of documents relating to the various events of the celebration and the committee overseeing the events. Materials include agendas, correspondence, minutes, brochures, forms, calendars, commemorative newspaper articles, and press clippings dating primarily from 1976 and 1977.
	Identification:	1984-001
	Quantity:	3 boxes; 3 linear feet
	Repository:	Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries

Event History

In December 1976, President Philip Hoffman began a project that he was particularly determined to bring to a successful conclusion. On December 7, at the Houston Country Club, he announced the 50th Anniversary of the University, with events to run throughout 1977. At that kickoff event, Hoffman also announced the UH 50 Fund, a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising between $23.5 and $32.5 million for priority needs by 1981. During this period the Cullen Foundation pledged $3 million to endow nine distinguished professorships contingent upon the university raising another $6 million in matching funds. The university selected four topical areas for the yearlong celebration: resources, technologies, lifestyles, and environments. These topics were interwoven in lectures and seminars throughout the year.

The events of the half-century observance were varied and included: the French government sending an arts festival; a series of noted speakers, seminars, and conferences; a German Expressionist art exhibition and lectures; a symposium in conjunction with the dedication of the new College of Optometry; and the dedication of the Freeman Wing of the library.

Return to the Table of Contents

Scope and Contents

The UH Half Century Records arrived at the archives in relatively good order, which has been maintained where possible. The collection consists mainly of documents relating to the various events of the celebration and the committee overseeing the events. Materials include agendas, correspondence, minutes, brochures, forms, calendars, commemorative newspaper articles, and press clippings. The collection dates almost entirely from 1976-1977, with a few items from as late as 1981. The materials are organized into six series: Planning and Preparation; Half Century Events; Media; Personnel; Commemorative Materials; and Afterwards.

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use Restrictions

The material in this collection is in the public domain. However, Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, and all reproduction restrictions apply.

Return to the Table of Contents


Index Terms
	Terms are either Library of Congress Subject Headings or taken from local sources.


Subjects

		University of Houston History
		University of Houston Administration


Subjects(Persons)

		Hoffman, Phillip G.


Subjects (Organizations)

		University of Houston
		University of Houston. Office of University Relations.


Formats

		Correspondence
		Minutes
		Agendas
		Brochures
		Clippings

Return to the Table of Contents



box	folder
1	1-40	Planning and Preparation
	This series contains forty folders dating from 1976 to 1978. Whenever possible the original order has been maintained, although some changes have been made to facilitate access. This series has been organized into four sub-series: General Planning, Half Century Brochure, Half Century Forms, and Half Century Logo Use. The folders contain minutes, brochures, mailing lists, meeting notes, programs and invitations, and drafts of various brochures.
	1-12		General Planning
			This sub-series consists of twelve folders arranged alphabetically. The Planning Committee folders are arranged first by date, then alphabetically. Materials include meeting notes, planning strategies, campaign objectives, and other similar materials needed to launch the celebration. Dr. Patricia Teed served as Director of the Half-Century Program.
	1			Half Century - Meetings with Hoffman, August 1976-June 1977
	2			Planning Committee - Agendas and Notices, August-September 1976
	3			Planning Committee - Correspondence, August-September 1976
	4			Planning Committee - Meeting Notes (Teed), August-September 1976
	5			Planning Committee - Final Report, undated
	6			Planning Committee - Materials, undated
	7			Planning Committee - Membership Lists, undated
	8			Planning Committee - Planning Matrices, undated
	9			Planning Correspondence with Deans, April-September 1976
	10			Program Planning Notes - Teed, July 8-September 20, 1976
	11			Promotional Proposals, November 22, 1976
	12			Proposals Re Semi-Centennial, undated
	13-18		Half Century Brochure
			This sub-series consists of six folders relating to the creation of a special Half-Century brochure. Folders are arranged in the order in which they were received with items for the creation of the brochure followed by folders related to the mailing of the brochure, and finally the brochure itself. Materials include printing quotations, working drafts of brochure text, mailing lists of individuals, and copies of the final brochure.
	13			General, November 1976-March 1977
	14			General, November 1976-March 1977
	15			Mailing Lists Submitted by Departments, May 3-24, 1977
	16			Master Mailing Lists, undated
	17			Brochure, April-November 1977
	18			Brochure, 1977
	19-31		Half Century Forms
			There are thirteen folders in this sub-series, arranged alphabetically. Most of the forms in this series are single page documents probably used to gather information on individuals and colleges for use in press releases or newspapers articles covering the yearlong celebration. Other forms are simple departmental forms used for various purposes like tracking long distance telephone calls, weekly part-time staff reports, and forms used to track different celebration events.
	19			Assignment Sheet, undated
	20			College Information Forms, September 8, 1976
	21			Departmental Update (Part I and II), undated
	22			Distinguished Professorship Forms, undated
	23			Event Sheet, undated
	24			Form Letter (turn down for funding), undated
	25			Half Century Matrices, undated
	26			Long-distance Call Report, undated
	27			Notice of Confirmed Event, undated
	28			Notification of Planned Event, undated
	29			Part-time Employee Weekly Report, undated
	30			Social Event Sheet, undated
	31			Speaker Sheet, undated
	32-40		Half Century Logo Use
			This sub-series contains nine folders, arranged alphabetically. The folders contain examples of different brochures that used the Half-Century Logo, announcements of guest speakers, press clippings pertaining to the new logo, and various examples of the logo itself.
	32			Brochures, undated
	33			Brochures, undated
	34			General/Miscellaneous, undated
	35			Lecture Announcements, January-November 1977
	36			Logo Sheets, undated
	37			Mechanical for Fliers, March 14, 1977
	38			Notes and Press, July 1976-November 1978
	39			Programs and Invitations, 1976-1977
	40			Publications, 1976-Fall 1977

Return to the Table of Contents



box
1-3		Half Century Events
	This series is the largest with sixty-six folders dating from 1976 to 1978 and is arranged chronologically by event. Calendars for the year and general correspondence relating to Half Century events precede materials associated with specific events. Whenever possible the original order has been maintained. Folders contain materials relating to the many different events that took place before and during the yearlong celebration. Materials include correspondence, programs, invitations, fliers, and newspaper articles and they cover all events including the Half-Century Convocation and guest speakers like Buckminster Fuller and Richard Leaky.
box	folder
1	41-48		General
	41			Half Century Commencement, January-October 1977
	42			Half Century Program Calendars, October 1976-December 1977
	43			Half Century Monthly Academic Calendars, January-December 1977
	44			Programs Office Correspondence, July-December 1976
	45			Programs Office Correspondence, January-March 1977
	46			Programs Office Correspondence, April-October 1977
	47			Programs Office Correspondence, January-December 1977
	48			Half Century Student Festival, October 1976-November 1979
	49-52		Kickoff
	49			Announcement by Philip Hoffman, November-December 1976
	50			Excellence Dinner, November-December 1976
	51			Press, December 1976-January 1977
	52			Cotton Bowl Game, December 1976-January 1977
box	folder
2	1-7		French Contemporary Arts Festival
	1			Chicago, Washington, D.C., October 1976
	2			Correspondence, November 1976
	3			Mailing List for French Festival, November 1976
	4			Materials Distributed to Visitors, November 1976
	5			Newspaper Clippings and Publicity, November 1976
	6			Schedules and Drafts, November 1976
	7			Teed-Planning, Meetings, October 1976
	8-14		Fuller and Passive Design
	8			Breakfast honoring Fuller, December 1976-January 1977
	9			Dinner honoring Fuller, January 10-11, 1977
	10			Fliers and Brochures, January 10-12, 1977
	11			Notes and Memoranda, September 1976-June 1977
	12			Fuller Biography and Photographs, 1977
	13			Passive Design Workshop, December 1976-January 1977
	14			Press, December 1976-May 1977
	15-19		Richard Leakey
	15			Biographical Info, June 1973-December 1976
	16			Dinner and Luncheon Honoring, March 7-8, 1977
	17			Fliers, March 11, 1977
	18			Notes and Memoranda, March 1977
	19			Press and Newspaper, March 1977-October 1978
	20-24		June Health Event
	20			General, November 1976-May 1977
	21			Sunday 6/26/77, February 25, 1977
	22			Slide Presentation, March 15-31, 1977
	23			Dinner, 6/27/77March-July 1977
	24			Symposia, June 1977
	25-31		Half Century Convocation Committee
	25			Agendas and Notices, March 15-April 25, 1977
	26			Minutes, March 15-May 3, 1977
	27			Notes and Correspondence. (Teed), March 1977
	28			Final Report, September 5-19, 1977
	29			Steering Committee, undated
	30			Matrices, undated
	31			Members, List of, undated
box
2-3			Half Century Convocation Events
box	folder
2	32			Opera Studio Recital, February 1976-September 1977
	33			General/Notes/Planning, December 1976-September 1977
	34			Academic Convocation, May-September 1977
	35			Commemorative Newspapers, Summer-September 1977
	36			Commemorative Newspapers, Summer-September 1977
	37			Guests and Invitation Lists, July-September 1977
	38			Bentsen, Senator Lloyd M., July-September 1977
	39			Commager, Dr. Henry Steele, August-September 1977
	40			Penn State Game (closed-circuit), August-September 1977
	41			UCLA Game, September 12-13, 1977
	42			Maps (Access and general campus), September 17, 1977
	43			Programs, Invitations, Fliers, September 18, 1977
	44			Birthday Party/UC, September 8-19, 1977
	45			Schedules of Activities, September 9-19, 1977
	46			Press Strategy, September 1977
	47			Press, September-October 1977
box	folder
3	1			Open Houses, 1977
	2			Commager's Speech (Copies), September 1977-May 1978
	3			Announcement (Press), undated
	4-5		Frank Press and Engineering Research Conference
	4			Frank Press, August 1976-December 1977
	5			Engineering Research Conference, October 1976-November 1977
	6-9		Media `77
	6			Brochures and Graphics, 1977
	7			General, March 1977-November 1981
	8			Press, March 1977-June 1981
	9			Dinner, November 19, 1977, June 1977-November 1977
	10-14		Ian Richardson and Mental Health Symposium
	10			Mental Health Symposium, September 2-October 28, 1977
	11			Richardson and Mental Health Press, November 29-December 12, 1977
	12			Richardson and Mental Health Programs, undated
	13			Ian Richardson, November 15-December 1, 1977
	14			Richardson and Mental Health Dinner, December 7, 1977

Return to the Table of Contents



box	folder
3	15-30	Media
	This series contains sixteen folders dating from 1976 to 1981 and is organized into two sub-series: Half-Century Press/Publicity and Community Services Brochure. The folders contain various brochures, general press coverage, University of Houston press releases and notes used in planning some of the events. Some of the brochures in this series were probably used as examples for the design of the Official University Half-Century brochure.
	15-19		Half Century Press/Publicity
			This sub-series contains five folders, arranged chronologically. The folders contain general information relating to members of the press that the university wanted to contact regarding the celebration. The materials also include various press clippings covering the celebration.
	15			Public Relations Notes, June 30, 1976
	16			Campus Workshop, February 1976-March 1977
	17			Press Clippings, September 1976-November 1977
	18			Press Releases, February-June 1977
	19			Feature Ideas, undated
	20-30		Community Services Brochure
			This sub-series consists of eleven folders that contain materials relating to the Community Services Brochure produced by the university during the Half-Century celebration. The purpose of the brochure was to give an overview of the various areas of interaction between the University of Houston and the community. The materials consist of correspondence relating to the brochure, working drafts, notes and other information used in the brochure's publication.
	20			Community Service, July 1976-January 1977
	21			Materials from Deans, Feb. 8-March 9, 1977
	22			Community Service Brochure, March 18-29, 1977
	23			DRAFTS, August-November 1977
	24			DRAFTS, August-November 1977
	25			Incoming Requests for Mailing, December 5-15, 1977
	26			Use File, December 1977-January 1978
	27			Original Copy, undated
	28			Kent's Notes, undated
	29			Teed Notes, undated
	30			UH System, undated

Return to the Table of Contents



box	folder
3	31-33	Personnel
	This series consists of three folders of correspondence between various people, both university employees and those outside the university consisting of notes in the planning of events, the design of the Half-Century Brochure, and other related materials.
	31		General, January 17, 1977
	32		Busse, Alvin R., September 1976-March 1977
	33		Notes on Programmatic Counsel, August 4-September 27, 1976

Return to the Table of Contents



box	folder
3	34-39	Commemorative Materials
	This series consists of six folders of material relating to different commemorative items created to honor the half-century. Included are newspaper advertisements for the commemorative Dr. Pepper Bottle, a deck of commemorative playing cards, newspaper articles about the posters used to symbolize the four topics of the celebration, and interoffice materials relating to the aerial photograph of the campus used during the event.
	34		Playing Cards, October 27, 1976
	35		Posters, November 1976-April 1977
	36		Posters, Aerial Photo for Faculty from Munitz, February 10-September 1977
	37		Dr. Pepper Bottle, August 30, 1977
	38		Commemorative Materials, July 1976-July 1980
	39		Commemorative Newspaper, September 1977

Return to the Table of Contents



box	folder
3	40-42	Afterwards
	This series consists of three folders. These materials include the Half Century Final Report from the Deputy Coordinator, Division of External Relations, Patricia Teed, to Chancellor Barry Munitz outlining the many challenges experienced by the Half Century Committee during their eighteen months in existence. This series also contains correspondence and press coverage of the forty-foot long multi-panel display exhibited in prominent locations throughout Houston during the celebration and a blueprint of the Half-Century Monolith.
	40		Half Century Final Report, March 21, 1978
	41		Half Century Panel Exhibit, August 1977-August 1979
	42		Half Century Monolith, October 1977

Return to the Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS