Collections: Chancellors

A 1932 graduate of Massachusetts State College (later University of Massachusetts Amherst), Oswald Tippo earned his doctorate in botany from Harvard in 1937. A respected plant anatomist, Tippo’s career was divided relatively evenly between the laboratory and higher administrative offices. Joining the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1937, he was eventually tabbed to become Dean of the Graduate School. After moving to Yale as Eaton Professor of Botany (1955-1960), he served as Provost at the University of Colorado and Executive Dean of Arts and Sciences at New York University (1963), before returning to UMass Amherst in 1964. As Provost under President John W. Lederle, Tippo oversaw a period of rapid expansion at the University, and in 1970, he was appointed as the first Chancellor of the Amherst campus. One year later, he was named Commonwealth Professor of Botany, remaining in that position until his retirement in June 1982. After his retirement, Tippo was often seen “holding court” at his regular table at the University Club. He remained in Amherst with his wife Emmie until his death in 1999.

The Tippo Papers are a robust collection of professional and administrative correspondence, speeches, research notes, notes from Tippo’s student years, photographs, and several of his publications. The collection documents Tippo’s unique relationship with UMass as both Provost and Chancellor as well as his tenure as a Professor of Botany.

The position of Chancellor for the Amherst Campus was created in 1970, when the office of the University President was given oversight of the entire UMass system. The Chancellor is the chief administrative officer of the campus and is responsible for carrying out policies and procedures as established by the Board of Trustees and the University President. He or she coordinates the major administrative units of the campus, assumes responsibility for campus-wide strategic planning and, in particular, guides activities that involve different administrative units, including the budget, enrollment management, facilities planning, and some labor relations.

The Chancellor’s records include information on the University budget (1908-2007), the administrative records of individual Chancellors, and records documenting the activities of the Chancellor’s Office. Since 1983, most Chancellors have issued the annual Chancellor’s Report, which addresses the state of the campus and special topics such as student needs, the future of the University, relationships with the Commonwealth, and budget issues. The papers of individual Chancellors are filed separately in UMarmot under the individual’s name.

Access restrictions: Much of this record group is stored off-site and requires advance notice for retrieval.