John Lester De Beer Collection, 1931-1975 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: John Lester De Beer Collection, 1931-1975

ID: COLL/472

Primary Creator: De Beer, John Lester (1910-1995)

Extent: 4.25 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of education at Calvin College. The collection includes pamphlets, papers, workshop materials, articles, course materials, lectures, teacher resource materials, exams, and information on education organizations.

Biographical Note

John Lester De Beer was born on September 1, 1910 in Jenison, Michigan. De Beer decided to pursue a career in education so he enrolled at Montclair State Teachers College in New Jersey. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in 1932. From 1932 to 1948. De Beer began his career as a teacher and principal. He taught all levels from elementary to high school students. In 1936 he earned his master's degree from Columbia University and Teachers College. From 1940 to 1942 he also worked part-time as an assistant professor at New Jersey State Teacher College in Paterson, and as a part-time associate professor at the New Jersey State Teacher College in Newark from 1942-48.

In 1948 De Beer accepted a faculty position at Calvin College. He became an instructor in the elementary education program in their education department. Once he earned his Ph.D. in education from Columbia University, he became an associate professor at Calvin College. He soon became the Dean of Students, serving from 1952-54. He became a full professor in the education department in 1956. After 29 years at Calvin, he retired in 1977. During his career at Calvin, he was not only greatly involved with the education department, but also in the Audio-Visual Department, which he helped developed near the beginning of his career at Calvin. Despite retiring, De Beer continued to volunteer in the college's Audio-Visual department for another 18 years.

During the course of his career, De Beer was involved in numerous committees both on local and state levels. He served as a council member of the New Jersey Education Association, Planning Committee of the Grand Rapids Public Schools, and the Oakdale Christian School, and the State of Michigan Advisory Committee on Teacher Education. He even served as a consultant to the National Union of Christian School and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. He also contributed to the denomination as an elder, Sunday School Teacher, and on the Synodical Committee on Sunday School material.

De Beer wrote numerous articles for education journals and magazines. He even found time to publish a number of books, manuals, and monographs on various subjects, including education philosophy and audio-visual education. At the age of 84, John L. De Beer passed away due to a brief illness. He was married to Anne Heyns, and together they had 2 daughters.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Inventory],
[Series 2: Addendum],
[All]

Series 1: Inventory

Box 1

Folder 1: Correspondence --- 1962-1963

Folder 2: Paper, "Religion and the Public School" --- 1931

Folder 3: Papers

Item 1: “Means of Overcoming the Criticisms and Failures of the Junior High School” --- 1935
Item 2: “Some means of preventing failure” --- undated

Folder 4: Paper, "Plan of Work for Organizing a High School Opening" --- 1935

Folder 5: Paper, "The Principle and the Public Relations of His School" --- 1935

Folder 6: Paper, "How can Reports to Parents and Students Be Made to Serve the Purpose of the Junior High School?" --- 1937

Folder 7: Paper, "Toward a More Abundant Interest" --- 1937

Folder 8: Paper, "The Predictability of the Intelligence Quotient in the High School Classroom" --- 1938

Folder 9: Paper, "The Guidance Function and Age-grade Placement in the Elementary Schools" --- 1946

Folder 10: Paper, "Facts and Information Pre-requisite to Education Leadership" --- 1948

Folder 11: Paper, "Building a Program for the Education of Teachers at Calvin College" --- 1949

Folder 12: Paper, "New Insights for Old" --- 1954

Folder 13: Paper, "An Overview of Christian Education" (for William Spoelhof) --- undated

Folder 14: Pamphlet, A Manual of Audio-visual Education for Christian School Teachers [HERH LB1043.D4] --- 1951

Folder 15: Pamphlet, Toward a Philosophy of Christian Education [HERH LC368.D4] --- 1953

Folder 16: Resource material - Student Failure --- 1934

Folder 17: Course material - Educational Administration Course --- 1934, 1935, 1956

Folder 18: Resource material - The Teaching of Controversial Issues --- 1937, undated

Folder 19: Resource material - Guidance/ Career Choice --- 1938-1963

Folder 20: Resource material - Parents as Teachers --- 1939-1951

Folder 21: Resource material - School Public Relations --- 1945, 1959, 1960

Folder 22: Resource material - Kindergarten Curriculum --- 1946-1950

Folder 23: Resource material - Student Measurement --- 1949

Folder 24: Resource material - The Beginning Teacher --- 1950-1960

Box 2

Folder 1: Resource material - Teacher Evaluation --- 1953-1958
Folder 2: Resource material and Paper on Intelligence Testing --- 1954-1975
Folder 3: Course material - Principles of Teaching --- 1956-1958
Folder 4: Resource material - Child Growth and Development --- 1956-1970
Folder 5: Resource material - Evaluation of Public Schools --- 1957-1960
Folder 6: Course material - Course on Ethics for Teachers --- 1959-1975
Folder 7: Material on Christian Leadership Series --- 1960-1962
Folder 8: Tests for Education 307 Course --- 1961-1962
Folder 9: Resource material - Individualized Instruction --- 1962, undated
Folder 10: Resource material - Aptitude Testing --- 1963-1975
Folder 11: Material for Education Psychology Courses --- 1968-1969
Folder 12: Course material - Education Administration Course --- undated
Folder 13: Student Classroom Observation Material --- undated

Box 3

Folder 14: Material for Creston CRC Sunday School Institute --- undated
Folder 15: Material on Social Studies Courses --- undated
Folder 16: Resource material - Marking/ Grading --- undated
Folder 17: Resource material - A-typical Child --- undated
Folder 18: Resource material - Classroom Discipline --- undated
Folder 1: Resource material - Growth and Development
Folder 2: Resource material - Intelligence Measurement --- 1935-1945
Folder 3: Resource material - How to Study
Folder 4: Resource material - Methods of Teaching --- 1935-1945
Folder 5: Resource material - Drill and Review
Folder 6: Resource material - Purpose/Aims of Teaching
Folder 7: Resource material - Report Cards
Folder 8: Resource material - Reporting Grades
Folder 9: Resource material - Reporting to Parents
Folder 10: Resource material - Testing --- 1950s
Folder 11: Resource material - Administration --- 1945-1948
Folder 12: Resource material - Public Relations --- 1959
Folder 13: Resource material - Classification of Students

Box 4

Folder 1: Resource material - Test Service Bulletins --- 1948-1950
Folder 2: Resource material - Teacher's Handbook --- 1935
Folder 3: Resource material - Teacher Shortage and Recruitment --- 1950s
Folder 4: Resource material - Teacher Certification --- 1950s
Folder 5: Resource material - Teacher Education --- 1950s
Folder 6: Resource material - Parent Teacher Associations --- 1945
Folder 7: Resource material - Kindergartens
Folder 8: Resource material - Social Studies
Folder 9: Resource material - Teaching Sunday school --- 1973
Folder 10: Resource material - Student Records
Folder 11: Resource material - Student Case Studies
Folder 12: Resource material - Remedial Reading
Folder 13: Resource material - Religion in Public Education --- 1940s
Folder 14: Resource material - Guidance --- 1935-1955

Box 5

Folder 1: Resource material - School Facilities --- 1950s-1960s
Folder 2: Resource material - Teacher Salaries --- 1950s-1960s
Folder 3: Resource material - School Organization --- 1950s-1960s
Folder 4: Resource material - Faculty Meetings --- 1935-1950
Folder 5: Resource material - Motivation
Folder 6: Resource material - Using the Question in Education
Folder 7: Resource material - The Homeroom --- 1930-1935
Folder 8: Resource material - Class Schedule Making
Folder 9: Resource material - Curriculum Planning
Folder 10: Resource material - In-service Education
Folder 11: Resource material - Teaching Loads/ Assignments
Folder 12: Resource material - Textbook Selection
Folder 13: Resource material - Definition of Education
Folder 14: Resource material - Teacher Welfare (Benefits)
Folder 15: Resource material - Appointment/ Selection of Teachers

Box 6

Folder 1: National Union of Christian Schools (NUCS) Administrators' - Teachers' Handbook --- 1964
Folder 2: NUCS Board Members' Handbook --- 1961
Folder 3: Exams - Columbia University --- 1934
Folder 4: Course tests

Box 7

Folder 1: Collection of plays

Item 1: Henry Hudson by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 2: The Landing of the Pilgrims by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 3: A Spy for General Washington by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 4: Twenty Pounds Reward, A Story of Ethan Allen by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 5: The Story of Nathan Hale by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 6: The Pig That Gave Us a Two-House Congress by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 7: The Story of Major John Andre Part 1 by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 8: The Story of Major John Andre Part 2 by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 9: The Tree that Saved Connecticut by Henry Fisk Carlton --- 1932
Item 10: Fraunces Tavern by Henry Russell Drowne --- 1932
Item 11: Radio Script of Abraham Lincoln --- February 1940
Item 12: "The First Thanksgiving Day"
Item 13: "Ann Rutledge"
Item 14: "The Anybody Family on Sunday Morning"

Folder 2: Curriculum material --- 1956

Folder 3: Teacher aide program material

Folder 4: Course outlines

Folder 5: Sixth Grade Student Stockholder Project --- 1949

Folder 6: History course material

Folder 7: Pre-Columbian History course material

Folder 8: History course material on Exploration and Colonization

Folder 9: History course material on The American Revolution

Folder 10: History course material on The Constitution

Folder 11: History course material for America --- 1790-1860

Folder 12: History course material for America --- 1860-1890

Folder 13: History course material for The Civil War

Folder 14: History course material for Twentieth Century America

Folder 15: Course material for Education Psychology Course, Ed. 301

Folder 16: Book Royalty statements --- 1954-1961

Box 8

Folder 1: Course material for Intro to Teaching Course, Ed. 303

Folder 2: Resource material - Teachers Ethics

Folder 3: Resource material - Classroom Discipline

Folder 4: Resource material - Making Tests

Folder 5: Resource material - Child Development

Folder 6: Material for Educational Psychology Course

Folder 7: Christian School Administrators Workshop --- 1964

Folder 8: History of Education material

Folder 9: Resource material - "How to Study"

Folder 10: Pamphlet, How Things Work compiled by J. L. DeBeer --- 1931

Folder 11: Paper, "International Government" --- 1932

Folder 12: Resource material - Junior Colleges

Folder 13: Resource material - Junior High School Concept

Folder 14: "Principles and Philosophy of Education," by J. L. DeBeer --- 1931

Folder 15: Papers/articles on the Philosophy of Education

Folder 16: Book review of Christian Education in a Democracy by Frank E. Gaebelein

Folder 17: Paper, "An Overview of Christian Education" by J. L. DeBeer

Folder 18: Papers by Cornelius Jaarsma on the Philosophy of Christian Education

Folder 19: Paper on Philosophy of Education, "On the Reason for an Independent System of Education"

Folder 20: Paper on the Philosophy of Education, "The Two Extremes" by Helen Heyl

Folder 21: Pamphlets re: Philosophy of Education

Item 1: Pedagogical Institute Lectures, by Dr. J. Waterink --- 1954
Item 2: Democracy and Education in the Current Crisis --- August 1940
Item 3: A Liberal Education, by Theodore O. Yntema
Item 4: Philosophy and Objectives 1940 Edition
Item 5: Christian Philosophy, by C. Van Til
Item 6: Should Education Indoctrinate? by Thomas H. Briggs

Folder 22: Materials re: Philosophy of Christian Education

Item 1: Towards Better Understanding by Henry Stob
Item 2: Philosophy of Christian Education Notes on talk by H. Stob
Item 3: How Good are Your Schools? by Wilbur A. Yauch
Item 4: Who Wants Progressive Education? by Albert Lynd

Folder 23: Clippings re: education --- 1953

Folder 24: Paper on the Philosophy of Christian Education, "Formal Discipline in Liberal Education"

Folder 25: Lectures on Christian education --- March 1954

Folder 26: Recommendation on Education Policy by Philosophy Department --- October 1948

Folder 27: Pamphlet, Toward a Theology of Education by N. H. Beversluis --- 1981

Folder 28: "Statement of Academic Needs," Grand Rapids Christian High School

Box 9

Folder 1: Resource material, multi-media manual
Folder 2: Proceedings of Christian School Administrators Workshop --- 1962
Folder 3: History of Christian Schools in America
Folder 4: Term papers for Education Course at Columbia University
Folder 5: Paper, "Methods of Teaching English"
Folder 6: Resource material on the psychology of audio visual aids
Folder 7: Resource material for the Christian School Administrators' Workshop --- 1962

Series 2: Addendum

Folder 8: Travel Journal --- 1937
Folder 9: Paper, "A Program for the Master's Degree in the Administration of the Elementary School at Calvin College" --- 1951

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Inventory],
[Series 2: Addendum],
[All]