William Harry Jellema Collection, 1868-1982 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: William Harry Jellema Collection, 1868-1982

ID: COLL/135

Primary Creator: William Harry Jellema (1893-1982)

Extent: 63.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Philosophy professor at Calvin College and at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This extensive collection includes lectures; articles; pamphlets; reports; correspondence; a study entitled “The Curriculum in a Liberal Arts College”; an interview detailing memories of the Christian Reformed Church, its ministers, and the Dutch community; gown, cap, and two hoods; family correspondence and genealogy materials; compact discs; and sound recordings. [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

William Harry Jellema was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 10, 1893. Jellema attended Calvin College and graduated in 1914. He went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. In 1920, Jellema returned to Calvin, not as a student, but as a professor of philosophy. Jellema served Calvin until 1936 when he accepted a faculty position at Indiana University. While at Indiana University, Jellema served as head of the university’s philosophy department until 1947. Jellema returned once again to Calvin College to teach philosophy, and did so until his “first” retirement in 1963.

A former student of Jellema, Alvin Plantinga once said, “By far, he was the greatest teacher of philosophy I’ve ever encountered and probably the greatest teacher of anything I’ve ever encountered.” Inspired by Jellema, Plantinga also became a philosophy professor at Calvin.

Although “retired,” Jellema accepted an offer from Grand Valley State Colleges to set up the new state school’s philosophy department. Jellema served GVSC until his official retirement in 1975. At the age of 89, the philosophy professor of fifty-five years, William Harry Jellema, passed away at Butterworth Hospital on May 16, 1982. His wife, Frances, preceded him in death, but five of his children survived him: Dirk, Jon, Gay, Mary, and Trudy.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Biographical Material, 1910-1980],
[Series 2: Preparatory Years, University of Michigan, 1914-1922],
[Series 3: Early Calvin College Period, 1920-1948],
[Series 4: Indiana University Period, 1937-1953],
[Series 5: The Harvard University Semester, 1938-1939],
[Series 6: Late Calvin College Period, 1948-1963],
[Series 7: Hope College, 1944; Fuller Seminary, 1954-1958],
[Series 8: Haverford College Experience, 1960-1962],
[Series 9: Grand Valley State College Period, 1963-1974],
[Series 10: Philosophy Department, Calvin College, 1928-1959],
[Series 11: Philosophy Department, Calvin College, 1928-1959],
[Series 12: Philosophy Department, Indiana University, 1936-1966],
[Series 13: Bibliographies, 1938-1949],
[Series 14: Correspondence, 1920-1975],
[Series 15: Notes re: Various Subjects, 1923-1974],
[Series 16: Papers, 1917-1962],
[Series 17: Published Articles, 1921-1967],
[Series 18: Speaking Engagements, 1920-1965],
[Series 19: Special Reports, 1926-1969],
[Series 20: Calvin Foundation Activities; Junior College Studies, 1949-1959],
[Series 21: Grand Rapids Christian High Board; Christian Labor Association (CLA) Contacts, 1932-1963],
[Series 22: Resource Material: Abstracts and Articles Reprinted],
[Series 23: Resource Material: Educational Bulletins, Curriculum],
[Series 24: Resource Material: Brochures],
[Series 25: Publications],
[Series 26: Publications, Bound Copies],
[Series 27: Books with Notations],
[Series 28: Resource Material, Brochures, Reprints],
[Series 29: Books, Brochures, Reprints: A - E],
[Series 30: Books, Brochures: E - W],
[Series 31: Published Articles; Resource Material],
[Series 32: Grand Valley State College, Philosophy Department Material, 1967-1969],
[Series 33: Grand Valley State College, Philosophy 101, 1963-1977],
[Series 34: Grand Valley State College, Preliminary Drafts of the Blue Book, 1970-1977],
[Series 35: Grand Valley State College Blue Books, 1967-1973],
[Series 36: Grand Valley State College, Lectures on Ethics],
[Series 37: Artifacts],
[Series 38: Family Correspondence and Genealogy, 1868-1982],
[All]

Series 3: Early Calvin College Period --- 1920-1948

Box 3

Folder 1: Debating class notes and papers --- 1931-1932
Folder 2: Girls Philosophy Club membership and notes --- 1926
Folder 3: Kant Club membership and notes
Folder 4: Plato Club membership and notes
Folder 5: Philosophy Department, courses offered --- 1921-1936
Folder 6: Psychology (Phil. 1) lecture notes --- 1923-1924
Folder 7: Psychology lecture notes --- 1924
Folder 8: Psychology lecture notes --- 1925-1926
Folder 9: Psychology lecture notes --- 1926-1927
Folder 10: Psychology lecture notes, outline of McDougall's Introduction to Psychology --- 1927-1928
Folder 11: Psychology lecture notes, abstract of McDougall's Introduction to Psychology --- 1928-1929
Folder 12: History of Psychology lecture notes --- undated
Folder 13: Logic lecture notes --- 1920-1921
Folder 14: Introduction to Method and History of Philosophy lecture notes --- 1920-1921
Folder 15: Introduction to Philosophy notes, typed --- 1921-1922
Folder 16: Introduction to Philosophy (3) --- 1924
Folder 17: Introduction to Philosophy (3) lecture notes --- 1928-1929
Folder 18: Introduction to Philosophy (203) outline, additional notes --- 1930-1931
Folder 19: Introduction to Philosophy (203) lecture notes --- 1932

Box 4

Folder 1: Ancient Philosophy lecture notes --- 1922
Folder 2: Ancient Philosophy (4) lecture notes --- 1923
Folder 3: Ancient Philosophy lecture notes --- 1923-1924
Folder 4: Ancient Philosophy (4) lecture notes --- 1927
Folder 5: Ancient Philosophy to St. Augustine lecture notes --- 1928
Folder 6: Ancient Philosophy (4) lecture notes --- 1928-1929
Folder 7: Ancient Philosophy (4) lecture notes --- 1929
Folder 8: Ancient Philosophy to St. Augustine lecture notes --- 1930-1931
Folder 9: History of Philosophy to St. Augustine (204) lecture notes --- 1932
Folder 10: History of Philosophy (5) lecture notes --- 1924-1925
Folder 11: History of Philosophy (5), text: F. Thilly, lecture notes --- 1925-1926
Folder 12: History of Philosophy from Augustine to Kant (5) lecture notes --- 1927-1928
Folder 13: History of Philosophy (5) lecture notes --- 1929
Folder 14: History of Philosophy (6) lecture notes --- 1924-1925
Folder 15: History of Medieval Philosophy (301) lecture notes --- 1932

Box 5

Folder 1: History of Modern Philosophy lecture notes --- 1921-1922
Folder 2: History of Modern Philosophy (6) lecture notes --- 1922
Folder 3: History of Modern Philosophy (5) lecture notes --- 1921, 1923, 1924
Folder 4: History of Modern Philosophy lecture notes --- 1923-1924
Folder 5: History of Philosophy, Philosophy of the 19th century (6) lecture notes --- 1923-1924
Folder 6: History of Philosophy, Kant and after (6/302) notes --- 1927
Folder 7: Modern Philosophy, lecture notes of W. H. Jellema written by H. Stob
Folder 8: Modern Philosophy, outlined notes of H. Stob --- 1949
Folder 9: Modern Philosophy, Kant and Hegel notes --- 1920
Folder 10: Modern Philosophy (302?) notes on Richard Kroner's Kant's Weltanschauung
Folder 11: Modern Philosophy, Kant's Critique of Pure Reason notes --- 1926
Folder 12: Modern Philosophers: Fichte, Hegel, Locke, Schelling: life, works, general positions, --- undated

Box 6

Folder 1: Ethics (7) lecture notes --- 1923
Folder 2: Ethics (7) notes and additional material --- 1925
Folder 3: Ethics (7) lecture notes --- 1928-1929
Folder 4: Ethics (7/303) lecture notes of previous years inserted --- 1930-1931
Folder 5: Ethics (303) lecture notes --- 1932-1933
Folder 6: Metaphysics (8) lecture and additional notes --- 1923
Folder 7: Metaphysics (7/8) lecture notes --- 1926-1931
Folder 8: Metaphysics (7/8) lecture notes --- 1926-1928
Folder 9: Metaphysics (8/306) lecture notes --- 1928-1930
Folder 10: Metaphysics (306) lecture notes --- 1929-1930
Folder 11: Metaphysics (306) lecture notes --- 1930-1931
Folder 12: Metaphysics (306) lecture notes --- 1930-1933
Folder 13: Metaphysics (306) lecture notes --- 1932-1933

Box 7

Folder 1: Philosophy courses --- 1939-1941
Folder 2: Philosophy examination questions --- 1940-1948
Folder 3: Perspectives, lecture material --- 1939
Folder 4: Introduction to Philosophy (100) lecture notes
Folder 5: Introduction to Philosophy (100a) correspondence course
Folder 6: Introduction to Philosophy (100a) correspondence material --- 1943
Folder 7: Logic (120) lecture notes and exams --- 1938
Folder 8: Logic (120) lecture material --- 1939-1941
Folder 9: Logic (120) lecture notes and class material --- 1942
Folder 10: Logic (120) lecture outlines --- 1943-1944
Folder 11: Logic (120) lecture material --- 1946-1947
Folder 12: Logic (120) mimeographed material and notes --- 1947-1948