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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 6: Late Calvin College Period --- 1948-1963
- Box 13
- Folder 1: Philosophy Department courses offered --- 1948-1963
- Folder 2: Perspectives (203) lecture notes --- 1949-1950
- Folder 3: Perspectives (202) lecture notes --- 1951-1952
- Folder 4: Perspectives (202) lecture notes --- 1952-1953
- Folder 5: Perspectives (202) outline --- 1953-1954
- Folder 6: Perspectives (202) handwritten and typed notes --- 1954-1955
- Folder 7: Perspectives (202) handwritten and typed notes --- 1955-1956
- Folder 8: Perspectives (202) typed outline --- 1958
- Folder 9: Perspectives (202S) typed notes of lectures by M. O. --- Summer 1959
- Folder 10: Perspectives (201, 202, 203) exams --- 1949
- Folder 11: History of Philosophy, Ancient (204) early Greek philosophers, notes
- Folder 12: History of Philosophy (204) typed notes --- 1948-1949?
- Folder 13: History of Philosophy (204) transcribed notes from tape of lecture two of summer course, by R. Verhulst --- undated
- Folder 14: Curriculum in a Liberal Arts College correspondence
- Box 14
- Folder 1: History of Philosophy, Medieval (301) lecture notes --- 1951
- Folder 2: History of Philosophy, Medieval (301) mimeographed material and handwritten notes --- 1952-1954
- Folder 3: History of Philosophy, Medieval (301b) requirements
- Folder 4: History of Philosophy, Medieval (301) lecture notes --- 1954-1955
- Folder 5: History of Philosophy, Medieval (301) lecture notes including material from previous lectures --- 1956-1957
- Folder 6: History of Philosophy, Medieval, mimeographed material and additional notes --- 1958
- Folder 7: History of Philosophy, Modern, notes on Locke --- undated
- Folder 8: History of Philosophy, Modern, typed notes using Fuller as the text --- undated
- Folder 9: History of Philosophy, Modern, mimeographed material and notes from previous years --- 1949
- Folder 10: Elementary Ethics (205) transcribed notes of lectures --- Summer of 1959
- Box 15
- Folder 1: Philosophy of Science (303) mimeographed material for the course --- 1951-1952
- Folder 2: Ethics (305) class notes and additional material --- 1947-1948
- Folder 3: Ethics (305) notes --- 1949-1950
- Folder 4: Ethics (305) lecture notes --- 1951-1952
- Folder 5: Ethics (305) lecture notes --- 1953-1954
- Folder 6: Ethics (305) lecture notes --- 1954-1955
- Folder 7: Ethics (305) lecture notes --- 1955-1956, 1956-1957
- Folder 8: Ethics, marriage course: The Ethics of Marriage, handwritten notes
- Folder 9: Thomas Aquinas (306) notes --- 1949
- Folder 10: Kant (351) Critique of Pure Reason, notes
- Folder 11: Thomism (352) assignment and notes --- 1953-1954
- Folder 12: Hegel (366) student papers, blue books, notes --- 1962-1963
- Folder 13: Contemporary Philosophy (362) sketch of more important points, notes --- 1949-1950
- Folder 14: Metaphysics (364) handwritten and typed notes
- Folder 15: Kant (365) class notes --- May-59
- Folder 16: Philosophy Department, examinations --- 1948-1963
- Box 16
- Folder 1: Lectures --- September 24 - October 15, 1962
- Folder 2: Lectures --- October 15-31, 1962
- Folder 3: Lectures --- November 5-26, 1962
- Folder 4: Lectures --- November 28 - December 17, 1962
- Folder 5: Lectures --- December 19, 1962 - February 22, 1963
- Folder 6: Lectures --- February 27 - March 15, 1963
- Folder 7: Lectures --- March 20 - April 15, 1963
- Folder 8: Lectures --- April 17-26, 1963
- Folder 9: Lectures --- May 1-13, 1963
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]
