Donald Oppewal Collection, 1950-2008 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Donald Oppewal Collection, 1950-2008

ID: COLL/186

Primary Creator: Donald Oppewal (1926-)

Extent: 4.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of education at Calvin College. The collection includes articles; readings for education classes; vitae; tapes; publications; and a thesis entitled “The Method of Consensus and Its Social and Educational Applications.” [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

Donald Oppewal was born in Massachusetts in 1926. He attended Calvin College majoring in English and minoring in philosophy. He graduated from Calvin with a B.A. in 1950 and went on to earn his Master’s degree in English and history at the University of Michigan. Oppewal pursed a career in education, beginning as an English teacher at Illiana Christian High School in Lansing, Illinois. After five years, Oppewal went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois with a focus on philosophy of education. In 1960, Oppewal returned to Calvin College, not as a student, but as a professor.

During his time at Calvin College, he served on the college’s Teacher Education Committee, Continuing Education Committee, and Graduate Studies Committee. Oppewal also played a major role in establishing the Christian Educators Journal and served as the managing editor, book review editor, and even occasionally wrote for the journal himself. Oppewal also concerned himself with the role of religion in public schools and textbooks. Oppewal also authored the notable book Society, State, and School (1965). He even assembled the Religion and Education conference in 1987.

In 1991, Oppewal reached emeritus status and retired from active teaching. He has been married to his wife, Jessica (Leestma), since 1948. Together they had six children.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[Box 4],
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Box 1

Folder 1: Professional vitae; bibliographic information --- 1950-1999

Folder 2: Poem, "Church Organ," Banner, p. 1556 --- (Dec. 23, 1955)

Folder 3: Play (unpublished), "Colloquy on Affliction" --- [ca. 1957]

Folder 4: Article, "Toward a Distinctive Curriculum for Christian Education," Reformed Journal, vol. 36, pp. 21-24 --- (Sept. 1957)

Folder 5: Article, "The Function of the Christian School." Christian Home and School, vol. 36, pp. 16-18, 25 --- (Feb. 1958)

Folder 6: Monograph, "Handbook for Headhunters" --- [1958, reprint 1988]; [ca. 1965]

Folder 7: Book Reviews --- 1958-1981

Item 1: "John Dewey's Thought and Its Implications for Christian Education," Reformed Journal, vol. 8 , pp. 22-24 --- (June 1958)
Item 2: "Jeffersonianism and the American Novel," Educational Forum, p. 363 --- March 1968
Item 3: "Teaching the Universe of Discourse," Educational Forum, pp. 421-422 --- March 1970
Item 4: "Teacher Unions and Associations: A Comparative Study," Educational Forum, pp. 275-276 --- January 1971
Item 5: "Education: A Beginning," Educational Forum, pp. 554-555 [film review] --- May 1972
Item 6: "Paper Moon," Reformed Journal, vol. 23, pp. 20-21 --- (September 1973)
Item 7: "Thy Liberty in Law," Foundations, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 282-284 --- (July-September 1979)
Item 8: "Christian Religious Education," Reformed Journal, vol. 31, pp. 26-27 --- (April 1981)

Folder 8: Article, "Democracy and Democratic Values," Educational Theory, pp. 156-164 --- July 1959

Folder 9: Doctoral Dissertation, "The Method of Consensus and Its Social and Educational Applications" --- 1961

Folder 10

Item 1: Pamphlet, The Roots of the Calvinistic Day School Movement --- 1963: [HERH LC586.C6 O6]
Item 2: Articles, "The Roots of the Calvinistic Day School Movement," Reformed Journal, vol. 8 --- (September, 1958; November, 1958; January 1959) msg. Dec. 1958, part III

Folder 11: Article, "Children in Church: a Dilemma." Reformed Journal, vol. 13, pp. 9-11 --- (Oct. 1963)

Folder 12

Item 1: Article, "Organizing Literature by Theme: a Defense," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 5, pp. 22-26 --- (April 1966)
Item 2: Editorial, "Hear, See, Speak No Evil," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 5 , p. 3 --- (April 1966)

Folder 13: Article, "Religion and Public Education: an Emerging Quandary," Educational Forum, pp. 323-331 --- March 1967

Folder 14: Article, "Teaching to Change Lives," The Banner, vol. 103 , pp. 14-15 --- (September 27, 1968)

Folder 15: Article, "Discovery Method in Language Arts: A Defense," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 8, pp. 22-26 --- (May 1969)

Folder 16

Item 1: Article, "Parochialism in Christian Schools: Its Perils," Reformed Journal, vol. 20, pp 12-14; --- (September 1970)
Item 2: Editorial, "From Me to Thee: Parochialism: Its Perils," Christian Educator's Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 3-4, 8 --- (January 1971)

Folder 17: Readings for Education 304, "Bi-polar Tension in Christian Education" --- 1971

Folder 18

Item 1: Article, "The School System and the Bible," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 10, pp. 9-10 --- (April 1971)
Item 2: Article, "Needed: An Educational Creed," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 10, pp.11-14 --- (April 1971)

Folder 19

Item 1: Editorial, "Teacher Turnover, " Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 4; --- (January 1972)
Item 2: Editorial, "Teacher Tenure and Turnover," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, p. 3 --- (March 1972)
Item 3: Editorial, "Of Making Teaching Materials," The Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, p. 3 --- (March 1972)

Folder 20: Article, "Christian Textbooks? Yes!" Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11,pp. 6-9 --- (April 1972)

Folder 21

Item 1: Editorial, "Memo to Manuscript Makers," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, pp. 3-4 --- (May 1972)
Item 2: Editorial, "God's Grading System," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, pp. 3-4 --- (November 1972)
Item 3: Editorial, "The Classroom: Isolation Ward or Immunization Center? " Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, pp. 3-4 --- (January 1973)

Folder 22

Item 1: Editorial, "Making the Affective Effective," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, p. 4 --- (March 1973)
Item 2: Editorial, "Pedagogue Polder's Problem," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, p. 4 --- (May 1973)
Item 3: Editorial, "Standing in Students' Shoes," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 14, p. 3 --- (January 1974)

Folder 23: Article, "Calvin's Core Curriculum," Dialogue, pp. 19-20 --- Jan-75

Folder 24: Article, "Lamentable Lethargy Over Litigation," Christian Teacher, January/February, pp. 16-17; also appeared in Christian Educators Journal, vol. 15, no. 1 (Nov. 1975), pp. 4-5

Folder 25: Readings for Education 304, "Alternative Perspectives in Christian Education" --- 1976

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