Rare Book and Manuscript Library
William J. McGill papers
McGill, William J. (William James), 1922-1997
4079709
MS#0822
English
.
23.35 linear feet
56 document boxes and 1 oversize folder
1929-1979
Restrictions on Access
The following boxes are located offsite: 2-56. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room
Restrictions on Access
This collection was restricted during the donor's lifetime.
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source of acquisition--McGill, William J. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1980. Accession number--M-1980.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in four series: Series I: Correspondence; Series II: Subject Files; Series III: Psychology; Series IV: University of California at San Diego.
Biographical / Historical
William J. McGill received an AB and MA from Fordham and the Ph.D. from Harvard. After serving as an assistant professor at MIT, McGill joined Columbia's Department of Psychology in 1956, became associate professor in 1958 and full professor two years later, serving as chairman of the psychology department from 1961 to 1963. He left Columbia for five years to become a professor and chancellor at UC San Diego and returned to Columbia as president in 1970. His administration was marked by recovery from a state of fiscal instability, growth in fund raising, construction of several major facilities, curricular innovations and establishment of the Society of Fellows in the Humanities. In 1980, McGill retired to La Jolla, California following his tenure as president.
Ownership and Custodial History
Gift of William J. McGill, 1980.
Ownership and Custodial History
Transfer from the President's Office, 1984.
Other Finding Aids
Legacy finding aid
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); William J. McGill papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Processing Information
Entered in AMC 10/08/90.
Related Materials
For additional materials related to McGill's tenure as University President, please consult Central Files (UA#0001). Additional speeches and remarks can be found in the William J. McGill speeches, 1971-1980 (UA#0309).
Summary
Correspondence, memoranda, notes, speeches, scientific data, photographs and printed material. Half of the collection relates to McGill's research and writing in the fields of experimental and mathematical psychology, particularly in the psychology of perception, and contains drafts of papers, notes, class materials and works by others. Also included are files relating to McGill's chairmanship of the Carnegie Commission on the Future of Public Broadcasting, files pertaining to his participation on the New York State Special Advisory Panel on Medical Malpractice, and some papers from his chairmanship of the psychology department, and later chancellorship, of the University of California, San Diego. Some personal correspondence and documents are also included. Among the cataloged correspondence are John W. Gardiner, Edward M. Kennedy, Margaret Mead, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jonas Salk, and Beverly Sills
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Broadcasting
Medical personnel -- Malpractice
Public broadcasting
Psychology
Lectures
Photographic prints
Memorandums
Speeches (documents)
College administrators
Gardner, John W (John William), 1912-2002
Kennedy, Edward M. (Edward Moore), 1932-2009
Moynihan, Daniel P (Daniel Patrick), 1927-2003
Salk, Jonas, 1914-1995
Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978
Sills, Beverly
Carnegie Commission on the Future of Public Broadcasting
University of California, San Diego
Columbia University -- Presidents
Series I: Correspondence1941-1977Cataloged CorrespondenceBarzun, Jacques197011Gardner, John W.4 folders197712-5Geisel, Theodor Seuss and Audrey197016Haley, Alex197717Hope, Bob197118Jackson, Barbara Ward (Lady)197019Javits, Jacob K.1970110Johnson, Lady Bird Taylor (Mrs. Lyndon B.)2 folders1972111-12Kennedy, Edward M.1979113Mead, Margaret1970114Moynihan, Daniel Patrick1977115Pusey, Nathan1970116Rockefeller, David1970117Salk, Jonas1969118Sills, Beverly1978119Sulzberger, Arthur Ochs1977120Correspondence1941-195011953-195611956-19571Correspondence - Uncertainty Analysis1952-196011958-1959 July11959 July-1960119601Correspondence1960-196521965-196831968-19704197051970-19776Series II: Subject FilesA7Ad Hoc Committees7American Psychological Association7American Psychological Association Paper19677B7C7Career Development Review Branch, National Institutes of Health Columbia University7D7Davis, Angela - journal by William J. McGill7Duke University7E7Employment7F7Fitts, Paul M.7Fordham Alumni Dinner7G8Goldberg, James P.8Gordon Conference19678Graham, Clarence H.8H8Harvard University8I8Industrial Acoustics Company Chamber Specifications8Institute for Information Systems8International Congress of Psychology19608J8Job Descriptions8Johnson Foundation Awards1973-19748Journal of Mathematical Psychology8K8L8M9McGill, Marie (Marcy)9McGill, William J.Personal1940-19609School and College Records1929-19479Hunger Drive (diet)9Sabbatical Leave19639Photographs and miscellaneous items9Press releases9TV appearances1968-19709Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyBarnstable Summer Study19589Operational Applications Lab9N9National Association of College & University Attorneys9National Science Foundation Grant1966-19689O9Oxford University Press9P10Professional Psychology10Psychological Bulletin10Psychometric Society10Psychometrika10Psychonomic Press10Psychonomic Society10Publishers10R11S11Society of Experimental Psychologists11SpeechesUCSD Library Goundbreaking,1968 July 111Rotary Club, Torrey Pines1968 July 2411Rotary Club, San Diego1968 August 2211San Diego COC Keyman's Club1968 October 211Muir College1968 October 311Military Order of the World Wars - Admiral Kidd Club1968 October 1511Holy Name Society, Sacred Heart Church, Coronado, CA1969 May 411UCSD Commencement1969 June 1411A Requiem for Joe College1969 July 711The Problem of Freedom in the University1969 October 2811Joe College RIP1969 November 511American Nuclear Society1969 November 1211The New Youth Culture - History in the Making1969 December 1311Youth in Turmoil - Implications for the Job World1969 December 1411ACLU, LeBaron Hotel1970 January 3012City Managers' Section, League of California Cities1970 February 2712Forum of the Foothills1970 April 512Cancer Seminar, San Diego Naval Hospital1970 April 1412San Francisco Alumni, Columbia University1970 April 1812Alumni of Columbia University1970 June 212Catholic University Commencement1970 June 712American College Public Relations Association National Conference1970 June 712President's Commission on Student Unrest, Los Angeles1970 August 412American Bar Association, St. Louis1970 August 1212Miscellaneous texts, notes, correspondence and related material13Spiess Committee Report14Summer Conference14Summer Workshop4 folders14Sylvania Contract14T14U14University of California - Council and Assembly1968-196914W14Western Psychological Association, Inc.14Z14Carnegie Commission on the Future of Public Broadcasting1977 June-September151977 October-1978 March161978 April-October171978 November-1979 January181979 February-June19New York, State of - Special Advisory Panel on Medical MalpracticeCorrespondence, notes and memoranda1975 June-August201975 August-1976 January21Meetings22Reports23Series III: PsychologyWorks by William J. McGillAbstracts24American Psychological Association Paper ("Two Sources of Transmitted Information. . .")195324American Psychological Association Paper ("Attention. . .")195824Analysis of Information . . .24Application of Information Theory. . . (NYAS Paper)24Back to Personal Equations24Deutsch, J.A. - Realization of the Compartment Model – Comments24Equivalence of Detection Probabilities. . ., On the24General Gamma Distribution24Human Factors Research25Introduction to Counter Theory in Psychophysics26Isomorphism Paper26Loudness and Reaction Time26Loudness Function26Lousy Lectures26Luce, R.D., et al - Developments in Mathematical Psychology. . . - Review26Multivariate Information Transmission ("MIT")26Neural Counting27Poisson Counting27Polynomial Psychometric Functions in Audition27Psychophysics and the Ideal Observer (Symposium, International Congress)196327Pure Tone Intensity Discrimination28Random Fluctuations of Response Rate28Reaction Time28Recent Developments in the Theory of Reaction28Relation Between Information and Variance Analyses28Relation Between Uncertainty, Variance, and Correlation Analyses Reviews28Scaling of Subjective Estimates of Magnitude28Search Distributions in Magnified Time28Serial Effects28Statistical Description of Verbal Learning28Stochastic Latency Mechanisms28Study of the Near-Miss Involving Weber's Law. . .29Study of the Relationship Between Motor and Sensory Measures of Perseveration (Master's dissertation, Fordham University)194729Uncertainty Analysis - various talks29Variations on Marill's Formula29Visual and Auditory Counting Papers29Visual Detection29Visual Search29Miscellaneous works29NotesAnalysis of Variance30Auditory Chapter30Click Suppression30Counter Model30Detection - Visual, Auditory Research30Discrete Counting Distributions and Analysis of Discrimination31Elastic Stochastic31Feller31General Gamma Distribution31Lab Experiments31Limulus31Loudness4 folders31Loudness and Reaction Time Study32Loudness Experiment32Mathematics, Pure32Mathematical Papers and Tables in Uncertainty Analysis32Mathematical Psychophysics32Mathematics and Statistics32Mathematics, Committee on the Undergraduate Program in32Matrix Algebra32Mosteller and Tukey33Number Search Experiments33Photometry33Poisson Distribution33Psychophysics and Detection Theory34Quantitative Psychology34Random Noise34Random Walk Detectors34Random Walk Problem34Rate Fluctuations34Search Distributions34Statistical Behaviorism34Miscellaneous notes35Class MaterialsNotesAnalysis of Variance36Colloquium37Introductory Psychology37Measurement194837Motivation37Pro-Seminar1948-194937Psychophysics and Sensory Psychology37Statistics38Separated Materials(1 folder, 1 binder)
UCLA Lecture Series38Miscellaneous2 folders38Miscellaneous39Exams, assignments and class recordsExams39Grade Books39Harvard Exams39Harvard - Miscellaneous39Intermediate Lab experiments39Miscellaneous3 folders39Data Books40Separated Materials(mainly M.I.T. and Columbia University)
Papers and Reports by OthersPapers and Reports by Others41Papers and Reports by Others42Papers and Reports by Others43Papers and Reports by Others44Papers and Reports by Others45Papers and Reports by Others46Slides47Separated Materials(FRAGILE. GLASS)
Printed Material by William J. McGill48Printed Material by OthersPrinted Material by Others49Printed Material by Others50Printed Material by Others51Series IV: University of California at San DiegoAcademic Senate3 folders52Chancellor52Chancellorship Files53Committee on Educational Policy, Academic Senate53Committee: Long Range53Committee Memberships53Directives Worth Saving53H.E.W. Grant53Invitations accepted197053Invitations regretted1968-197053Lumumba-Zapata College54Psychology Department54Recruiting54Student Unrest54Miscellaneous2 folders55Printed Material and Reports55Printed Materials and Items56