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Robert K. Merton papers, 1928-2003, bulk 1943-2001

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Series VI: Studies and Projects, 1935-1997

This series provides a framework for understanding key sociological studies and projects conducted by Merton in the mid-twentieth century. Project documentation includes analyses of publications, general surveys, and proposed project topics. Study materials, which comprise the bulk of the series, cover Merton's early sociological pursuits, mainly while he was involved with the Bureau of Applied Social Research at Columbia University. Of note are original interviews, questionnaires, and journals of study participants, which provide an unfiltered look at American social thought and attitude regarding social and cultural issues, education, and careers. These are particularly evidenced in the Ethnic Opinionnaires completed in the 1940s. The records also reflect the evolution of Merton's studies into larger bodies of work, such as publications and conferences. This series is particularly important as it illuminates early social research methodology. A good portion of the records include notes, proposals for funding, drafts of questionnaires, and memoranda related to execution of studies. The studies were also used in Merton's courses and seminars at Columbia University as a means of teaching sociology students about research practices.

Major studies reflected in Series VI include the Housing study, the Manhattanville project, the Expert study, the study of Medical Education and the Eisenhower mail study. The Housing study analyzed a mixed race public housing community and Merton used these findings to examine social concepts, such as friendship, from a sociological perspective. Several publications derived from the study, most notably Patterns of Social Life: Explorations in the Sociology of Housing, are represented in the series. The Manhattanville project was conducted in the early 1950s and records consist of extensive interviews with members of the Manhattanville neighborhood in New York. These interviews were used to determine the community's occupational aspirations and success models. This study relied heavily on participant interviews and observation and detailed transcripts and field reports are contained here. The Expert study focused on several separate case studies to understand the utilization of social sciences and scientists in business and government. The study evolved into several published works, which are represented in the series. The Sociological Study of Medical Education records include interviews and journals from students in medical programs at Cornell, University of Pennsylvania and Western Reserve. Material also includes codebooks, correspondence, and memoranda related to the study. Of note is a folder titled: 'Analysis of Material for Concept Formation.' These are items from the study compiled by Merton many years later and examined for early usage of concepts and phrases, such as role model. Additional material regarding publications from this study are located in Subseries VII.3. The Eisenhower mail study was an attempt by Merton, Joan Goldhamer, and other Bureau of Applied Social Research affiliates to analyze approximately 20,000 letters, postcards and telegrams received by General Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1948 urging him to become candidate for the presidency of the United States. Midway through the project, Eisenhower's team asked the Bureau to abandon the study, giving no explanation. In 1998 Joan Goldhamer published a follow up article entitled "General Eisenhower in academe: A clash of perspectives and a study suppressed." Contained in this series are unpublished documents related to the original mail study, including transcripts of a meeting between Merton and Eisenhower, memoranda, correspondence, and initial drafts. Items pertaining to the revival of the study include correspondence and Goldhamer's drafts containing Merton's edits.

Series VI is arranged alphabetically by name of study or project

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Box 196 Folder 5 Adlai Stevenson Mass Mail Project (aborted), 1953-1954


Box 352 Folder 1 American Sociological Review Analysis, circa, 1965


Box 196 Folder 6 Bell Telephone Study, 1948-1956

Box 196 Folder 7-9 Center for the Social Sciences--American Author Surveys, 1980, (3 Folders)


Box 197 Folder 1-6 Center for the Social Sciences--American Author Surveys, 1980, (6 Folders)


Box 198 Folder 1-6 Center for the Social Sciences--American Author Surveys, 1980, (6 Folders)


Box 199 Folder 1-2 Center for the Social Sciences--American Author Surveys, 1980, (2 Folders)

Box 199 Folder 3 Conditions Attendant on the Closing of Intake by Transient Bureaus, 1935

Dictionary of National Biography Analyses


Box 352 Folder 2-4 General, 1958, (3 Folders)

Box 352 Folder 5 Philosophical Transactions, undated

Box 352 Folder 6 Dictionary of Urban Data Project, 1946


Box 199 Folder 4 Edward Condon Study--"Trial by Newspaper,", 1949

Eisenhower Mail Study

Box 199 Folder 5 Code, 1948

Box 199 Folder 6 Conversation with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1949

Correspondence

Box 199 Folder 7 IBM, 1949

Box 199 Folder 8-10 and Memoranda, 1948-1950, (3 Folders)

Box 199 Folder 11 Drafts, 1949


Box 200 Folder 1 Drafts, 1949

Revival of Study

Box 200 Folder 3-4 Correspondence, 1969, 1981-1993, 1969, 1981-1993, (2 Folders)

"General Eisenhower in Academe: A Clash of Perspectives and a Study Suppressed" by Joan Goldhamer

Box 200 Folder 5 Correspondence, 1995-1997

Box 200 Folder 6-7 Drafts and Edits, 1985-1996, (2 Folders)

Box 200 Folder 8 Notes, 1992

Box 200 Folder 9-10 Research Materials, 1982-1992, (2 Folders)

Box 200 Folder 2 Summary and Digest, 1949

Ethnic Opinionnaires


Box 201 Folder 1-3 Completed Surveys, circa, 1938, (3 Folders)

Box 201 Folder 4 "Facts and Factitiousness in Ethnic Opinionnaires,", 1940-1953

Box 201 Folder 5-7 Questionnaires and Effect on Research, 1943, (3 Folders)

Box 201 Folder 8 Rapport in Use of Opinionnaire, 1943, undated, 1943, undated

Expert Study

Box 201 Folder 9-10 General, 1947-1948, (2 Folders)

AT&T

Box 201 Folder 11-12 General, 1949, (2 Folders)

Box 201 Folder 13 "Applied Social Research and Business decisions: A Preliminary Case Report,", 1951

Box 201 Folder 14 Correspondence, 1949-1956


Box 202 Folder 1 Correspondence, 1949-1956

Box 202 Folder 2 Criteria, 1949

Box 202 Folder 3 Employee Survey, 1948

Box 202 Folder 4 Interviews with Staff, 1946-1949

Box 202 Folder 5 Presentation of Research Findings, 1950

Box 202 Folder 6 Smith, C.T., 1955

Box 202 Folder 7-9 Sociology Workshop, 1964-1970, (3 Folders)

Box 202 Folder 10 "Some Factors Affecting the Initiation of Applied Social Research," circa, 1940s


Box 203 Folder 1-8 The Role of Social Research in Business Administration: A Case Study Based Primarily Upon the 1930-1949 Experience of the Opinion Research Section of the Chief Statistician's Division of AT&T (with E.C. Devereux, Jr.)--Drafts and Working Papers, circa, 1950s, (8 Folders)


Box 204 Folder 1 The Role of Social Research in Business Administration: A Case Study Based Primarily Upon the 1930-1949 Experience of the Opinion Research Section of the Chief Statistician's Division of AT&T (with E.C. Devereux, Jr.)--Drafts and Working Papers, circa, 1950s

Box 204 Folder 2-3 Background Research Material, circa, 1940s, (2 Folders)

Box 204 Folder 4 Budget, 1949-1950

Carnegie Corporation

Box 204 Folder 5 Correspondence and Reports, 1948-1953

Box 204 Folder 6 Grant, 1948-1949

Box 204 Folder 7 Conference on the Expert and Applied Social Science, 1948

Correspondence

Box 204 Folder 8 A, 1948-1949

Box 204 Folder 9 B, 1950

Box 204 Folder 10 C, 1946-1948

Box 204 Folder 11 D-F, 1949-1951

Box 204 Folder 12 Hatt, Paul, 1948-1949

Box 204 Folder 13 J-M, 1948-1949

Box 204 Folder 14 P, 1948-1949

Box 204 Folder 15 R-Z, 1948-1949

Box 204 Folder 16-18 "The Expert in Applied Social Science,", 1943-1948, (3 Folders)


Box 205 Folder 1 "The Expert in Applied Social Science,", 1943-1948

Box 205 Folder 2 Form Letters, 1948-1949

Box 205 Folder 3 Index of Material, 1948

Box 205 Folder 4 Interview--Glock, Charles, 1948

Box 205 Folder 5 Market Research Council, 1949

Box 205 Folder 6 Meeting Notes, 1948

Memoranda

Box 205 Folder 7-10 General, 1948-1949, (4 Folders)

Box 205 Folder 11 Devereux, E.C., 1949

Box 205 Folder 12 Hatt, Paul, 1948

Office of War Information

Box 205 Folder 13-14 Anti-Inflation Study, 1942-1944, (2 Folders)

Box 205 Folder 15 Interviews--Tentative Outline, 1948

Box 205 Folder 16 Summary Memoranda, 1948


Box 206 Folder 1 Panel of Experts, 1950-1951

Box 206 Folder 2 Panel of Research Directors, 1951

Public Opinion Polls

Box 206 Folder 3 American Association of Public Opinion Research, 1949

Box 206 Folder 4 Background Research Material, 1948

Box 206 Folder 7 Editor Poll, 1948-1949

Box 206 Folder 5-6 "Election Polling Forecasts and Public Images of Social Science"--Notes and Drafts,, 1949, (2 Folders)

Box 206 Folder 8 Memoranda, 1947

Box 206 Folder 9-11 Replies from Editors, 1948-1949, (3 Folders)


Box 207 Folder 1 Puerto Rican Population, 1948-1949

Box 207 Folder 2 Requests, 1948-1953

Box 207 Folder 3 Social Science Research Council, 1947

Box 207 Folder 4 Transcription, 1949

Box 207 Folder 5 Utilization of Applied Social Research, 1949

Box 207 Folder 6 Finance Attitude Study, 1948


Box 352 Folder 7-9 Handbook on the Drafting of Sociological Studies, 1946-1971, (3 Folders)

Box 352 Folder 10 Harvard Business School Study, 1961-1962


Box 207 Folder 7 Hours Spent on Community Activity in Decatur, undated

Housing Study

Box 207 Folder 8 General, 1945-1954


Box 352 Folder 11 General, undated

Addison Terrace


Box 207 Folder 9 Card Design, 1953, undated, 1953, undated

Box 207 Folder 10-11 Code Book, 1947, (2 Folders)

Box 207 Folder 12 "The Analysis of Community Researchers,", 1947

Box 207 Folder 13 Charts, undated

Box 207 Folder 14 Citizens' Housing Council of New York, Inc., 1946-1950

Box 207 Folder 15 Commission on Race and Housing, 1956-1957

Box 207 Folder 16-17 Community Ethos, undated, 1950, (2 Folders)

Correspondence

Box 207 Folder 18 General, 1947

Box 207 Folder 19 Wurster, Catherine Bauer, 1948-1951

Craftown

Box 207 Folder 20 and Hilltown--Detailed Descriptions, circa, 1947


Box 208 Folder 1-5 and Winfield--Memoranda and Drafts, 1945-1946, (5 Folders)

Box 208 Folder 6 File Index, undated

Friendship

Box 208 Folder 7-9 General, circa, 1950s, (3 Folders)

Box 208 Folder 10 Background Research, undated

Box 208 Folder 11 Card Design, undated


Box 209 Folder 1 Cross Currents, 1952-1966

Box 209 Folder 2 Drafts, 1945

Box 209 Folder 3 Memoranda, 1944-1952

Box 209 Folder 4-5 Tables and Notes, 1952-1955, (2 Folders)

Box 209 Folder 6 Interim Report, 1946

Box 209 Folder 7 Isolates Tables, undated

Lavanburg Foundation

Box 209 Folder 8 Budget, 1945-1947

Box 209 Folder 9-10 Correspondence, 1944-1961, (2 Folders)


Box 210 Folder 1 Report, 1949

Notes

Box 210 Folder 2-3 General, circa, 1945, (2 Folders)

Box 210 Folder 4 Race Relations, 1949

Patterns of Social Life: Explorations in the Sociology of Housing (with Patricia S. West and Marie Jahoda)

Box 210 Folder 5-9 Annotated Typescript, 1948, (5 Folders)


Box 211 Folder 1-9 Annotated Typescript, 1948, (9 Folders)


Box 212 Folder 1-2 Annotated Typescript, 1948, (2 Folders)


Box 352 Folder 12 Correspondence and Edits, 1968-1987

Drafts


Box 212 Folder 3-10 General, 1946-1949, undated, 1946-1949, undated, (8 Folders)


Box 213 Folder 1-10 General, 1946-1949, undated, 1946-1949, undated, (10 Folders)


Box 214 Folder 1-7 General, 1946-1949, undated, 1946-1949, undated, (7 Folders)

Box 214 Folder 8 and Memoranda, undated


Box 215 Folder 1 and Memoranda, undated

Box 215 Folder 2 Table of Contents, undated

Box 215 Folder 3 Reference Material, 1939-1943

Box 215 Folder 4 Requests for Copies, 1961-1978

Box 215 Folder 5 "Selected Problems of Field Work in the Planned Community,", 1946

Box 215 Folder 6-7 "Social Fictions and Social Facts: The Dynamics of Race Relations in Hilltown,", 1949, (2 Folders)

Box 215 Folder 8 "The Social Psychology of Housing,", 1948

Box 215 Folder 9-11 Training Guide, undated, (3 Folders)


Box 216 Folder 1-2 Training Guide, undated, (2 Folders)

Winfield

Box 216 Folder 3 General, 1945

Box 216 Folder 4 Card Design, undated

Box 216 Folder 5-9 Code Book, 1945-1946, (5 Folders)

Box 216 Folder 10 Questionnaires, 1945-1946

Box 216 Folder 11 Human Relations Area Files, Inc.--Cross Cultural Survey, 1948-1953


Box 217 Folder 1 Kikuchi Diary Study, 1947-1950

Box 217 Folder 2 LIFE Magazine Ubiquity Study, 1947-1948

Manhattanville Project

Box 217 Folder 3-5 General, 1946-1950, (3 Folders)


Box 237 Folder 1 Audio Recording--Hogrefe, 1949 (Audograph Electronic Disc), 1949


Box 217 Folder 6 Data Analysis by Students, 1950

Interviews and Field Observations


Box 218 Sections 1, 2, and 4, 1949-1950 (3 Bound Volumes), 1949-1950


Box 219 Section 3, 1949-1950 (Bound Volume), 1949-1950


Box 217 Folder 7-8 Participant Observation, 1950, (2 Folders)


Box 220 Folder 1 National Opinion Research Center--Correspondence and Agreements, 1948-1952

Box 220 Folder 2 New Orleans Elite--Preliminary Data, 1940

Box 220 Folder 3-4 New York Television Study, 1952-1956, (2 Folders)

Box 220 Folder 5-6 New York Time Budget Study, 1945-1946, (2 Folders)


Box 148 Folder 1 New York Time Budget Study, 1944

Office of Radio Research--Time Magazine Readership and the Influence Structure of Dover New Jersey


Box 220 Folder 7-8 Notes, Drafts and Correspondence, 1943-1956, (2 Folders)

Box 220 Folder 9-10 Reports, 1943, (2 Folders)

Proposed

Box 220 Folder 11 Comparative Study of Social Mobility, Its Causes and Consequences, 1954


Box 221 Folder 1 Judicial Personnel, 1947

Box 221 Folder 2 Negro Medical Students, 1969

Box 221 Folder 3 Public Reaction to Sonic Booms--Air Force Office of Scientific Research,, 1965

Box 221 Folder 4 Sociology of Complex Organizations, 1958

Box 221 Folder 5 Radio Program Content Analysis, 1943

Sociological Study of Medical Education

Box 221 Folder 6-9 General, 1951-1961, (4 Folders)

Box 221 Folder 10-11 Analysis of Material for Concept Formation, 1951-1957, (2 Folders)


Box 222 Folder 1 Association of American Medical Colleges Conference, 1957-1958

Box 222 Folder 2 Background Material on Schools, 1952-1959

Code Books

Box 222 Folder 3-7 General, undated, 1956-1961, (5 Folders)

Box 222 Folder 8-11 Cornell University Medical College, 1952-1956, undated, 1952-1956, undated, (4 Folders)


Box 223 Folder 1-10 Cornell University Medical College, 1952-1956, undated (10 Folders, 1952-1956, undated


Box 224 Folder 1 Corrections, 1952-1957

Box 224 Folder 2 Inventory, 1954-1955

Box 224 Folder 3-10 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1953-1955, (8 Folders)


Box 225 Folder 1-6 Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 1953-1954, (6 Folders)

Box 225 Folder 7 Committee on Medical Sociology, 1955

Comparative Study of the Internship and Residency

Box 225 Folder 9 Budget and Finance, 1952-1961

Box 225 Folder 10 Correspondence, 1959-1962

Box 225 Folder 11 "The Internship: An Exploratory Analysis by Theresa Falaguerra,", 1957


Box 226 Folder 1-3 Proposal, 1958, (3 Folders)

Box 226 Folder 4 Seminar Notes, 1957-1958


Box 225 Folder 8 Concept of Socialization, undated

Correspondence


Box 226 Folder 5 General, 1955

Box 226 Folder 6 American Medical Association, 1958

Box 226 Folder 7 Association of American Medical Colleges, 1961-1963

Box 226 Folder 8 Boek, Walter, 1958

Box 226 Folder 9 Christie, Richard, 1956-1960

Box 226 Folder 10-11 The Commonwealth Fund, 1950-1959, (2 Folders)

Box 226 Folder 12 Cornell University, 1952-1960

Box 226 Folder 13 Fellowships, 1956-1957

Box 226 Folder 14 Inquiries, 1952-1955


Box 227 Folder 1-2 Nasatir, David, 1954-1960, (2 Folders)

University of Pennsylvania

Box 227 Folder 3 General, 1953-1958

Box 227 Folder 4 Mitchell, John McK. (Dean), 1953-1956

Box 227 Folder 5 Western Reserve University, 1952-1958

Box 227 Folder 6 Deferred Gratification, undated

Box 227 Folder 7-8 Evaluation of the Comprehensive Care and Teaching Program (CCTP) at Cornell University,, 1952-1959, (2 Folders)

Box 227 Folder 9 Evaluation Meeting, 1954

Box 227 Folder 10 Interim Reports--Western Reserve University, 1956

Box 227 Folder 11 Interviews and Surveys, 1954, undated, 1954, undated


Box 228 Folder 1-2 Master File, 1954, (2 Folders)

Memoranda

Box 228 Folder 3 Coleman, James, undated

Box 228 Folder 4 The Commonwealth Fund, 1956

Box 228 Folder 5 Cornell University, 1953-1958

Box 228 Folder 6 Early, 1952-1957

Monograph

Box 228 Folder 7 Group Meeting, 1953-1954

Box 228 Folder 8 Kass, Babette, undated

Box 228 Folder 9 Martin, William, 1956

Box 228 Folder 10 Nicholls, William, 1958

Box 228 Folder 11 Objectives of Medical Education, 1952-1953

Box 228 Folder 12 Planning, 1953

Box 228 Folder 13 Style Guidelines, undated

Notes

Box 228 Folder 14 and Data, 1952-1955

Box 228 Folder 15 and Drafts--Medical Attitudes and Values, undated

Box 228 Folder 16 Partial Data Summaries, circa, 1958


Box 229 Folder 1-3 Preliminary Report--Cornell University, 1953, (3 Folders)

Box 229 Folder 4 "Professional Education and Training,", undated

Box 229 Folder 5 Project Inventory--Western Reserve University, 1956-1960

Project Planning

Box 229 Folder 6 General, 1953-1954

Box 229 Folder 7 University of Pennsylvania, 1954

Proposals

Box 229 Folder 8-11 General, 1952-1957, (4 Folders)


Box 230 Folder 1 Comments, 1953

Box 230 Folder 2 Notes and Drafts, 1954

Publications

Box 230 Folder 3 Planning, 1954-1955

Box 230 Folder 4-5 "Studies in Sociology of Medical Education,", 1955-1956, (2 Folders)

Questionnaires

Box 230 Folder 6-7 Cornell University, 1952, (2 Folders)

Box 230 Folder 8 National Opinion Research Center, 1947-1948

Box 230 Folder 9 University of Pennsylvania, 1953-1954

Box 230 Folder 10 Western Reserve University, undated

Reports

Box 230 Folder 11 Drafts--Goss, Mary, 1952-1953

Box 230 Folder 12 Progress, 1956

Box 230 Folder 13 Western Reserve University, 1954

Requests


Box 231 Folder 1 Future Monographs, 1957-1958

Box 231 Folder 2 Lectures and Papers, 1955-1961

Box 231 Folder 3 Research Positions, 1953-1956

Box 231 Folder 4 Use of Data, 1952-1960

Box 231 Folder 5 Research Clippings, 1952-1956

Box 231 Folder 6-7 Sample of Findings, 1955, (2 Folders)

Box 231 Folder 8 Scheduled Free Time, 1955-1957

Seminar (Soc #319/320)

Box 231 Folder 9-10 General, 1951-1958, (2 Folders)


Box 232 Folder 1-5 General, 1951-1958, (5 Folders)

Box 232 Folder 6 Minutes, 1954-1955

Box 232 Folder 7 Student Projects, 1953

Box 232 Folder 8-9 Sociological Calendar of the First Year of Medical School, 1956-1958, (2 Folders)

Student Journals and Interviews


Box 233 Folder 1-4 General, 1952-1955, (4 Folders)

Box 233 Folder 5 Balsam, Alan, 1955

Box 233 Folder 6-7 Bloom, Samuel, 1954-1955, (2 Folders)

Box 233 Folder 8 Brooks, Dana, 1953-1954


Box 234 Folder 1-3 Brooks, Dana, 1953-1954, (3 Folders)

Box 234 Folder 4 Burns, Donald, 1953-1954

Box 234 Folder 5-6 McLellan, Lowell, 1953-1954, (2 Folders)

Box 234 Folder 7 Menninger, Walter, 1953-1957


Box 235 Folder 1-6 Menninger, Walter, 1953-1957, (6 Folders)


Box 236 Folder 1 Menninger, Walter, 1953-1957

Box 236 Folder 2 Rosenbach, Ronald, 1953-1954

Box 236 Folder 3 Weinberg, Saul, 1955

Box 236 Folder 4 Theoretical Ideas, 1952-1957

Working Papers

Box 236 Folder 5 General, 1956-1957

Box 236 Folder 6 Bloom, Samuel, 1955

Box 236 Folder 7 Glaser, William, 1958

Box 236 Folder 8 Glaser, William, and Emery, Jane, 1958

Box 236 Folder 9 Kendall, Patricia L., undated

Box 236 Folder 10-11 Levine, Gene, 1957, (2 Folders)


Box 409 Folder 9 Edward Condon Study--"Trial by Newspaper," 1949, 1981-1988, 1949, 1981-1988

Box 409 Folder 10 Eisenhower Mail Study-- Revival of Study, 1985-1992

Box 409 Folder 11 Hastings-on-Hudson Community Affairs--Pinecrest Drive: An Interracial Stable Neighborhood, 1952-1955, 1985, 1952-1955, 1985


Box 495 Folder 1 Analysis for FBI Unabom Task Force, 1995

Box 495 Folder 2 Housing Study--Craftown Follow Up Study, 1977