Finding Aid|
Papers of Virgil M. Hancher Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research. Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department. Copyright: Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials. Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement. Acquisition and Processing Information: These materials were transferred to the University Archives from the Office of the President at various times. The collection inventory below was prepared by Xuefan Sun on July 3, 1996. Guide posted to the Internet 200; revised December 2006. Photographs: |
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Biographical Note
Virgil Melvin Hancher served as the thirteenth president of the University of Iowa, from 1940 to 1964.
A Rhodes scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Hancher led the university for a quarter-century, a period of unprecedented growth for the campus.
Trained in the law, Hancher received the B.A. degree in 1919 and the degree of Juris Doctor in 1924 from the University of Iowa. From Oxford University in England, he received the Bachelor of Arts degree in jurisprudence in 1922 and the Master of Arts degree in 1927.
A strong advocate of higher education, Hancher often appeared before the Iowa Legislature to appeal for greater funding for the university during the post-World War II enrollment boom. He was nationally recognized for his service to higher education, including terms as chairman of the American Council of Education and as president of both the State Universities Association and the National Association of State Universities.
Hancher was born on a farm near Rolfe, Iowa, on September 4, 1896. He married Susan Cannon on June 9, 1928. They had three children. Hancher died on January 30, 1965, in New Delhi, India, while serving as a consultant in higher education for the Ford Foundation. He was 68.
[D. McCartney; 12/2006]
Related Materials
Freimuth, Vicki Sue Beckman. "An Analysis of Virgil M. Hancher's Methods of Speech Preparation and Revision in Three Representative Addresses." M.A. thesis, University of Iowa, 1967. 126 pp. Includes biographical sketch. Main.
Hancher, Susan. "Oral History Interview." University of Iowa Oral History Project, 19. 54 pp. 1976. Archives.
Hancher, Virgil M. "The Summing up." Iowa Business Digest 35, no. 2 (February 1964): 3-8. Also in Iowa Alumni Review 17, no. 4 (June 1964): 4-8, illus. Includes reminiscences of freshman year, 1914-1915. Main; Archives (Iowa Alumni Review only).
Box Contents List
Since the Walter Jessup administration in 1916, the President's Office has maintained an index of Presidential Correspondence in the form of a Kardex file to which name and subject entries are posted. A new alphabetical sequence is begun approximately each fiscal year. These cards files have been photocopied and a bound copy is available in the University Archives; these primary files are not yet available on-line. They are, clearly, essential to tracing correspondence on specific subjects. To locate Hancher speeches and personal papers, find them on the shelf after the correspondence boxes; determine box number by label information.
The Kardex entries concerning correspondence consist of the name or subject and reference to a folder number (which may change from year to year for a particular subject although in a short span of years it often remains the same). To find the current physical location of the referenced folder, readers must consult the photocopied Kardex entries, note the number of any folder they wish to review, and then determine from the list which follows the number of the storage box in which the folder has been placed.
Box - Folders
1940-1941
1 1-10
2 11-12
3 22-22A
4 23-part of 25
5 25 (continued)-25A
6 25A (continued)
7 26-26A
8 27-37
9 38-47
10 48-54
11 55-59
12 60-75
13 75-78C (part)
14 78C (continued)-82
15 83-89
16 90-104
17 105-107D
18 107E-118
19 118 (continued)-118D
20 118D-120
21 121-127
22 127-145 (part)
23 145 (continued)-155
1941-1942
24 1-9
25 10-17
26 18-23
27 24-25B (part)
28 25B (parts 2-7)
29 25B (parts 8-9)
30 258 (end)-26A
31 27C-34 (folder 33 missing)
32 35-46 (part 1)
33 46 (part 2)-49
34 50-57
35 58-61 (part 1)
36 61 (part 2)-79
37 80-90
38 91-107
39 108-113
40 114-1190
41 119D-125 (part 2)
42 125 (part 3)-132
43 132B-153
44 154-175
1942-1943
45 1-4
46 5-16
47 17-22
48 22A-25 (part 1)
49 25 (continued)-25B
50 25B (continued)
51 25B-26
52 26A-30A
53 31-44 (part 1)
54 44 (part 2)-45 (part 3)
55 46-56
56 57-60
57 61-79
58 79
59 79-80
60 81-106
61 107-118
62 118-119
63 120-124
64 125-131 (part 1)
65 131 (part 2)-155
66 155B-156
67 157-164
68 164A-177
69 178-190
1943-1944
70 1-8
71 9-15 (part)
72 15 (part)-22
73 22-25 (part)
74 25 (part)-25B
75 25B
76 25B (continued)
77 25B-26A
78 27-35
79 36-44
80 45-53
81 54-57B
82 58-70
83 71-84
84 85-106
85 101-118
86 118-119D
87 120-123
88 124-130
89 131-145
90 146-164
91 164 (A-C)
92 164D-182
93 183-190; Room Reservation Lists 1940-1942
1944-1945
94 1-9
95 10-23
96 23-23B
97 23B
98 23C
99 23C (continued)
100 23C-25A
101 23B-32
102 32A-45
103 46-57
104 58-60
105 61-67
106 68-75A
107 76-81
108 81-82
109 82-91
110 92-110
111 111-122
112 122B-122C
113 125-129
114 130-145
115 145A-163
116 165-198
117 198-206
1945-1946
118 1-3A
119 3A-15
120 16-23
121 23-23B
122 23B-24
123 24
124 24-248
125 24B
126 24B
127 24B
128 25-25A
129 25A-30A
130 31-45
131 45-54
132 54-58
133 58-61
134 61-71
135 72-86
136 87-101
137 102-111G
138 111H-122B
139 122B-127
140 128-129
141 129-135
142 136-151
143 152-168
144 172-182
145 183-192
1946-1947
146 1-3A
147 3B-10
148 11-19
149 20-23
150 23A
151 23A
152 23A-24
153 24
1S4 24
155 24
156 24
157 24
158 24-24B
159 25-25A
160 25B-39
161 40-48
162 49-58
163 58B-60
164 60-69
165 69 (Audit)
166 70
167 71-81
168 81-88
169 89-105
170 106-114
171 115-122 (A&C)
172 122B-125
173 126-129
174 129-137
17S 138-1S9
176 160-178
177 178-187; Proposed Adult Welfare Research Station
1947-1948
178 1-4
179 5-9A
180 10-22
181 23-23A
182 23B-23B1
183 24
184 24
185 24-25A
186 25A
187 25A-30A
188 31-40A
189 41-45
190 46-57
191 57-68
192 69-72
193 72-82
194 82-93
195 94-99A
196 100-112
197 112A-123
198 124
199 124B-127
200 128-131
201 131-138
202 138-149
203 152-176
204 177-181
1948-1949
205 1-5
206 6-11
207 12-23
208 24-24A
209 24A-25
210 25
211 25A-27A
212 25A-29
213 30-32A
214 32A-328
215 31-42
216 43-54
217 54-63
218 63-80
219 81-84
220 85
221 85
222 85
223 85
224 85
225 85
226 86-93
227 94-113
228 114-119
229 120-128
230 128A-128D
231 130-133A
232 133A-141
233 142-162
234 163-186
1949-1950
235 1-4
236 4-7
237 7-15
238 16-22
239 22-22C
240 22C-23
241 23
242 23A-29A
243 30-43
244 43-49
245 50-60
246 60
247 61-72
248 73-83
249 83-92
250 93-114A
251 115
252 115-116
253 117-126
254 126-126D
255 127A-131
256 131A-143
257 144-176
258 177-184
1950-1951
259 1-5
260 6
261 6-17
262 18-21C
263 21-21F
264 22A
265 23-25
266 26-40
267 41-44
268 45-54
269 53-72
270 74-94
271 97-108B
272 109-120
273 118-120C
274 124-126
275 127-132
276 133-147
277 149-153
278 154-160
1951-1952
279 1-4
280 5-10
281 11-20
282 21-23
283 23-23A (Board Ed. Blue Book)
284 23B-24
285 24
286 24
287 24-28
288 29-42
289 43-50
290 51-56
291 57-87
292 88-102
293 103-116
294 117-127
295 128-135
296 136-146
297 147-148
298 148-155
299 156-163
1952-1953
300 1-5
301 5R-7
302 8-17
303 18-23
304 23-23A
305 23B-23T
306 24
307 24-25
308 28-43
309 43-52
310 53-s8
311 58-75
312 75-76
313 76-87
314 88-110A
315 110A-114
316 115-1210
317 122-127
318 128-138
319 139-153
320 147-162
1953-1954
321 1-5
322 5-10
323 13-15
324 16-23
325 23-23A
326 23B-24
327 24-34
328 35-43
329 44-52
330 53-66A
331 66-83
332 84-104
333 105-117
334 117A-125B
335 125B-125G
336 125G-135
337 136-144
338 146-171
1954-1955
339 1-5
340 5
341 6-14A
342 15-24
343 24-24A
344 24A-248
34S 240-25
346 25
347 25-40
348 41-45
349 46-56A
3S0 56H-63
351 63A-79
352 80-83
353 84-115
354 116-122
355 122-1306
356 130D-1306
357 1306-136
358 137-148
359 149-164
360 165-174
1955-1956
361 1-5A
362 5A-12
363 13-14A
364 14A-18
365 19 -21
366 22-24A
367 24B-25
368 25
369 25-27
370 27A-44
371 45-50
372 51-63
373 64-70
374 70A
375 70-72
376 73-90
377 91-112
378 113-124
379 124-132
380 133-133E
381 133G-141
382 142-168
383 169-178
1956-1957
384 1-4
385 4D-4I
386 4J-4N
387 40-4S
388 6-6D
389 6D-7
390 8-16A
391 16B-28
392 29-38
393 39-48
394 48
395 48B1-60P
396 60Q1-60Q2
397 60Q3-61F
398 62-69A
399 69A-80C
400 80D-80K
401 80R-88
402 89-95D
403 95E-112
1957-1958
404 1-4B1
405 4Bi-4H1
406 4H2-4M1
407 4N
408 4O-4P2
409 4P3-6C
410 6C-6D
411 6D-8
412 8-9.1
413 9.1A-17
414 18-27
415 27A-35
416 36-43
417 43-47
418 48-58
419 60-60Q2
420 60Q2-62
421 63-74
422 77-80E
423 80F-88
424 89-102
425 104-112
1958-1959
426 1--4B
427 4B1-4D
426 4D-4L
429 4M-4P2
430 4P2-6A
431 6B-6C
432 6C-8
433 9-20
434 20.1-28
435 29L 40
436 41-48E1 (conservation problem here)
437 48E2-69L
438 60M-60Z
439 61-73
440 74-80D
441 80E-86
442 86-95D
443 95E-105B
444 I05C-112
1959-1960
445 1-4B
446 4B1-4I
447 4J-4R
448 4S-6B
449 6B-6D
450 6D-8
451 8
452 9-22
453 23-27C
454 28-34
455 35-39
456 40-47
457 48-58
458 60-69Q1
459 60Q1-60R
460 60S-68
461 69-80E
462 80-85
463 86-1 O5C
464 105D-112
1960-1961
465 1-4B
466 4B1-4D
467 4C--4D
468 4D-4I
469 4J-5
470 6-6B
471 6C-14
472 15-27
473 27A-36
474 36A-46
475 47-48
476 47-48
477 48E1-60O
478 60N-61B
479 61C-65T
480 66-80B
481 80C-80R
482 80S-88
483 89-105
484 105A-107
485 108-112
1961-1962
486 1-4B
48T 4B1-4E
488 4F-4M1
489 4N-6A
490 6-6B
491 6C-6D
492 6D-8
493 9-23
494 25-31
495 32-33D
496 33E-42
49T 43-48
498 46B-56
499 56-60P
500 60Q1-62
501 63-77
502 80B-80E
503 78-80R (except #80B-80E)
504 80R-81
505 82-84
506 85-93
507 94A-105A
508 105B-107
509 105B-112
1962-1963
510 1-2C
511 3-4C
512 4D-4M1
513 4N-6
514 6
515 6-6D
516 7-14
517 15-23
518 24-28
519 29-39
520 40-43
521 43-48B
522 48B1-60
523 60A-61B
524 61C-69A
525 69-78
526 79-80E
527 80F-82A
528 82B-92
529 93-105
530 105A-106
531 107-112
1963-1964
532 1-48
533 4B2-4E
534 4F-4N
535 4N1-6
536 6-6A
537 68-8
538 8-9
539 9-22
540 23-28
541 29-35
542 36-40
543 41-47
544 48B-53
545 54-60R
546 60S-65A
54T 65B-79
548 80-80E
549 80E-84
550 85-94B
551 94F-105
552 106-112
Addendum 1:
Box 1-16:
Speeches
Box 17:
Speeches, cataloged/titled
Box 18:
Speech materials, 1940-1964
Box 19:
Statements, 1945-1965
Box 20:
Published articles, speeches, reports
Box 21:
Articles, uncataloged
Box 22:
Diaries, travel notes, travel letters (unpublished)
Box 23:
Memoranda, correspondence, 1932-1964
Box 24:
Press releases, 1940-1966
Box 25:
Press material
Box 26:
Drafts of 1956-1957 Report to Alumni
MSS of proposed book and ten-year report
Correspondence on speeches, 1944-1945
Addendum 2:
Box 1:
Personal papers (1940 -- 1964), A-B
Box 2:
----. B-C
Box 3:
----. Church correspondence
Box 4:
----. D-E
Box 5:
----. F-H
Box 6:
----. H-Hancher family
Box 7:
----. Earl Hall correspondence
Box 8:
----. "Illness" 1957; estate matters; Mrs. Hancher (Susan); Virgil, Jr.
Box 9:
----. Income tax; Mrs. M.P. Hancher; John Heuss
Box 10:
----. I-Mc
Box 11:
----. M-N
Box 12:
----. N-P
Box 13:
----. Q-S
Box 14:
----. Sigma Nu fraternity
Box 15:
----. S-T
Box 16:
----. U-Z
Box 17:
----. Cards and notes received; foreign universities materials
Box 18:
----. English letters; genealogy; India letters
Box 19:
----. Anglican Congress; book lists; family clippings; foreign brochures; photographs (President Hancher)
Box 20:
----. Letters to Board of Education, 1954-1958; speeches
Box 21:
----.
Diary
Fitzgerald Letters
Inauguration
New York University Offer
World Affairs
Miss Wormer Letters
Box 22-23:
Biographical materials
Personal papers
Box 24-26:
Scrapbooks
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