Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

An appointment for research is required. The collection is open for research. No interlibrary loan.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Charles Knox Martin Official Papers, Radford University Archives, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA. Charles Knox Martin Official Papers, Accession # RU 2.3, University Archives, McConnell Library, Radford University

Acquisition Information

Accruals

Additional accruals are not expected.

Processing Information

Processed by Jim Gilson and Aaron Spelbring. Finding aid created by Chelsey Slemp and Gene Hyde, July 2010. Additional materials added by Sarah Theibert and Gene Hyde, April 2013.

Biographical Information

Dr. Charles Knox Martin Jr. was president   of Radford University from 1952-1972. He was born in Missouri, and attended Southwest Missouri State College for his undergraduate and graduate degrees. He continued in the late 1930's to receive his Ph.D. from Yale. He went on to teach at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA before and after the second World War. For the twenty years that Dr. Martin served as president  , he oversaw the dissolvement of the Radford College-Virginia Polytechnic Institute connection, and therefore saw to the advancement of Radford College as its own individual institution. During his presidency, the student population of Radford increased dramatically, twenty-two buildings and additions were added to the campus, and the majors offered by the college more than doubled in number. Radford College became the largest women's college in the state.

Scope and Content

Contains official papers and court cases of President   Charles K. Martin during his administration of Radford College. Box 10 and 11 hold the case files of Edward Jervey v. Charles Martin. The court case concerned Jervey's reply to an article in Redbook that encouraged premarital sex and Martin's actions to protect Radford's virtuous reputation. Box 12 contain different cases that Charles Martin was taken to court. The American Civil Liberties Union v. Charles Martin was the rejection of a student chapter of the ACLU and the organization and Deborah Thurmon. They sued President Charles Martin, Dean of Students Frances Hulburt, and the The College Senate for denying the student chapter of the ACLU to be established at Radford. William Hale v. Charles Martin was a case that was brought against Martin when he did not reinstate Hale's tenure. The reasons for Martin's decision were poor teaching due to being unprepared for the classes he taught which caused a number of student complaints and hostility toward your department chairman. Hale continuously disrespected his chairman during department meeting and in an interview about Hale's evaluations where he called his chair a "liar" and stated he lost his confidence in him. Ruth Taliaferro et Al v. State Council of Higher Education was about sex and age discrimination in compensation of pay. Philip Hirschkop summoned the defendant, the State Council of Higher Education, to answer the complaint that was filed against them on the basis of discrimination. Ralph Flynn v. Charles Martin case was the Flynn's suit against Martin for not reinstating tenure and ending his teaching contract at Radford. Flynn was fired for not completing his doctorate, skipping class and ignoring the protocol, and hostility towards his chair.

The official papers contain information concerning the Academic and Administrative Council between 1952 and 1971, approvals/rejections of applications for admission spanning the years 1965-1971, the American Association of Colleges and Teacher Education, Dr. Martin's calender of events, commencement programs between 1956-1972, and information about the curriculum. Also contained in these papers are plans for the Fortieth and Fiftieth Anniversary of Radford College, speeches made by Dr. Martin, and various subjects concerning the Radford College Study Panel.

Arrangement

Official Papers are organized in alphabetical order.

Box 1: Official Papers, A

Box 2: Official Papers, A-B

Box 3: Official Papers, C-D

Box 4: Official Papers, E-I

Box 5: Official Papers, I-O

Box 6: Official Papers, P-R

Box 7: Official Papers, R-S

Box 8: Official Papers, S-V

Box 9: Edward Jervey Case Box 1

Box 10: Edward Jervey Case Box 2

Box 11: Martin Cases