Clifford and Mildred Erickson papers

Record Group

Identifier: UA-17.276

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection has been arranged into two series: Series 1 Clifford E. Erickson and Series 2: Mildred B. Erickson.

Series 1 contains papers related to Clifford Erickson’s career at Michigan State University. This includes speeches by him (1960–1962) and by others (1956–1963), notes from trips to Far East (1956, 1961), biographical information, guidance and counseling materials, and other materials related to teaching and administration.

Series 2 contains papers related to Mildred Erickson’s work in American Thought and Language (ATL). This includes course materials, policies and procedures, clippings, directories, and examinations. There is also a copy of a book she co-authored with Fran Murray, Adult Female Human Being in the 1980s.

Dates

Creation: 1947 - 1964

Creator

Erickson, Clifford E. (Clifford Eric), 1907- (Person)
Erickson, Mildred (Person)
Murray, Fran (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Clifford Eric Erickson was born on June 23, 1907 to John and Hannah Winstrom Erickson in DeKalb County, Illinois. He graduated from DeKalb High School in 1924 and went on to complete a B.Ed. from Northern Illinois Teachers College in 1930. He continued his studies with a M.S. (1934) and a Ph.D. (1937) from Northwestern University. In 1957, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law from Central Michigan College.

He began his teaching career at the Malta, Illinois Public Schools in 1924 and continued until 1930 when he began teaching and counseling at Evanston Public Schools.

From 1934-1936, he worked as an instructor, Assistant Dean (1936) and subsequently as assistant professor and Director of Guidance Laboratory in 1939 until 1944 at Northwestern University.

In 1944, he was hired as professor in Education at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University). He became Director of the Institute of Counseling and Testing and Guidance in 1945 and Dean of the Basic College (later known as University College) in 1951 and remained so until 1954. In 1953, he became Dean of the School of Education and remained at this position until being appointed Provost in 1962.

He was the author of many articles and more than 11 books. He was a member of many professional and scholastic organizations including National Education Association, Michigan Education Association, and the Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi societies.

He died unexpectedly in March 1963.

Mildred B. Erickson was born on September 8, 1913 to Louis C. and Anna Schmidt Brinkmeier in Hannibal, Missouri. She completed an A.A. in 1932 at Hannibal La Grange College. She then earned her B.S. (1934) and her M.A. (1937) from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1968.

She began her teaching career at Central Junior High School (1934-1935) in Hannibal, Missouri and then at Sycamore Community High School (1935–1937). She was hired by Michigan State University as an assistant instructor in 1958 in American Thought and Language, assistant professor (1968), associate professor (1971) and professor (1975). She was also a counselor for the University College beginning in 1965 until 1975. She became Assistant Dean of Continuing Education in 1972 and Assistant Dean for Lifelong Education Programs in 1975. She retired in 1980.