Collections

The collection consists of agendas and meeting minutes from the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees. The Board is composed of thirteen members: six appointed by the Governor, five by the Florida Board of Governors, and two ex officio members—the Student Body President and the President of the University Faculty Senate. All appointed members require confirmation by the Florida Senate. The records document the Board's responsibilities, including policy decisions appropriate to the university's mission, the implementation and maintenance of high-quality education programs, the measurement of performance, the reporting of information, and the provision of input regarding state policy, budgeting, and education standards.

Heather T. Frazer (1940 – 2016) was a professor of history at Florida Atlantic University. After graduating from Connecticut College for her undergraduate studies, she attained a M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University in South Asian History. In 1971, she became the first female faculty member in the FAU history department where she taught for 35 years before retiring in 2006. During her tenure she served as Department Chair and Director of Graduate Studies. She also pioneered the study of women's history at FAU, helping establish the Women's Studies program, which is now the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Dr. Frazer taught courses in women's history, modern Britain and British Empire, Indian history, and oral history. She researched and published in the fields of India and women's history, and co-authored with her colleague, Dr. John O'Sullivan, We Have Just Begun to Not Fight: An Oral History of Conscientious Objectors in Civilian Public Service during World War II (1996). In 1988, she received a Fulbright Fellowship and spent part of the year in India. In 1990, she was selected FAU's Distinguished Teacher of the Year, the highest teaching award conferred by the university, and one selected exclusively by the students. Upon her retirement she was named Professor Emerita of History.

John D. Early is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Early joined the faculty of the Anthropology Department in 1969. He was chair of the department for several years and retired in 1993. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Master of Arts in Social Philosophy from St. Louis University, a Master of Arts in Theology from Woodstock College (a Jesuit Seminary), a Master of Arts in Sociology from Fordham University, and a PhD in Anthropology-Sociology from Harvard University (1965). Dr. Early began his career as a Jesuit priest, although he resigned from the priesthood in 1969. As a member of the Harvard-Chiapas Research Project, he went to Zinacantán to study Maya worldview and its Catholic elements. Later, his interest turned to demographic research as a planning basis for the literacy, cooperative and health programs in which he was involved among the Maya in Guatemala. It was also intended to bring to national and international attention to the severe malnutrition and high mortality among the Maya primarily as a result of social injustice. This interest then turned into fulltime research on the evolution of human population dynamics: for hunter-gathering groups as exemplified by the Agta in the Philippines, for tribal groups as exemplified by the Yanomami in Brazil, for peasants by the Maya in Mexico and Guatemala.

Samuel A. Portnoy (1920 - 2004) was a professor of History at Florida Atlantic University (1963-1991) in Boca Raton, Florida.  Dr. Portnoy was a native New Yorker and received his bachelor's degree and Ph.D.  from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his master's from the University of Chicago. In 1963, he began teaching history at Florida Atlantic University where he was actively involved in the planning of the University's academic program.  He was also first chairman of the Department of History at FAU.  His areas of specialization include Russian and Soviet history, 19th and 20th century European history, and Modern Jewish history. Dr. Portnoy was also a prominent lecturer, speaking on subjects of current and historic importance.  These subjects included the Middle East, the Gorbachev revolution, German unification, and select topics in modern Jewish history (Hasidism, Zionism, Jewish labor and social movements in Europe and the United States), and various aspects of Yiddish culture.  Much of his research was focused on the Jewish Labor Bund and the life of Vladimir Medem, a Russian Jewish political leader.  Portnoy's publications include articles in both Yiddish and English for the journals Labor History, Dissent, and Yiddish. He is also the editor-translator of Vladimir Medem's memoirs entitled: The Life and Soul of a Legendary Jewish Socialist and Henryk Erlich and Victor Alter – Two Heroes and Martyrs for Jewish Socialism.

This collection contains FAU anniversaries and celebratory events. A selection of photographs from each box was described to provide a sample of the collection. To see more photographs, please contact lysca@fau.edu to make an appointment.

This is a collection of photographs saved on 12 compact discs.

This collection contains photographs of FAU commencement ceremonies. A selection of photographs from each box were described to provide a sample of the collection. If you would like to see more photographs, please contact lysca@fau.edu and make an appointment. A collection of FAU Commencement Programs has also been processed; to view the FAU Commencement Programs collection, please follow the link under "Related Materials."

This collection contains FAU commencement programs and honors convocation programs starting from the 1960s. A collection of FAU Commencement Photographs has also been processed; to view the FAU Commencement Photographs collection, please follow the link under "Related Materials."

This collection contains materials from the FAU Creative Service Department. Materials include marketing promotions, CDs with images, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, 4x6 color photograph prints, and other materials used primarily for FAU marketing purposes.

The majority of materials in this collection pertains to FAU history, including academic regalia, flags and banners, athletics materials, and other ephemera and university memorabilia. These materials were collected largely during the 1990s and early 2000s and represent academic life and events at FAU.