Deans of Men and the Shaping of Modern College Culture (review)

In Deans of Men and the Shaping of Modern College Culture, Robert Schwartz provides both an introduction to the early years of student affairs practice and research that clearly illustrates the contrasting viewpoints that have defined student affairs since the profession’s founding. While the book highlights prominent deans of men, Schwartz correspondingly includes information about their counterparts, the deans of women, highlighting their different approaches to working with students. The contrasts between these two gendered positions provide a well-researched framework through which Schwartz tells an interesting and informative story about the early deans of men and presents both historical and theoretical contexts for practice in student affairs.

As reviewers, we were both undergraduate history majors who love reading and learning about the past. Yet we believe that even those who are not “history nerds” will be drawn into the lives of these early deans of men because of the engaging writing style and the effective use of illustrative stories. Through strong primary research, Schwartz gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of deans of men outside of their very public work with college students.

The book’s organization is somewhat chronological, given that it begins with the first recognized dean of men and continues with chapters highlighting subsequent deans of men. Each chapter uses themes that explain that individual’s philosophy. Although each chapter has a specific purpose and subject, the titles of each chapter lack continuity. For instance, Chapter 2, “The Pioneer,” highlights Thomas Arkle Clark as the first person to officially hold the title of “dean of men.” Chapter 3 introduces “The Paternalists” (describing Scott Goodnight) who saw the dean as a fatherly figure and advised students in that role. These early chapters emphasize particular deans as representing the epitome of their assigned titles.

However Chapter 4, “The Academics,” names no such sole exemplary dean but instead highlights several faculty members who also served as deans of men. Chapter 5, “A Southern Student Personnel Pioneer,” profiles Francis Bradshaw because of his views on preparation for the dean’s role, a philosophy that often ran counter to that of his peers. “A Modern Dean,” Chapter 6, portrays Fred Turner as one of the last to hold the dean of men title, although this chapter focuses less on Turner and more on the modernization of the college dean position.

The inclusion of Chapter 7, summarizing the contributions made to college campuses by the deans of women, may puzzle some readers. In a book entitled Deans of Men and the Shaping of Modern College Culture, why would readers expect to learn about the deans of women? How does their story contribute to understanding the deans of men? When a book highlights the contrasts inherent in the development of the student affairs profession, however, the inclusion of the deans of women’s history and their contributions is warranted.

This chapter advances our understanding concerning why the move away from gendered deans’ positions to “deans of students” was discriminatory, yet met with little resistance at the time. The contrasting stories of the deans of men and deans of women illuminates differences between the “student personnel” movement, emphasizing tests and measurement, and that of the “humanists” who were more concerned with student growth. Schwartz further explains this conflict by comparing the work of professional associations for deans of men (National Association of Deans and Advisors of Men) and women (National Association of Deans and Advisors of Women).

As a detailed story of the past, this book is well written and can be used in its entirety, or each chapter can stand alone as a part of a class in higher education, gender issues, or student affairs history. However, there is some repetition of material from chapter to chapter. The book’s major contribution is setting both historical and theoretical contexts for the development of student affairs as a profession. Understanding the history of...