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Historical Note: As early as the 1860's when Professor Leonard Parker, in his capacity as county superintendent of schools, assisted students in finding teaching positions, faculty and administrators were involved in guiding students in finding employment, until the mid 1920's primarily teacher placement. The Appointments Bureau is first listed in the 1921 College Catalog and offered assistance to undergraduates as well as alumni in securing employment and promotions. For more on the pre-1930 period see Shelton Beatty, History of Grinnell College and its Curriculum to 1930, pgs. 497-504 (College Archives 06.01/B38h).

From the mid 1920s the office gradually added services, including guidance testing, advising on employment opportunities, assistance with securing employment in business and industry, in securing summer employment. In large part the expanded responsibilities were made possible by grants from J. C. Penney Foundation, which donated to the college $3000-$5000 per year, 1926-31, to establish a formal vocation guidance program with a director, secretary, and office equipment. The grant allowed the college to hire Mitchell Dreese as the first professionally trained, full-time, vocational guidance director, a position he held 1929-31. See RG-A/Main/Box 3/ J.C.Penney for more details.

<p style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; "> Over the years the office has had a variety of names: Appointments Bureau, Department of Personnel, Placement Office, Career Services Office (ca. 1971), Career Development Office.

Prior to 1970 placement was combined with other administrative or faculty functions. In the period 1970-74 the Dean of Student Affairs directed the office, Resident Advisers staffed it on a part-time basis, student usage grew. In 1974 John Adams was appointed as full-time Director of Career Services; Resident Advisers continued part-time staffing. The office established regular hours and expanded its services; student use continued to grow.

Now known as the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS).

Directors:

John Adams 1974-78

Debra Stuart 1978-81

Linda Johnsrud 1981-85

Marilyn Kurtz 1985-93

Steven Langerud 1993- 2006

Kathleen Powell 2007-2009

Mike Caldwell, Acting Director, 2009-2010

Walter Scott Hendrixson was born in 1859 and received his B. S. degree from Union Christian College, Meron, Indiana, in 1881. He taught at Antioch College from 1882-1888, and earned his Ph. D. from Harcvard in 1903. He also did graduate work in Berlin and Gottingen in the 1890s. He was a member of the Chemistry faculty at Grinnell College from 1890 until his sudden death in 1925.

John Patrick Ryan was a highly respected professor of Public Speaking at Grinnell College from 1903-1947. He was born in New York in 1877 and received his B.A. from Cornell University and his M.A. from the University of Chicago. He originally taught speech and drama within the Department of English at Grinnell College, but after encouraging the development of a Speech Department--one of the first in the country--he became the department head of Speech.
Two of his noted students were Hallie Flanagan Davis (Director of the Federal Theatre Project) and author and professor, Loren Reid. In addition to his college teaching, he taught public speaking to thousands of business and professional people in Des Moines. In 1936 he served as president to the precursor of the Speech Communication Association.Provenance: Donated by Jean Ryan Squires, 1982.

Historical Note: The Community Service Center began in 1988 with a student community service grant from ACTION and with funding from Grinnell College. The mission of the Center is to support volunteer projects that address poverty- related issues, promote positive social change, and develop cross-cultural understanding. Projects in which students have participated fall into seven categories: tutoring projects, social service agencies' programs, and programs serving adults with special needs, children, homeless people, women, and senior citizens. Student volunteers usually commit one to five hours per week on an ongoing basis.

Center directors have been:

Heather Kenvin Hietala, 1988-91

Amy Eilert Graves, 1991-2007

1821 Born in New Hampshire

1847-ca.1853 Congregational pastor

1852 Married Julia Chapin

1854 Founded Grinnell, Iowa

1856 Active in organizing Republican Party in Iowa

1856-60 State Senator. Worked to establish public schools in Iowa

1858 Admitted to the Iowa bar

1860 Delegate to Republican convention which nominated Lincoln

1863-67 Representative (Republican) to U. S. House of Representatives

1854-84 Trustee of Iowa (Grinnell) College

1891 Death

Interests included religion, education, politics, railroading, stock breeding, and sheep raising.

More details in Dictionary of American Biography, National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Who Was Who in America, Charles Payne’s Josiah Bushnell Grinnell.

Grinnell, Iowa was founded in March 1854 by Josiah Bushnell Grinnell (1821-1891) who chose a site which surveys indicated would be the junction of two railroads. Grinnell was a minister, trustee and benefactor of Iowa College (later renamed Grinnell College), helped organize the Republican party in Iowa, was a Representative to the Iowa legislature and later to the U.S. House (1863), was active in agricultural development and railroad building. He and his wife, Julia Chapin, were both descended from old New England families; their daughter, Mary Grinnell Mears, may have assembled some of these papers.

Salter was a member of the Iowa Band, men who travelled to the Midwest to establish churches and a college. He served as a Congregational clergyman in Burlington, Iowa for over sixty years and was an author and historiographer.