William Fraser Connell papers, 1891-2010

fonds

1891-2010

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs, Drawings, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

940928

6.60 metres of textual material (44 boxes), some files contain photographs
1 sound cassette (35 mins.)

William Fraser (Bill) Connell (1916-2001), academic and educationist, was born in Lockhart, NSW. He was educated in Victoria and graduated from the University of Melbourne (BA Hons in History and Latin, 1938; BEd, 1939; MA, 194, Med, 1944). In 1948 he completed a PhD thesis at the University of London, published as The Educational Thought and Influences of Matthew Arnold (1950). He taught in the School of Education at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he completed an MA degree in 1949. Connell was appointed Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Sydney in 1951, and was Professor of Education from 1955 until his retirement in 1976. He collaborated in the first major study of the interests and attitudes of Australian adolescents, Growing Up in an Australian City, published in 1957, followed in 1975 by a more comprehensive study, 12 to 20: Studies of City Youth. In 1977 he was appointed Professor Emeritus in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the University.

As Chairman of the Australian UNESCO Education Committee, 1964-1973, and of the National Committee on Social Science Teaching, 1970-1971, Connell contributed to the promotion of social science teaching and education for international understanding in Australian schools. He led educational tours to China in 1972 and 1976, and made official visits to educational institutions in the USSR. He was President of the Australian Association for Research in Education in 1973 and was awarded its Honorary Life membership in 1978. He was foundation editor of the Australian Journal of Education, 1957-1973. In 1976 Connell was appointed Chairman of the TEND Committee to report on education in Tasmania. During his retirement at Mornington, Victoria, Connell published several books, The Australian Council for Educational Research 1930-80 (1980), A History of Education in the Twentieth Century World (1980) and Reshaping Australian Education 1960-1985 (1993). He was one of the editors of, and a chief contributor to, Australia’s First: A History of the University of Sydney, Volume 2, 1940-1990 (1995). Connell married Margaret Lloyd, nee Peck (1915-2008), a high school science teacher, in 1939; they had three children, Patricia, Raewyn and Helen.

References:
Compiled from the collection
‘Vale Bill Connell’. http://www.aare.edu.au/vale/connell.htm (accessed January 13, 2004), printout in ‘Selected WFC CVs / tributes / obits etc’ file, William Fraser Connell papers, MLMSS 8673/Box 27

This collection chiefly documents William Fraser Connell's academic career as one of Australia's leading educationists, and his influential contribution to educational research in Australia and overseas. It includes correspondence, photographs, subject files, research material, drafts of his lectures, speeches, talks and a related sound recording, chapters and journal articles, reports and monographs, and references and testimonials that he wrote for students, staff and university administrators.

This collection is described by the following box listings, based on Connell's file titles. The files were originally received in 24 non-standard boxes and subsequently transferred to 44 archive boxes. A number of file titles were supplemented, with annotations, by Dr Raewyn Connell and Dr Patricia Selkirk. Their box summaries are incorporated below.

Boxes 01-23: William Fraser Connell papers relating to research projects and published books

History of Australian Council for Educational Research (Box 1)
Social Science Education (Boxes 2-3)
Soviet and Chinese Education (Boxes 4-5)
History of the University of Sydney (Boxes 6-9)
Australian Education, 'Change' (Box 10)
Publications, assorted (Boxes 11-12)
Research projects, assorted (13-14)
General History of education (Boxes 15-16)
Assorted research materials (Box 17)
Reshaping Australian Education (Boxes 18-20)
History of Education in the 20th Century World (Boxes 21-23)

Boxes 24-44: William Fraser Connell professional and personal papers

Early years (to 1950) (Boxes 24-26)
Personal: Correspondence, curriculum vitae and travel (Boxes 27-28)
Professional life (Boxes 29-30)
TEND Enquiry [Tasmanian Education in the Next Decade] (Box 31)
Talks, speeches, outreach (Boxes 32-33)
WFC's teaching (Boxes 34-36)
WFC as a student (Boxes 37-38)
Testimonials and references written by WFC (Boxes 39-43: RESTRICTED)
Family - Personal and end of WFC's life (Box 44)

This collection preserves the arrangement chiefly undertaken by Dr Raewyn Connell and Dr Patricia Selkirk

English, Chinese, Russian, German

Partly restricted: Restriction applies only to Boxes 39 - 43 comprising references and testimonials written by William Fraser Connell - Restricted until 2030

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Copyright holder:: Dr Raewyn Connell, Dr Patricia Selkirk and Dr Helen Connell are owners of their father, William Fraser Connell's copyrighted material
Research & study copies allowed: Applies only to Professor William Fraser Connell's copyrighted material
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holders