Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions for personal use of authorized materials. Permission to publish material from George Mason University Office of the President records must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Access Restrictions

Series 2-7 contain a number of access-restricted materials noted in the contents list. Restricted materials include personally identifiable information as well as confidential or otherwise sensitive personal information and exchanges. To find out more information regarding resticted material, please contact the University Archivist.

Alternate Format Available

Digital versions are available of two of the President Thompson scrapbooks.

Preferred Citation

George Mason University Office of the President records, R0019, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

These materials were and are actively being acquired by George Mason University Special Collections Research Center through the Office of the President.

Processing Information

The materials which make up this collection were initially acquired by SCRC staff and processed by SCRC Archivist and Records Manager, Barbara Haase and SCRC staff beginning in the early-1980s. Additional processing and initial EAD completed by Pushyamethra Kandala in 2001. Reprocessed and EAD completed in 2010 by Greta Kuriger. Reprocessed, inventoried, and finding aid data entry by Lana Mason in 2020. In 2024 University Archivist Robert Vay completed the remaining finding aid data entry and publishing.

Historical Information

The institution known today as George Mason University (GMU) began as the University of Virginia (UVA) Extension Division's Northern Virginia University Center in 1949. The Center was administered by Director John N. G. Finley (1899-1971). In 1956, UVA established the University College, a two-year branch college, alongside the Northern Virginia University Center, with Finley serving as director of both institutions. In 1960 UVa officials changed the name of the two-year branch college to George Mason College of the University of Virginia

UVA coalesced its presence in Northern Virginia in 1964 by constructing a permanent campus just south of the then-Town of Fairfax. Robert H. Reid (1913-1970) served as director of George Mason College from 1964-1966.

In 1966 Lorin A. Thompson (1902-1999) became the first and only chancellor of George Mason College and it became a four-year degree-granting institution that same year. George Mason was separated from UVA on April 7, 1972 and become an independent university under the name George Mason University. Thompson was named GMU's first president. He retired from the position in 1973.

Vergil H. Dykstra (1925-2010) was selected as GMU's second president in 1973 and retired from his role in 1977.

Robert C. Krug (1918-2006) became the third president of GMU in 1977 and departed the position in 1978 to return to his former position as Vice President of Academic Affairs.

George W. Johnson (1928-2017) was chosen as the fourth president of GMU in 1978 and served for 18 years, the longest term of any George Mason president to date. He retired in 1996.

Alan G. Merten (1941-2020) was named the fifth president of GMU in 1996 and, after serving for 16 years, retired in 2012.

Ángel Cabrera (1967- ) became the sixth president of GMU in 2012 and served for seven years, departing from the position in 2019.

Scope and Content

The George Mason University Office of the President records contains a broad spectrum of materials originating within, received, or accessed by the George Mason University (GMU) Office of the President. These materials include, but are not limited to, correspondence, studies, reports, speeches, meetings minutes, scrapbooks, audio-visual media and photographs.

The collection contains materials from the institution's beginning in 1949 as a subsidiary of the University of Virginia through the early 2010s. These materials chart the development, both culturally and physically, of the institution through the lens of its directors', chancellor's and presidents' correspondence, reports, and other administrative documents.

In addition to providing information about GMU's academic and physical development, the collection provides a view of the sociocultural development of Northern Virginia and, by extension, the United States. Notable moments and cultural shifts in American history, such as the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, diversity awareness, and the September 11 attacks are referenced within collection materials.

Series 1: Annual Reports contains the George Mason annual reports, compiled by the sitting college director or, later, university president. These reports documented the rate of change during George Mason's first twenty years.

Series 2: Early History contains correspondence, reports, campus development plans, and other documentation produced during George Mason's early years under directors John Norville Gibson Finley and Robert Reid.

Series 3: Lorin A. Thompson contains materials such as correspondence, administrative meetings minutes, Civil Rights Act compliance documents, land acquisition and building plans, memoranda, photographs, scrapbooks, and reports dating from the tenure of Lorin A. Thompson.

Series 4: Vergil H. Dykstra contains materials such as budget reports, administrative meetings minutes, and enrollment statistics from the tenure of Vergil H. Dykstra.

Series 5: Robert C. Krug primarily contains correspondence from the tenure of Robert C. Krug.

Series 6: George W. Johnson contains a wide variety of materials including correspondence, speeches, and reports from the tenure of George W. Johnson.

Series 7: Alan G. Merten contains a wide variety of materials including correspondence, speeches, and reports from the tenure of Alan G. Merten.

Series 8: Ángel Cabrera contains 2013 Spring and Winter Commencements planning documents, Colonial Athletic Association meetings minutes and correspondence, and holiday greetings and event invitation cards.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in eight chronologically ordered series. Each individual series is self-contained and is arranged in order of materials acquisition. Prior to reprocessing in 2020, preexisting materials in series 2-7 were arranged in alphabetical order.

Series 1: GMC/GMU Annual Reports, 1961-1980 (Boxes 1-2) Series 2: Materials from the offices of John Norville Gibson Finley and Robert Reid, 1949-1966 (Boxes 1-3) Series 3: Materials from the office of Lorin Thompson, 1965-1975 (Boxes 1-18) Series 4: Materials from the office Vergil H. Dykstra, 1973-1977 (Boxes 1-6) Series 5: Materials from the office of Robert Krug: 1977-1978 (Boxes 1-2) Series 6: Materials from the office of George W. Johnson, 1978-1996 (Boxes 1-83) Series 7: Materials from the office of Alan G. Merten, 1996-2012 (Boxes 1-78) Series 8: Materials from the office of Ángel Cabrera, 2011-2013 (Box 1)

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center also holds the George Mason University Office of the Registrar records and the George Mason University Office of the Senior Vice President records.

For more on the history of George Mason University and its presidents, visit the online exhibit George Mason University: A History.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Affirmative action programs in education
• Cabrera, Angel, 1967-
• Correspondence
• Cultural pluralism
• Dykstra, Vergil H., 1925-2010
• Education -- Political aspects -- United States
• Education -- Virginia
• Education, Higher
• Educational change
• Educational reports
• Fairfax County (Va.) -- History
• George Mason University
• George Mason University. Office of the President
• Johnson, George W., 1928-2017
• Krug, Robert C. , 1918-2006
• Merten, Alan G.
• Nineteen eighties
• Nineteen fifties
• Nineteen nineties
• Nineteen seventies
• Nineteen sixties
• Regional planning -- Virginia
• Reid, Robert H., 1913-1970
• School boards
• School integration
• Speeches, addresses, etc.
• Thompson, Lorin A., 1902-1999
• Twentieth century
• Twenty-first century
• Two thousands (Decade)
• Universities and colleges
• Universities and colleges -- Administration
• Universities and colleges -- History
• University extension -- United States
• Virginia, Northern
• Virginia, Northern -- History