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James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison DriveKate Morris, Peter Watt, Tiffany Cole
The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. Staff have taken special care to identify and remove sensitive materials, particularly those relating to students' academic records, found within this collection. However, in rare instances, privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Collection is open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Digitization of media content is in-process as of August 2016. Access will be made available to content once digitization is complete, barring any copyright or use restrictions.
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], William Ingham Papers, 1945-2013, SC 0002, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
William Ingham donated this collection to Special Collections in October 2013.
The donor's original order, including folder titles, were maintained whenever possible. The archivist imposed an order on any unordered files and created discrete series. Limited preservation, including removal of rusty paper clips and brittle rubber bands, was performed on materials. When appropriate, notebooks have been disbound. Newspaper clippings have either been photocopied or interleaved with acid-free paper. At the request of the donor, series 7 through 12 were restricted and closed to researchers until September 18, 2020, three years after the death of Dr. Ronald Carrier.
William Herbert Ingham, a distinguished member of the James Madison University Physics faculty for over three decades, was born November 29, 1947 in Rochester, New York. He received his S.B. (Scientiae Baccalaureus) in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1968 and went on to complete his M.S. in astronomy from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1969. Ingham returned to MIT and received his Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1976. Dr. Ingham began teaching at JMU in September 1976 and remained a member of the Physics faculty until his retirement in July 2010.
During his tenure at JMU, Dr. Ingham served as head of the Physics Department from 1986 to 1989 and also served in an acting role as Associate Dean/Acting Dean, Letters and Sciences (1989-1990) and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (1990-1991). Dr. Ingham's accomplishments related to furthering the science curriculum are numerous. He taught over thirty discrete Physics courses as well as courses in many other disciplines such as chemistry and math and championed a new computational science concentration. He also developed and taught four offerings of an introductory fluid mechanics course beginning the 1980-1980 academic year. In partnership with the History Department, Dr. Ingham was instrumental in creating the history of science curriculum first offered in the 1992-1993 academic year. Related material is located in the Teaching & Coursework series of this collection.
Dr. Ingham advocated for the Physics Department and the liberal studies program during university restructuring in the 1990s. He spoke out against Dr. Carrier and many others in the university administration for decisions made regarding academic restructuring and other tangentially related incidents. On the morning of Friday, January 13, 1995, Dr. Bethany Oberst, vice president for academic affairs announced restructuring plans which included moving math and sciences out of the College of Letters and Sciences and into the College of Integrated Science and Technology (CISAT) and merging the remainder of College of Letters and Sciences programs with the College of Communication and the Arts. Especially shocking to the university community and to Dr. Ingham and his colleagues was the announcement that Physics would be eliminated as a major. Throughout his papers, Dr. Ingham refers to the ensuing months and years at JMU, which included the aforementioned academic restructuring, and also a 1996 Honor Code "fiasco" during which administration quietly overturned an Honor Council decision, opposition by faculty and students to proposed general education curriculum, and quashed subpoenas originally served to Dr. Carrier and civic leader, Zane Showker, as part of the 1997 Jamie Raymond murder trial, as "the troubles." Similar intentionally nebulous language describing these years can be found throughout materials in Series 7 through Series 12. These occurrences, particularly the plans for university restructuring, created conflict between the administration and faculty and resulted in the group, Faculty for Responsible Change (FRC), of which Dr. Ingham was a founding member. The Physics Department ultimately was kept intact and continues to be a thriving department and major at JMU.
Dr. Ingham was also an influential and involved faculty member beyond the Physics Department and beyond JMU. He served on the Faculty Handbook Task Force which was charged with editing the faculty handbook. This included editing and revising the expectations, rights and responsibilities of the faculty, and outlining the relationship between faculty members and the university. He also served on the Faculty Senate. Dr. Ingham was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award for the College of Sciences and Mathematics for academic year 2002/2003. Recommended by the Council for International Exchange of Students (CIES) for a Lecturing/Research award under the 2004-2005 J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Program. He was awarded a grant and subsequently spent the fall semester 2004 teaching Physics and conducting research at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada as a faculty-in-residence.
Dr. Ingham was professionally active throughout his career, serving as a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), particularly the Chesapeake Section (CSAAPT), and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society. He was a grader for Advanced Placement (AP) Physics examinations for several years. Between 1994 and 2000, Dr. Ingham served on the AP Physics Development Committee, a six-member national committee that writes the AP Physics examinations; he chaired the committee from 1997 to 2000.
Since retirement in 2010, Dr. Ingham has remained active in the JMU community as a member of the Faculty Emeriti Association and continues to lecture on topics relating to black holes and gravitational waves.
The William Ingham Papers (1945-2013), consisting of 37.13 cubic feet (113 boxes), contain the professional and academic papers of Dr. William Ingham, professor emeritus of physics at James Madison University. The materials chiefly relate to Dr. Ingham's tenure as a physics professor at JMU between 1976 and 2010, including lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations, homework assignments, syllabi, examinations and keys, and related course documents. Other materials relate to Ingham's scholarly pursuits both related and unrelated to physics including Dr. Ingham's research on James Madison and the sciences. Materials documenting Dr. Ingham's involvement in professional organizations and his commitment to professional development comprise a sizable portion of the collection. Much of the correspondence throughout the collection was generated using the VAX email system.
The second half of the collection, series 7 through 12, includes materials documenting the conflicts and controversial incidents Dr. Ingham encountered with the JMU administration during his time as a professor of physics at JMU. Specifically, these incidents include the controversial decision by JMU administration to restructure academic colleges and dissolve the Physics Department, a 1996 Honor Code "fiasco" during which administration quietly overturned an Honor Council decision, opposition by faculty and students to proposed general education curriculum, and quashed subpoenas originally served to Dr. Carrier and civic leader, Zane Showker, as part of the 1997 Jamie Raymond murder trial. At the request of the donor, the aforementioned series were restricted and closed to researchers until September 18, 2020, three years after the death of Dr. Ronald Carrier.
The collection is arranged in thirteen series. Series 2: Teaching and Coursework, Series 4: JMU Departmental and JMU Materials, and Series 8: Faculty for Responsible Change are arranged further into subseries. All series and subseries are arranged chronologically with the exception of Series 11: Reports and Series 12: Subject Files, which are arranged alphabetically. Note that within Series 8: Faculty for Responsible Change there are two subseries. Subseries 8.1 is arranged alphabetically and subseries 8.2 is arranged numerically by exhibit number. Series 13: Media is not arranged in any particular order.
Undergraduate and Graduate School Materials, 1965-1976 Teaching and Coursework, 1971-2013 Research and Scholarship, 1945-2013 JMU Departmental and JMU Materials, 1976-2012 Professional Development and Activities, 1958-2011 Physics Miscellaneous, 1970-2005 Chronological Files, 1986-2013 Faculty for Responsible Change, 1993-2008 General Education, 1993-1998 Physics Program Review, 1990-1999 Reports, 1989-1996 Subject Files, 1992-2013 Media, 1999-2004Due to Federal laws regulating the privacy and use of student academic records (specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, i.e. FERPA), material including but not limited to grades and grade books, marked papers, theses, class rosters, letters of recommendation, and instances of social security numbers or other unique identification numbers have been removed and returned to the donor. Many newspaper articles were photocopied and originals discarded. In some instances where entire newspaper issues were donated, the titles and dates of issues were recorded and originals were returned to donor. All media, regardless of original location in the organizational structure, has been removed to a single series.
Along with all other media, the USB flash drive is in the process of being digitized (copied) as of August 2016. After digitization, the original drive was returned to the owner.
Arranged numerically by course number and then alphabetically.
This small series contains coursework and notes completed by William Ingham while he was an undergraduate and graduate student at MIT. Materials primarily comprise course notebooks and handwritten notes.
Arranged in two subseries. Series 2.1: Courses is arranged alphabetically by course number (beginning with physics) then numerically by course number. Series 2.2: General Teaching is arranged alphabetically.
This series, comprising the bulk of the collection, contains Dr. Ingham's teaching materials and coursework when he was a professor at James Madison University. Dr. Ingham taught throughout multiple departments. As such, his course material spans the subjects of physics, math, chemistry, computer science, history, liberal studies, and honors. Dr. Ingham was instrumental in creating courses on the history of science taught in the history department and taught many other liberal studies courses, including freshman seminar, women in science, and seminars in nuclear war. Included in these files are syllabi, tests, lectures, notes, handouts, homework assignments, and course evaluations for various classes throughout his career at JMU. This series also contains handouts and lecture materials not associated with specific courses. This series is organized into two subseries –2.1. Courses and 2.2. General Teaching – which separates the material related to specific courses from miscellaneous teaching materials not necessarily associated with one particular course.
Arranged alphabetically.
This series consists mostly of scholarly articles and handwritten notes by Dr. Ingham pertaining to his scholarly pursuits, some of which are not directly related to physics. Many of these scholarly articles have dates handwritten in the top left corner of the page, which indicate when he actually printed or used these articles. If no date was written on them, then the date of publication is used for description purposes. This series also contains correspondence between Ingham and various scholars about their work, such as edits for textbooks and book reviews. Dr. Ingham conducted much research on James Madison and the sciences; related documentation is included. Large collections of Wikipedia and other web page printouts were removed and given back to the donor.
Arranged in three subseries: 4.1. JMU Materials is arranged alphabetically, 4.2. Physics Department Materials is arranged alphabetically, and 4.3. Canadian Faculty Residency is arranged alphabetically.
This series contains information pertaining Dr. Ingham's role in the JMU community and the physics department specifically. Dr. Ingham's time spent as a faculty-in-residence at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada is also well-documented. The JMU materials include papers from JMU sponsored events and Dr. Ingham's role in JMU task forces and committees. For example, Dr. Ingham played a pivotal role in editing the faculty handbook as a member of the Faculty Handbook Task Force; related materials are included. Also included in this series are annual departmental evaluations, Dr. Ingham's personal faculty evaluations and performance reviews, and information pertaining to Ingham's tenure application. Of particular interest are the materials (including photographs) related to Physics Teaching Resource Agents (PTRA) – a summer institute at JMU to train rural high school physics teachers. Documents related to visiting scholars, lecturers, including Isaac Asimov who spoke at the 1979 Arts and Sciences Symposium, and various grant proposals are contained within this series. Dr. Ingham was awarded a major grant funded by the Appalachia Education Laboratory entitled "Interdisciplinary Science: Transforming Educational Experiences" (ISTEE) "to develop a college-level interdisciplinary physical science course that will satisfy JMU's general-education requirements and will be particularly appropriate for prospective middle school teachers." This series is organized into three subseries – 4.1. JMU Materials, 4.2. Physics Department Materials, and 4.3. Canadian Faculty Residency.
Arranged alphabetically by organization (where applicable) and then chronologically.
This series consists of materials related to Dr. Ingham's involvement in professional organizations other than JMU or the physics department. This includes scholarly conferences and workshops that he attended, lectures presented, certifications from non-JMU affiliated organizations, and copies of his resume. Organizations represented include the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (CSAAPT), the Virginia Academy of Science.
Arranged alphabetically.
This series contains material related to Dr. Ingham and physics, but does not necessarily fit within any of the other series. Included in this series are quotes, and comics, and personal correspondence.
Arranged chronologically.
This series makes up the bulk of the collection and represents a monthly filing system kept by the donor. The series begins with a file comprised of two documents explaining Dr. Ingham's reasons for collecting and donating material related to the unrest at JMU during the 1990s. These two documents provide insight into the materials found in all subsequent series. Materials from the earliest years of 1986 - 1990 are grouped into one file, with the years 1991 and 1992 each representing one file. Beginning with January 1993 through December 1998, a file is kept for each month of each year. Within that span of years a few months are missing, most likely because the creator did not have materials for those months. January 1995 and February 1995 are the largest files and contain significant amounts of material related to the January 13, 1995 announcement by the JMU administration that the Physics major would be discontinued and the Physics Department disbanded. Other months that contain large amounts of material are April 1996 – relating to the honor code incident, and April 1997 - relating to the quashed subpoenas of Dr. Carrier and Zane Showker for the Jamie Raymond murder trial. See Box 96, Folder 1 for Ingham's explanation of the order of the files that includes details about the major events documented. This file is duplicated in Series 12: Subject Files, Box 110, Folder 21. Also of interest is the nine-page document entitled "NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM H. INGHAM'S ACTIVITIES AS A JMU FACULTY MEMBER WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ACTIONS, STATEMENTS, AND DOCUMENTS WHICH MIGHT HAVE ANGERED PRESIDENT OF OTHER JMU ADMINISTRATORS" found in folder May 1995 (Folder 1 of 2). Files entitled 1999-2001 and Miscellaneous Articles have been created by the archivist out of loose materials within the boxes. As many of the folders are titled by their date range, each folder title includes two date ranges: 1) the folder title itself as provided by the creator and 2) the date range of materials within the file which may include undated items.
Arranged in two sub-series. Series 8.1: Lawsuit Files is arranged alphabetically. Series 8.2: Exhibit Items is arranged numerically by exhibit number.
This series comprises materials related to the aftermath of the January 13, 1995 announcement of academic restructuring, specifically that the Physics Department and major would be eliminated along with ten faculty positions. Materials specifically concern the activities of the group Faculty for Responsible Change (FRC), of which Dr. Ingham was a member, including its lawsuit against the James Madison University Board of Visitors. The first two folders in this series contain materials – newspaper clippings, memoranda, correspondence, timelines – that put into context the January 13 announcement including the lead-up (move to restructure the university, Carrier appoints son Michael as assistant provost of CISAT) and details the immediate aftermath. The donor labeled items submitted as exhibits in the lawsuit FRC v. JMU Visitors numerically D1-D149. These exhibit items include memoranda, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. Subseries 8.1 is comprised of general lawsuit files and Subseries 8.2 is individually numbered exhibit items which include correspondence, newspaper clippings, etc.
Arranged chronologically.
The materials within the General Education series relate to the work of the General Education Committee, of which Ingham was a member from the committee's inception to its dissolution. The committee was established in February 1994, after the Liberal Studies Review Committee completed an external review of the Liberal Studies Program and suggested the establishment of a committee to complete an in-depth examination of the Liberal Studies Program and to make suggestions for modifications to the program as a part of the larger restructuring taking place at JMU. See folder GENED January 1994 for the initial report of the Liberal Studies Review Committee, and folder GENED May 1994 for a history of the General Education Committee. Materials in this series include meeting minutes and agendas from the General Education Committee, email and written communications among committee members as well as members of the administration, print-outs of posts to the electronic bulletin board, planning documents, course proposals, and reports.
Originally, these materials were contained in several large folders labeled GENED and organized chronologically within the folders. For ease of use, the materials were kept in the original order, but organized into smaller folders by month and year. In addition to the GENED folders there are also several folders of material labeled topically. These were kept in original order and filed within the chronological arrangement.
Arranged chronologically.
Materials from this series relate to the Physics Department Academic Program Review (APR) that occurred following the January 13, 1995 announcement of the dissolution of the Physics Department and subsequent reinstatement of the major. Materials include documents used to create the Academic Program Review Report (for the full report see folder titled James Madison University Physics Department Academic Program Review, July 1995), email, and other communications about the APR, faculty meeting minutes, and reports. A large portion of this series consists of the surveys sent to Physics Departments at institutions identified as "peer" institutions to JMU. This series also includes the 1997 Physics Department Strategic Plan which addresses the August 1995 External Team Report on recommendations for change to the undergraduate Physics program. This report is contained in folder titled Program Review Information Packet: James Madison University Department of Physics February 21-22, 1999.
Arranged chronologically.
This series is comprised exclusively of reports relating to the charge issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia Commission on the University of the 21st Century to create innovative approaches to education in preparation for the inevitable influx of students expected to enter Virginia's higher education system in the coming century. JMU's response to this charge included a restructuring of academic programs and the creation of the College of Integrated Science and Technology (CISAT). These reports include Dr. Ingham's handwritten annotations. Portions are also marked as significant in some way with Post-It Notes. Of particular interest is the May 1989 Case Study of the Organizational Dynamics for Teaching and Learning prepared for the National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching Learning (NCRIPTAL) at the University of Michigan. Dr. Ingham made extensive annotations to this report which comments on, among other things, the academic culture of JMU and particularly the role of Dr. Carrier and a few senior administrators.
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
The Subject Files series represents the files within the collection that did not have any arrangement when received from the donor. See Box 110, Folder 21 for Ingham's explanation of the order of the files that includes details about the major events documented. This file is duplicated in Series 7: Chronological Files, Box 96, Folder 1. Most of the material within the Subject Files series relates to issues and events represented in the Chronological Files series. However, some files are of a general nature and relate to the day-to-day operations of the JMU Physics Department. These files are labeled topically and represent a variety of topics. Folders labeled CS-APPT refer to the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers, of which Dr. Ingham was a member.
Materials cover topics including JMU's transition from liberal studies to a general education curriculum, the academic restructuring of the mid-1990s, faculty handbook revisions, satirical artwork prominently featuring Dr. Carrier, materials relating to Dr. Ingham's November 1998 presentation at the Chesapeake Section for the American Association of Physics Teachers (CSAAPT) entitled Trends in Baccalaureate Degree Production in Physics, and the Jamie Raymond murder trial. Materials related to the Raymond case include copies of court transcripts, written exhibits, other court documents, and an exhaustive and thorough collection of newspaper clippings.
Included in this series are a small number of folders labeled as Physics Department – G Chron. According to the creator, the "G Chron" refers to General Files – Chronological, and the label was added at a later date in a planned reorganization of the files by the creator that did not come to be. Because of the small number of these "G Chron" labeled folders, the archivist elected to arrange them alphabetically within the subject files series.
No particular arrangement.
This last series contains various types of media including one 3.5" floppy disk, four compact discs, one audio cassette, and one USB flash drive (returned to donor). All media types are in the process of being digitized as of June 2016. Access to content will be made available once digitization is complete, barring any copyright or other use restrictions.