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William Zelermyer Papers

An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Tim Carter
Date: 2016



Biography

Photograph of William Zelermyer

William Zelermyer was a professor in the School of Management at Syracuse University from 1956 to 1980.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, William Zelermyer practiced law in Buffalo, New York until 1946, when his desire to communicate his interest for the law inspired him to leave the practice and become an educator. Throughout his career, Zelermyer was dedicated to making a lasting contribution to higher education through the field of business law.

Zelermyer began teaching at the Utica campus of Syracuse University in 1948. Robert Stone, then chair of the business law department, introduced him to the American Business Law Association (ABLU). He joined and presented his first paper at an ABLU meeting in 1952.

In 1956, he moved to the Syracuse campus as a faculty member for the College of Business Administration. He grew interested in the rapid development of the field of business law, and he began compiling materials for law courses that he felt could be incorporated into a liberal arts curriculum. In 1958, he presented another paper to the ABLU titled “Law in the Liberal Arts Curriculum.” In 1959, he was elected President of the ABLU and published his first book, Invasion of Privacy. Zelermyer went on to publish a number of other books, Legal Reasoning: The Evolutionary Process of Law in 1960, and Introduction to Business Law: A Conceptual Approach in 1964.

While at Syracuse University, Zelermyer also served as a member of the University Senate and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). He served as President of the AAUP from 1962 to 1963. His experience and passion for the law and governance led him to serve on a number of committees, and in 1997 he published his last book, The Legal System in Operation.

William Zelermyer retired from teaching in 1980.


Scope and Content Note

The William Zelermyer Papers range from 1955 to 1975 and consist of materials pertaining to his involvement with Syracuse University, the American Bar Law Association, and the American Association of University Professors. Materials include memoranda, newsletters, and other printed materials during the time he was President of the AAUP. Materials also include correspondences from his time as department chair, personal written notes, committee reports, writing concerning Chancellor Corbally, a paper he presented at the American Bar Law Association, and correspondences with professors from other universities.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.


Related Material

The University Senate records have been separated and moved to the University Senate Collection. Materials related to the AAUP have also been separated and moved to the AAUP Collection.

The Archives holds a clipping file and portrait file for William Zelermyer.


Selected Search Terms

Names

Zelermyer, William.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Commercial law.
College teachers.
Higher education.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

William Zelermyer Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

William Zelermyer donated his papers to the Archives in 1981.

Processing Information

Materials were rehoused in acid-free folders and boxes.


Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically.


Table of Contents

Papers


Inventory