Collection inventory

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Bettye M. Caldwell Papers

An inventory of her papers at the Syracuse University Archives

Finding aid created by: Halsey Van Allen
Date: 2022

Revision history:

Biography

Bettye McDonald Caldwell (1924-2016) was an academic leader in child development research and a professor at Syracuse University. She graduated from Baylor University in 1945 with a degree in psychology and speech before earning a master's and a doctorate in early childhood education from respectively the University of Iowa and Washington University in St. Louis. Her work led to the creation of the Head Start program under Lyndon B. Johnson, and her collaborator Julius Richmond at one point led the program. Caldwell taught at many universities throughout her career, including Syracuse University, Upstate Medical University (now State University of New York Upstate Medical University), Northwestern University, and the University of Arkansas.

In Syracuse, Caldwell led the first infant day care for children under three years of age in the United States. This project, the Children's Center, was a collaboration between Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University, and Caldwell was the director from its inception in 1964 to 1969. During this time, Caldwell taught at Syracuse University as a lecturer in psychology and home economics from 1960 to 1966 until she was appointed a dual professor in child development and education, a position she held until 1969.

Over the course of Caldwell's professional career, the average American perspective on child care, child development, and early education radically changed, and Caldwell played a pivotal role in that shift. Her research and published writings helped to legitimize day care and professional child care, especially for infants and toddlers. Caldwell cared deeply about underprivileged children and how poverty affected mental, social, and physical development. With research and data, Caldwell demonstrated the complexities of how poverty keeps children from advancing at the same rate as wealthier peers, as well as how early intervention and public funding for early childhood education is pivotal for bridging this gap.

Scope and Content Note

The Bettye M. Caldwell Papers contain correspondence, personal materials, and published and unpublished work in the field of child development. The collection is composed of three series.

The Correspondence series reflects over sixty years of correspondence with family, friends, and professional colleagues.

The Other professional work series contains reports, research data, photographs, and booklets related to child care centers Caldwell directed or was affiliated with. There are also materials representing workshops and conferences she was involved in producing, research proposals, and multimedia projects including film outlines and recorded interviews. Additionally, there are newspaper clippings documenting this work.

The Writings series contains published and unpublished written work spanning sixty years of Caldwell's professional career, ranging from early work in psychology to her eventual vocational focus on childhood development. Caldwell was a prolific writer throughout the 1970s and 1980s, a fact which is represented in this series.

This collection contains material that users may find objectionable due to ableist and harmful language. The language contained in this collection was prevalent at the time of its creation, although no less harmful and inaccurate than it is today. The collection is preserved and presented for its historic and research value.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Access to media items requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

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.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Caldwell, Bettye M.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Child care services -- Research.
Early childhood education.
Education, Preschool -- United States.
Head Start Program (U.S.)
College teachers.
Early childhood educators.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Audiocassettes.
Booklets.
Compact discs.
Drawings (visual works)
Papers (documents)
Photographs.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Bettye M. Caldwell Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Michael Sandbank in 2022.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. In addition to keeping original order as much as possible, Caldwell's original folder and binder titles were also kept as much as possible. Papers were removed from binders and plastic encasements for preservation purposes. The inventory will indicate if materials were removed from binders. Additionally, some documents were redacted to protect the privacy of the children involved in Caldwell's research.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically by series.

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Other professional work

Writings

Inventory