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Donald P. Ely Papers

An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Erin Carter and Anna Smallwood
Date: 2015



Biography

Photograph of Donald P. Ely

Donald Paul Ely (1930-2014) was a professor in the School of Education and director of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology at Syracuse University. He was born in Buffalo, New York on September 3, 1930. Ely received his bachelor’s degree in English literature and speech and drama from the State University of New York at Albany in 1951. After graduating, he pursued a master’s degree in audiovisual communication at Syracuse University, completing the program in 1953. While getting his education, Ely served as a member of the Army Reserve engineers’ division from 1951 to 1954. Ely then studied at the Teachers’ College at Columbia University from 1954 to 1956 before returning to Syracuse University as the associate director of the Audiovisual Center. He would go on to serve as director of the Center of Instructional Communications from 1959 to 1970 and to earn his doctorate in audiovisual communications and psychology from the University in 1961.

In addition to his initial duties as associate director and, later, director of these centers, Ely served as a professor in the School of Education. His focus as an educator was on instructional technologies. In 1972, Ely proposed the creation of the Center for the Study of Information and Education, of which he served as director until the creation of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources at Syracuse University. The latter was founded by Ely in 1977, and he would serve as its director until 1990. Ely was also a part of the Syracuse University Board of Graduate Studies, as well as the Fulbright Selection Committee. He was also a Fulbright Award recipient, which took him to places such as Chile.

When he was not attending to his various responsibilities at the University, Ely would travel to other institutions as a guest instructor or lecturer, having taught previously at the University of Buffalo and SUNY New Paltz. Among these institutions were the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Arizona State University. He also traveled to Indonesia, where he helped to develop the Center for Communications Technology in Jakarta, and Twente University of Technology in the Netherlands. Ely served as a consultant in the field of information technologies and instructional communications. He worked with Harvard University, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Office of Education, as well as smaller organizations. Ely was a member of a number of boards and committees within his field. He sat on the editorial boards of the British Journal of Educational Technology and the Revista de Tecnologia Educativa, among others. He was also a member of the National Education Association, the American Association of School Librarians, and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

Outside of his life at the University, Ely was very involved in his surrounding community. He was past-president and trustee of the Dewitt Community Library Association, past-president and trustee of Film Forum, Inc., and on the Board of Trustees for the Onondaga Public Library. Ely was also an elder at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church. He retired from Syracuse University in 1995 with a plethora of seminal publications under his name. Ely died on September 24, 2014.


Scope and Content Note

The Donald P. Ely Papers contain materials related to his work as a Syracuse University faculty member and educational technologies specialist. The collection is divided into nine series:

The Awards and Degrees series contains certificates, plaques, diplomas, and medals awarded to Ely by various institutions and organizations.

The Conference Materials series is composed of materials created for professional conferences and symposia, including lecture scripts and event programs.

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources series is devoted to the Syracuse University institution and contains relevant publications, photographs, and research materials.

The Lecture Materials series contains clippings, correspondence, and presentation scripts related to the J. Richard Street Lecture for the Centennial Year of Syracuse University and the James P. Curtis Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Alabama, both at which Ely spoke.

The Photographs series contains images of Ely and his associates in South Africa, Indonesia, Colorado, and at Syracuse University.

The Professional Materials series contains his annual reports to the School of Education and miscellaneous materials related to Ely's various positions at and outside of the University. These materials include his Curriculum Vitae, faculty profile, and handwritten notes.

The Publications series comprises Ely's published books, book chapters, book reviews, journal and magazine articles, and reports.

The Teaching Materials series contains audiocassettes, games, images, and literature pertaining to Ely's curriculum.


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.

Please also note that the Reading Room does not have the proper equipment to play or read the audiovisual and disk storage materials.

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

Ely, Donald P.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Education.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources.
College teachers.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Floppy disks.
Microfiche.
Photographs.
Plaques (flat objects)
Slides (photographs)
Audiocassettes.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Donald P. Ely Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The Donald P. Ely Papers were donated to the Archives by his family in 2015.

Processing Information

Materials are housed in acid-free folders and boxes. Accessible files were printed from floppy disks for researcher use.


Arrangement

Materials are arranged by series and in alphabetical order.


Table of Contents

Awards and Degrees

Conference Materials

ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources

Lecture Materials

Photographs

Professional Materials

Publications

Teaching Materials


Inventory