Collection Title: Constantine W. Curris Papers
Series Number: RG003-12-08
Department: Office of the President
Processed and Cataloged by: Processed by Mary Krahulec in April of 2012
Date Listed: April 24, 2012
Date Span: 1973-1984
Size of Collection: 4.25 linear feet
Number of Boxes: 2 letter size document cases, 1 letter half size document case and 1 oversize box
Type of Material: Newspaper clippings and ephemera
Condition of Material: Good
Arrangement: Organized alphabetically by subject title; chronological arrangement
Historical Information: Constantine W. Curris served as the sixth president of Murray State University from 1973 to 1983. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky on November 13, 1940 and grew up in Williamstown, Kentucky. He graduated from Grant County High School at Dry Ridge in 1958. He attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 and Doctorate in Education in 1967. He also received a master’s degree in political science and public administration at the University of Illinois in 1965. Prior to becoming president of Murray State he served as Vice President and Dean of Faculty at West Virginia Institute of Technology (1971-1973), Vice President of Student Affairs at Marshall University (1969-1971), the Director of Educational Programs for the West Virginia Board of Education (1968-1969) and as Vice President and Dean of Faculty at Midway College (1965-1968). Curris became the youngest president in Kentucky when he was hired on September 15, 1973 at age thirty two. After years of declining faculty morale and a lengthy legal dispute with a divided Board of Regents, he departed Murray State on June 30, 1983. The next day he became president of the University of Northern Iowa. Curris served as president and professor of public policy until 1995 and later as president of Clemson University until 1999. He presently is a member of the Board of Regents of Murray State University.
Scope and Content: Collection consists of newspaper clippings pertaining to the presidency of Constantine W. Curris at Murray State University from 1973 to 1983. The bulk of the newspaper clippings focus on the Board of Regents efforts to remove Curris as president of the college. Included with the collection are newspaper clippings related to other controversial issues during his administration, biographical information and miscellaneous ephemera.
Subject Headings / Descriptors:
Curris, Constantine W., 1940-
Murray State University – History.
Murray State University – Presidents.
Murray State University. Board of Regents.
