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Manuscript Group 381

Allen Sheeley Janssen, 1907-1983

Papers, 1928-1974
4.0 cubic feet


The records of Allen Janssen were transferred to the University of Idaho Library by the Department of Civil Engineering between March 1989 and August 1992. They were processed by Judith Nielsen in March 1997.

BIOGRAPHY

Allen Sheeley Janssen was born in Boise, Idaho, September 12, 1907, the son of Alfred E. and Edna M. (Sheeley) Janssen. After graduating from Boise High School he attended the University of Idaho, earning a B (Arch) in 1930, a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1933, and his M.S. in Civil Engineering in 1937.

Following his graduation in 1930, he worked for the Idaho Department of Highways. In 1931 he returned to the university as an instructor in the Civil Engineering Department. He continued teaching at the university for over forty years, becoming dean of the College of Engineering in 1946. He resigned as dean in 1967, but continued to teach half-time until his retirement in 1972. While at the university he served on the Academic Council, Research Council, Research Foundation, Patent Committee and Water Resources Committee; he was also faculty advisor to the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity from 1936 to 1956.

While teaching he also acted as consultant and designer on many civil engineering projects, with emphasis on highway work, materials of construction, and construction and analysis research. He also worked as a field draftsman for the Idaho Department of Highways from 1930 to 1946. After his semi-retirement from the university he worked part-time as an office engineer for Pacific Consultants.

He interrupted his teaching during World War II (1942-1946) when, as part of the 55th Naval Construction Battalion, Civil Engineering Corps. he spent two and a half years in the Seabees constructing overseas bases in the South Pacific, and a year and a half in research and development work with the Bureau of Yards and Docks in Washington, D.C.

He was the author of a dozen published works and a member of numerous professional organizations and fraternities, holding regional offices in many of them. His honors and awards include a Distinguished Service Certificate from the National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners (1957), Engineer of the Year award given by the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers (1959), Engineer of Merit commendation from the Spokane Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (1965), and Outstanding Service to the Community award given by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce. In 1972 the new engineering building at the University of Idaho was named after him.

In 1947 he was elected to the Idaho State Board of Engineering Examiners to fill the unexpired term of Jesse Buchanan, who resigned upon assuming the Presidency of the University of Idaho. Janssen continued on this board until his resignation in May 1968.

He was also active in community affairs, serving as chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Chamber of Commerce (1969-1972), on the Board of Trustees of the Moscow School District (1948-1953), as a member of the Board of Directors for the Highway District, and on the Technical Advisor Committee for the Regional Airport (1969-January 1972). He was active in the Republican Party and was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

He married Ada Jones on July 14, 1930, in Logan, Utah; they had two children, a son Alfred and a daughter Sheila. Janssen suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and died at the Good Samaritan Village in Moscow on December 26, 1983.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The papers of Allen Janssen span the years 1928 to 1974, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1930 to 1960. Included are papers related to his activities at the University of Idaho, personal papers, including military service, and papers concerning investigations and research.

Additional papers of Allen Janssen, totaling 11 cubic feet, are located in MG 149.

ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

The papers of Allen Janssen were in labeled file folders which were removed from file cabinets in the Department of Civil Engineering. Using the file drawer labels as guides, the papers were easily divided into three series: University Related, Personal, and Reports, Investigations, Research. Although the contents were transferred to acid neutral folders, all folder headings were retained. The folders retain their original alphabetical sequence, and no attempt was made to rearrange the material within the folders.

Series one contains university related material. Included are reports from committees on which Janssen served, correspondence, financial and other records from the Delta Tau Delta fraternity to which he was faculty advisor, material concerning the department of civil engineering, and talks which Janssen gave to other classes about the importance of engineering.

Personal papers are contained in series two and include material on his time in the navy, military courses taken in later years, and correspondence with organizations to which he belonged.

The third series contains materials related to research on the use of asphalt and concrete, primarily as used in road building, as well as other areas of interest.

Printed books and documents, both state and federal, and duplicates of near print material were removed from the collection; this reduced the records by two cubic feet.

SERIES LIST

I. University Related Papers, 1928-1974	1-2
II. Personal Papers, 1930-1971	3
III. Reports, Investigations, Research, 1931-1949	3-4

ALLEN SHEELEY JANSSEN

INVENTORY

Box Folder Description Items

I. University Related Papers, 1928-1974

1	1	Academic Council, 1959-1950	35
	2	Accrediting committee (NICE inspection trip), 1946	3
	3	All University Day, 1942-1951	5
	4	Alpha Phi wall, 1940	3
	5	Alumni, 1938-1940	2
	6	American Society for Testing Materials, 1937-1940	7
	7	American Society of Civil Engineers, 1934-1942	28
	8	Architects, State Board of Examiners, 1941-1943	9
	9	Asphalt Institute, 1937-1942	25
	10	Beta Chi Corporation, 1947-1958	105
	11		Building loan fund ledger, 1925-1933	1
	12	Catalog changes, 1957	1
	13	Civil Engineering 160, n.d.	1
	14	Civil Engineering 203, 1947-1952	5
	15	Civil Engineering 241, 1948	2
	16	Civil Engineering curriculum, 1946	3
	17-18	College of Engineering, 1941-1943	79
	19		Administrative memos, 1939-1946	9
	20		Alumni letters, 1928-1941	4
	21		Alumni news and addresses, 1946	4
	22		Applications for work, 1947	7
	23		Budget requests, 1945	6
	24		Letters, 1934-1939	50
	25		Miscellaneous, 1935-1935	5
	26		Notes, 1946-1947	1
	27	Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Delta Mu chapter by-laws, November 1946	1
	28		Financial (Beta Chi bond), 1936-1946	21
	29		Pledges, 1949-1954	14
	30-39		General, 1946-1959	482
	40	Dormitory Planning Committee, 1947	2
	41	Emergency Classroom and Office Space Committee, 1946	15
	42	Engineering inspection trip, 1935	11
	43	Engineering report grading, 1939-1947	9
	44	Engineering student activities, 1933-1936	15
	45	Engineering student list, 1930-1936	9
	46	Engineer's show, 1933-1942	5
	47	Examinations and absences, 1952-1953	8
	48	Exams, 1929-1938	20
	49	Extension and short courses, 1939-1956	6
	50	Faculty personnel reports, 1954	31
	51	Farm Electrification Committee, 1968	1
	52	Fluorescent lighting, Engineering drawing building, 1946-1947	15
	53	Freshman conferences, 1944-1960	25
	54	Freshman students, Carnegie tests, 1940-1944	22
	55	Graduate picture display, 1947	13
	56	Guidance - Testing, 1938-1948	32
	57	Highway conference, 1940	4
	58	History - College of Engineering, 1920-1946	9
	59-60	Idaho Society of Engineers, 1938-1942	100
2	61		Publications, Idaho Engineer, 1939-1942	71
	62-63		Northern Section, 1940-1942	196
	64	Informal Engineering faculty meetings, 1947-1948	14
	65	In-service training, 1939-1950	21
	66	Letters to high school students & parents, 1941-1956	31
	67	Library, 1938-1941	25
	68	List of officials, 1939-1946	12
	69	Materials school, 1948	17
	70	Materials testing lab, CE 103 manual, n.d.	4
	71	Mechanics special committee, 1957-1960	53
	72	Nuclear engineering, 1950-1952	6
	73	NYA, 1951	6
	74	Patent policy, 1947	4
	75	Personnel records, 1941	15
	76	Pre-engineering testing program, 1947-1954	16
	77	President Buchanan matters to discuss, 1952-1954	46
	78	President's committee, area IV, 1957	31
	79	Radio talk, 1951	1
	80	Recommendations, 1937-1961	152
	81-92	Registration, 1936-1951	329
	93	Student personnel practice, 1941-1951	6
	94	Salary data, 1946-1955	19
	95	Sigma Tau, 1939-1947	3
	96	Sigma Xi, 1949-1950	36
	97	Sigma Xi, 1969-1974	20
	98	Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, Reports, 1936-1939	9
	99		Northwest meeting, Moscow, April 24-25, 1936	16
	100		Idaho, 1936	18
	101		Oregon, 1940	5
	102	Speech training survey, 1951	2
	103	Student employment, 1938-1941	21
	104	Student Union Building Committee, 1950	13
	105	Statistical data, 1935-1945	9
	106	Suggestions from seniors, 1946-1963	63
	107	Talk to Dr. Giles guidance institute, 1961	2
	108	Talk to education classes, 1952	3
	109	Talks to high school students, 1954	3
	110	Teaching loads, 1937-1948	33
	111	Testimonials, 1952-1954	11
	112	Transfer students, 1951	1
	113	Water and sewage short course, 1947-1948	9
	114	Water Resources Research Institute, 1965	3

II. Personal Papers, 1930-1971

3	115-116	Aerial bombardment protection course, New York University, 1942	22
	117	American Concrete Institute, C-115 committee, 1938-1971	19
	118	American Institute of Steel Construction, 1938-1942	7
	119-120	American Society of Civil Engineers, 1949-1971	118
	121	Applications, work experience, 1930-1942	11
	122	Certificates, 1968	2
	123-125	Correspondence, 1934-1942	135
	126	Industrial Committee, Chamber of Commerce, 1948	4
	127	Miscellaneous, 1949-1973	29
	128	Moscow School Board, 1948	7
	129	National Society of Professional Engineers, 1950-1952	17
	130	Navy: Application, 1942	38
	131		55th review, 1945-1956	103
	132		55th Seabees reunion, 1954	2
	133		Civil Engineer Corps, 1947-1963	39
	134		Civil Engineer Officers School, 1948-1950	47
	135		Naval law - correspondence course, 1949	1-
	136		Office of Naval Research, 1948-1949	9
	137		Orders, 1942-1946	60
	138		Seminar, Port Hueneme, CA, November 1949	9
	139		Separation papers, 1946-1948	16
	140	Northwest Scientific Association, 1939	4
	141-142	Sons of the American Revolution, Idaho Society, 1948-1971	118
	143	Talks to various groups, 1946-1961	15

III. Reports, Investigations, Research, 1931-1949

	144	Airports, 1938-1939	9
	145		Moscow, 1947-1948	15
	146	Alkali content - cement, 1940-1941	5
	147	Asphalt, 1937	2
	148	Asphalt mixtures, 1939	2
	149	Base stabilization correspondence, 1939-1940	5
	150	Bearing test, 1937-1938	17
	151	Boise laboratory reports, 1940-1941	5
	152	Byers, A.M. & Co. (wrought iron), 1941-1944	10
	153	Cement, 1935-1942	5
	154	Cement for Umatilla ordnance depot, 1941	22
	155	Cement, heat of setting, 1933	2
	156	Codes, 1933	6
	157	Concrete: Durability, 1931	14
	158		General, 1932-1940	10
	159		Mix design chart, 1933-1942	23
4	160		Proportioning, 1939-1941	13
	161		Proportioning, bibliography, n.d.	3
	162		Properties, 1941	3
	163		Strength, relationship - 7 & 28 days, 1939-1940	1
	164	Design notes, 1935-1936	43
	165	Duthie Co. warehouse, Lewiston, 1935	10
	166	Geological classification, 1941	7
	167	Highway Research Board, 1939-1943	7
	168	Highway study committee, Chamber of Commerce, 1948-1950	57
	169	Highway district reorganization, 1945-1949	12
	170	Memorial Gym stone and miscellaneous, 1928	3
	171	Mine tailings, 1938-1939	8
	172	Miscellaneous projects, 1932-1933	2
	173	Mud Mountain Dam (Boyd Walter), 1940-1941	14
	174	National Board of Fire Underwriters, 1941-1942	4
	175	Oil - Aggregate, 1939	3
	176	Oil mix design, 1942	7
	177	Paving (concrete) study, Report 2A, 1937-1941	14
	178	Portland Cement Association, 1934-1942	11
	179	Proctor test (Reference CE 112), 1939-1941	12
	180	Research cylinder capper soil compression device, 1935	1
	181	Sands, Commercial, 1936-1939	8
	182	Soil-cement airports, n.d.	2
	183	Soil conservation service, shear test, 1940	4
	184	Soil mechanics conference, Purdue, 1940	15
	185	Soils: Mechanical analysis, 1937	40
	186	Specifications: Road oils, 1940	2
	187	Special investigations and reports, 1941	1
	188	Slide investigation, 1937	16
	189	Stripping: Furfural article, 1940-1941	12
	190		Furfural correspondence, data, 1940-1942	38
	191	Stripping tests: Jacobs' thesis, 1939-1940	5
	192		Miscellaneous, 1936-1940	6
	193	Surveys, n.d.	3
	194	Timber Engineering Company, 1938-1942	23
	195	Waterproofing, 1938-1945	9
	196	Welding, Bibliography, n.d.	4
	197	West Coast Lumberman's Association, 1942	5
	198	Wood: drying of wood, n.d.	2

April 1997 / mg381.htm

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