Series III. Speeches and Writings,, 1948-1971

Summary: Speeches and Writings, provides an interesting glimpse into the important topics and issues confronting education and society in the post World War II era. Mason Gross addressed these issues from his points of view as both a philosopher and as the president of a large state university. In general, his speeches and writings deal with social changes, especially as impacting urbanization, education, and planning and expansion.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Gross' speeches often focused on the impact of the GI Bill on not only the number of enrolled students, but also on the needs of a new, more democratic idea of higher education. He often spoke of the "new breed" of student driven not by intellectual interests, but by desire for economic gain, and the universities' responsibilities to address these changes.

Gross' speeches from the 1960s frequently dealt with the changing social climate of the times. He spoke of the issues facing our cities (culture and urbanism), education (changing roles of universities), society at large (racism, war, and campus unrest), and how these issues affect one another.