Rutgers University Office of the Secretary (Carl Raymond Woodward) Records

As Secretary of Rutgers University under President Robert C. Clothier, Dr. Carl Raymond Woodward worked closely with the President, serving as Deputy President. Responsibilities of the Secretary of the University were numerous and wide-ranging. Dr. Woodward had broad responsibility for both the academic development and budget of the University as well as maintaining the University's relationship with internal and external constituencies. The internal constituents included the faculty, the alumni, the students as well as the various departments and colleges. External constituents were comprised mainly of the general public, the New Jersey State Government and the Federal government. Of particular interest during this period is Rutgers University's relation with the state and federal governments and its status as a land-grant college. The University administration was faced with the recurring issue of whether to undertake increasing University endowments thus allowing Rutgers to become a completely private institution, or bow to increasing pressure from the public, state and federal governments to become a state university, or to maintain its admittedly precarious positions as a semi-private, semi-public university. There was much controversy over the amount of money appropriated to Rutgers from the state and federal governments and debate over whether these appropriations were made to Rutgers at the expense of other necessary services and institutions such as the public school systems. There was also much discussion of the establishment of a state university other than Rutgers University. While this debate had been ongoing, this seems to be the time when Rutgers was faced with the reality of finally having to respond to public and government pressure. While we are aware of the outcome of this issue, this period of time during Dr. Woodward's tenure and his shepherding of the process offer some history on the origins of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, as we know it today. Towards the end of Dr. Woodward's tenure in 1941, the University celebrated its 175th Anniversary and as Secretary of the University, Dr. Woodward was also very involved in both the anniversary and the attendant fundraising campaign.

Dr. Carl Raymond Woodward was born July 20, 1890, in Tennent, New Jersey. He attended Freehold High School in New Jersey, graduating in 1906. For the next two years, Dr. Woodward worked on his father's farm. From 1908 until 1910, he taught in a one-room rural school in Monmouth County, New Jersey, entering Rutgers University in 1910 where he graduated with the Class of 1914. During his undergraduate years at Rutgers University, he was active in a variety of University organizations, including the Targum Association for which he served as President, a post he also held with the Philoclean Literary Society. He was also vice-president of the Biological Club, secretary of the Y. M. C. A. Glee Club and a member of the following organizations: the Self-Government Board; the Debate Committee; the Debating Team; the Junior Prom Committee; class track and Sophomore Orator. In his senior year, he was chairman of the Senior Memorial Committee. The then Mr. Woodward was the recipient of various prizes during his four years at Rutgers including the Suydam Prize in Natural Science and the John Parker Winner Memorial Prize in Mental Science. He was also a member of numerous honorary and fraternal societies including Phi Beta Kappa (general scholarship), Phi Delta Kappa (education), Phi Kappa Phi (general scholarship), Alpha Zeta (agriculture), Phi Gamma Delta (social), and Phi Alpha Theta (history).

Dr. Woodward left Rutgers in 1914 after graduating and taught physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics in Madison High School, New Jersey. He then returned to Rutgers in 1915 where he was to remain for the next 26 years in a variety of positions of steadily increasing responsibility. Within this 26 years, he married Miss Lulu A. Ryno on April 15, 1916, and together they had three children, Carl Raymond, Jr., Mildred W., and William V. Also, during this time he earned his Masters degree in 1919 from Rutgers and his Ph. D. in 1926 from Cornell University. From 1915-1916, he was Editor and Librarian of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and College of Agriculture. From 1916-1927, he was Editor and Secretary of the same in addition to editing other scientific literature and serving as an assistant editor of Soil Science in which capacity he collaborated with Dr. Selman Waksman, who discovered streptomycin. During this time he also collaborated with other scientists and wrote numerous articles concerning scientific developments. For six years during this period, 1920-1926, he was an Instructor in English, then promoted in 1926 to Assistant Professor of English. After serving as an Assistant Professor for one year, he left both this position and his position as Editor and Secretary and became involved with Public Relations work and Trustee relations for one year. Then in 1928, he was named Assistant to the President, by President John Martin Thomas, a position he also held under Acting President Philip M. Brett, 1930-1931, after President Thomas resigned in 1930, and under President Robert C. Clothier, 1932 to 1936. During these eight years, he also served as Director of Education Research at Rutgers, 1930-1932. In 1936, President Clothier appointed Dr. Woodward Secretary of Rutgers University, a post he held until 1941.

In 1941, Carl Woodward assumed the presidency of the University of Rhode Island where he remained until July of 1958, at which time he assumed the title of President Emeritus of the University of Rhode Island. During his tenure at the University of Rhode Island, he was the recipient of nine honorary degrees from, among others, Rutgers University, Boston University, Brown University and Northeastern University. During his entire career, Dr. Woodward received numerous awards, published several articles and books, belonged to several professional organizations, church and civic societies, and in addition, was a consultant to the Industrial Research and Development Division, U. S. Department of Commerce, and served on the Board of Trustees of Bryant College.

Dr. Carl R. Woodward died October 2, 1974, at the age of 84.