Benjamin A. Ring Papers, 1951-1992

Benjamin A. Ring Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Benjamin A. Ring Papers, 1951-1992

ID: OGLMC1310

Primary Creator: Ring, Benjamin A.

Extent: 3.75 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/1994. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: University of North Dakota - Faculty

Languages: English

Abstract

1925-1992; UND Philosophy Department, 1962-1990

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Benjamin A. Ring papers were separated from several boxes of documents deposited by the Philosophy Department in 1994. During processing, the Ring papers were divided into five series.

Collection Historical Note

Benjamin A. Ring was born November 4, 1925 in Catonsville, Maryland, where his father was a gardener at Spring Grove State Hospital. He grew up near Baltimore and attended the University of Maryland from 1943 to 1947. After earning a BA in history, Ring obtained an instructorship at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, teaching history, economics, and political science from 1948 to 1950. From 1952 through 1961 Ring held various positions within the Registrar's Office at Johns Hopkins University. At the same time, he worked toward a doctorate in Philosophy. Ring's dissertation, related to Hume's historic skepticism, was twice rejected by his doctoral committee.

Ring began his teaching experience at UND in the 1962-63 school year. He was named chair of the Philosophy Department the following year. Ring taught a full load of undergraduate and graduate classes as well as humanities and honors courses. In 1963 Ring taught at the National Science Foundation summer institute for gifted high school students. He directed the NSF program for the next two summers. In addition to his teaching duties, Ring was active in academic organizations. He served as treasurer (1965-66), vice president (1966-67), and president (1967-68) of the UND chapter of AAUP. He also helped establish an AAUP State Conference, for which he served as president in 1970 and 1971. Associated with his role at the State Conference, Ring chaired the Ethics & Grievance Committee and was appointed the AAUP Observer at meetings of the State Board of Higher Education.

At UND, Ring was a member of the University Senate (1982-1990), serving as its chair during the 1989-90 school year. He also helped establish GITAP and edited its newsletter, Salmagundi. With KFJM-FM, Ring began the series "AGORA of the Air," which brought together a variety of local humanities scholars to participate in the radio forum.

Ring also participated in non-academic organizations. Beginning in 1972, he was an active member of the North Dakota Committee for the Humanities and Public Issues (NDCHPI). As a member, Ring led workshops, acted in Chautauquas, served as a consultant for humanities projects, and spoke to groups and organizations throughout the state. He was an outspoken opponent to U.S. involvement in Vietnam and promoted peace issues at UND. He was also active in the North Dakota Democratic Party, serving as a precinct committeeman in 1970 and running for a seat in the North Dakota Legislature in 1982.

Ring retired following the 1989-90 school year and moved to Wisconsin with his wife, Beatrice. Later, Ring was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. He died in his Wisconsin home January 30, 1992.

Subject/Index Terms

University of North Dakota - Faculty

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals: Additional materials were deposited May 26, 2005 (2005-2747).

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: UND Philosophy Department

Acquisition Method: Donation; 95-2027

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Benjamin A. Ring. OGLMC 1310, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in February 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal],
[Series 2: Professional/UND],
[Series 3: Professional Associations],
[Series 4: Summer Programs],
[Series 5: Underground and Student Press],
[All]

Series 1: Personal

The first series contains a draft of Ring's autobiography, "How I Lived and What I Lived For", a transcript of a June 1975 interview with Ring, materials related to Ring's graduate studies, and correspondence. Also included is the text of a poem entitled "Planting a Tree to Honor Ben Ring." The poem was written by Dean Bernard O'Kelly, and was read by the group assembled at the planting of said tree.

Box 1

Folder 1: "How I Lived and What I Lived For: an Intellectual Autobiography" by Ben Ring
Folder 2: Transcript of Interview with Benjamin Ring by Doug Crockett, UND Assistant Archivist (49 pages), June 1975
Folder 3: Miscellaneous correspondence, memorandum, and reports, 1960-1992
Folder 4: Papers written by Benjamin Ring in Graduate School
Folder 5: "Hume: Skeptic as Historian" by Benjamin Ring (draft of dissertation)
Folder 6: Materials from workshops and conferences, 1964-1977

Box 3

Folder 21: "Planting a Tree to Honor Ben Ring," Poem Written by Dean Bernard O'Kelly: May 15, 1992.

Series 2: Professional/UND

Series 2 contains Ring's Academic Supplements, promotion files, course syllabi, travel requests, as well as files related to the "AGORA of the Air" graduate school, the honors program, the Indian Education Committee, and the Human Relations Committee.

Box 1

Folder 7: Academic supplements, 1967-87.
Folder 8: Promotion file, selected writings, 1962-82.
Folder 9: Promotion file, student materials, 1979-82.
Folder 10: Promotion file, peer evaluations, 1981-83.
Folder 11: Promotion file, recommendations, 1982.
Folder 12: Promotion file, academic records, 1982.
Folder 13: Promotion file, tenure information, 1973-89.
Folder 14: Promotion file, evaluations, 1975-90.
Folder 15: Form F.
Folder 16: Course syllabi, 1981-88.
Folder 17: Philosophy Dept. reports & memos, 1978-83.
Folder 18: Faculty lecture: "Hume and the Use of History," 1973.
Folder 19: Travel requests, 1976-90.
Folder 20: Report on institutional goals inventory, ca. 1978.
Folder 21: Faculty letter to the president, 1965.
Folder 22: Learning Systems literature, 1969-70.
Folder 23: Graduate School, Philosophy courses, 1959-64.
Folder 24: Graduate School, memoranda, 1961-71.
Folder 25: Graduate School, Ring resignation, 1982.
Folder 26: Honors Program, correspondence & memos, 1975- 84.
Folder 27: Honors Program, Vietnam Colloquium, 1980-81.
Folder 28: Human Relations Committee, correspondence & memos, 1972-75.
Folder 29: "AGORA of the Air," correspondence, memos, grants, 1981-85.
Folder 30: "AGORA of the Air," correspondence, bank statements, reports, 1980-81.
Folder 31: Indian Education Committee, 1972-74.

Series 3: Professional Associations

This series consists of materials related to the ND Committee on the Humanities, ND Council for Higher Education, State Board of Higher Education, AAUP, and the American Council on Education.

Box 1

Folder 32: NDEA, controversial speech by Ring, reactions, OCT 1971.
Folder 33: ND Humanities Council, correspondence, applications, agendas, 1965-85.
Folder 34: ND Committee on Humanities, members, 1972.
Folder 35: ND Committee on Humanities, correspondence, 1972.
Folder 36: ND Committee on Humanities, correspondence, 1972-74.
Folder 37: ND Committee on Humanities, papers & proposals, 1972.
Folder 38: ND Committee on Humanities, applications & proposals, 1972-75.
Folder 39: ND Committee on Humanities, United Plainsmen Association, 1975.
Folder 40: ND Committee on Humanities, Upper Mid-West, 1974.
Folder 41: Tri-State Humanities Project, memos, reports, conference papers, 1972-74.

Box 2

Folder 1: American Council on Education, reports.
Folder 2: American Council on Education, Conference on College Teacher Preparation, 1958.
Folder 3: American Council on Education, bibliography.
Folder 4: AAUP, bylaws, 1966-67.
Folder 5: AAUP, correspondence reports, memos, 1948, 1965-74.
Folder 6: AAUP, committee reports, 1967-75.
Folder 7: AAUP, academic freedom, 1964, 1968-69.
Folder 8: AAUP, ethics & grievances, 1970-71.
Folder 9: AAUP, collective bargaining, 1972.
Folder 10: AAUP, membership lists, 1967-74.
Folder 11: ND Council for Higher Education, constitution, 1970-71.
Folder 12: NDCHE, correspondence, 1972.
Folder 13: NDCHE, reports, 1973.
Folder 14: NDCHE, conference, 1969-70.
Folder 15: State Board of Higher Education, correspondence, 1970-71.
Folder 16: SBHE, agendas, resolutions, notes, 1966-67, 1970-71.
Folder 17: SBHE, membership lists, 1967, 1969.
Folder 18: SBHE, "Higher Education Act," 1965.
Folder 19: SBHE, studies & reports, 1968, 1972.
Folder 20: SBHE, Education USA newsletter, 1967-74.

Series 4: Summer Programs

The fourth series consists of materials the Institute on Student Involvement (ISI) and National Science Foundation (NSF) summer institute for gifted high school students. ISI was a six-week program that Ring attended in 1969. Held at Claremont Colleges, California, ISI brought together about 35 deans and professors from around the nation to study "sources of student discontent." ISI documents include schedules, discussion topics, Ring's notes, correspondence, questionnaires, reading lists, poetry, news clippings, articles, and staff & participant rosters.

The NSF documents relate to a summer institute for gifted high school students that was hosted by UND in the early 1960s. NSF materials include correspondence, proposals & grants, budget, expenditures, as well as student applications, evaluations, and publications. Documents are arranged chronologically.

Box 2

Folder 21: Institute for Student Involvement, studies & reports, 1960, 1967-68.
Folder 22: ISI, correspondence, 1969.
Folder 23: ISI, schedules, 1969.
Folder 24: ISI, special topics, 1967-69.
Folder 25: ISI, notes & general information, ca. 1969.
Folder 26: ISI, participants & staff, 1969.
Folder 27: ISI, clippings, articles, pamphlets, 1969.
Folder 28: ISI, questionnaire on campus power structure, 1969.
Folder 29: ISI, proposals, 1969.
Folder 30: ISI, Deena Metzger pornography case, 1969.
Folder 31: National Science Foundation, correspondence, 1963-65.
Folder 32: NSF, proposal & grant, 1963.
Folder 33: NSF, form letters, 1963.
Folder 34: NSF, portrait, 1963.
Folder 35: NSF, class assignments, 1963.
Folder 36: NSF, readings, ca. 1963.
Folder 37: NSF, director's meeting, 1964.
Folder 38: NSF, budget, 1964.
Folder 39: NSF, expenditures, 1964.
Folder 40: NSF, form letters, 1964.
Folder 41: NSF, information requests & mailings, 1964.
Folder 42: NSF, participants, 1964.
Folder 43: NSF, completed applications, 1964.
Folder 44: NSF, accepted applications, A-C, 1964-65.
Folder 45: NSF, accepted applications, D-G, 1964-65.
Folder 46: NSF, accepted applications, H-K, 1964-65.
Folder 47: NSF, accepted applications, L-O, 1964-65.
Folder 48: NSF, accepted applications, P-R, 1964-65.
Folder 49: NSF, accepted applications, S, 1964-65.
Folder 50: NSF, accepted applications, T-Z, 1964-65.
Folder 51: NSF, rejections, 1964.
Folder 52: NSF, awards banquet, 1964.
Folder 53: NSF, Pre-Collegiate Science/Math Program, 1964.
Folder 54: NSF, proposal & grant, 1965.
Folder 55: NSF, director's meeting, 1965.

Box 3

Folder 1: NSF, expenditures, 1965.
Folder 2: NSF, form letters, 1965.
Folder 3: NSF, registration, 1965.
Folder 4: NSF, student evaluations, 1965.
Folder 5: NSF, NOVA, student publication, 1963-64.
Folder 6: NSF, brochures, 1963-65.
Folder 7: NSF, publicity, 1963-65.

Series 5: Underground and Student Press

Contains several student newspapers (1964-70). Also included in this series are documents related to a variety of free press issues, such as the ACLU, Committee Concerned About Vietnam, CORE, UND Indian Association, and Young Democrats. Newspapers and organizations are arranged alphabetically.

Box 3

Folder 8: "Charge," 1970.
Folder 9: "Eccentric," 1970.
Folder 10: "Ignite," 1968-69.
Folder 11: "It Isnt," 1964.
Folder 12: "The Sphere Review," 1969.
Folder 13: "Synanon," 1968-69.
Folder 14: ACLU related materials, 1971.
Folder 15: Committee Concerned About Vietnam, 1967.
Folder 16: Congress Of Racial Equality, 1963-64.
Folder 17: Protest poems.
Folder 18: Special events, 1970.
Folder 19: UND Indian Association, "OMINICYA," ca. 1970.
Folder 20: Young Democrats, 1970-74.

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