Randall C. Jimerson
Department of History
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225-9061
Tel: (360) 650-3139
Fax: (360) 650-7789
Email: rand.jimerson@wwu.edu
Education
Ph.D. (United States History), University of Michigan, 1977
M.A. (United States History), University of Michigan, 1972
B.A. (Literature-History), Earlham College, Richmond, IN, 1971
Professional Positions
Director, Graduate Program in Archives and Records Management, Western Washington University (since 1994), and Professor of History (since 2002); Associate Professor (1994-2002).
- Administering graduate professional program, including recruitment, admission, and placement of graduate students.
- Teaching graduate courses:
- History and Principles of Archives and Records Management
- Collections Management and User Services
- Arrangement and Description of Archives
- Records and Information Management
- Advanced Seminar in Archives and Records Management.
- Practicum in Archives and Records Management
- Supervising student internships at institutions nation-wide.
- Directing M.A. theses and independent study projects.
- Assisting students with placement, career planning, and job applications.
- Teaching undergraduate courses:
- American History to 1865
- American History Since 1865
- Civil War and Reconstruction
- The Vietnam War
- Film as History: The Vietnam War
- Independent study: Civil War, local history, public history, archives
Supervisory Archivist, Mount Rainier National Park Archives Project (1995-2000)
- Planning and developing an archival program for Mount Rainier National Park, with partnership including Western Washington University, National Park Service, and National Archives and Records Administration.
- Supervising graduate students and project archivists in processing, records inventories, preservation, and reference services.
- Negotiating budgets and National Park Service funding for project.
University Archivist and Director of Historical Manuscripts and Archives,University of Connecticut (1979-94)
- Established a new statewide program for collecting, preserving, and making available for research significant historical manuscripts collections, and developed a full-scale university archives, including information and records management services.
- Planned and directed grant projects, funded by National Historical Publications and Records Commission and by National Endowment for the Humanities:
- University of Connecticut Records Survey, 1981-83
- Connecticut Labor Archives Project, 1983-85
- New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Records Project, 1987-89
- New England Archivists Education Project, 1988-90.
- Developed plans for the new $10 million (50,000 square ft.) Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, including consultation with facilities planners, engineers, architects, and prominent donors including Senator Christopher Dodd.
Visiting Assistant Professor of History, University of Connecticut (1980-94)
- Taught courses in Administration of Archives and Manuscripts, Advanced Practice in Archival Management, and United States History Since 1877.
- Developed curriculum and policies for Master's degree certificate program in History and Archival Management, as member of the History and Archival Management committee.
Archival Consultant (since 1983)
- Consultant for business companies, colleges and universities, museums, and nonprofit organizations concerning starting an archives, archival strategic planning, archival education, records management, and organization of manuscripts and archives.
Archivist, Yale University Library (1977-79)
- Developed procedures for manuscript and archival processing and supervised student assistants and volunteers.
- Designed sampling procedures for large business records collections.
Associate Editor, Temperance and Prohibition Papers Project, Bentley Historical
Library, University of Michigan (1976-77)
- Edited and wrote major sections of 400-page research guide for microfilm edition of temperance and prohibition papers.
- Supervised typing and production of guide and coordinated project schedule with project staff at Ohio Historical Society (joint sponsors).