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W. Allen Martin Papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UASC.UA.010

Scope and Contents

The collection contains documents collected and produced by W. Allen Martin during his tenure at The University of Texas at Tyler from 1977-2011. A majority of documents are from Martin's work in the Texas Association of College Teachers and the American Association of University Professors. Martin was also involved with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council, and the University of Texas at Tyler Faculty Senate. In all of these organizations Martin worked to reform university intellectual property rights policy concerning distance education. Documentation of his involvement in these organizations include correspondence and memoranda, drafts of policy statements, presentation papers, and articles for publication, copies of newspaper, journal, and magazine articles, travel expense receipts, financial statements, surveys, and information packets from conferences and workshops. Martin served as a facilitator at UT Tyler. Documentation of his involvement with the Master of Science in Social Work program and the European Studies Program is found in the form of correspondence and memoranda, syllabi, drafts of schedules, and lists and applications of students interested in the programs. In connection to the European Studies Program there are correspondence from European colleagues in search of employment in the United States and communications in which Martin mentors a doctoral candidate with her dissertation. Documentation of Martin's research into early 1900s demographics of Galveston, Texas, Hawaiian business development, and the East Texas oil boom are all found within. Along with partner Darrel McDonald from Stephen F. Austin, Martin used Geographic Information Systems to map demographic information like ethnicity and occupation of 1910 Galveston neighborhoods. This use of Geographic Information Systems included the first use of GIS for Community Studies. There are thousands of data entries used in the assembly of GIS maps along with legends for codes used in the study and documentation of grants awarded to Martin from UT Tyler and the Summerlee Foundation. In addition there are copies of articles regarding immigration into Galveston and copies of Galveston City Directories. Documentation of the Hawaiian business development and East Texas oil boom studies include copies of articles, lists of courthouse records, and census information. Drafts of presentation papers and reports for all three studies are found within.

Dates

  • Creation: 1975-2010
  • Creation: Majority of material found in 1989-2001
  • Other: Date acquired: 2011-02-15

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Sensitive material includes student contact information found in the Master of Science in Social Work Program and European Travels and Correspondence series.

Biographical or Historical Information

William Allen Martin went to Southern Methodist University on the Max Clark Academic Scholarship and graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1970. After graduating in 1970, he went to Texas Christian University on the sociology department's fellowship, then in fall 1971, he began his doctoral work at UT Austin. Here he taught sociology but mainly worked as a research assistant and then research associate. He then worked for Arkansas State University from 1975 to 1977. In 1977, Martin began working at Texas Eastern University, what would become The University of Texas at Tyler, as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. He was the discipline coordinator for sociology (1978-2009), geography, and social work, and developed and gained approval for all the courses in geography and social works, as well as most of the sociology courses. Martin founded the Master of Science in Public Planning and Administration in 1981 and directed it until it became the Master of Public Administration in the mid-1990s. He headed the geography program, teaching World Regional Geography for 12 years and North American Geography for six years. He also created the Office of Sponsored Projects and ran that from 1984-1987. Martin taught at UT Tyler until his retirement in 2011 and was named Professor Emeritus of Sociology. During his time at UT Tyler Martin was active several professional organizations: The Texas Association of College Teachers, The American Association of University Professors, the UT Tyler Faculty Senate, the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council, the American Sociological Association, the Population Association of America, and the Southwestern Sociological Association. He has written many publications, mainly articles, including his American Journal of Sociology article in 1982 that analyzed immigrant enclaves, a new concept. Martin served as a manuscript reviewer for professional articles and books. Martin served as president of UT Tyler’s chapter of Texas Association of College Teachers for years, and was the state president of TACT. He became a senior fellow at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board where he first drafted his stance in opposition to broad use of distance education. By discussing this at many meetings, his ideas about intellectual property jelled and became well-known. Martin spent years successfully reforming the UT System’s intellectual property policy. Starting with his summer fellowship at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 1991, Martin endeavored to bring distance education issues affecting faculty to the national stage. Beginning in his own backyard he worked with UT System lawyer Georgia Harper to revise the UT System policy on intellectual property allowing for complete ownership of instructor intellectual property. This policy spread throughout the nation and was adopted by a many universities and colleges. Martin gave presentations across the country at AAUP and TACT conferences and workshops and published articles educating his colleagues on the repercussions of distance education programs at the university level. Through presentations and workshops at the AAUP and in other venues, Martin’s policy was eventually adopted by perhaps all universities in the United States. He has long referred to this long process as a sociogram, an old term describing how word of mouth circulates. In addition to teaching and serving in professional organizations Martin worked in the field of Sociology focusing on ethnic minorities and business development and urban communities. Martin published his textbook The Urban Community in 2004. He is also credited with creating two terms that are widely used, "urbanicity" and "ethnic enclaves". W. Allen Martin worked tirelessly to improve higher education for both students and faculty. In addition to his work with intellectual property rights he was a guardian of faculty tenure and worked to raise Texas public university faculty salaries.

Extent

12.90 Linear Feet

31 Boxes other_unmapped

1.00 Folders

11.00 Boxes

19.00 Boxes

1.00 Boxes

1.00 Folders

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains the papers of W. Allen Martin Professor of Sociology at The University of Texas at Tyler from 1977-2011. Materials found herein range in subject from sociological research to the joint Masters of Science in Social Work program between The University of Texas at Arlington and The University of Texas at Tyler. The primary subject documented in this collection is Martin's work to reform university intellectual property rights policy in connection with distance education. Martin's work in the Texas Association of College Teachers, the  American Association University Professors, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council is well documented and reveals the integral role Martin played in intellectual property reform for the University of Texas System and for universities nationwide.

Arrangement

Documents in this collection are organized thematically. Within each series and sub-series folders are arranged chronologically. Provenance of materials within each folder has been retained but original order of folders has been rearranged in some cases to facilitate subject grouping. The interconnected nature of the materials results in documents in folders which could fit in other series or sub-series in an effort to group folders thematically folders chosen for series and sub-series based on the majority of materials within each folder. Some folder titles have been rewritten to create a standard format. Contents of presentation folders acquired at conferences and workshops were transferred to manila folders, with the folder title describing the event. Oversized materials have been placed in an oversized folder.

Technical Access Requirements

Collection contains two 3.5" high density floppy disks and two 5.25" floppy disks.

Separated Materials

Oversized materials are noted in folder descriptions. Floppy disks located on the media shelves of the University Archives are noted in folder descriptions.

Processing Information

Although original order within folders of the collection has been maintained, the folders are grouped thematically and then arranged chronologically. Original folder titles have been rewritten in some cases to standardize title format.

Author
Aaron Ramirez
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the The University of Texas at Tyler University Archives and Special Collections Department Repository

Contact:

903.565.5748