Administrative Records of the University of Florida Fine Arts College Office of the Dean

The Administrative Records of the University of Florida Fine Arts College, Office of the Dean date from 1925 to 2015 and are divided into nine subseries.

Subseries 193a: "Administrative policy records, 1925-1975" contains some early files from when the college was known as the "School of Architecture and Allied Arts" under Rudolph Weaver and William T. Arnett. The bulk of the files belonged to Dean Turpin Chambers Bannister (1957-1965) and Robert Stephen Bolles (1967-1974). This subseries covers the period before 1975, when the College of Architecture and Fine Arts was split into two separate entities, the College of Architecture and the College of Fine Arts. Notable files in this series include plans for the new building complex and reorganization of the college.

Subseries 193b: "Administrative policy records, 1974-1992" contains files belonging to Dean Joseph J. Sabatella (1975-1990). Sabatella joined the University of Florida in 1959 to teach drawing and design in the Department of Architecture. In 1966 he became assistant dean and in 1974 acting dean of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts. He was appointed Dean of the College of the Arts in 1975. At the time of his appointment, he became the sole administrator of the new college aided only by two full-time staff personnel. During his time as Dean of the College of the Arts he sought to give the arts greater visibility on campus in many ways including opening up the introductory art classes to non-majors. He was involved in the creation of the Harn Museum. He was a member of the Fine Arts Commission of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, served on the Executive Board of Directors of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans, and the Executive Committee of the Florida Higher Education Arts Network. His artwork has been represented in numerous national and regional exhibitions, and is included in many private collections in the U.S. and England. He stepped down as Dean to return to teaching in 1990 and retired in 1996. The series is divided further into two subseries. One containing correspondence dated 1975 to 1988 and the other containing subject files dated 1974 to 1992.

Subseries 193c: "Administrative policy records, 1985-2006" contains files belonging to Dean Donald McGlothlin (1990-2005). McGlothlin began at the University of Florida as chair of the Department of Music in 1972. He left in 1976 to become chair of the Department of Music at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he was named founding director of the new School of Fine Arts there. He returned in 1990 as Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Under his guidance, the College of Fine Arts grew in many important ways, especially as a leader in multicultural and diversity education, and as a model for the development of international and interdisciplinary arts programs. During his tenure, the number and quality of students pursuing accredited professional degrees offered by the college increased significantly with graduate enrollment more than doubling. Eight new academic programs were added to the curriculum and the three departments became fully accredited schools. Additionally, during his term as dean, McGolthlin saw the creation of both the Philips Center for Performing Arts and the Nadine McGuire Dance Pavilion as well as the Digital Worlds Institute, Center for World Arts, and Center for Arts and Healthcare. Of particular importance, was McGlothlin’s leadership in developing a formal partnership with the award-winning New World School of the Arts, which was a cornerstone of UF’s visibility and outreach efforts in Miami.

In addition to serving as Dean, McGlothlin was Executive Director of UF’s new Performing Arts Center for ten years. He oversaw completion of the facility, established its advisory Board of Directors, and recruited its professional staff, which developed a nationally acclaimed program in the area. He stepped down on June 30, 2005 and returned to teaching in the School of Music after a year's sabbatical.

The subseries is further divided into a subseries containing files on the Center for the Performing Arts dated 1991 to 2006 and subject files dating from 1985 to 1999.

Subseries 193d: "Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, 1965-2015" contains meeting minutes from the Executive Committee.

Subseries 193e: "Scrapbooks, 1951-1968" contains scrapbooks with photographs and newspaper clippings concerning the College during the tenure of William T. Arnett, Turpin Chambers Bannister, and Robert Stephen Bolles. Many of the scrapbooks are related to architecture when the College was still known as the "College of Architecture and Allied Arts.

Subseries 193f: "Photographs and Slides, 1970-2000" contains 35mm slide images, photographs, and negatives of different parts of campus related to the Fine Arts College.

Subseries 193g: "Publications" contains brochures related to the Fine Arts College.

Subseries 193h: "Oral histories with Faculty" contains audio cassette tape recordings of oral histories for various faculty members including Dean Joseph Sabatella. It is unknown who recorded these oral histories or when they were recorded.

Subseries 193i: "Memorabilia" contains a plaque award and two gonfalons that had been used in graduation ceremonies.