This web site consists of historical narratives, memory pieces, interviews, speeches, pictures, visions, and dreams. They are arranged in a way to tell the rather unique stories of Grand Valley State University's development from the 1960s to the present. We have chosen this means to tell the history of Grand Valley State because in reality there is no one correct interpretation of our history. It is a dramatic narrative of utopian visions, struggles for the realization of ideals and survival, pragmatic calculations for institutional survival, and shattered visions.

Grand Valley State University's history does have some common themes. They include the story  of educational reformers who hoped to revive an old 19th century college model, and make it relevant to late 20th Century public college students. It is the story of educational reformers who wished to create experimental models of higher education that would be an alternative to mainstream colleges and universities. It is a story of why these distinctive educational models failed to take root in Allendale, Michigan. Finally, it is a story of how the University leadership salvaged Grand Valley State College in the face of the threat of closure, and turned it into a thriving regional university.

This is not an "official" university history in that it reflects the views of the administration, although administration views are presented. Grand Valley State instead provided released time, and many other resources so that Anthony Travis and Lynn Mapes could conduct the research, and organize the web site. The administration provided resources but not direction for this project. We would especially like to thank Don Lubbers (former president) , and Glenn Niemeyer (former provost) for support over a number of years for this project. They were always ready  to give their view of the "way things were" but never interfered in our historical judgments. 

Thus, as Professors Travis and Mapes are historians they were able to use their professional judgment as to what to post on the web page as representing the history of the institution. They were guided in these decisions by the iidea that there are many subjective stories to be told. In the end,  they add up to a history of Grand Valley State University that reflects the many sided "truths" of that history.

Anthony Travis is the webmaster for this website. As such, he is ultimately responsible for what  is placed on this website. The site is not finished. It is still under construction. Yet, he wanted to make available to interested people what has been unearthed so far. Much remains to be accomplished. He urges those who read this web page with different viewpoints or additional information to contact him so that these might be included in the dialogue. He has written a number of the essays for this site, and takes responsibility for their point of view. As for the rest of the pieces they reflect the view point of the signed authors.

Professor Lynn Mapes played a large role in the creation of this web page by writing a number of the articles, helping to edit the text, and writing descriptions for many of the pictures.

For personal narratives click on Faculty and then Anthony Travis or Lynn Mapes

Webmaster:
Anthony R. Travis
travisa@gvsu.edu