Yoakum, Clarence Stone

Plans for the adoption of a new system of administration of University affairs, in which certain administrative duties will be divided between two newly-appointed vice presidents, were announced on March 13 by President Alexander G. Ruthven. The positions of vice president will be held by Shirley W. Smith, ’97, A.M. ’00, Secretary and Business Manager of the University,  and Professor Clarence S. Yoakum, formerly Director of the Bureau of University Research.

In accordance with the statement issued in “The Ruthven Platform” at the time of the President’s election last fall, the new organization is formed “to relieve the President of several duties last year delegated to the Dean of Administration, and permit him to give more time to academic problems.”

Mr. Smith’s official title is now Vice President and Secretary of the University, while Professor Yoakum is Vice President and Director of Educational Investigation Activities.

Mr. Smith has been Secretary of the University for twenty-two years, having assumed that office in 1908, following a term as General Secretary of the Alumni Association. During this time he has served under four different presidents, Dr. Harry B. Hutchins, Dr. Marion L. Burton, Dr. Clarence Cook Little, and President Ruthven, and has seen the University develop enormously, the property value increase many times its original value, and the enrollment practically doubled.

He is a native of Michigan. He was born in Nashville in 1875, the son of the late Judge and Mrs. Clement Smith. Judge Smith was a member of the Law Class of 1867. Shirley Smith enrolled in the University of Hastings, Michigan, receiving his degree in 1897. In 1898 he was added to the teaching staff of the Engineering College, as an instructor in English. He also continued his studies at the same time and received a Master’s Degree in 1900. A year later he became Secretary of the Alumni Association, a position which he retained until 1904. At this time he severed connections with the University and was for four years in the President’s office of the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company in Philadelphia. In 1908 he returned to become Secretary of the University of Michigan. In comparatively recent years the title of Business Manager was bestowed upon him.

Professor Yoakum, until his resignation last summer to accept the position of Dean of the
College of Liberal Arts at Northwestern University, was a member of the University of Michigan faculty, with the title of Professor of Personnel Administration and Director of the Bureau of University Research. He was born in Leavenworth County, Kansas, and received his A.B. degree from Campbell College, in that state. Some years later, after teaching at the college from which he graduated, at Hiawatha Academy, and at the University of Chicago, he obtained a degree of Ph.D. from Chicago. He was head of the Department of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Texas from 1908 until 1919. From 1919 until 1924 he was at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and in 1924 accepted a position at the University as a professor. Three years later he was made Director of the Bureau of University Research. Although the change in administration becomes effective at once; Professor Yoakum will not be able to assume his duties until July, owing to his connection with Northwestern.

Other changes incidental to the main reorganization of the administrative system of the University provide for the preparation of the budgets and handling of problems of faculty personnel directly by the president. The faculty committee to the Director of Alumni Relations has been made an administrative committee, composed of President Ruthven, William W. Bishop, Librarian, Dean John Robert Effinger, Professor Lewis M. Gram, of the Department of Civil Engineering, and Dean G. Carl Huber, of the Graduate School. The recently organized University Press has been given a committee with administrative powers. The University Press does not provide a printing establishment, but merely indicates a supervisory element overall University publications. It is headed by Dr. Frank E. Robbins, Assistant to the President.

The reorganization of the administration of the University into a corporation plan is the third important change, which has been affected by President Ruthven within the past month. The first of these was the initiation of changes in the administration of the Medical School. The second was the appointment of Miss Alice C. Lloyd, ’16, as Dean of Women, in place of the committee of three advisers, created by Dr. Clarence C. Little in 1926.

The office of Dean of Administration, which the new system is putting out of existence, was established in 1927 by Dr. Little and was held by President Ruthven from July. 1928, until he took office as President.

The Michigan Alumnus, March 22, 1930, Page 427