John W. Nason Papers, 1961-1978 | Carleton College Archives

John W. Nason (1905-2001) graduated from Carleton College in 1926 with a degree in Philosophy. After his graduation, Nason attended Harvard briefly before spending three years at Oriel College at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, graduating in 1931. He then taught at Swarthmore College until 1940, when he was chosen as the College's President. He served in this role until 1953, when he stepped down to become the President of the Foreign Policy Association. In 1962, he was elected the President of Carleton College where he served in this role until his retirement in 1970.

During his time as President, John W. Nason is known for strengthening cooperation between Carleton and St. Olaf, the institution of the freshman seminar, the expansion of study abroad programs, and the creation of the Asian Studies Department. The years of Nason’s presidency were marked by a general sense of unrest for the students, especially surrounding Civil Rights issues and the conflict in Vietnam. For records surrounding the college’s reaction to Vietnam, the expansion of the study abroad programs, and other official documentation regarding activities on campus, consult the President’s Office Records (Nason), 1962-1970.

This small manuscript collection consists of three folders which are comprised primarily of correspondence. The first folder contains correspondence and a few publications relating to the appointment of John W. Nason as President of Carleton College in 1962. The second folder primarily holds Carleton Women’s Club newsletters and correspondence. These are addressed to Mrs. Nason and date from 1965 thru 1970. The third folder contains correspondence received and written by Mr. Nason after his retirement from the office of President. All of these letters relate to Carleton Capital Campaigns in the mid to late 1970s.