North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, 1966-1977

The collection contains both personal and professional papers of David L. Anderson. Personal papers include correspondence and items relating to Anderson's ministry, family, Navy service, health and car insurance, investments, and retirement. Professional papers exist for activities directly relating to Oberlin, and for external professional involvement. Included are correspondence, memoranda, notes, class syllabi, students' papers and exams, lecture outlines, drafts and final copies of books and articles written by Anderson, equipment and business trip records, grant applications, professional literature, and some photographs.

The David L. Anderson papers are arranged in ten series: I. Biographical Files, II. Harvard Classroom Records, III. Correspondence, IV. Committee Files, V. General Files, VI. Instructional and Student Files, VII. Ministerial Files, VIII. Miscellaneous Professional Files, IX. Writings File, and X. Drawings and Photographs.

These ten series contribute to the documentation of Anderson's adult life. Two series, I. Biographical Files and IV. Correspondence, span the entirety of these years. Anderson's undergraduate and graduate years at Harvard University are documented by classroom notes, laboratory reports, and assignments in series II, and by correspondence. A little light is shed on his time at Los Alamos and in the U.S. Navy during World War II largely through his service papers, and through Anderson's recollections recorded in newspaper articles, Harvard alumni bulletin autobiographies, and correspondence. Researchers are bound to long for more documentation relating to Anderson's involvement in the development of the atom bomb, an achievement with profound influence on world history, science, and culture.

Anderson's years living in Oberlin, Ohio, are documented thoroughly in several series. Again, his personal and family life are revealed through correspondence. "Extracurricular" service to Oberlin College and to the wider academic community is evident in the extensive committee files of series III, in the miscellaneous professional files of series VIII, and in the writings found in series IX. The bulk of Anderson's professional duties at Oberlin College—as an advisor, administrator, and instructor—are recorded in Series VI.