King's College London Department of Philosophy Records

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0100 KCLCA 1994 KDP
Held at	: King's College London College Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/archivespec/ ›
Full title	: King's College London Department of Philosophy Records
Date(s)	: 1959-1998
Level of description	: Sub-fonds of King's College London Archives
Extent	: 9 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: King's College Department of Philosophy

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Instruction in mental philosophy was provided with the appointment of a lecturer at King's in 1868. A chair in Logic and Moral Philosophy was created in 1877 occupied by the Rev Henry William Watkins, with classes available in both the Department of General Literature and Science, and the Theology Department. This changed its title to Logic and Mental Philosophy around 1891, then to Mental and Moral philosophy in 1903, classes that endured until 1906 when a department of Philosophy and Psychology came into being. The two subjects were separated in 1912 and Philosophy remained part of the Faculty of Arts until the reorganisation of 1989 when it became part of the School of Humanities.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

The records of the Department of Philosophy at King's College London consist of correspondence and papers, 1959-1998, notably including correspondence with the Head of Department, Peter Winch, relating to teaching and administration, with obituaries and an order of service for his funeral, 1975-1998; correspondence relating to visiting academics, 1970-1989; papers of the University of London Board of Examiners in Philosophy, incorporating examination results and statistics, 1968-1986; correspondence relating to staff appointments including testimonials and references for personnel, 1959-1983; papers, notably memoranda, correspondence and briefing reports concerning the strategic direction of the Department and the teaching of philosophy throughout the University of London, including negotiations for the merger of Philosophy departments at Bedford College and King's, 1982-1985; sessional examination question papers, 1984-1985.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

The material is boxed by year of accession with some inserts added later. Only some of the series 1994 KDP comprises administrative records, Boxes 1-7, 12, 17-24, 26 are undergraduate and postgraduate student files and correspondence mostly arranged in alphabetical order.

Conditions governing access:

Administrative records are generally closed to the public for 30 years except for published material and some committee and other minutes. Staff and student records are subject to an 80 year closure period after the date of leaving, but may be consulted by Departmental and other college staff with permission from the Head of Department.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services.

Finding aids:

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

King's College London Department of Philosophy, 1994 and accruing.

Allied Materials

Related material:

King's College London College Archives: Department of Philosophy Student Records (Ref: KCLCA KDP, KDP/FP, 1994 KDP); examination question papers (Ref: KCLCA K/EX).

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Sources: King's College Calendars and prospectuses. Entry compiled by Geoff Browell.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
March 2001