Robert Fluno Papers, 1952-1990

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Fluno, Robert Younger
Title
Robert Fluno Papers
Dates
1952-1990 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.7 linear feet, (6 boxes)
Collection Number
WCMss.028
Summary
This collection contains writings, curricular materials, and documents regarding the political activities of Robert Fluno, a Whitman College political science professor.
Repository
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Robert Younger Fluno was born on November 27, 1916 in Appleton, Wisconsin. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rollins College in 1938. Fluno went on to study at the American University in Washington, D.C. from 1938-1940; University of Minnesota from 1946-48; and the London School of Economics and Political Science from 1950-51; finally earning his doctorate of philosophy in 1952 from the University of Minnesota. During his study he taught political science at the University of Minnesota (1947-48) and Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio (1948-52). He accepted a position at Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA in 1952, where he served a 30-year tenure until his retirement in 1982. He was married to artist and poet, Ruth Fluno in 1944, until her death in 1974; and was remarried to Marcella Kerins in 1979.

During Fluno's tenure at Whitman College, he was an active professor and advisor for the student body, serving as a pre-law advisor and Chairman of the Political Science Department, organizing a number of symposiums and seminars and, perhaps most notably, serving as the advisor to Whitman Political Union. The Whitman Political Union was formed in 1954-55, following the success of the Workshop in Practical Politics in April, 1954 and the Intercollegiate Mock Political Convention in March, 1956. The Political Union remained active for approximately twenty-five years as a bipartisan group fostering political awareness and student involvement. The group sponsored annual Mock Conventions, Student Legislatures, as well as a number of political speakers, and an annual seminar—Roots of Contemporary Democracy which ran annually from 1961-1969. In April, 1990, The Whitman Political Union held a reunion of its former participants who had been identified through listings in articles from the Whitman Pioneer (1952-1958). The reunion was organized by Sally Rodgers, Robb Ball, and Robert Fluno. Fluno was the keynote speaker.

Shortly after the Political Union Reunion, Robert Younger Fluno died on October 6, 1990, at the age of 73 in his home in Berkeley, CA.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains Robert Fluno's writings and curriculum proposals and records the leadership of the Political Union at Whitman College. Student work and unpublished writings record a wide-range of educational processes. The collection provides a record of the political and social dimensions of political science education.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

By series.

Acquisition Information

Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Marcella Kerins Fluno in October, 1992. The accession numbers are retro-0021 and 2012-009.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1:  Political Union and Politics, 1952-1990,   (bulk 1952-1973) Return to Top

This series contains materials regarding the Political Union. The Union sponsored several mock conventions and hosted a semiannual political-awareness series entitled "Roots of Contemporary Democracy." Fluno and the Political Union were also instrumental in the organization of the Cordiner Symposium, which featured panels of guest scholars who spoke on a series of social issues. Programs for events and speakers are included along with correspondence and letters nationally recognized political leaders. The series holds a scrapbook of Political Union activities that includes a lengthy explanation of goals and aims of the Political Union. This series also includes the plans and correspondence surrounding the Political Union Reunion in 1990.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Cordiner Symposium
1968-1969
1 2
Cordiner Symposium
1970-1971
1 3
Cordiner Symposium -- Invitation Letters
1971
1 4
Cordiner Symposium
1971-1972
1 5
Cordiner Symposium -- Committee and Arrangement
1972-1973
1 6
Cordiner Symposium -- Publication
1972-1973
1 7
Cordiner Symposium -- Speakers
1972-1973
1 8
"Pioneer" Clippings, Political Union and Political Involvement
circa 1952-1969
1 9
Political Union Programs, "Name" Speakers Correspondence
1956-1961
1 10
Political Union Programs, 1954 Workshop
1954
1 11
Political Union Programs, 1956 Convention
1956
1 12
Political Union Programs, 1957 Legislature
1957
1 13
Political Union Programs, 1960 Convention
1960
1 14
Political Union Programs, 1961 Legislature
1961
1 15
Political Union Programs, 1962 Legislature
1962
1 16
Political Union Programs, 1964 Convention
1964
1 17
Political Union Programs, 1965 Legislature
1965
1 18
Political Union Programs, 1966 Legislature
1966
1 19
Political Union Programs, 1968 Convention
1968
1 20-21
Political Union Reunion
circa 1988-1990
object
2 7
Political Union Scrapbook
1954-1958
Folder
3 1
Political Union, Misc.
circa 1959-1970
3 2
Roots of Contemporary Democracy
1961-1962
3 3
Roots of Contemporary Democracy
1962-1963
3 4
Roots of Contemporary Democracy
1963-1964
3 5
Roots of Contemporary Democracy
1964-1965
3 6
Roots of Contemporary Democracy
1965-1966
3 7
Roots of Contemporary Democracy
1969

2:  Education and Curriculum, 1952-1981Return to Top

Fluno was highly involved in the Political Science Department at Whitman College. This series contains his writings and proposals regarding both college and department issues. Correspondence between faculty and president and several publications regarding educational reform are included. Fluno was active in creating a progressive, "hands-on" course for political science majors which he entitled "Government In-Action Seminar." Included are student projects from these classes as well as syllabi and Fluno's final reports on the case studies.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
3 8
Address to Political Science Majors
1962
3 9
Case Studies -- "Reapportionment in Washington State" and "Premier Bennett, Frontier Diplomat"
1965-1967
3 10
Columbia River Treaty Case, sample case study, Randall Nelson
1965-1966
3 11
Curricular proposals by Fluno
1952-1981
3 12
"Dean" Issue
1964-1966
3 13
Hanford Reactor Case (no student copies)
1963-1964
3 14
Letters to the Editor—regarding Whitman College and education
1960-1974
3 15
Oregon State Tax Battle, 1967, sample case study by Larry Amburgey
1968-1969
3 16
Oregon Tax Referral Case, 1963, sample case study by Robert Lawton
1964-1965
3 17
Political Internships -- Jackson
1965-1981; undated
3 18
Political Science Curriculum
1952-1981
4 1
Reapportionment in Wash. State after 1970, sample case study by Terry Abeyta
1972-1973
4 2
School Budget, Washington State, case study report by Lynn DeFrees
1962-1963
4 3
Syllabi
1962-1981
4 4
Tax Reform in Washington State, sample case study by Larry Johnson
1970-1971
4 5
Wash. State Budget, 1961, case study by Sharon Johnson
1961-1962
4 6
Wash. State Public Disclosure Law, sample case study by Lars Johnson
1974-1975
4 7
Wash. State Reapportionment, 1962-65, sample case study by Thomas Church
1966-1967
4 8
Wash. State School Levy Issue, sample case study by Kathy Holden
1976-1977
4 9
Whitman—Curriculum. Papers on Political Education
1960-1974; undated
4 10
Writing—on education, etc. Papers on Political and Liberal Arts Education
1963-1975

3:  Writings and Publications, 1953-1990Return to Top

This series contains several unpublished manuscripts of Fluno's writings and several reprints of published articles and book reviews.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
4 11
Book Reviews
1957-1978
4 12
Conversation among Liberals (Unpublished Manuscript)
undated
4 13
Manuscript, How Deep is the Court in Politics
1957
4 14
Periodical Publications
1953-1983; undated
5 1-11
Politics and Principle (Unpublished Manuscript)
circa 1990

4:  Miscellaneous, 1957-1990Return to Top

This series includes personal correspondence, articles regarding Fluno's travel and personal life, and obituary and funeral information. Also included are several published and unpublished photographs of Fluno, WWII medals, a commemorative letter book, and travel photograph albums.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
5 12
Articles on Fluno
1957-1982; undated
5 13
Correspondence
1978-1990
5 14
Miscellaneous
1990; undated
5 15
Obituary
1990
5 16
Photographs
undated
5 17
Vita
circa 1971
object
6 1-2
Travel scrapbooks
1950, 1963
6 3-7
Drawings and photographs
1934-1960
2 1
25 year commemorative letter book
1977
2 2
Town Gown award
1979
2 3
Photograph album of trip to Europe
1967-1973
2 4
Photograph album of trip to Bengal
1957
2 5
Photograph album of Robert Fluno's retirement and alumni weekend
1981
2 6
World War Two medals

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Corporate Names

  • Whitman College